König

Ballistics

Armor Model

Overview

According to amendments to the naval law reducing the maximum service life of capital ships, four old armored ships were due for replacement. Development of the new project began in 1910, with the previous battleship type—Kaiser—chosen as the basis. The two wing turrets were replaced by one, located on the ship's centerline. SMS König was built at the Wilhelmshaven shipyards and entered service just after the start of World War I. In 1914–16, the battleship participated in raid and patrol operations. During the Battle of Jutland, König, being in the vanguard of the German fleet, sustained heavy damage and took on 1,600 tons of water. In September 1917, the battleship participated in Operation Albion in the Baltic, where it engaged in a duel with the Russian battleship Slava. After Germany's capitulation, König moved to Scapa Flow, where it was scuttled by its crew on June 21, 1919.