SMS Lutzow (1916)

From the birth of the Dreadnought to the period immediately after the end of World War I.
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Kyler
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SMS Lutzow (1916)

Post by Kyler »

SMS Lutzow was one of three Derfflinger Class battlecruisers that were served in the Imperial German Navy during World War 1.
She had a short but distinguished career in the navy being the only battlecruiser in the German Navy that was sunk during the entire war.
She was commissioned in November of 1916 after being completed by the Blohm & Voss company. She was quickly used as a flagship for the Reconnaissance Squadron. She served as Adm. Hipper's flagship during initial parts of the Battle of Jutland. Lutzow by some sources is accredited in the sinking of the HMS Defence, destroying HMS Lion's Q turret, and in possible sinking of the HMS Invincible. In the end Lutzow was hit 24 times during the battles with the BC Fleet and Grand Fleet at Jutland. She limped back to Kiel but was unable to be saved due to the amount of water that had flooded compartments. She was scuttled by a German torpedo boat after the surviving crew had been rescued.

Lutzow's main armament consisted of 8 12"/50 SK L/50 guns on centerline superfiring turrets. Her secondary armament consisted of 14 5.9"/45 SK L/45 guns in single casemates above the hull, 8 3.5"/45 SK L/45 single mount guns, and 4 19.7" underwater torpedo tubes ( 1stern, 1astern firing, and 2 broadside tubes)

Displacement 26,600 tons/31,200 tons max.
Dimensions: Length 690'3", Beam: 95'1", Draft: 31'5"
Engines: 4 Steam Turbine, 14 Twin Coal Boilers, 4 Oil Double Ended Boilers, SHP 63,000
Max speed: 26.5 knots (Tested at 27+), 6,100 kn miles at 14kn.
Wartime Crew: 1,390 men

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"It was a perfect attack, Right Height, Right Range, Right cloud cover, Right speed,
Wrong f@%king ship!" Commander Stewart-Moore (HMS Ark Royal)
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Re: SMS Lutzow (1916)

Post by Gerard Heimann »

Any thoughts why Caesar turret is further distant from Dora than is Bruno from Anton? The decking structure appears the same, yet the distance between the two superfiring sets is different.

Gerard
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Re: SMS Lutzow (1916)

Post by tommy303 »

The machinery spaces for turbines was in between Caesar and Dora.

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Re: SMS Lutzow (1916)

Post by Kyler »

Gerard Heimann wrote:Any thoughts why Caesar turret is further distant from Dora than is Bruno from Anton? The decking structure appears the same, yet the distance between the two superfiring sets is different.

Gerard
Tommy is correct

This design feature was common on all three Derfflinger Class battlecrusiers, and also on the never completed Mackensen & Ersatz-Yorck Class Battlecruisers
"It was a perfect attack, Right Height, Right Range, Right cloud cover, Right speed,
Wrong f@%king ship!" Commander Stewart-Moore (HMS Ark Royal)
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marcelo_malara
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Re: SMS Lutzow (1916)

Post by marcelo_malara »

Alternating machinery spaces was a common design practice of the era. I mean, you can find:

-boiler room/machinery room/boiler room/machinery room
-boiler room/machinery room/boiler room

Surely there are other combinations. I read that they were so disposed to diminish the risk of some part of the powerplant being entirely disabled by a single impact. But then the design turned to the standard boiler room/machinery room. I think there were limitations with the lenght of the shafts as the BBs grew in size.
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Re: SMS Lutzow (1916)

Post by Karl Heidenreich »

The German Battlecruisers were the best of the world when they engaged the enemies. Far superior to their foes.
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Kyler
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Re: SMS Lutzow (1916)

Post by Kyler »

Karl Heidenreich wrote:The German Battlecruisers were the best of the world when they engaged the enemies. Far superior to their foes.
Absolutely, it was the SMS 3 v RN 1, no you don't get to count the Blucher you RN fan it is an Armored Cruiser
"It was a perfect attack, Right Height, Right Range, Right cloud cover, Right speed,
Wrong f@%king ship!" Commander Stewart-Moore (HMS Ark Royal)
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Re: SMS Lutzow (1916)

Post by lwd »

Nice photos and posting. Probably a good idea to credit them though.
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RF
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Re: SMS Lutzow (1916)

Post by RF »

Kyler wrote:SMS Lutzow was..... the only battlecruiser in the German Navy that was sunk during the entire war.
..... Lutzow was hit 24 times during the battles with the BC Fleet and Grand Fleet at Jutland. She limped back to Kiel but was unable to be saved due to the amount of water that had flooded compartments. She was scuttled by a German torpedo boat after the surviving crew had been rescued.
It is a moot point as to whether this is a sinking as such, or effectively the scrapping of a ship badly damaged in battle. The Seydlitz was in a similar position, but did survive the war.
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Re: SMS Lutzow (1916)

Post by downes51 »

She was commissioned in November of 1916 after being completed by the Blohm & Voss company.
That would be 5 months after she was sunk at Jutland!

Wiki says she was launched in November 1913 and commissioned in August 1915.
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Re: SMS Lutzow (1916)

Post by RF »

Wasn't the commissioning in November 1916 that of a successor ship to the name?
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Gary
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Re: SMS Lutzow (1916)

Post by Gary »

Formidable ships for their time :clap:

I believe the forward torpedo room which wasnt covered by the armour belt was hit by 12 inch shells (possibly from Invincible) which quickly began to flood.
The flooding of the bows caused her stern to rise up and her screws and Rudder began to lift out of the water.
I think from memory she had over 8000 tons of sea water flooding her compared to about 5000 for Seydlitz.
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Re: SMS Lutzow (1916)

Post by Thorsten Wahl »

some concentrated Information about her sinking
in german
http://forum-marinearchiv.de/smf/index. ... 482.0.html
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