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SMS Von der Tann was the first battlecruiser built for the German Kaiserliche Marine, as well as Germany's first major turbine-powered warship. At the time of her construction, Von der Tann was the fastest dreadnought-type warship afloat, capable of reaching speeds of more than 27 knots. Built by Blohm and Voss in Hamburg, Von der Tann was one of the workhorses of the High Seas Fleet I Scouting Group. Von der Tann was designed in response to the British Invincible-class battlecruiser. While the German design had slightly lighter guns—28 cm (11 in), as opposed to the 30.5 cm (12 in) mounted on the British ships—Von der Tann was faster and significantly better-armoured. She set the precedent that German battlecruisers carried much heavier armour than their British equivalents, albeit at the cost of smaller guns. The ship participated in a number of fleet actions during the First World War, including the Battle of Jutland on 31 May 1916, where she destroyed the British battlecruiser HMS Indefatigable within the first few minutes of the engagement. Von der Tann was hit several times by large-calibre shells during the battle, but the damage was quickly repaired and the ship returned to the fleet in two months. Following the end of the war in 1918, Von der Tann, along with most of the High Seas Fleet, was interned at Scapa Flow pending a decision by the Allies as to the fate of the fleet. The ship met her end when the fleet was scuttled in 1919 to prevent them falling into British hands. The wreck of Von der Tann was raised in 1930, and scrapped at Rosyth from 1931 to 1934. (more...)

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