SMS Bayern

Bayern, probably during her internment at Scapa Flow
History
German Empire
Name	SMS Bayern
Namesake	Bavaria, then a kingdom within the German Empire
Builder	Howaldtswerke, Kiel
Laid down	22 December 1913
Launched	18 February 1915
Commissioned	15 July 1916
Fate	Scuttled in Gutter Sound, Scapa Flow, 21 June 1919 Re-floated and broken up 1935
General characteristics
Class and type	Bayern-class battleship
Displacement	Normal: 28,530 t (28,080 long tons) Full load: 32,200 t (31,700 long tons)
Length	180 m (590 ft 7 in) loa
Beam	30 m (98 ft 5 in)
Draft	9.4 m (30 ft 10 in)
Installed power	14 × water-tube boilers 35,000 metric horsepower (35,000 shp)
Propulsion	3 × steam turbines 3 × screw propellers
Speed	22 knots (41 km/h; 25 mph)
Range	5,000 nmi (9,300 km; 5,800 mi) at 12 knots (22 km/h; 14 mph)
Crew	42 officers 1,129 enlisted men
Armament	8 × 38 cm (15 in) SK L/45 guns 16 × 15 cm (5.9 in) SK L/45 guns 4 × 8.8 cm (3.5 in) SK L/45 guns 5 × 60 cm (24 in) torpedo tubes
Armor	Belt: 170–350 mm (6.7–13.8 in) Conning tower: 400 mm (15.7 in) Deck: 60 mm–100 mm (2.3–3.9 in) Turrets: 200 to 350 mm (7.9 to 13.8 in)

SMS Bayern^[a] was the lead ship of the Bayern class of dreadnought battleships in the German Kaiserliche Marine (Imperial Navy). The vessel was launched in February 1915 and entered service in July 1916, too late to take part in the Battle of Jutland. Her main armament consisted of eight 38 cm (15 in) guns in four turrets, which was a significant improvement over the preceding König's ten 30.5 cm (12 inch) guns.^[b] The ship was to have formed the nucleus for a fourth battle squadron in the High Seas Fleet, along with three of her sister ships. Of the other ships only one—Baden—was completed; the other two were canceled later in the war when production requirements shifted to U-boat construction.

Bayern was commissioned midway through the war, and had a limited service career. The first operation in which the ship took part was an abortive fleet advance into the North Sea on 18–19 August 1916, a month after she had been commissioned. The ship also participated in Operation Albion in the Gulf of Riga, but shortly after the German attack began on 12 October 1917, Bayern was mined and had to be withdrawn for repairs. She was interned with the majority of the High Seas Fleet at Scapa Flow in November 1918 following the end of World War I. On 21 June 1919, Admiral Ludwig von Reuter ordered the fleet to be scuttled; Bayern sank at 14:30. In September 1934, the ship was raised, towed to Rosyth, and scrapped.
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