SMS Kaiser Karl der Grosse

SMS Kaiser Karl der Grosse.
SMS Kaiser Karl der Grosse (His Majesty's Ship Charlemagne) was a pre-dreadnought battleship of the Kaiser Friedrich III class, launched on 18 October 1899 at the Blohm and Voss shipyard in Hamburg for the Imperial German Navy. A shipyard strike and an accidental grounding delayed her completion until February 1902. The ship was armed with four 24-centimeter (9.4 in) guns in two twin gun turrets and had a top speed of 17.5 knots (32.4 km/h; 20.1 mph). She served with the active fleet until 1908, participating in the normal peacetime routine of training cruises and fleet maneuvers. At the outbreak of World War I in August 1914, the ship was placed back in active duty for half a year for coastal defense. Kaiser Karl der Grosse was briefly used as a training ship and ended her career holding prisoners of war in Wilhelmshaven.