Turkish Battleship Yavuz.

[Batstiger]

This was the longest serving Dreadnought type Battleship, being laid down in 1909 as the SMS Goeben and being scrapped 63 years later in 1972.

[The Sailor]

Made good reading Bob. Seemed to be in the thick of things and somehow escaped getting sunk about four times.
I bet if it was now the Germans would buy her back as a memorial.
Times were different then.

[Harley]

Technically she may have been active, but during her sortie out of the Dardanelles on 20 January 1918 she struck a number of mines, at least 3, and then ran aground. Despite a drydocking in recently neutralised Sevastopol Goeben/Yavuz was in no further state for action - not being properly refitted until 1926. If memory serves she was beached somewhere for a while, it being the cheapest way to try and slow the deterioration. It took 4 years to get her back in shape.

In 1963 West Germany actually offered to buy Yavuz back. The Turks somewhat stupidly refused the offer, then suddenly realised how much it cost to coal the ship. They offered her for sale a scant 3 years later by which time the West Germans were no longer interested. Quite what Turkey hoped to have achieved with a clapped out battlecruiser I don't know. Bombard Cyprus?

This raises an issue, what were the Turks doing for 11" shells and powder cases decades after the Germans stopped using them??

Harley

[Krieg1981]

Does anyone have pictures of the Yavuz at the end of her career(post war and scrapping)?

[astraltrader]

These are the nearest I have...

[designeraccd]

Two more....courtesy, indirectly, of our Polish friend Miro! DFO :)

[Tiornu]

By the end, she was in truly horrendous shape. Way beyond any realistic hopes for rehabilitation, even for museum duty.

[Krieg1981]

It's truly depressing the last Imperial Navy warship couldn't have been saved. I'd give a kidney to walk those decks!

[Tiornu]

I'd be willing to give a kidney as well...assuming it's someone else's.

[designeraccd]

Based on close in photos I remember, her paint CRACKS looked about 4" deep...ALL over. Still, it was a shame she was cut up and not preserved, IMO. DFO

[Krieg1981]

Here are some more pics.... The screw belonged to the Yavuz once upon a time!

[Antoine]

Does anyone have pictures of the Yavuz at the end of her career(post war and scrapping)?

Hello!

Some photos of the "Goeben" after the Great War:
- Jawus Selim somewhere in the roads;
- Jawus Selim, 1931;
- Jawus Selim, 1934;
- Yavuz, 1936;
- Yavuz;
- Yavuz;
- Yavuz, 1950s;
- scrapping;
- scrapping.

As for the name. After the fiction buying the "Goeben" became "Jawus Sultan Selim" ("Sultan Selim the Terrible"). After the repair of 1920s she was renamed the "Jawus Selim" (because of the revolution :rolleyes:). And in 1936 she was renamed "Yavuz".

It's pity that Turkey didn't sold it to West Germany! Really historical ship.

[designeraccd]

very nice...all "new" to me...even the horrid shot of her sliced up.............what a WASTE of possibly THE most significant warship-historically-EVER! DFO :eek:

[Krieg1981]

very nice...all "new" to me...even the horrid shot of her sliced up.............what a WASTE of possibly THE most significant warship-historically-EVER! DFO :eek:

No kidding. It's like watching someone light a Gutenberg bible on fire or blow up the Pyramids to me!

[Harley]

We could have a right old debate as to the significance of "Goeben" and "Breslau"! Needless to say I take the contrarian view. Anyone game?

Simon

[designeraccd]

I base my statement not on any Naval actions she took part in, but the SEVERE political ramifications that take place because of those two ships being "sold" to Turkey and the consequent events of World History that issued from that.

So your "candidate" or rebuttal please.......DFO :)

[Tiornu]

If we accept that the Germans ships secured the Ottomans as a Central Power...the Central Powers still lost.

[MMM]

We could have a right old debate as to the significance of "Goeben" and "Breslau"! Needless to say I take the contrarian view. Anyone game?

Simon

Let's leave this myth alone:)

Those German ships had as much influence on Turkish Empire's joining Central Powers as even more renowned 50 Destroyers for Bases on Royal Navy's effort in battle of Atlantic. More mythical than real:)

It's just my opinion

[designeraccd]

If we accept that the Germans ships secured the Ottomans as a Central Power...the Central Powers still lost.


Lose they did, but consider the cascading consequences from it...including Russia. There is a book I have about her, by an English author, that makes a very convincing case about her "historical signifigance" due to the chain of events the "sale" finally ended up touching off. DFO ;):)

[CGRET]

From the photo's the ship I would say she could have been saved. The Battleship Texas was recently reskined in her last drydock, partially. The lack of a public response in saving this Historical Ship, then this is the response. Note, this is the same fate that meet the USS Enterprise CV-6.

Regards
Charles

[peyk]

yavuz 1914- 1950 ottoman naval and turkish naval fleet main warfare ship
jpg.gif dergi 1588.jpg (18.7 KB)
jpg.gif nju (20).JPG (615.3 KB)
jpg.gif yedek 529.jpg (213.9 KB)
jpg.gif goebencard3.jpg (13.4 KB)
jpg.gif Image56.JPG

[Antoine]

yavuz 1914- 1950 ottoman naval and turkish naval fleet main warfare ship

Thank you.

P. S. The fourth photo is of SMS Goeben on trials.

[astraltrader]

Antoine I think Peyk mentions it is the Goeben with that list of JPG`s [4th one down!] - but it is a bit confusing.

[Antoine]

Dear Peyk and Terry!
I'm sorry.:( I only wanted to verify the time of the photo.

[Antoine]

And here is the same one from me :)

[CGRET]

It would appear she is on a full power trails.

Regards
Charles