SMS Kaiser Friedrich III
SMS ("His Majesty's Ship Emperor Frederick III") was the lead ship of the of pre-dreadnought battleships. She was laid down at the in Wilhelmshaven in March 1895, launched in July 1896, and finished in October 1898. The ship was armed with a main battery of four guns in two twin gun turrets supported by a secondary battery of eighteen guns. Sea trials and modifications lasted more than a year, and once she entered active service in October 1899, the ship became the flagship of Prince Heinrich in I Squadron of the German (Home Fleet). I Squadron was primarily occupied with training exercises throughout each year, and also made numerous trips to other European countries, particularly Great Britain and Sweden–Norway. In 1901, the ship was severely damaged after striking submerged rocks in the Baltic Sea; the incident contributed to design changes in later German battleships to make them more resistant to underwater damage. was extensively modernized in 1908; her secondary guns were reorganized and her superstructure was cut down to reduce top-heaviness. After returning to service in 1910, was placed in the Reserve Formation; she spent the next two years laid up, being activated only for the annual fleet maneuvers. The