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Builders: AG Vulcan, Stettin
Laid down: 04 April 1904
Launched: 02 December 1905
Completed: 06 August 1907
Ship's History:
The SMS Pommern fought as part of II Geschwader at the battle of Jutland (Skagerak) on 31 May to 01 June 1916. At 20:39 hours on 31 May 1916 at the battle of Jutland, the British dreadnought HMS Indomitable scored a direct hit on the SMS Pommern with a massive 12 inch shell. The Pommern appeared to suffer no major damage from this hit and kept pace with the remainder of the ships in her Geschwader. During the night action the following morning on 01 June 1916, a torpedo fired by the British destroyer HMS Onslaught struck the SMS Pommern at 02:10 hours. It is believed that her 17cm ammunition magazines exploded and the ship was racked with several violent explosions in rapid succession. A massive secondary explosion (possibly the 28cm ammunition magazines) broke the SMS Pommern in two. Fragments rained down in the immediate area, a large section (possibly a turret roof or portion of the upper deck) landed in the water very close to the SMS Deutschland. The SMS Hannover reported that as it passed 3 to 4 minutes later, the Pommern's stern had capsized and her rudders and propellers were above the surface. Part of the bow was still visible as the SMS Schlesien passed by 10 minutes after the explosion. There were no survivors from the SMS Pommern's crew of 839. Although the SMS Pommern is a war grave, this did not prevent her from being reportedly salvaged in the 1950s, although it is not clear to what extent this occurred. Displayed in the front hall of Das Marine-Ehrenmal in Laboe (the German Marine memorial in Laboe Germany), is the Bugzier (bow decoration) removed from the SMS Pommern.
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