The former German Brandenburg-class ships retained six 11-inch guns, with two 35-calibre barrels and four 40-calibre barrels. Their roughly 16.5-knot speed left them several knots behind Averof, while their machinery and protection dated from the 1890s. Other Ottoman vessels were even less satisfactory: the reconstructed ironclad Mesudiye never received her intended 9-inch guns, while ships described as destroyers were closer to German torpedo boats. German equipment purchases and military advice show that modernisation was being attempted. Political factionalism repeatedly undermined it, with officers' connections sometimes allowing junior or inexperienced men to dominate a unit.
Chapter · 1:13:42-1:24:48
The Ottoman fleet's aging and mismatched battle line
The Ottoman battle line combined old Brandenburg-class battleships, incomplete ironclads, and small German torpedo boats with serious speed and readiness disadvantages.