Seydlitz, a 24,988-ton battle cruiser built at Hamburg, Germany, was commissioned in May 1913. She served in the North Sea and Baltic areas prior to the outbreak of World War I in early August 1914. During that conflict she took part in two important battles with the British Navy, receiving serious damage in each. On 24 January 1915 Seydlitz was flagship of the German battle cruiser force in the battle of the Dogger Bank, losing two gun turrets and nearly 160 crewmen in a major ammunition fire. In the battle of Jutland, on 1 June 1916, she was struck by a destroyer's torpedo and some two-dozen large shells. Four of her five twin 28cm gun turrets were hit, with two suffering massive fires. Seydlitz's forward hull was largely filled with water, reducing her freeboard at the bow to almost nothing, and she made port with great difficulty. After repairs lasting through the summer, the ship returned to the fleet and remained active until the 11 November 1918 Armistice ended the fighting. Ten days later she steamed to Scapa Flow to be interned and was scuttled there by her crew on 21 June 1919. Her wreck was raised in 1928 and scrapped in 1930.