 British submarines were becoming increasingly active in the Baltic by late 1915 ; several cruisers had been sunk and the elderly Wittelsbach @-@ class ships could no longer be risked there . Therefore , due to their age and vulnerability , they were withdrawn from active service and disarmed by 1916 . They were used as training ships , with the exception of Mecklenburg , which was used as a prison ship . In 1919 , Wittelsbach and Schwaben were converted into depot ships for minesweepers . The entire class , with the exception of Zähringen , were struck from the navy list after the end of World War I. Mecklenburg was struck on 27 January 1920 , Wettin followed on 11 March 1920 , and Wittelsbach and Schwaben were struck on 8 March 1921 . The four ships were broken up between 1921 – 22 . Zähringen was converted into a radio @-@ controlled target ship in 1926 – 27 . Royal Air Force bombers sank the ship in Gotenhafen in 1944 ; the wreck was broken up in 1949 – 50 . 
