▁and ▁commission ed ▁into ▁the ▁fleet ▁on ▁ 2 4 ▁September ▁ 1 8 8 1 . ▁ ▁The ▁ships ▁built ▁by ▁AG ▁V ul can — S achsen ▁and ▁Wür ttemberg — w ere ▁completed ▁in ▁three ▁and ▁five ▁years , ▁respectively . ▁The ▁two ▁vessels ▁built ▁by ▁the ▁Imperial ▁D ock yard — B ay ern ▁and ▁Baden — , ▁required ▁eight ▁and ▁seven ▁years ' ▁work , ▁respectively . ▁One ▁of ▁the ▁primary ▁causes ▁for ▁the ▁great ▁dispar ity ▁in ▁build ▁times ▁was ▁the ▁experience ▁of ▁the ▁ship build ers . ▁AG ▁V ul can ▁was ▁an ▁established ▁commercial ▁ship ▁builder , ▁while ▁the ▁Imperial ▁D ock y ards ▁were ▁recently ▁founded ▁and ▁still ▁lack ed ▁experience ▁in ▁large ▁war ship ▁construction . ▁ ▁Service ▁history ▁▁ ▁Though ▁Sachsen ▁entered ▁service ▁in ▁ 1 8 7 8 , ▁she ▁only ▁participated ▁in ▁one ▁annual ▁fleet ▁exercise , ▁in ▁ 1 8 8 0 , ▁before ▁all ▁four ▁ships ▁were ▁assigned ▁to ▁the ▁ 1 8 8 4 ▁man eu vers . ▁This ▁was ▁due ▁to ▁the ▁poor ▁performance ▁of ▁Sachsen ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 8 8 0 ▁man eu vers ▁and ▁the ▁negative ▁reputation ▁of ▁the ▁class . ▁Among ▁the ▁problems ▁associated ▁with ▁the ▁Sachsen - class ▁ships ▁was ▁a ▁t endency ▁to ▁roll ▁danger ously ▁due ▁to ▁their ▁flat ▁bottom s , ▁which ▁greatly ▁reduced ▁the ▁accuracy ▁of ▁their ▁guns . ▁The ▁ships ▁were ▁also ▁poor ly ▁arm ored , ▁compared ▁to ▁their ▁contempor aries . ▁In ▁addition ,