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Nell'agosto del 1915, la flotta tedesca cercò di forzare il [[golfo di Riga]] per appoggiare la conquista di [[Riga]] da parte dell'[[Deutsches Heer (1871-1919)|esercito tedesco]]. Per riuscire nella missione, il piano tedesco prevedeva la distruzione o il ritiro delle forze navali russe nell'area, che comprendevano la nave da battaglia pre-dreadnought ''[[Slava (nave da battaglia)|Slava]]'' e una flottiglia di cacciatorpediniere e siluranti. Il piano prevedeva anche la posa di un campo di mine attraverso l'accesso da nord del golfo per impedire l'arrivo di rinforzi da parte russa. La flotta tedesca formata per la missione comprendeva la ''Nassau'' e le sue tre pariclasse, le quattro navi della [[Classe Helgoland]], e gli incrociatori da battaglia {{nave|SMS|Von der Tann||2}}, {{nave|SMS|Moltke||2}}, e {{nave|SMS|Seydlitz||2}}. Al comando della flotta era il vice ammiragglio Franz von Hipper. Le otto navi da battaglia avrebbero fornito la copertura agli incrociatori da battaglia avanzanti. Il primo tentativo dell'8 agosto non ebbe successo, poichè ci volle troppo tempo per aprire un varco nei campi minati russi e al posamine tedesco {{nave|SMS|Deutschland|1914|2}} per posare un campo di mine difensivo.<ref>{{cita|Halpern|pp. 196–197}}</ref>
Il 16 agosto 1915, fu fatto un secondo tentativo di forzare il golfo: la ''Nassau'' e la ''Posen'', quattro incrociatori leggeri, e 31 cacciatorpediniere riuscirono a passare le difese russe.<ref>{{cita|Halpern|p. 197}}</ref> OnIl theprimo firstgiorno daydell'attacco ofil thedragamine assault, the German [[minesweeper]]tedesco ''T 46'' was sunk,fu asaffondato wasinsieme theal destroyercacciatorpediniere ''V 99''. TheIl followinggiorno daydopo, la ''Nassau'' ande la ''Posen'' engagedingaggiarono inla an artillerynave duelda withbattaglia ''Slava'', resultingche infu threecolpita hitstre onvolte thee Russiancostretta shipal that forced her to retreatritiro. ByAl 19 Augustagosto, thei Russiancampi minefieldsminati hadrussi beenerano clearedstati bonificati, andcosì thela flotillaflotta enteredtedesca theentrò gulf.nel Reportsgolfomì, ofma Alliedgià [[submarine]]sil ingiorno thedopo, areaa promptedcausa thedell'avvistamento Germansdi tosommergibili callalleati, offfu ofdato thel'ordine operationdi the following dayritirarsi.<ref>{{cita|Halpern|pp. 197–198}}</ref> Solo la ''Nassau'' ande la ''Posen'' remainedrimasero infino the Gulf untilal 21 Augustagosto, anddove whileappoggiarono therele assistedazioni inche theportarono destructionall'affondamento ofdelle thecannoniere [[gunboat]]srusse {{nave|Russian gunboat|Sivuch|1907|2}} ande {{nave|Russian gunboat|Korietz||2}}.<ref>{{cita|Staff|p. 24}}</ref> AdmiralL'ammiraglio Hipper laterin remarkedseguito thatsi espresse così in merito alla missione tedesca: "Mantenere navi di valore per un tempo prolungato in un'area ristretta dove l'attività dei sommergibili nemici era in costante aumento, con il conseguente rischio di danni e perdite, era indulgere in un azzardo senza nessuna proporzione con il vantaggio che sarebbe derivato dall'occupazione del golfo ''prima'' della conquista di Riga da terra."<ref>{{cita|Halpern|p. 198}}</ref>
<blockquote>
"To keep valuable ships for a considerable time in a limited area in which enemy submarines were increasingly active, with the corresponding risk of damage and loss, was to indulge in a gamble out of all proportion to the advantage to be derived from the occupation of the Gulf ''before'' the capture of Riga from the land side."<ref>{{cita|Halpern|p. 198}}</ref>
</blockquote>
=== Battle of Jutland ===
=== Later operations ===
[[File:SMS Nassau illustration.jpg|thumb|left|A recognition drawing prepared by the Royal Navy, with ''Nassau''{{'}}s main battery turned to starboard]]
[[Action of 19 Augustagosto 1916|Another fleet advance]] followed on 18–22 Augustagosto, during which the I Scouting Group battlecruisers were to bombard the coastal town of [[Sunderland, Tyne and Wear|Sunderland]] in an attempt to draw out and destroy Beatty's battlecruisers. As only two of the four German battlecruisers were still in fighting condition, three dreadnoughts were assigned to the Scouting Group for the operation: {{nave|SMS|Markgraf||2}}, {{nave|SMS|Grosser Kurfürst|1913|2}}, and the newly commissioned {{nave|SMS|Bayern||2}}. The High Seas Fleet, including ''Nassau'',<ref>{{cita|Staff|p. 24}}</ref> would trail behind and provide cover.<ref>{{cita|Massie|p. 682}}</ref> At 06:00 on 19 Augustagosto, ''Westfalen'' was torpedoed by the British submarine {{nave|HMS|E23}} {{convert|55|nmi}} north of [[Terschelling]]; the ship remained afloat and was detached to return to port.<ref>{{cita|Staff|p. 26}}</ref> The British were aware of the German plans and [[sortie]]d the Grand Fleet to meet them. By 14:35, Admiral Scheer had been warned of the Grand Fleet's approach and, unwilling to engage the whole of the Grand Fleet just 11 weeks after the close call at Jutland, turned his forces around and retreated to German ports.<ref>{{cita|Massie|p. 683}}</ref>
Another sortie into the North Sea followed on 19–20 October. On 21 Decemberdicembre, ''Nassau'' ran aground in the mouth of the [[Elbe]]. She was able to free herself, and repairs were effected in [[Hamburg]] at the Reihersteig Dockyard until 1 February 1917.<ref>{{cita|Staff|p. 24}}</ref> The ship was part of the force that steamed to Norway to intercept a heavily escorted British convoy on 23–25 April, though the operation was canceled when the battlecruiser ''Moltke'' suffered mechanical damage and had to be towed back to port.<ref>{{cita|Massie|p. 748}}</ref> ''Nassau'', ''Ostfriesland'', and ''Thüringen'' were formed into a special unit for Operation ''Schlußstein'', a planned occupation of [[Saint Petersburg]].<ref>{{cita|Staff|pp. 43–44}}</ref> On 8 Augustagosto, ''Nassau'' took on 250 soldiers in Wilhelmshaven and then departed for the Baltic.<ref>{{cita|Staff|p. 24}}</ref> The three ships reached the Baltic on 10 Augustagosto, but the operation was postponed and eventually canceled.<ref>{{cita|Staff|pp. 43–44}}</ref> The special unit was dissolved on 21 Augustagosto, and the battleships were back in Wilhelmshaven on the 23rd.<ref>{{cita|Staff|pp. 44, 46}}</ref>
''Nassau'' and her three sisters were to have taken part in a [[Naval order of 24 October 1918|final fleet action]] at the end of October 1918, days before the [[Armistice of 11 November 1918|Armistice]] was to take effect. The bulk of the High Seas Fleet was to have sortied from their base in Wilhelmshaven to engage the British Grand Fleet; Scheer—by now the [[Grand Admiral]] (''Großadmiral'') of the fleet—intended to inflict as much damage as possible on the British navy, to improve Germany's bargaining position, despite the expected casualties. Many of the war-weary sailors felt that the operation would disrupt the peace process and prolong the war.<ref>{{cita|Tarrant|pp. 280–281}}</ref> On the morning of 29 October 1918, the order was given to sail from Wilhelmshaven the following day. Starting on the night of 29 October, sailors on ''Thüringen'' and then on several other battleships [[Wilhelmshaven mutiny|mutinied]].<ref>{{cita|Tarrant|pp. 281–282}}</ref> The unrest ultimately forced Hipper and Scheer to cancel the operation.<ref>{{cita|Tarrant|p. 282}}</ref>
=== Fate ===
Following the German collapse in November 1918, a significant portion of the High Seas Fleet was interned in [[Scapa Flow]]. ''Nassau'' and her three sisters were not among the ships listed for internment, so they remained at German ports.<ref>{{cita|Hore|p. 67}}</ref> During this period, from November to Decemberdicembre, [[Hermann Bauer]] served as the ship's commander.<ref>{{cita|Hildebrand Röhr & Steinmetz|p. 133}}</ref> On 21 June 1919, Rear Admiral [[Ludwig von Reuter]], under the mistaken impression that the Armistice would expire at noon that day, [[Scuttling of the German fleet in Scapa Flow|ordered his ships be scuttled]] to prevent their seizure by the British.<ref>{{cita|Herwig|p. 256}}</ref> As a result, the four ''Nassau''-class ships were ceded to the various Allied powers as replacements for the ships that had been sunk.<ref>{{cita|Hore|p. 67}}</ref> ''Nassau'' was awarded to Japan on 7 April 1920, though the Japanese had no need for the ship. They, therefore, sold her in June 1920 to British shipbreakers, who scrapped the ship in [[Dordrecht]].<ref>{{cita|Gröner|p. 23}}</ref>
==Note==
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