Seiner Majestät Schiff is the historic ship prefix used by the Imperial German Navy, equivalent to HMS in the British Royal Navy. It appeared before the names of surface warships, submarines, and torpedo boats during the imperial era. Naval historians and model makers use it to distinguish imperial German vessels from later eras like the Kriegsmarine.
Heard on the job
I'm building a scale model of the SMS Emden as she looked before the battle.
Insider tip
You will only see this on ships commissioned before the end of the first world war.