Category: ww1 german navy

Coeln class cruisers 1916: These were the very last German cruisers of WWI, a gradual improvements of previous light cruiser classes and reaching a new standard in size, speed and armament that was fitting well the needs of the Kaiserliches Marine. Unfortunately the large class of a dozen ships was built in wartime and only SMS Cöeln(ii), Dresden(ii), Wiesbaden(ii), Magdeburg(ii), Leipzig(ii), Rostock(ii), Frauenlob(ii) were actually completed, seeing little action. Not closing the lineage completely they inspired the RMS Emden of the Reichsmarine, first postwar (school) cruiser later of the kriegsmarine. https://bit.ly/3SMYdgb #kaiserlichesmarine #ww1 #cruiser #kreuzer

The last Imperial cruisers

Until that point, Germany had been following a simple and proven path of gradually improving a base model. The lineage of German light cruisers really started all the way back with the Bremen class in 1902, leading to famous series, notably thosed in service in Von Spee’s Asian Squadron. But the real start of the linage was traced back to the Magdeburg class in 1911. They really nailed the size, capabilities of new German light cruisers, scouts still capable of engaging their equivalents, the British contemporary Town class, despite having a “weak” armament of only 10.5 cm guns. The Karlsruhe repeated their “four piper” design, the Graudenz in 1913 showed a new silhouette and radical upsizing, the Wiesbaden of 1915 were the first with 15 cm guns, and the Könisgberg(ii) solidified the design once and for all in 1916. Thus, the Cöln class was just defined as an improvement over the latter, with the same armament but with one extra AA gun, better torpedo tubes, a larger hull but same speed and powerplant, a bit more radius. The large size, 510 feets, enabling better handling in northern rough weather and possible upgrades in the future.
What did not change was the armor protection, fairly limited and unchanged since the Magdeburg, albeit applied on large surfaces.

A construction delayed by wartime

However the main incentive for this new class was simpl in 1915 to replace all the cruisers losses since the start of the war, which amounted to thirteen in 1916 and in between, the Kaiserliche Marine ordered ten new cruisers. To gain time, they were ordered as a modified Königsberg(ii) class design and laid down in 1915 (Cöln, Wiesbaden, Leipzig, Rostock, Frauenlob, Esatz Cöln and Emden) and 1916 (Dresden, Magdeburg, Ersatz Karlruhe).

SMS Cöln(ii) became the lead ship, built by Blohm & Voss in Bremen whereas Wiesbaden and Rostock came from AG Vulcan in Stettin, Leipzig and yet unnamed vessels (Ersatz Cöln, Ersatz Emden) from AG Weser dockyard in Bremen. Dresden and Magdeburg in Howaldtswerke Kiel, Frauenlob and “Ersatz Karlsruhe” at the Imperial Dockyard Kiel. Never Germany had ordered so many cruisers of a strictly identical type, at least since 1900.

However, with the war going on, shortage of labour and materials meant delays:
-The first launched was SMS Cöln, by 5 October 1916.
Her sister Wiesbaden on 25 April 1917, and thus could have become the only one with a significant service life.
-However SMS Cöln was completed on 17 January 1918
-Dresden, launched in April 1917, was also completed in march 1918.
-Wiesbaden was canceled however by December 1918, being six months late in completion.
-SMS Magdeburg followed launched on 17 November 1917, nine monthsunder schedule when also canceled.
-Leipzig was launched on 28 January 1918, canceled after seven months of work
-Rostock was launched on 6 April 1918, and also seven months away, same fate.
-SMS Frauenlob, the very last of these cruisers to be launched, on 16 September(October for Conways) 1918 and so too far away from completion.
-The last three “Ersatz”, unnamed, despite being laid down in 1915-16, had their construction almost indefinitely suspended. They were never launched and canceled still on the slipway.
Thus, only SMS Cöln and Dresden saw some active service before the end of the war (see later).

Design of the Cöln class

Hull and general design

The ships of the class were 149.80 meters (491 ft 6 in) long at the waterline and 155.50 m (510 ft 2 in) long overall. They had a beam of 14.20 m (46 ft 7 in) and a draft of 6.01 m (19 ft 9 in) forward and 6.43 m (21 ft 1 in) aft. The ships had a designed displacement of 5,620 metric tons (5,530 long tons), and at full load, they displaced 7,486 t (7,368 long tons). Their hulls were built with longitudinal steel frames.
The ships had a complement of 17 officers and 542 enlisted men. They carried several smaller vessels, including one picket boat, one barge, one cutter, two yawls, and two dinghies.

Armour protection layout

These cruisers were protected by Krupp cemented steel:
-Armor belt, 60 mm (2.4 in) thick amidships, tapered down to 18 mm (0.71 in) forward.
-Unprotected stern.
-Armored deck 20 mm (0.79 in) thick (stern), 40 mm (1.6 in) amidships, 60 mm forward.
-Armored deck, slopes 40 mm thick linked to the belt armor.
-Conning tower 100 mm (3.9 in) walls, 20 mm thick roof.
-Main battery guns shields 50 mm (2.0 in) thick.
-ASW Protection: Subdivision 24 watertight compartments, double bottom on 45% of the length.

Powerplant

The propulsion systems was repeated of previous designs. Two 3.50 m (11 ft 6 in) diameter bronze propellers, driven by two sets of steam turbines, fed by steam coming from eight coal-fired and six oil-fired Marine-type water-tube boilers. They were all ducted into three funnels, equal size and span amidships but with the forward one was taller. Electrical power came from two Siemens turbo generators and a backup and supply diesel generator, for a total output of 300 kilowatts (rated at the standard European 220 volts). Steering depended on a single large rudder.

Performances:
The global engine output was were rated as designed for 31,000 shaft horsepower (23,000 kW). Top speed also as designed was estimated 27.5 knots (50.9 km/h; 31.6 mph). However trials, had the lead ship reaching 48,708 shp (36,322 kW) for a top speed of 29.3 kn (54.3 km/h; 33.7 mph) and SMS Dresden did even better at 49,428 shp (36,858 kW) but for only 27.8 knots. They were both regarded as average steamers but good sea boats with gentle motion. This was largely due to the same hull design being repeated and modified on a regular basis since the Wiesbaden. They were highly maneuverable with even a tight turning radius, but of course bleeding speed on hard turns, up to 60% and were noted on trials as “stern-heavy”.

Radius of Action:
Coal storage was “only” 300 t (300 long tons; 330 short tons) as designed. However by filling the many underwater void compartments, up to 1,100 t could be carried onboard. It was mixed, with fuel oil reserved nominally of 200 t but up to 1,050 t, so this made for a 50% supply of both, 2,150 tons in all. Cruising speed was 12 knots (22 km/h; 14 mph) and this enabled as designed 6,000 nautical miles (11,000 km; 6,900 mi). On trials Dresden reached only 5,400 nmi (10,000 km; 6,200 mi) at 12 knots however. At 25 kn (46 km/h; 29 mph) the raduis fell to 1,200 nmi (2,200 km; 1,400 mi) making them still good “interceptors” in the confines of the North Sea.

Armament

The armament was basically a repeat of the Königsberg and Wiesbaden class, all composed of 15 cm guns to face on equal terms the British “Town” class cruisers. The main difference was the addition of a third 8,8 cm AA gun, and new torpedo tubes of the 23.6 in or caliber (Conways). Other sources states incorrectly these were 50 cm (19.7 in) TTs. Their deck was also outfitted to carry on rails up to 200 mines but this capability was never used.

Main: 8x 15cm SK L/45

The ship was armed with eight 15 cm (5.9 in) SK L/45 guns, all in single pedestal mounts:
-Two were side by side forward on the forecastle
-Four amidships on either side
-Two arranged in a super firing pair aft.
Cöln was unique as having their pair amidships guns on the forecastle deck. The rest of the class had them one deck lower.
These guns had for basic caracteristcs:
Shell: 45.3-kilogram (100 lb)
Muzzle velocity: 840 meters per second (2,800 ft/s).
Maximum elevation: 30 degrees
Max range: 17,600 m (57,700 ft).
Ammo supply: 1,040 rounds, 130 shells per gun.

AA guns: Three 8,8 cm SK L/45

The Cöln class were given three 8.8 cm (3.5 in) SK L/45 anti-aircraft guns instead of two on previous classes. Two were mounted on the centerline, astern of the funnels. One was removed in 1918 however as her arc of fire was too limited.
-They fired a 10 kg (22 lb) shell at 750-770 m/s in muzzle velocity (2,500 to 2,500 ft/s).
-Evelation for the MPL C/13 was −10° to +70°
-Rate of fire was 15 RPM
-Maximum range was 10,694 metres/25° and 14,100 metres (15,400 yd) for 43°
-Max ceiling was 9,150 metres (30,020 ft) at 70°

Torpedo Tubes

She was also equipped with four H8 torpedo tubes. These called the final “super torpedo” type were only fitted on wartime ships, the Bayern and the Mackensen classes, SMS Lützow, Hindenburg, and the S 113 class large high seas torpedo boats (destroyers). This new type of torpeod was first designed in 1912 but only entered service in 1915.
The new H8 torpedo measured 315 in (8.000 m), carried a 463 lbs. (210 kg) Hexanite warhead ay 6,550 yards (6,000 m) on 36 knots on the fast setting and 15,310 yards (14,000 m) at 30 knots, double the range. It was powered by a wet heater of the Brotherhood system. Both on the Cöln II were installed on deck, in swivel launchers amidships, abreast the funnels.

⚙ Cöln class specifications
Displacement	5,620 t standard, 7,486 tons fully loaded
Dimensions	155.50 x 14.20 x 6m m (510 x 46 ft 7 in x 20 ft)
Propulsion	2 shafts steam turbines, 14 water-tube boilers 31,000 shp (23,000 kW)
Speed	27.5 knots (50.9 km/h; 31.6 mph)
Range	5,400 nmi (10,000 km; 6,200 mi) at 12 knots (22 km/h; 14 mph)
Armament	8 × 15 cm SK L/45, 3 × 8.8 cm (3.5 in) SK L/45, 4 × 60 cm (23.7 in) TTs
Protection	Belt 60 mm (2.4 in), Deck 20–60 mm (0.79–2.36 in), CT 100 mm (3.9 in), Gun shields: 50 mm (2.0 in)
Crew	17×542

Cölen replaced the cruiser sunk at the Battle of Heligoland Bight on 28 August 1914 and ordered as “Ersatz Ariadne” (she was supposed to replace the old Ariadne). Her keel was laid down at Blohm & Voss, Hamburg, launched on 5 October 1916, fitted-out and commissioned on 17 January 1918. First captain was fregattenkapitän Erich Raeder (yes, the one), training on her way to the High Seas Fleet. Her initial crew was in part from the survivors of the light cruiser Hamburg and newbies. She started her sea trials by early February, until late March. No particularly grave fixes were made afterwards, but she had a new anti-mine device fitted. On 13 May 1918 she jined II Scouting Group with her unique sister ship Dresden plus the older Königsberg, Pillau, Graudenz, Nürnberg, and Karlsruhe.

Thus potent force was to be thrown into dangerous operations, notablt tasked to protect minelayers creating the mine barrages protecting entrances to various naval bases in the North Sea. This area was known by the Admiralty which sent destroyers and submarines. On 19 June in one of these missions, the squadron was reassigned to try to intercept the HMS Furious just after the Tondern raid. By late August SMS Cöln was detached to lay a minefield off Texel, apparently carrying mines for the first and last time. Having screws issues which needed repairs in September in dry-docked she was unavilable from 19 September to 11 October. However that late into the war, Erich Raeder was transferred to the Armistice Commission working from Spa in Belgium on armistice negotiations completed on 11 November 1918. Fregattankaptain Kaulhausen took command of the cruiser in replacement.

By October 1918, the II Scouting Group was mobilized for the last, all out attack on the British navy hoped to bring extra bargaining chips to the Negociation table. Hipper and Scheer dreamed of a repeat of Jutland but with less caution, hoping better results. Cöln, Dresden, Pillau, and Königsberg in this large operations were to provoke a British sortie by preying on merchant shipping in the Thames estuary. The others were to bombard Flanders. It was hoped all this would draw the British Grand Fleet.
Scheer however underestimated the loyalty of his crews after almost two years of near-inaction. On the morning of 29 October 1918 this reality surfaced suddenly. When order was given to assemble in Wilhelmshaven the night saw mass desertions and mutinies especially on battleships. Cruisers, having smaller and perhaps more solidary cruisers and lower rank officers were genrally more loyal. In any case, without its precious capital ships, Hipper and Scheer could do little. They cancelled the operation, making the Kaiser say afterwards “I no longer have a navy.”

On 9 November 1918, just two days before the armistice went into effect, a reported British presence had Cöln, Graudenz, and torpedo boats scrambled in interception, for nothing. 12 November came and SMS Cöln sailed to Wilhelmshaven under the Imperial War Flag. She was prepared to sail and be interned in Scapa Flow. Captain Kaulhausen was replaced by then by Kapitänleutnant Heinemann which was tasked to watch about the crew and ship during the internment.

Under Rear Admiral Ludwig von Reuter, the German fleet departed for Scapa Flow but when steaming into the Firth of Forth, on the final leg opf the voyage, Heinemann radioed the commander that one of his steam turbines had a leaking condenser, and she was to be assisted to be towed in case by another light cruiser. She took three days eventually but arrived in port on 22 November and was assigned her anchoring position.
Captivity drew unrest agains, and von Reuter decided to cut his crews down to limited personal, sending notably troublesome individuals and groups “contaminated” with active Bolshevism. While negotiations went on, Von Reuter believed the expiration was on 21 June 1919 and did not wanted his ships to be just shared between allies, and on the morning as the British fleet left Scapa Flow for drills, ordered at 11:20 all ships to scuttle as per the preparations made before. SMS Cöln sank at 13:50. It was deep enough for her to stay there, never never raised for scrapping. In 2017, the Orkney Research Center for Archaeology explored her wreck and stuidied the way she was deteriorating under 36 m (118 ft). Still there, she made the day of many scuba divers.

SMS Dresden was ordered as “Ersatz Dresden”, laid down at Blohm & Voss in Hamburg in 1916, launched on 25 April 1917 and with a fitting-out work lasting for a full year, commissioned on 28 March 1918. She joined the reconnaissance screen of the Hochseeflotte, last light cruiser in service with the Kaiserliche Marine. She was in II Scouting Group with her sister and the older Königsberg, Pillau, Graudenz, Nürnberg, and Karlsruhe.

Their first operation was a sortie to Norway in 23–24 April 1918 with I Scouting Group, and escorted by the Second Torpedo-Boat Flotilla. Their objective was to attack a heavily guarded British convoy to Norway. Of course the High Seas Fleet sortied in support. But this was a failured as the convoy already had been at sea a day prior. This was a successful British deception. Admiral Reinhard Scheer broke off after a long cruise, not knowing about the whereabout of the convoy.

In October 1918, SMS Dresden was scheduled to lead the grand “final attack” as seen above for Cöln. She was with her sister, Pillau and Königsberg assigned to raid the Thames estuary, others rampaging the Flanders, in the hope to draw out the British Grand Fleet and having Scheer’s Hochseeflotte waiting behind. A repeat of the losses at Jutland was hoped to bring a better bargaining position for Germany in the negociations. Sailors however, after many months of inaction, were not of the same mood and widespread mutinies in the night of 29 October had Hipper and Scheer cancelling the operation.
Dresden however, which crew was loyal, was ordered to Eckernförde, relaying Kiel as Communications had completely broken there. SMS Markgraf however arrived in her path, and her unruly crew refused to move out hers way, even aiming her forward main gun turrets at Dresden. Ultimately they backed down and Dresden could leave the port, sailing to Swinemünde. There, the crew partially scuttled her based on reports of mutinied ships en route to attack the cruisers here, which proved false. Dresden was re-floated (cocks had been opened, so air was just pumped back in), and returned to seaworthiness, but after removing the ammunition to pump her dry.

By November 1918, Cöl joined the fleet Rear Admiral Ludwig von Reuter, to internment in Scapa Flow. But due to her poor condition she was not able to join the fleet but only mich later on 6 December, and still leaking badly. On the morning of 21 June, 11:20, Dresden was ordered scuttled herself -again- and started to sink at 13:50. The wreck lays now at the south east of the island of Cava under 25 to 45 m (82 to 148 ft), on her flank and gutted. She was examined in 2017 by marine archaeologists from the Orkney Research Center, making a survey of Dresden, mapped and studying her deterioration. This another spot for scuba diving.

Failed civilian conversion attempts

The eight uncompleted cruisers of the Cöln class in November 1918 were formally stricken on 17 November 1919. The navy considered selling them for civilian conversion and some consideration was left to Ersatz Karlsruhe in particular, just started: She would have receive new diesel engines from unfinished U-boats and a full completion with large holds, central islands, single funnels and service masts. But by 1920, the Deutsches Petroleumgesellschaft acquired rights to the ships. They were to be converted instead all as oil tankers, approved by the Naval Inter-Allied Commission of Control. Military features such as side and deck armor, torpedo bulkheads were to be removed under controled by 31 July 1921. In the end, Wiesbaden and Rostock were towed to Lübeck for conversio, their old machinery removed by November 1920, military features cut away in time. Magdeburg was also demilitarized at Howaldtswerke.

However this whole prospect fell apart: By lack of funds and unrealistic convesion costs, time tables, the company eventually back down and had them scrapped instead: Magdeburg was sold on 28 October 1921 BU in Kiel-Nordmole. Leipzig and Rostock were sold the same year and scrapped in Hamburg. Frauenlob was towed to Deutsche Werke shipyard in 1921 also for demolition. Ersatz Karlsruhe however never left her sliplway and was BU on situ in 1920 already. Ersatz Cöln and Ersatz Emden were sold on 21 and 25 June 1921, launched to clear the slipway towed to Bremen and Hamburg to be demolished.

Read More

Books

Campbell, N. J. M. & Sieche, Erwin (1986). “Germany”. Conway’s All the World’s Fighting Ships, 1906–1921.
Dodson, Aidan (2017). “After the Kaiser: The Imperial German Navy’s Light Cruisers after 1918”. Warship 2017.
Gröner, Erich (1990). German Warships: 1815–1945. Vol. I: Major Surface Vessels. NIP
Halpern, Paul G. (1995). A Naval History of World War I. NIP
Herwig, Holger (1980). “Luxury” Fleet: The Imperial German Navy 1888–1918. Humanity Books
Tarrant, V. E. (1995). Jutland: The German Perspective. Cassell Military Paperbacks
Wille, Peter (2005). Sound Images of the Ocean: In Research and Monitoring. Springer.
Woodward, David (1973). The Collapse of Power: Mutiny in the High Seas Fleet. Arthur Barker Ltd.
Dodson, Aidan; Cant, Serena (2020). Spoils of War: The Fate of Enemy Fleets after the Two World Wars. Barnsley: Seaforth Publishing. ISBN 978-1-5267-4198-1.
Dodson, Aidan; Nottelmann, Dirk (2021). The Kaiser’s Cruisers 1871–1918. Annapolis: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 978-1-68247-745-8.
Koop, Gerhard & Schmolke, Klaus-Peter (2004). Kleine Kreuzer 1903–1918: Bremen bis Cöln-Klasse [Small Cruisers 1903–1918: The Bremen Through Cöln Classes] (in German). München: Bernard & Graefe Verlag. ISBN 3-7637-6252-3.

Links

On wikipedia.org EN
On dreadnoughtproject.org/
On historyofwar.org
On wrecksite.eu

The replacement cruisers

Painting of the Karlsruhe in Scapa Flow

A new, unnamed class was programmed in 1913 already to replaced the Wiesbaden class. They were an incremental step in design, larger, and four cruisers were started as WWI broke out, SMS Königsberg, Karlsruhe, Emden, Nürnberg, soon taking named of recently lost cruisers, and completed in 1916-17. For that late entry into service they saw limited action in WWI. Apart SMS Karlsruhe (ii) scuttled in Scapa Flow with the rest of the fleet in 1919, the other three were given as war prize, one to France (Metz, used until 1936), another (also scuttled) used by France as a target ship until 1926 and Nürnberg, also scuttled, sunk as target in 1922. The follwoing Cöln (ii) class was the most ambitious with ten ships ordered, and again, an incremental evolution of the Könisgberg (ii) and prewar Magdeburg. They formed the basis of the KMS Emden (iii) built in the 1920s for the Reischmarine.

Development of the new Könisberg class

The design was an incremental improvement over the previous Wiesbaden class, itself derived from the previous Graudenz which innovated with 15 cm main guns. Logically the hull was lenghtened as displacement, but with the same armament, speed, and armor protection overall. This enabled to improved a bit ASW protection and make the ship roomier in general. But other than that it was pretty much a repeat of the previous design.

Construction

Königsberg (ii) was ordered as “Ersatz Gazelle”, supposed to replace the old 1900 cruiser. She was laid down at AG Weser shipyard, Bremen in 1914, launched on 18 December 1915, commissioned on 12 August 1916. Emden (ii) was originally ordered as “Ersatz Nymphe” at AG Weser in 1914, launched later on 1 February 1916, commissioned on 16 December 1916. SMS Karlsruhe (ii) was ordered as Ersatz Niobe, laid down in 1915 at Kaiserliches Werft in Kiel, launched on 31 January 1916 fitting-out and commissioned on 15 November 1916. SMS Nürnberg(ii) was laid down as Ersatz Thetis at Howaldtswerke Werft, also in in Kiel, in 1915. She was launched on 14 April 1916, commissioned on 15 February 1917. Therefore, their service life was short compared to previous cruisers of the German Imperial Navy.

The design made the basis, natuarlly, for the next Cöln-class cruisers, which were few to see service before the end of the war. In turn, the latter were the starting point for designers making the sold cruiser authorized for the Reichsmarine under the Versailles treaty in the 1920s and declared as a school cruiser, SMS Emden (third of the name in a decade), but they started on the blueprints for Karlsruhe not the Cöln, which disappeared. The design was simply strecthed out and improved. Personnel shortages in the design staff, closure of the Navy’s Ship Testing Institute meant no new revolutionary design could be made in time. This changed in 1926.

Design of the Könisberg class

Karsruhe Scapa Flow 1919

Hull and general design

With 145.80 meters (478 ft 4 in) long at the waterline, up to 151.40 m (496 ft 9 in) long overall, they were the longest cruisers of the Kaiserliches Marine since the Scharnhorst class armored cruisers (144 m). The beam was larger than the previous class at 14.20 m (46 ft 7 in) versus 13.90 m (45 ft 6in) and a draft of 5.96 m (19 ft 7 in) also more pronounced forward and up to 6.32 m (20 ft 9 in) aft (versus 5.76m for the Wiesbaden). Designed displacement was 5,440 metric tons (5,350 long tons), and fully loaded, battle ready, 7,125 t (7,012 long tons). It was almost 1,000 tonnes heavier than the Wiesbaden.

Their hulls used the same techniques as before, with longitudinal steel frames, divided into eighteen watertight compartments, one more than on the Wiesbaden, plus the now usual double bottom extending for 49% (versus 47%) of the keel. Complement remained the same, 17 officers and 458 enlisted men. Their onboard service boats fleet was located on davits alongside the funnels, amidships. It included a picket boat, a supply barge, a cutter, two yawls, and two dinghies.

Powerplant

The propulsion systems comprised two steam turbines driving two three-bladed screws 3.50 m (11 ft 6 in) in diameter. SMS Karlsruhe was the only one outfitted with two sets of high-pressure geared turbines. These steam turbines were fed by ten coal-fired boilers, plus two oil-fired double-ended boilers. In total, the output was 31,000 shaft horsepower (23,000 kW) for 27.5 knots (50.9 km/h; 31.6 mph) and on trials, the lead ship, SMS Königsberg managed to make 45,900 shp (34,200 kW) for 27.8 knots (51.5 km/h; 32.0 mph), Karlsruhe 55,700 shp/27.7 knots, Emden 50,216 shp/27.7 kn, while Nürnberg skipped this part. Trials were conducted in shallow water but in deep water they were supposed to reach 29 knots (54 km/h; 33 mph). This was about the same as the previous Wiesbaden.

Autonomy was 4,850 nautical miles (8,980 km; 5,580 mi) at 12 knots (22 km/h; 14 mph) cruising speed, down to 1,200 nmi (2,200 km; 1,400 mi) at top speed (27 kts). They carried 350 t of coal as designed, but in wartime or in practive when all voids were filled, up to 1,340 t. Fuel oil carried only initially was 150 t but again, by filling voids, up to 500 t in operations. Electrical power came from two turbo generators, one diesel generator, and a total of 300 kilowatts/220 volts.

They were generally regarded as good sea boats with gentle motion, and thanks to their slighty improved rudder and reworked stern, were highly maneuverable, with tight turning radius, but bleeding speed going in hard turns, due to their lenght ratio, ideal to ride waves in the north sea. Hard rudder, they lost 60% speed and were generally stern-heavy.

Armament

Profiles on Kombrig

Main: 8x 15 cm (5.9 in) SK L/45 guns

All were mounted on single pedestal mounts, two in tandem forward (forecastle), four on the sides amidships, two in superfiring pair aft. Same as for previous carriers, they were able to engage targets at 17,600 m (19,200 yd). 1,040 rounds were carried total (130 per gun). They fired 45.3-kilogram (100 lb) HE shells at 840 meters per second (2,800 ft/s), with max elevation 30°.

Secondary: 2x 8.8 cm (3.5 in) SK L/45

The ships’ light battery was mostly for antiaircraft pusposes. Unlike the Wiesbadens, they were not planned with four 5.2 cm (2 in) L/55 guns but were fitted insted with two of the excellent 8.8 cm (3.5 in) SK L/45 models. They were placed on the centerline astern of the funnels, and fired a 10 kg (22 lb) shell at 750-770 m/s (2,500 to 2,500 ft/s).

Torpedo Tubes & Mines

They also carried four 50 cm (19.7 in) torpedo tubes, with one torpedo reload for each, two were submerged, broadside, two were on the upper deck amidships on swivel mounts for traverse. Like previous cruisers they could be equipped with rails to carry 200 mines, instead of the 120 of the Wiesbadens, thanks to their greater lenght.

Protection

These vessels were understandably lightly protected, as previous cruisers. But still, for the Wiesbaden and Frankfurt their waterline armored belt was 60 mm (2.4 in) thick amidships, tapereed down to 18 mm (0.71 in) forward. The stern was unarmored. The conning tower was the strongest part of the ship with walls 100 mm (3.9 in) thick, topped by a 20 mm (0.79 in) roof. The rangefinder atop was protected by 30 mm (1.2 in) plating. The deck had 6 cm (2.4) plating forward, tapered down to 40 mm (1.6 in) amidships, 20 mm (1.1 in) aft with sloped armor 40 mm thick, which connected the deck and belt armor. Gun shields for the 15cm guns were 50 mm (2 in) thick. In contrast, the Königsbergs had the following, with a belt and deck made of Krupp cemented steel:

• Main Belt 60 mm (2.4 in) amidships, 18 mm (0.71 in) fwd
• Armored deck 40 mm (1.6 in) amidships, 20 mm (0.79 in) stern, 60 mm forward
• Connecting sloped armor 40 mm thick
• Conning tower 100 mm (3.9 in) sides, 20 mm roof
• Main battery gun shields 50 mm (2 in)
• Mine Hold 20 mm thick deck, 30 mm side armor

⚙ Königsberg ii class specifications
Displacement	5,440 tons standard, 7,125 tons Fully Loaded
Dimensions	151.40 x 14.20 x 5.96 m (496 ft 9 in x 46 ft 7 in x 19 ft 7 in)
Propulsion	2 shaft steam turbines, 12 watertube boilers, 31,000 shp (23,000 kW)
Speed	27.5 knots (50.9 km/h)
Range	4,850 nmi (8,980 km; 5,580 mi) at 12 knots (22 km/h; 14 mph)
Armament	8 × 15 cm (5.9 in), 3 × 8.8 cm (3.5 in), 4 × 50 cm (19.7 in) TTs, mines
Protection	Belt, Armoured Deck 6cm (2.4 in), CT: 10cm (3.9 in), Gun shields: 5cm (2 in)
Crew	17+458

General assessment

Metz in French service, ex-Koenigsberg

Not amazing compared to previous vessels and arriving too late in service, Königsberg and Nürnberg saw action still at the Second Battle of Heligoland Bight. They escorted minesweepers clearing paths in British minefields, which saw HMS Repulse engaging Königsberg (hit, minimal damage, fire mastered). All four sister ships also participated in Operation Albion in the Gulf of Riga. Emden proved she could be used as Torpedoboats flagship and leader, with success.

By late (October) 1918 they were all four mobilized for a final grand attack, with very agressive objectives: Königsberg, with Cöln, Dresden, and Pillau were to enter the Thames estuary. Karlsruhe, Nürnberg, Graudenz shell the Flanders to draw out the British Grand Fleet. Reinhard Scheer’s plans were marred by mutinies and the operation cancelled. In the end, after a period of inactivity they were partly conducted to Scapa Flow, but two ended was war reparation cruisers, to France. They were appreciated as the scout cruisers France planned in 1912 but never built.

KMS Emden(iii) off China, 1931

So design wise, they were as good as their predecessors and on part with British designs of the time, notably the “Town” and C class cruisers, all armed with 6-in guns, but they had more. Typically a C-class of 1916 was smaller and had five main guns, 4,000 tonnes, 29 knots and less torpedoes. None of them encountered the Königsberg(ii) class cruisers in actions, which were rare. It seems the French were quite happy with their design, maintained all the way through the end of the interwar without much modifications.

Links & Resources

Books

Conway’s All the World’s Fighting Ships, 1906–1921.
Bennett, Geoffrey (2005). Naval Battles of the First World War. Barnsley: Pen & Sword Military Classics.
Campbell, N. J. M. & Sieche, Erwin (1986). “Germany”. In Conway’s All the World’s Fighting Ships 1906–1921
Gröner, Erich (1990). German Warships: 1815–1945. Vol. I: Major Surface Vessels. NIP
Halpern, Paul G. (1995). A Naval History of World War I. Annapolis NIP
Herwig, Holger (1998) [1980]. “Luxury” Fleet: The Imperial German Navy 1888–1918.
Koop, Gerhard & Schmolke, Klaus-Peter (2014). German Light Cruisers of World War II: Warships of the Kriegsmarine
Staff, Gary (2008). Battle for the Baltic Islands. Barnsley: Pen & Sword Maritime.
Tarrant, V. E. (1995). Jutland: The German Perspective. London: Cassell Military Paperbacks.
Van der Vat, Dan (1986). The Grand Scuttle. Worcester: Billing & Sons Ltd.
Woodward, David (1973). The Collapse of Power: Mutiny in the High Seas Fleet. London: Arthur Barker Ltd.
Dodson, Aidan; Cant, Serena (2020). Spoils of War: The Fate of Enemy Fleets after the Two World Wars. Barnsley: Seaforth Publishing.
Dodson, Aidan; Nottelmann, Dirk (2021). The Kaiser’s Cruisers 1871–1918. NIP
Koop, Gerhard & Schmolke, Klaus-Peter (2004). Kleine Kreuzer 1903–1918: Bremen bis Cöln-Klasse, München: Bernard & Graefe Verlag.

Links

SMS Karlsruhe’s wreck survey scheme
wiki

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SMS Königsberg was launched on 18 December 1915 without fanfare, followed by a quick fitting-out work, and commissioned after sea trials and fixes on 12 August 1916. From the 29th, she was reassigned to the II Scouting Group as flagship. Kapitän zur See Ludwig von Reuter took command, hoisting his flag aboard and she spent her early time in coastal defense patrols in the German Bight, Pillau, Frankfurt, Graudenz, and Regensburg, for the German North Sea coast defence agains any RN intrusion, notably minelayers. Vizeadmiral Reinhard Scheer at the time was rather in favor of the U-boat campaign and often uneventful patrol duties alternated with a Baltic Sea training exercize from 22 February to 4 March, 20 May to 2 June. She was in dydock for maintenance from 16 August to 9 September.

Her first serious combat mission was Operation Albion: She was tasked to support amphibious assault on in the Gulf of Riga, to allow the German Army to advance further. One of the objectives was to eliminated the Russian naval forces present, and the combined fleet planned to take Ösel Island and the Sworbe Peninsula gun batteries, implying a landing. Königsberg was in Kiel on 23 September to prepare, the rest of II Scouting Group escorting the troop transports while she became flagship of IV Transport Group, visited and briefed by Ludwig von Estorff, commander of the 42nd Division which was escorted. The fleet stopped in Libau on 25 September for final preparations and departed on 11 October, starting the following day by SMS Moltke (III Squadron) shelled Tagga Bay and the IV Squadron the Sworbe Peninsula, Saaremaa.

SMS Königsberg was in Tagga Bay for the coordination of the infantry landings, and Russian opposition failed; On 18–19 October, she was to cover minesweepers operating off Dagö, marred by bad weather. On the 19th with SMS Nürnberg and Danzig she was sent to intercept two Russian torpedo boats, but they could not be found. The following day, the operation was a success, and the Admiralstab ordered the fleet back in the North Sea. On 28 October, SMS Königsberg stopped in Libau on her way and returned to patrols with the II Scouting Group.

Next, she took part in the Second Battle of Helgoland Bight, still with II Scouting Group and torpedo boats, escorting minesweepers of the II Minensuchflotille in Horns Rev, SMS Kaiser and Kaiserin in distant support. Reuter sent Nürnberg forward in reconnaissance, and she soon spotted the incoming British 1st Cruiser and 6th Light Cruisers Squadrons, supported by the 1st Battlecruiser Squadron. Reuter orders his remaining cruisers forward too to distract the British while the minesweepers withdrew under smoke screen; Next the cruiser’s orders were to draw the squadrons towards the German battleships.

Eventually HMS Courageous, Glorious, and Repulse arrived in turn, engagede Kaiserin and Kaiser while Reuter attacked with the cruisers, Repulse hitting Königsberg with with a main shell at 10:58. All three funnels were razed and fire raged. She fell to 17 kn while Reuter transferred his flag to Pillau. She eventually withdrew and the fire was suppressed, and she came back, buy the British broke off their attack and more German reinforcements were signalled. Next, she covered the IV Battle Squadron (Flagship Friedrich der Grosse, VAdm Wilhelm Souchon) during a sweep for any remaining British vessels, for nothing, retreateing at 15:00

Königsberg was back in the Schillig roadstead at 19:05 and listed twenty-three casualties, with eight deads. The general staff criticized Kurt Graßhoff leading the battleships not to have been closer. This became a new guideline to protect minesweeper groups. Meanwhile, Königsberg was in repairs at Wilhelmshaven until 15 Decmber.

Königsberg was flagship again of her unit, proceeding to more patrol duties in the German Bight, until 20 January 1918, when Reuter was replaced by KzS Magnus von Levetzow. The II Scouting Group made Baltic exercizes (21 January to 7 February) and in all afterwards, took part in five fleet sweeps, incuding the 23–24 April raids against convoys to Norway. Moltke having a serious accident led Scheer to break off prematurely. Anothe sweep took place on 10-13 May, escorting the minelayer Senta laying an ASW defensive minefield in the Bight. After another training session in the Baltic on 11-12 July. Levetzow joined the Seekriegsleitung or Maritime Warfare Command, replaced by KzS Victor Harder, still making Königsberg his flagship.

In October 1918, Königsberg with Cöln, Dresden, and Pillau (II group) were prepared for a final raid on British waters, her role being to attack merchant shipping in the Thames estuary. But on 29 October, widespread mutiny had the operation cancelled. Nevertheless, Kommodore Andreas Michelsen organized an attack group with sixty ships including Königsberg as reports came on 9 November reports of British activity but the reports proved false. Following the abdication, ceasefire and peace talks, it’s KMS Königsberg that carried RADM Hugo Meurer to Scapa Flow to negotiate the german fleet fate with Admiral David Beatty, notably the place of internment. She was in Scapa on 15 November with a white flag. Later the High Sea Fleets met a combined allied fleet as prearranged and was conducted to Scapa, but Königsberg remained in Germany, coming back with Meurer.

Stricken on 31 May 1920 after prolongated inactivity, she was eventually ceded to France as war reparation under the name “A”. She sailed in Cherbourg on 20 July, renamed “Metz” on 6 October and re-entered service with the French fleet (see WW2 French Cruisers for more).

SMS Karlsruhe was commissioned on 15 November 1916 but trained without assignment until 22 February 1917, before joining II Scouting Group. She multiplied patrols in the German Bight and supported minelaying/minesweeping operations, starting on 5 March; followed by another on 6 April. There, she led the 2nd Torpedoboat Half-Flotilla to the Amrun Bank to U-22, damaged, which needed help. On 16 August she took part in a minesweeping operation in the North Sea, Route Yellow used by U-boats. She sailed with SMS Frankfurt and three torpedo boats and at some point lookouts spotted a British squadron of three light cruisers, sixteen destroyers and the minesweepers withdrew but when Karlsruhe and escort failed were too far way to help them.

Karlsruhe also took part in Operation Albion: By early September 1917 she took part in the invasion of the Gulf of Riga. On 18 September she was prepared for the operation as part of the II Scouting Group she was the cruiser screen for the task force, departing on 24 September from Kiel via Libau and carrying infantry on 26 September to Putziger Wiek to be reloaded on capital ships, before turning back to Libau on 2 October, embarking the Saxon Radfahr-Bataillonen and departing on 11 October, leading the 2nd Transport Group.
The operation went on by 12 October and Karlsruhe landed her infantry ashore in Tagga Bay, covering also ten transport ships on 17 October, escorted back to Libau. She also was to cover minesweepers off Dagö and was back to the North Sea via Kiel on 27 October, followed by a drydock maintenance on 16 November-6 December.

By early April 1918 she assisted the laying of a defensive minefield in the North Sea for a next month major fleet operation, abortive (23–24 April) to attack British convoys to Norway. Moltke indeed had a serious machinery issue and Scheer cancelled it. On 10 to 13 May she escorted the minelayer Senta for another defensive minefield inthe way of the usual route of British submarines to the German Bight. She also escorted SMS Baden and trained in the Baltic 11-12 July, still under Kapitän zur See Magnus von Levetzow, followed by a maintenance from 1 August.

She took part in the evacuation on the coast of Flanders on 14 August after the Battle of Amiens, loaded 70 mines to participate in a later cancelled operation with Brummer and Nürnberg, the latter being drydocked for repairs. After training in the Baltic on 16-23 October, and patrolling the German Bight she was prepared for the final attack in November, cancelled due to mutinies. After the capitulation she sailed under Rear Admiral Ludwig von Reuter to Scapa Flow, hosting the II Scouting Group commander, KzS Victor Harder. On the morning of 21 June at 11:20 she received the order to scuttle, and sank at 15:50, one of the last ships to do so, latter never raised for scrapping as she was in a greater depth, but part of her wreck was extracted as she was sold in 1962. The wreck was surveyed in 2017 by marine archaeologists from the Orkney Research Center for Archaeology, under 25 m (82 ft), a popular diver’s attraction.

SMS Emden (ii) was commissioned on 16 December 1916 and became in October 1917 flagship for Commodore Paul Heinrich torpedo-boats Cdr, assigned for Operation Albion. On 12 October, she shelled a Russian battery at Pamerort and covered the landings afterwards. She latter spotted two Russian destroyers but they were shelled and chased off. On the 13th, an attack by eight Russian destroyers was met by Emden which moved forward at 07:45 in the German screen, opening fire on the three leading ones from 13,800 meters (45,300 ft), straddling them and destroying the wireless equipment of Grom. She shelled on two others at 09:30 but weather deteriorated. Still the signal station at Pamerort assisted Emden to dive them off. At 12:20, the Russian gunboat Chivinetz brought her heavy guns to deal with the cruiser, with two destroyers, briefly engaging Emden, which straddled her until she retreated.

On the 14th, covered the mine-clearing of Kassar Wiek between Dagö and Ösel with the battleship Kaiser, entering the Soelo Sound to support torpedo-boats sweeping the area. Emden spotted and fired on four Russian destroyers, which retreated. Kaiser scored a hit on Grom, which took a list. The others were driven off. She latter shelled Dagö at 15:00. On the 18th, she started again, firing 170 shells until the Russians retreated and on the 20th, the island was under German control.

On 11 December 1917, she led a raid on British shipping in the North Sea with the II TB Flotilla, split in half off the Dogger Bank, some spotting and sinking four of six steamers located. After the Armistice, she departed under RADM Ludwig von Reuter to Scapa Flow. But as he was harrassed by disgruntled sailors on the battleship Friedrich der Grosse he transferred flag on Emden, which was cuttled on 21 June at 11:20 but did not sink. The British managed to tow her close to shore, beached and re-floated, then assigned to the French Navy on 11 March 1920, used as a target, finished off with explosives and BU in Caen in 1926.

SMS Nürnberg was commissioned on 15 February 1917, under Fregattenkapitän Walter Hildebrand. After sea trials lasting until 1st May, she joined the II Scouting Group patrols in the summer, before being mobilized for Operation Albion in September 1917, where Nürnberg and the II Scouting Group under RADM Ludwig von Reuter was in the cover screen, from 11 October, with a contingent of soldiers aboard while escorting several transport ships with the landing force, collier and tugboats, arriving in Tagga Bay

Nürnberg started landing troops, covered by Königsberg. The operation was over on 20 October, and she was back in the North Sea, but not before she departed on 24 October via Libau and Kiel. However she took part in the second Battle of Helgoland Bight : On 17 November with Königsberg, Frankfurt, and Pillau she covered a minesweeping operation in the Helgoland Bight, supported at a distance by Kaiser and Kaiserin, when the minesweepers were attacked by a force of cruisers, with Six British battlecruisers in support. The minesweepers retreated under a smoke screen and Nürnberg opened fire on the British cruisers at 08:55 from 11 km (6.8 mi) before being straddled in turn by the British cruisers and the HMS Courageous and Glorious.

Due to the poor weather she was not hit directly, but showered with shell splinters, having light casualties although this is disputed. She returned fire and was “saved” at last by the arriving Kaiser and Kaiserin while Hindenburg arrived in reinforcement and both sides folded back.
Under her new commander Hans Quaet-Faslem by January 1918, she had a peacful late career, under overhaul in March-May, covered a minelaying operation on 10-13 May and sortied to catch the British aircraft carrier HMS Furious after the Tondern raid in July. She changed captain again for Wolfgang Wegener.

In October 1918 she was to take part in the next month climactic attack mobilizing the whole Hochseeflotte, Nürnberg, Karlsruhe and Graudenz were assigned to the Flanders attack. On 29 October order was given to regroup in Wilhelmshaven but the following night, desertions and massive mutinies led to the cancellation. Nürnberg was to sail to Scapa flow for internemt latern departing on 19 November, arriving on the 27th. Captain Wegener went back to Germany, leaving Kapitänleutnant Günther Georgii and a skeleton crew in charge. They scuttled the ship on 21 June, but British sailors approached and used explosive charges to blast her anchor chains so that she could be dragged aground before sinking slowly.

She was refloated in July, towed to Portsmouth, and converted into a target ship, at first fired at by HMS Terror on 5 November 1920 from 370 m (400 yd) and she listed 10° to simulate long range angle. Terror tested a 7.5 in and a 6 in gun and different shell types. This went on also on 8 November. On 7 July 1922, she was eventualy properly sank by HMS Repulse off the Isle of Wight.

The last German “four stackers”

With the previous Magdeburg class, the Karlsruhe were near-sister ships with the same armament, armor protection, but faster and larger. Launched in 1912 they were commissioned as the war broke out and saw plenty of action, with short but very intense career as the 30 kts vanguard ships of the Hochseeflotte. SMS Karlsruhe started with commerce raiding career, sinking sixteen merchant ships but she desappeared after an accidental internal explosion on 4 November 1914. SMS Rostock frequently screened for I Scouting Group (Battlecruisers) and saw the Battle of Dogger Bank in January 1915, several raids and the Battle of Jutland, being torpedoed by a British destroyer and scuttled.

Design Development

Bundesarchiv, SMS Karlsruhe on sea trials, 1914

The design for the Karlsruhe class was prepared in 1910, as an incremental improvement over the Magdeburg class. All authors saw them as different classes, but they shared many characteristics, being “near-twins”. This allowed to keep the good points of the design, saving time, while trying to push the envelope in some areas. Karlsruhe and Rostock had a longer hull which enable larger steam turbines and 14 boilers, increasing their output, but also a reworked hull with notably a more raked hull, although this was paid by a greater displacement. They however kept the same armament and protection.

Construction

SMS Karlsruhe was ordered in 1911 as “Ersatz Seeadler” (as a replacement for the 1890 2nd class cruiser). She was laid down in 1911 at Germaniawerft shipyard in Kiel, hull number 181. Launched on 11 November 1912, she was commissioned on 15 January 1914. Another SMS Seeadler (1888) was made famous during the war as the only master commerce raider, the “kaiser’s pirate”.

SMS Rostock was ordered as “Ersatz Geier” (another Bussard class cruiser), laid down in 1911 at Howaldtswerke dockyard (Kiel), construction number 560. Launched on 12 November 1912, just a day after her sister ship, she was completed on 5 February 1914, so had little time to train before the war broke out.

Hull construction & general characteristics

The ships were 139 meters (456 ft) long (waterline), 142.20 m (466 ft 6 in) overall, an increase of nine feets. The beam took 20 cm at 13.70 m (44 ft 11 in), the draft progressed also to 5.38 m (17 ft 8 in) forward, 6.20 m (20 ft 4 in) aft (instead of 4.40 m). Displacement rose to 4,900 metric tons (4,800 long tons), as designed (normal), and up to 6,191 t (6,093 long tons) fully loaded, to compared with the 4570/5587 tons of the Magdeburg class.

Design wise, they were close, with the same clipper bow, forecastle, low aft deck, weapons repartition, two masts and four funnels heavenly spaced amidships. They were crewed by eighteen officers and 355 enlisted men, a bit more than the previous Madeburg, but they were also larger. They carried service boats, namely one steam picket boat, a coaling barge, a cutter, two yawls, and two dinghies. Teir masts supported platforms for projectors, but in 1915, Rostock was fitted with spotting tops.

Powerplant & Performances

HD rendition, the blueprints

Both vessels had two shafts propellers (three-bladed screws 3.50 m or 11 ft 6 in in diameter), driven by two Marine-type steam turbines. Steam came from twelve coal-fired water tube boilers, plus two oil-fired double-ended water tube boilers. Total ouptut was evaluated at 26,000 shaft horsepower (19,000 kW), for a designed top speed of 27.8 knots (51.5 km/h; 32.0 mph). But as usual on trials, they exceeded these figures, Karlsruhe reaching 28.5 knots (52.8 km/h; 32.8 mph) on 37,885 shp (28,251 kW), Rostock 29.3 knots based on 43,628 shp (32,533 kW).

Autonomy wise, they carried 400 t (394 long tons; 441 short tons) of coal, 70 t (69 long tons; 77 short tons) or oil, and ASW internal voids could accept an extra 1,300 t (1,279 long tons; 1,433 short tons) plus 200 t (197 long tons; 220 short tons) or oil, respectively. Range is estimated to be above 6,000 nm at 23 kts due to their larger hull, according to Magdeburg’s data;

Electrical power came from two turbo generators, rated at 240 and 200 kilowatts respectively, both working at 220 volts.

After sea trials and some service, they were reported favoutably, their captains seeing them as good sea boats, with slight weather helm in a swell, severe leeway, slow steering and when pushed hard over, bleeding 60% speed. Their transverse metacentric height was average, at 0.79 m (2 ft 7 in). Their roll and general motion was predictable, making good artillery platforms. They were bad steamers however at the start.

Protection

The general scheme was a repeat of the the preceding class.

• Waterline armored belt: 60 mm (2.4 in) amiships
• WL Belt tapered down to 18 mm (0.71 in) forward.
• Unarmored belt stern section.
• Armored deck: 60 mm forward, 40 mm amidships, 20 mm aft.
• Sloped armor deck: 40 mm connected to the belt.
• Conning tower: 100 mm (3.9 in) walls, 20 mm (0.79 in) roof

For ASW protection they had their hull constructed with longitudinal steel frames incorporating some fifteen watertight compartments, plus a double bottom running for 45% of its length. Each turbine was installed in its own engine room to avoid loosing all power after a flooding. Also, their 14 boilers were split into five separate boiler rooms.

Armament

SMS Karlsruhe underway

12 × 10.5 cm (4.1 in) SK L/45 guns

Same as the Magdeburg’s: These twelve guns were placed as follows: two forward in tandem, two aft, four in sponsons and recesses to fire forward ad aft, the rest amidships. They fired at 15 RPM, firing 17.4 kg (38 lb) shells with a 25.5 kg (56 lb) fixed Brass Casing at 710 m/s (2,300 ft/s), to a max range of 12,700 m (13,900 yd) at 30°.

2 × 50 cm (19.7 in) torpedo tubes

Standard G7 type (1913) also used by the Magdeburg: Submerged on the broadsides. They carried a 430 lbs. (195 kg) Hexanite warhead, reaching 4,370 yards (4,000 m) at 37 knots or 10,170 yards (9,300 m) at 27 knots depending on the setting. They were powered by a Decahydronaphthalene (Decalin) Wet-Heater.

120 × mines

Likely the R-Mine standard type using a 330 lbs. (150 kg) wet gun cotton charge. They were carried on deck rails on either side, starting after the forecastle.

Resources & Links

SMS Karlsruhe, painting (cc)

Books

Bennett, Geoffrey (2005). Naval Battles of the First World War. Pen & Sword Military Classics.

Campbell, John (1998). Jutland: An Analysis of the Fighting. Conways

Campbell, N. J. M. & Sieche, Erwin (1986). German section, Conway’s All the World’s Fighting Ships, 1906–1921.

Gröner, Erich (1990). German Warships: 1815–1945. Vol. I: Major Surface Vessels.

Halpern, Paul G. (1995). A Naval History of World War I. Annapolis: Naval Institute Press.

Tarrant, V. E. (1995). Jutland: The German Perspective.

Koop, Gerhard & Schmolke, Klaus-Peter (2004). Kleine Kreuzer 1903–1918: Bremen bis Cöln-Klasse [Small Cruisers 1903–1918

Nottlemann, Dirk (2021). “The Development of the Small Cruiser in the Imperial German Navy (Part II)”.

*For the anecdote, while a Karlsruhe was launched again in 1927, Rostock(ii) of the Cöln class, launched in April 1918, was never completed and the name never used again on a cruiser.

Links

Postcard on the militarian.com

On dreadnoughtproject.org

CC photos

On historyofwar.org/

On worldnavalships.com

navweaps.com German torpedoes

Wiki

Detailed record on militaer-wissen.de

The models corner

None found so far ! For scratch builders, here are some references:

Rocstock 1916 in shipbucket

Russian rendition and comparisons

profle rendition photostock

⚙ Karlsruhe class specifications
Dimensions	144 x 13.2/14* x 4.4/4.5* m (472 x 46-47* x 16.5 feets)
Displacement	4,850 tons standard, 5,925 tons Fully Loaded
Crew	450/469 wartime
Propulsion	2 shafts Parsons turbines, 6 Yarrow boilers, 40,000 hp.
Speed	29 knots (42 km/h)
Range	2300 nm @ 27 knots.
Armament	6× 6-in/45 (152 mm), 2x 3-pdr/45 (57mm), 2x 2-Pdr/39 AA (40 mm), 4×3 21-in TTs (533mm)
Protection	Belt 1.5-2.25 in, decks 1 in, Masks 25 1 in, CT 3 in)

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SMS Karlsruhe

SMS Karlsruhe coaling at San Juan P.R.

SMS Karlsruhe (contract name “Ersatz Seeadler”, laid down at Germaniawerft, Kiel, 21 September 1911 and launched, chistened by her namesake mayor, Karl Siegrist, on 11 November 1912. Fitting-out was followed by the yard’s trials in mid-December 1913, and official sea trials revealing excessive coal consumption.

Commissioned on 15 January 1914, she spent the months before the war training under command of her first captain, Fregattenkapitän Fritz Lüdecke. Fixes needed extra trials which went on until June. However even after yards’s modification, this was not much improved and she was scheduled for the East American Station, to relieve SMS Bremen, but she was replaced by Dresden and only departed Kiel on 14 June.

On 1st July, she was in Saint Thomas, dropping anchor in the Danish West Indies. As new from the Balkans saw rising tensuions, she was sent to watch over German Nationals in Port-au-Prince, Haiti during civil unrest, until 9 July. She was ordered newt to meet SMS Dresden in Veracruz (Mexico) but the situation degraded further in Haiti and she stayed, only ordered to leave by 27 July. Both cruisers exchanged commanders, with FK Erich Köhler now taking command of SMS Karlsruhe while Lüdecke was ordered to conduct Dresden back to Germany.

SMS Karlsruhe was to take part in the opening ceremonies of the Panama Canal, but Köhler decided decided to avoid the numerous British and French warships present here and instead headed for Havana, Cuba, and on 30 July, left and stayed close to shore before, heading for a Cay Sal Bank (Straits of Florida) and then evaded any pursuers by broadcasting a message in the open as she was to head for Tampico (Mexico) on 4 August, where the present armored cruiser HMS Berwick awaited here. Köhler armed the passenger ship SS Kronprinz Wilhelm as an auxiliary cruiser and next steamed east into the Atlantic, receiving news of the war underway in the 3/4 August night.

Her standing orders were to conduct commerce raiding, targeting British merchant traffic. Karlsruhe, Dresden and auxiliary cruisers mobilized from the Royal Navy no less than five cruiser squadrons, including one headed by Rear Admiral Christopher Craddock, and Rear Admiral Archibald Stoddart. Ships were dispersed, covering the vast sways of the Atlantic. Based on maps, the commanders planned possible routes two and from the coaling stations where they might intercept them.

On 6 August, SMS Karlsruhe met Kronprinz Wilhelm 120 nmi north of Watling Island (now San Salvador). She was transferring guns and equipment to SS Kronprinz Wilhelm when Craddock (HMS Suffolk) was spotted approaching from the south. Only two 8.8 cm guns and a machine gun were transferred before the two ships parted over quickly. Suffolk followed SMS Karlsruhe and the hunt was launched, communicated to other cruisers. However, being faster, she evaded Craddock.

Operations of SMS Karlsruhe: The general map

Operations of SMS Karlsruhe in October 1914

At 20:15 however, HMS Bristol spotted underway the cruiser and opened fire. Karlsruhe gunners replicated and scored two hits on Bristol, forcing her to slow down. Karlsruhe turned east and evaded her. By 9 August, SMS Karlsruhe reached Puerto Rico. It was time: She only had 12 tons of coal left, and resupplied from a HAPAG freighter before departing for Brazil, hoping to prey on large merchant traffic and not well patrolled.

She alsto stopped in Willemstad, Curaçao to take more coal and oil and reached the northern coast of Brazil, spotting and sinking a first British steamship (18 August). Until 23 August, she roamed off Maraca island, on the mouth of the Amazon river, replenishing coal again from a German steamship. One of those planned in advance as colliers to support such operations in neutral waters, at pre-planned meeting points. Captain Köhler also preferred to capture vessels and take all the coal he could onboard.

He kept prizes also for target training. Patrolled the eastern coast of South America down to La Plata (Argentina) she sank/captured sixteen merchant ships, of which 15 British, 1 Dutch for 72,805 GRT. Next SMS Karlsruhe headed to the West Indies, to prey on Barbados, Fort-de-France, and Trinidad.

Underway on 4 November she had a spontaneous internal explosion however, at 18:30. The hull broke in two, the bow section sinking rapidly with a large portion of the crew, including Köhler and his staff. The stern remained afloat saving the lived of the 146 that escape onto the attending colliers: The SS Rio Negro and SS Indrani. At 18:57 the stern sank in turn, and Commander Studt became the senior surviving officer. The crew was trasferred to the SS Rio Negro while he scuttled SS Indrani and proceeded to Iceland, going through the British blockade of the North Sea in a storm, dropping anchor at Ålesund, Norway. Germany kept the loss of the ship a secret to keep the British occupied until they learned about it on March 1915. This smart move had tied down eleven British cruisers for almost six months after her loss.

SMS Rostock

SMS Rostock was ordered as “Ersatz Geier”, laid down at Howaldtswerke, Kiel in 1911, launched on 12 November 1912 (christened by the mayor of Rostock, Dr. Magnus Maßmann) and commissioned on 5 February 1914, assigned as a torpedo boat flotilla leader. She trained until the war broke out, not showing the same coal cinsumtin exceses of her sister ship. Her career was also less adventurous.

On 24 January 1915, SMS Rostock was part of the screen force dedicated to Admiral Franz von Hipper’s I Scouting Group Battlecruisers. She took part in a first sortie near the Dogger Bank with three other light cruisers and 19 torpedo boats. Rostock stayed with a TB flotilla to screen the port flank of the battlecruiser squadron until five British battlecruisers were spotted, leading to the Battle of Dogger Bank. Rostock later took part in in the raid on Yarmouth and Lowestoft (24 April 1916), engaging the Harwich Force and other sorties in between all along 1915.

The Battle of Jutland was her final test: On 31 May 1916 she was still leader of two torpedo boat flotillas, flagship of Kommodore Andreas Michelsen. They were to screen for the battle squadrons and at 17:30, the British destroyers HMS Nestor and Nicator attempted an attack, while Rostock engaged them, quickly disabling both with assistance of the Battleships.

At 19:32, SMS Rostock and her torpedo boats layed a smoke screen to cover the general withdrawal. Michelsen later detached several torpedo boats to assist the badly damaged SMS Lützow. The fleet took its night cruising formation while Rostock escorted the light cruisers of IV Scouting Group, port of the formation. They sumbled upon the 2nd Light Cruiser Squadron after midnight, and later the British 4th Destroyer Flotilla. Rostock followed the cannonade and went right into the path of incoming destroyers, which immediately launched several torpedoes. Rostock and the other cruisers turned away, which sent them right uinto the bows of the battleships in I Battle Squadron. Rostock avoided collision but Elbing was rammed.

Rostock’s search lights at some point uncovered the destroyer leader HMS Broke. Gunfire from the German cruiser sters, soon joined by Westfalen and Rheinland. Broke was heavily damaged but managed to reach port. Next Rostock ws attacked by HMS Ambuscade and Contest, firing a single torpedo each, at max speed settings and just 1,000 yd (910 m). This was a right decision, which cost a single hit on Rostock at 1:30, followed by firce gunfire, where she was hit by three 4 in shells, which disabled her. The destroyer S54 joined to assist, taking her in tow at 10 kn (19 km/h; 12 mph), soon joined by V71 and V73 detached from the flotilla.

But luck ran out: At around 03:55, 1 June 1916, British cruiser HMS Dublin spotted the slow-moving formation, easy prey. The three destroyers evacuated her crew before flashing the first two letters of the British signal challenge to gain time, then laid down Smoke screens, leaving some extra ten minutes for S54 to depart with Rostock’s crew aboard. V71 and V73 stayed behind to scuttle the crippled cruiser with charges set completed by three torpedoes fired. The cruiser sank bow-first at around 04:25, with 14 men killed, 6 wounded during the battle. The cruiser had spent some 500 rounds for her main guns, the most of any other German cruiser present, but had little to show for it.

Bayern class: The last German dreadnoughts

The battleship “Bayern” does not represents the culmination of the German Dreadnought, but at least its wartime epitaph. The very last projected German dreadnoughts were indeed the “L20 alpha” class, reaching almost 50,000 fully loaded, 26 knots, and with eight 16.5 in (42 cm) guns. The battlecruisers of the Mackensen class were the most advanced in construction, more than the Sachsen class, a modified Bayern design. There are integrated in this study for practicity as very close, near sister-ships.

Th Bayern were at least quite a major leap forward in design, eclipsing all previous classes of German dreadnoughts. Indeed, the previous class, the Königs, completed as late as in 1915, were still armed with 12-in guns (30.5 cm), as all their precedessors but the Nassau. This was a considerable issue explained by many factors, which clearly made on paper German battleships inferior in range and hitting power to their British counterparts. The Royal Navy had in its divisions the 13.5-in (343 mm) armed Orion, King Georges V and Iron Dukes. They made indeed the bulk of the RN (12 in all) when the König class was just getting started. German intel also new of a new class in construction since October 1912, one year after the start of the Königs, and they were all armed with 15-in guns (381 mm). This of course caused a lot of concerns with the German admiralty, understandably as their hitting power was almost double than 12-in shells. One response was improving the armour again, but admiral Tirpitz at the time was very aware that an appropriate answer was needed asap in gunnery also. That’s what made the Bayern so special: They leapfrogged directly from the 12-in to the 15-in caliber !

Gunnery errand

In 1911, when the König class was started, all armed with the 30.5 cm/50 (12″) SK L/50 which was quite an improvement over the Nassau’s 28 xm, the admiralty was aware that no gun beyond 12-in was available in the works, but a 12.7 in (323 mm) which was basically a relined and reinforced 12-in as a stopgap measure. In fact, the fourth König authorized under the 1912 program was considered by naval command to be quipped with this 32.3 cm (12.7 in). The increase in weight would be offset by reducing the secondary battery with 12 cm (4.7 in) guns instead of 6-in. There was also a possible alternative, the 35 cm/45 (13.78″) SK L/45 planned for the Mackensen class battlecruisers. Design started in 1914, but as the class was never completed, the thirteen produced ended on railways carriage for the western front. The 12.7-in caliber planned for the fourth König however never passed the drawing board stage. None was built.

The proposal was ultimately rejected for a sister-ship of 1911 vessels, in order to create a homogeneous four-ship division, mirroring the British ones. This allowed to simplify tactical command. The Kronprinz’s diesel was dropped, never ready in time, for classic turbines, but was the first fitted was a larger tubular foremast to support a heavier, more capable fire direction top, later later retrofitted to the other members of the class and the Hindenburg, as well as the Bayern class. Meanwhile, work has started in 1913 on a much better proposition, a 38 cm/45 (14.96″) SK L/45. This was retained for the genesis of the next dreadnoughts, specifically to counter the QE class.

Design development of the Bayern class

Design work for this new class began in fact way earlier than the British QE class was known about, as early as 1910. At the time indeed, the admiralty already envisioned for the König class an upgrade in artillery, as it had become clear that other navies moved away from the 12 in and larger guns were to be envisioned for the German Navy in the near future. In November 1909 indeed, the British laid down the HMS Orion, first of their “super dreadnoughts”, armed with 13.5 inches guns.

If the Weapons Department suggested a 32 cm (13 in) gun to answer it, during a meeting on 11 May 1910, Admiral Alfred von Tirpitz State Secretary of the Reichsmarineamt announced that budgetary constraints at that time precluded the adoption of anything else than the existing 12-in. The 1912 Agadir Crisis had Tirpitz surfing on the resulting public outcry over British involvement in it to have the Reichstag quicky appropriating funds for the Kaiserliches Marine. Tirpitz obtained that a 34 cm (13.4 in) gun design would be started in mid-1911.

In August 1911, the design staff was also asked to start studies of larger ordnance, a 35 cm (13.8 in), a 38 cm (15 in), and even a 40 cm (15.7 in) artillery piece, that would have given quite an advantage over the Royal Navy at the time. The 40 cm was defined as a possible maximum caliber as it was assumed that British wire-wound guns could not be larger. A meeting in September secured preferred designs, and one with ten 35 cm guns in five turrets was put on the table and dicusses, as well as a 40 cm guns, four turrets.

The Weapons Department wanted to puh forward the 35 cm gun design, stating that it had a 25% greater chance of hitting its target. Tirpitz on the other hand wanted to try a mixed battery of twin and triple turrets. After examining the gun turrets of the Austro-Hungarian dreadnoughts of the Tegetthoff class, it was determined that triple gun turrets were problematic still so this option was dropped. Their increased weight as well as reduced ammunition supply, rate of fire, loss accuracy, abrupt loss of fighting capability if one was disabled, were all cited as arguments.

Still working on the 35 cm ship design, displacement was estimated around 29,000 t. Its cost was about 59.7 million marks. The 40 cm proposal was rated just as 60 million marks, but displaced even less, at 28,250 t, yet Tirpitz estimated they were both too expensive. The Construction Department then proposed a 28,100 t, eight 38 cm gun design, curtailing the overall cost to 57.5 million marks. This was adopted 26 September 1911 for the next design, but this meant studies made for previous guns might be redirected in this new compromise 38 cm caliber formally adopted on 6 January 1912.

The same year, design work progressed, while improvements in the armor layout were also studied to create a real difference with the König class. In addition, they were to be armed with eight 8.8 cm (3.5 in) anti-aircraft guns, a bold more given the state of aviation in 1912. Neverteless, this was reduced when completed to just two. Powerplant-wise, the admiralstaff still wanted to try the idea of diesel engines, but previous experiences showed, this time again, it was wiser to fit steam turbines again, hoping that over time a thord of fourth ship could adopt such powerplant, which would have given a much greater range. No reliable diesel engines existed either in 1913 ot even 1914 for that scale. They stuck to less demanding U-boats instead. Note that this German obsession for diesel power for battleships was never realized for any navy, but the concept was sound enough to see the light of day for smaller ships in the cold war, notably frigates and even destroyers thans to combined powerplants. Meanwhile in the USA, engineers wanted to go full electric.

Funding for the new battleships was allocated at last under the fourth Naval Law in 1912. This however only secured three new capital ships, two light cruisers, and salaries for 15,000 officers and men. Eventually the capital ships laid down that year were the Derfflinger-class battlecruisers. Bayern and Baden were funded only in 1913. Sachsen in 1914, Württemberg at last, in the War Estimates. As usual they went in pair with justified replacement for older pre-dreadnoughts, which in that case were the last Brandenburg-class pre-dreadnought SMS Wörth and the SMS Kaiser Friedrich III, Kaiser Wilhelm II and Kaiser Friedrich III.

Design

Italian plans of SMS Bayern, 1921, published in Rivista Marittima, IVth quarter. src.

In 1920-21, a British team make a thorough description of the largely intact SMS Baden, before testing her through and through, making her the best known German battleship. The result of these reports was condensed and published in “Engineering”, March 18, 1921 in several plates up to page 335.

Reconstitution of Baden’s design from the 1920-21 studies.

Bayern and Baden, with their very modern design perfectly embodied the future evolution of this type. Responding to British Queen Elizabeth, they have equivalent artillery caliber while being shorter by 49 feets (15 meters) but wider by 9.5 fts (three meters), they had the same displacement, slightly lower speed, but arguably a much better armour design, which was the point in German thinking. The QE on their side were almost designed as intermediary between dreadnoughts and battlecruisers, with speed in mind -Fisher obliges- their firepower somewhat compensating in that area. The Bayern’s fire control system was similar to that of the Hindenburg but however much more advanced than the QE equivalent, attracting after the war great interest from the Royal Navy authorities in Scapa, where both were scuttled.

Hull and general design

SMS Bayern and Baden both had the same lenght at the waterline of 179.4 m (588 ft 7 in), but 180 m (590 ft 7 in) overall. The next Sachsen and Württemberg were two meters longer, but all four had the same beam, of just 30 m (98 ft 5 in). Draft for the first two was 9.3-9.4 m (30 ft 6 in-30 ft 10 in). Standard displacement as designed was calculated at 28,530 t (28,080 long tons) and fully loaded 32,200 t (31,700 long tons). The Sachsen pair were were slightly heavier. All four however has the same hull construction using transverse and longitudinal steel frames, with an outer hull made of reiveted plates. The underwater protection comprised 17 watertight compartments, a double bottom on 88% of the total length of the hull.

Crew as designed comprised 42 officers, 1,129 enlisted men but Baden, fitted as squadron flagship, carried in addition 14 officers and 86 sailors. Their small boat fleets, mostly located under the funnels amidships, comprised notably a single picket boat, three barges, two launches, two yawls, and two dinghies.

Armor protection

Armor scheme view

The Bayern-class had arguably the best “classic” protective scheme so far of any German battleship, although it was still “pre-jutland”. Krupp cemented steel armor all round, with an armor belt 350 mm (14 in) thick for the central citadel. It was covering also the ammunition magazines and the machinery spaces.

-The belt then tapered down to 200 mm (7.9 in) forward and 170 mm (6.7 in) aft of the barbettes, leaving the last sections ends unprotected. There was a 50 mm (2 in) torpedo bulkhead over the entire lenght behind the main belt.

The main armored deck was just 60 mm (2.4 in) thick, but up to 100 mm (3.9 in) over the magazines, machinery and steering room. Again, this was “pre-jutland”.

-The forward conning tower (CT), had 400 mm (16 in) thick walls. The roof was 170 mm in thickness. The aft CT was much lighter, with 170 mm thick walls, 80 mm (3.1 in) thick armor plated roof.

-The main battery gun turrets had 350 mm thick faces and sides, 200 mm thick roofs.

-The 15 cm guns casemates were protected by 170 mm thick armor plated walls while behind there was enxtra shield, 80 mm thick to protect the crews from shell splinters.

Powerplant

SMS Bayern and Baden were planned with the standard, and properly German configuration of three shafts: The central one could be used to test different configurations (like a VTE) for economic cruise, and better range. However, since Germany took some advance in the design of diesels, it was hope to install one instead of a VTE. But the planned diesel, properly enormous and able to deliver the record power of 12,000 bhp, was still not ready in 1914, nor in 1915. It was postponed for the next Sachen but in the end, never ready before the war ended. Eventually, it was found wiser to give both ships the same three sets of Parsons turbines, driving three-bladed screws, 3.87 m (12.7 ft) in diameter.

Steam came from eleven coal-fired Schulz-Thornycroft boilers, plus three oil-fired Schulz-Thornycroft boilers, so mixed-heating, planed in nine separated boiler rooms. This powerplant was calculated to deliver and estimated output of 34,521 shaft horsepower (25,742 kW), at 265 revolutions per minute. On trials in 1916-17, both vessels in fact achieved the much greater output of 55,201 shp (41,163 kW) and 55,505 shp (41,390 kW) respectively, for a top speed of 22 knots (41 km/h; 25 mph).

They were designed to carry in peacetime 900 t (890 long tons) of coal, 200 t (200 long tons) of oil. In wartime, by filling all safety void spaces in the hull, this went largely up, at 3,400 t (3,300 long tons) of coal, 620 t (610 long tons) of oil, so basically more than triple. This enabled 5,000 nautical miles (9,300 km; 5,800 mi) at 12 knots, reduced at 4,485 nmi on the more sustained 15 knots and 3,740 nmi, 2,390 nmi at 17 and 21 knots respectively. Electrical output was alrso greater than previous ships, with no less than eight diesel generators to provide a total of 2,400 kilowatts combined, at 220 volts.

On trials, both vessels showed to be exceptional sea boats in all reports. They were were both very stable and very maneuverable, which was difficult to achieve together. They of course lost bled speed in heavy seas, but just slightly, and lost up to 62% speed with the rudders hard over, heeling over 7 degrees which was not bad overall. Their metacentric height was rather excellent at 2.53 m (8 ft 4 in), in fact larger than British Queen Elisabeth and Revenge, making them excellent, very stable gun platforms with a gentle, predictive motion, perfect for the conditions of the Baltic. All these were conformed later by the British long study of the Baden, just by calculating her hull shape and proportions.

Armament

Main: 4×2 38 cm SK L/45

Main armament, top view scheme

The Bayern class main battery comprised eight 38 cm (15 in) SK L/45 guns. They were paired in four Drh LC/1913 turrets, a new pattern which allowed a depression/elevation of −8 + 16°. Reload however could only be done at 2.5°, which of course slowed down the rate of fire, of around one shell every 38 seconds, or less than 2 rpm. Gun mountings for Bayern were later modified, the barrels going up to 20° at a cost of a lower depression at −5°.

Maximum range initially at 16° was 20,250 m (66,440 ft). Later, Bayern’s modified cradle authorizing 20° translated into 23,200 m (76,100 ft). All turrets were also fitted with their own stereo rangefinder. In total, 720 shells (90 per gun) were carried. They were in standard 750-kilogram (1,650 lb) AP shells, relatively light for this caliber, lighter than the British 16-in shells. They also carried less high explosive shells, in general only 1/3 of the total. At 20,000 m (66,000 ft), their AP shells was calculated (and tested) able to defeat up to 336 mm (13.2 in) of steel plate. Muzzle velocity was 805 meters per second (2,640 ft/s).

Post-war tests of these guns, conducted by British Royal Navy engineers in 1919-21 showed their readiness to fire after a 23 seconds process after firing, faster than British Queen Elizabeth class (36 seconds between salvos). Paradoxally, they found also German anti-flash precautions to be inferior of those practiced after Jutland. German brass propellant cases however proved safer, less susceptible to flash detonations.

Read more about the guns: http://www.navweaps.com/Weapons/WNGER_15-45_skc13.php

Secondary: 16×15 cm (5.9 in) SK L/45

The Bayern (and Sachsen) classes secondary battery comprised sixteen 15 cm (5.9 in) SK L/45 quick-firing guns, all in armored casemates along the the side of the top deck, relatively high to avoid water spray.

This was two more than for the König class. They were intended to deal against destroyers and torpedo boats. In total they carried for these a total of 2,240 shells, presumably all HE. These 45.3 kg (99.8 lb) shells used a separated 13.7 kg (31.2 lb) RPC/12 propellant charge, in a brass cartridge, avoiding flash detonations. Muzzle velocity was 835 meters per second (2,740 ft/s), rate of fire 5-7 rpm, practical mage range 13,500 m (44,300 ft) and after changes of cradles in 1916-17 at 16,800 m (55,100 ft). Barrel life was approximatively 1,400 shots.

Read more about the guns: http://www.navweaps.com/Weapons/WNGER_59-45_skc16.php

Tertiary: 2×8,8 cm (3.5 in) SK L/45

The Bayern class were originally design to also have just two light guns for dual/AA purpose. In 1914, aviation was not the threat it became in 1917. Therefore, from the two 8.8 cm (3.5 in) SK L/45 flak guns, masked and supplied with 800 rounds, six more were installed during the war on the battery deck, so eight total.

-MPL C/13 mountings (−10 +70° elevation)

-9 kg (19.8 lb) HE shell

-Ceiling 9,150 m (30,020 ft)/70°

Torpedoes: 2×60 cm (24 in) TTs

Unlike the previous König class, which had six 50 cm torpedo tubes, the Bayerns swapped onto a new caliber, 60 cm (24 in), on five submerged torpedo tubes: One in the bow, two on each broadside, none in the stern. Also, some 20 torpedoes were carried for reloads. “H” designated the 60 cm caliber and “G” the more standard 53 cm, “F” for airborne torpedoes. Technically “J” (70) and “M” (75 cm) also existed. Only J9 was planned in 1912-1915 but never entered service, able to reach 18 km (19,700 yds).

No doubt it inspired the Japanese to create their “long lance”, at least in concept ater the war. The H8 was also used on the Mackensen, Lützow, Hindenburg, Cöln II and Dresden II class, and the destroyer S 113. Design started in 1912, and the H8 model entered in service in 1915, powered by a Brotherhood system wet-heater.

H8 type torpedoes: 8 m (315 ft) long, 210 kg (463 lb) Hexanite warhead.

Range 8,000 m (8,700 yd) at 35 knots, or 6000 at 36 kts, 15,000 m at 28 knots or 14,000 (15.310 yds) at 30 kts.

However after Jutland, where these capital ships torpedoes proved useless, Bayern and Baden struck mines in 1917 and this trigerred a structural overhaul which first consequence was to get rid of the torpedo tubes, rooms, removed and plated over, for extra protection instead.

Author’s illustration of the Bayern class

conway’s profile of the bayern, in 1916 and as modernized in 1918. Main changes are the added maintast and reduced foremast, better wireless telegraphic system, and extended bridge with now a new admiral bridgewrapped around the tripod base. In 1916 she already had eight 8,8 cm AA guns.

⚙ Specifications Bayern class
Dimensions	180 x 30 x 8.50 m (590 x 98 x 30 feets)
Displacement	28,530 tons standard, 32,200 tons Fully Loaded
Propulsion	3 shaft Parsons turbines, 14 Schulz-Thornycroft boilers, 35,000 shp
Speed	21 knots (39 km/h)
Range	5,000 nm (9300 km/5800 miles) @ 12 knots.
Armament	8 x 38cm (4×2), 16 x 15cm, 2 x 8,8 cm AA, 5 x 60 cm TTs.
Protection	Belt 350, Battery 170, Citadel 250, Turrets 350, Blockhaus 350, barbettes 300 mm
Crew	1271

Construction of the Bayern class (1913-1917)

-Bayern (“Bavaria”) was regarded as a simple addition to the fleet, ordered under the provisional name “T”. She was laid down as construction number 59 in Howaldtswerke, Kiel on 22 December 1913, launched on 18 February 1915 and completed on 15 July 1916.

-Baden (another ancient kingdom) was ordered as Ersatz Wörth (a replacement for the latter), as construction number 913 at Schichau-Werke in Danzig, on 20 December 1913. She was launched 30 October 1915 and only commissioned on 14 March 1917.

-Sachsen was ordered as Ersatz Kaiser Friedrich III in Germaniawerft, Kiel as construction number 210 on 15 April 1914, launched on 21 November 1916 but never completed.

-Württemberg (Saxony province) was ordered as Ersatz Kaiser Wilhelm II at AG Vulcan, Hamburg as construction number 19 on 4 January 1915, launched at last on 20 June 1917, but also never completed.

Now let’s study the war consequences on their construction time: It took fifteen month to launch for SMS Bayern, and 17 months to completion, for Baden 21 months to launch and 18 months to completion, and for Sachsen and Württemberg, 32 and 30 respectively or more than two years and several months for each. They were, also respectively however only nine and twelve month from completion.

To put it simply both were suspended when the war broke up, and work resumed afterwards, with a reduced workforce and materials. A classic scheme for every major warship construction project in wartime.

The Sachsen class (1916)

The incomplete Sachsen, still with all her decks complete and funnels in place, CT, barbettes, main turrets, casemates and part of the superstructure but no barrels, in 1918.

It’s the appearance of the Queen Elisabeth class which prompted extensive modifications on the Sachsen, resulting in a sister class, classed as independent in most publications due to the amount of specificities.

The German Navy started to begin construction for FY 1914 battleship “Ersatz Kaiser Friedrich III”, voted 1912 as replacement for the pre-dreadnought Kaiser Friedrich III. But the design staff at that stage were aware of the new Queen Elizabeth class high top speed. There was yet another attempt to fit a diesel engine, at least on her center propeller shaft, both as a reduced size power addition and main propulsion for economical cruise. This was envisioned earlier for the König but the diesels were never ready in time. It nevertheless added 200 t more in the displacement, required the engineers to lengthen the hull by 2.4 m (7 ft 10 in), in order to keep the draft intact (and therefore the verstical position of the armour belt). This allowed to refine the hull lines, improve hydrodynamics, which added to the new engine, increasing top speed as expected. Some historians like Dirk Nottellmann considered these changes alone were sufficient to make Sachsen and Württemberg, a sub-class.

Hull & general characteristics

SMS Sachsen and Wurttemberg had aboy the same increased dimensions: 181.8 m (596 ft 5 in) long at the waterline, 182.4 m (598 ft 5 in) overall for a beam of just 30 m (98 ft 5 in) and draft between 9.3 and 9.4 m (30 ft 6 in–30 ft 10 in aft). Calculated displacement was to be 28,800 metric tons standard as designed and unloaded. The fully loaded displacement was evaluated to be over 32,500 metric tons. The crew was comparable to the previous vessels, but greater, with 42 officers and 1,129 enlisted men. The profile was very similar by the Conway’s profile shows exactly the same appareance with perhaps taller funnels for a better air draft and an aft mainmast from the start, also supporting projectors platforms.

Powerplant

Sachsen and Württemberg were intended to be one knot faster than the earlier vessels, thanks to a slightly more powerful machinery (Württemberg) and finer hull lines. SMS Württemberg had the usual three shafts, with AEO-Vulcan geared steam turbines 47,343 shp (35,304 kW), for the calculated speed of 22 knots. Sachsen also had three shafts, but with a planned MAN diesel rated at 11,836 bhp (8,826 kW) on the center shaft, and Parsons steam turbines on the outer shafts. This choice caused concerns: The diesel engine was not ready still in 1918, but in 1919, captured and seized by the Naval Inter-Allied Control Commission. Also the Parsons were likely to be ordered to UK, unless licenced-built in Germany, also causing an abrupt end in 1914. All in all, this mixed powerplant was rated at 53,261 shp (39,717 kW) for 22.5 knots. Cruising range would have been calculated about 5,000 nautical miles (9,300 km; 5,800 mi) at 12 knots.

Revised armament

Both were planned to be armed with the same eight 38 cm (15 in) SK L/45 guns, also arranged in four twin-gun turrets fore and aft in deck and superfiring pairs. The secondary armament comprised also sixteen 15 cm (5.9 in) guns, but four 8.8 cm (3.5 in) guns instead of just two. They also were supposed to carry five 60 cm (23.6 in) torpedo tubes, all submerged and fixed in the bow and broadsides in pairs. Also, the guns that had been constructed for them, and never installed, were eventually recycled as heavy siege guns used on the Western Front and during WW2, coastal guns on the Atlantic wall, and railway guns on various fronts, called “Langer Max”.

Revised Protection

SMS Sachsen’s armor layout was modified as per the installation of the taller planned diesel engine. This meant that a glacis was added over the diesel, 200 mm thick (7.87 in) for its sides, 140 mm (5.5 in) on noth ends, 80 mm thick for the top plates (3.14 in). Sachsen’s belt was modified, as she was exteded to 30 mm (1.2 in) past the forward 200 mm thick section, rather than northing at all like on the Bayerns.

Württemberg on the other hand a 170–350 mm (6.7–13.8 in) armoured belt, 60–100 mm (2.4–3.9 in) thick armored deck, same 400 mm (15.7 in) forward conning tower, same plating for the main battery turrets (350 mm thick sides, 200 mm roofs) as other details of the casemates.

The incomplete Württemberg alongside SMS Prinz Eitel Friedrich (Macksensen class) in Hamburg in 1920.

Conway’s Profile of the sachsen

⚙ Specifications Sachsen class
Dimensions	182.4 x 30 x 8.4 m (598 x 98 x 30 feets)
Displacement	28,800 tons standard, 32,500 tons Fully Loaded
Speed	22 knots (39 km/h)
Armament	8 x 38 cm (4×2), 16 x 15 cm, 4 x 8,8 cm AA, 5 x 60 cm TTs.
Crew	42 + 1129

The Bayern and Baden in action

Bayern and Baden were launched in 1915 but only entered served in July 1916 and March 1917, too late to participate in major naval operations, and moreover the important Battle of Jutland. Their career was rather uneventful. SMS Baden hit on a mine in the Gulf of Riga and was never repaired full until 1921, she only left to serve as a target. Bayern was interned in Scapa Flow and scuttled like the rest of the fleet in June 21, 1919.

SMS Bayern

Profile of SMS Bayern at sea

Bayern, Bundesarchiv, forward view

Salvage Bayern, Scapa Flow

Bayern in the Spithead, 1921

Drawing SMS Bayern October 1918

Markgraf and Bayern in the Firth of Forth, November 1918

SMS Bayern sinking in Scapa Flow

A long pre-commission workout

SMS Bayern emerged from Howaldtswerke, Kiel after fitting-out to be commissioned on 18 March 1916, so weeks before the Battle of Jutland. Her total cost has been 49 million Goldmarks, among the highest of any German ship ever. However she remained largely idle in port in April, with a limited crew and undergoing initial tests. These also included inclination tests, to see her response to controlled flooding. Her first trip at sea was on 15 April, for her proper trials and her first live fire tests for her brand new main battery. SMS Bayern made her full-power speed test on 25 April off Alsen island, until 2 May. Back home for fixes, she was at last declared ready for service on 15 July. By that time context had changed dramatically for the Hochseeflotte.

She joined the III Battle Squadron but was not pressed into exercizes as her new crew, coming from the decommissioned SMS Lothringen was given leave at that time. Her first commander was Kapitän zur See Max Hahn, and Ernst Lindemann (yes, that one, onboard Bismarck in May 1941) was back then a wireless operator on board. On 25 May 1916, while still in trials and training, she was visited by Ludwig III of Bavaria, last King of Bavaria. She became fleet flagship on 7-16 August.

August and October 1916 sorties

The Hochseeflotte was not completely inactive from Jutland up to the end of the war though: Admiral Reinhard Scheer wanted a fleet sortie in force on 18–19 August 1916, with the usual bait: A bombardment by I Scouting Group (battlecruisers), to draw out and destroy Beatty’s own battlecruisers on a pre-positioned Hochseeflotte battle group. But by that time, SMS Moltke and Von der Tann were the only ones not in repairs or completion (like Hindenburg), so he decided to assign three modern dreadnoughts to their unit: SMS Bayern and the König-class SMS Markgraf and Grosser Kurfürst.

Scheer would then follow behind with the High Seas Fleet (15 dreadnoughts) in cover. This Ist Scouting Group had different speeds and needed familiarization exercises, starting on 15 August. Hipper reported the slow speed of the battleships to Scheer as an hinderance, while Hipper insisted them not to exceed a distance of 20 nautical miles (37 km; 23 mi) from the main fleet to avoid being cut off. Basically this was just beyond the maximal sighting abilities of British lookouts in pristine weather.

The fleet sorties on 18 August as planned, but the British were soon aware of it thanks to communications decoded by Room 40 and the Grand Fleet departed to meet them. At 14:35, on 19 August, Admiral Scheer had been warned of the the British by a picket ship, and turned his forces waya, retreating. It was found too risky so close to the battle of Jutland. But this was wildly criticized. There was another sortie into the North Sea on 18–20 October, but this time they met no British naval forces and just went back home. The High Seas Fleet was reorganized on 6 December 1916: SMS Bayern was made second, III Squadron, not outfitted as a squadron flagship.

Operation Albion

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In early September 1917, as German troops managed to capture Riga, the German navy was assigned the task of completely evicting Russian naval forces in the Gulf of Riga to complete operations in thi sector. The Admiralstab wanted to seize Ösel Island and neutralize the Sworbe peninsula Russian batteries. On 18 September, a joint Army-Navy operation was planned, which also included Moon island, led by flagship SMS Moltke and the III Battle Squadron: Vth Division (Bayern, four König-class battleships), VIth Division (Kaiser-class battleships), accompanied by nine light cruisers, 3 torpedo boat flotillas, and a score of minesweepers to screen their way. This operation featired the largest fleet ever assembled in the Baltic so far, 300 ships, supported by over 100 aircraft, 6 zeppelins. In the gulf, the only force availanle on the Russian size was the old Russian pre-dreadnoughts Slava and Tsesarevich, and the armored cruisers Bayan, her sister ship Admiral Makarov, and Diana plus 26 destroyers, plus torpedo boats and gunboats. The garrison of Ösel however was a force 14,000 strong, with bunkers, trenchs, barb wire and fortified guns positions, plus numerous machine-guns nests.

The operation started on 12 October. Bayern, second in line behind Moltke, followed by the four Königs, placed on a broadside position, out of range of the suppose d lighe Russian guns to fire her main battery on Tagga Bay. The five Kaisers engaged on their side, the Sworbe peninsula’s batteries. Both positions indeed defended the narrows between Moon and Dagö islands: This was the only escape for the Russian fleet in the gulf and only option to mopup the Russian anaval forces in this operation.

Bayern however soon struck a naval mine at 5:07 as she shifted position to Pamerort. The blast close to the bow killed a officer and six sailors. She was also flooded by 1,000 metric tons of seawater and plunged forward to 2 m (6.6 ft), but was still able to engage Cape Toffri’s battery (south of Hiiumaa). She departed at 14:00 to be examined on 13 October, in Tagga Bay. Temporary repairs were not sufficient and she was sent back to Kiel for full repairs, that she joined in 19 days. This had her inoperative until 27 December 1917. Engineers took the occasion to get rid of her forward torpedo tube room, freeing the compartment and sealing the port turned into an additional watertight compartment. She also saw the addition of four 8.8 cm SK L/30 AA guns, making now a total of six. Meanwhile, operations saw the indecisive battle of the Gulf of Riga, with Slava and Bayan engaged and forced to withdrawn. The Operation was a success.

Last Operations (1918)

SMS Bayern was assigned to “security duties” in the North Sea, with a few sorties not far fro the shores, and far in between. Meanwhile, Scheer changed tactics, mobilizing his light surface forces to attack British convoys bound to Norway from early 1917. Ths trigerred the RN to commit battleships to the escort. This division allowed Scheer to destroy this detached squadron. Now feeling his communications had been intercepted in the past, her ordered strict wireless silence. Hipper’s battlecruisers were sent to attack the convoy on 23 April, while the High Seas Fleet was placed in distant cover as usual.

On 22 April, Bayern with the fleet assembled at Schillig Roads (Wilhelmshaven) departing at 06:00 and mking their way in heavy fog which delayed them, remaining inside their defensive minefields. Hipper’s couting force arrived 60 nmi (110 km; 69 mi) west of Egerö (Norway) on 24 April, the expected convoy route but due to faulty intelligence from U-boats he completely missed the convoy and had to fold down. In addition Moltke lost a propeller, further weakining his force, and forcing to break radio silence, which of course prompted the Royal Navy into action, Beatty soon at sea with 31 battleships, four battlecruisers. Moltke was later torpedoed by E42 underway. This was basically the last active sortie of Bayern.

Fate of Bayern

SMS Bayern Illustration in Scapa Flow

from 23 September to early October, SMS Bayern became flagship of III Squadron (Vizeadmiral Hugo Kraft). She was mobilize in Octoer for the famous “death ride”, last planned sortie in force of the High Seas Fleet as the end was near, to openly engage the British Grand Fleet in a last stand for honour. Scheer, Großadmiral wanted to inflict maximal damage in order to gain a more favorable bargaining position to Germany in the future peace negociations, but this plan backfired: Disgruntled and war-weary sailors, influenced by revolutionary spitit in Berlin, started to desert, riot and mutiny in numerous ship.

On 24 October 1918 as order was given to join Wilhelmshaven, on 29 October ships of III Squadron saw crew refusing to weigh anchor, sabotages on Thüringen and Helgoland. On Bayern however the crew seemed mostly loayal, but the whole operation was cancelled and the III Squadron, was sent back to Kiel, to await her fate. After the capitulation of November 1918, the bulk of the High Seas Fleet sailed out to be interned in Scapa Flow, under a massive allied escort. SMS Bayern was listed among these, departing on 21 November 1918.

She would remain in captivity during negotiations. On 21 June, Von reuter, having sent back already large portions of his most troublesome sailors, saw the deadline to sign the treaty and a providential British fleet sortie for training maneuvers as an opportunity to order a general scuttling. Bayern sank at 14:30 that day. She gently settled on the bottom, but with a considerable list, mostly emerging. She would be only raised on 1 September 1934, BU in 1935 in Rosyth. Her bell is now in Bundesmarine’s Kiel Fördeklub.

SMS Baden

Prow SMS Baden underway 1917

SMS Baden was not completed at Schichau-Werke dockyard, Danzig soon after 30 October 1915. Indeed, the war crippled the workforce and starved the yard from resources, redirected elsewhere. Delays amounted as in addition, the surprisingly fast initial Russian advance into East Prussia threatened directly the shipyards. It was only with the Battle of Tannenberg that it was stopped. Work resumed but low on the list compared to the completion of SMS Lützow and the ex-Russian light cruisers Elbing and Pillau to be pressed into German service.

Early service 1916-1918

SMS Baden was at least ready for sea trials by 19 October 1916, long after Jutland. Further tests and balic training went on from December 1916 and January 1917 before she was officially commissioned on 14 March. Meanwhile her near sister-ships Sachsen and Württemberg laid incomplete in their respective yards until November 1918. Her first captain, Victor Harder, came from SMS Lützow, recently completed and sunk at Jutland, as well as her crew. Baden became flagship, fleet Commander (Vice Admiral Franz von Hipper) until the end of the war. This was helped by the fact she has been completed with flagship facilities unlike her sister, traduced notably with new accomodations and a distinctive two-decked bridge. There was nothing much to do but training the following months, without notable event.

By late August 1917, Baden carried Kaiser Wilhelm II in a visit to the garrison of the fortified island of Helgoland, escorted by Derfflinger, Emden (ii) and Karlsruhe. She brought him back to Cuxhaven, but while doing so, struck the sea bottom. No visible damage was was later seen so she resumed activity. She was not present, contrary to her sister, in Operation Albion in the Gulf of Riga. She remained idle until early 1918, to the relief of a growingly frustrated crew.

The 23 April 1918 Sortie

In late 1917 already a new tactic emerge, to prey on British convoys to Norway, and oblige the RN to sent escorting capital ships, a bite-size portion of the Grand Fleet that can be destroyed by the Hochseeflotte. On 17 October, Brummer and Bremse intercepted one of such convoys, sinking nine of twelve and two escorting destroyers. This caused a stir in Britain and on 12 December, four German destroyers made shot work of another convoy of five cargo vessels and two British destroyers, sinking all cargoes and of the letter.

Admiral David Beatty was ordered to detach capital ships as planned, so Hipper prepared for a sortie the Ist Scouting Group battelcruisers, reinforced by capital ships like Bayern. The rest of the High Seas Fleet was in stand by on 23 April 1918, in the Schillig roadstead. Admital Hipper had his mark, as usual, aboard Baden and ordered no wireless transmissions to achieve surprise; Later Moltke lost her inner starboard propeller and had to return back, when later when Hipper arrived, he learnt that U-boat intel has been wrong. There was nothing on the convoy route… planned that day. He just had to fold down back to Germany.

On 24 May, SMS Baden again steamed to Helgoland, bringing the new commander in chief of the fleet, Admiral Reinhard Scheer, accompanied by Grand Duke Friedrich von Baden (namesake of the battleship), to visit the fortified island in turn. She was escorted by SMS Karlsruhe. In August 1918, SMS Baden was in drydock maintenance, until Hipper replaced Scheer again at the head of the fleet. Badend maintenance was over on 24 August, and prepared for the last ever major training fleet exercise, on 6 September.

The “doomsday sortie” and Scapa Flow

SMS Frankfurt and Baden, scuttled, 21 June 1919

SMS Baden was the centerpiece in October 1918 of the last ever planned sortie of the German Navy. It was to be committed an a final major action, a straithforward push to meet the Royal Navy, in part to quell the growing frustration of the crews, seeing inaction for too long, but mostly to try to cripple the RN, hoping to gain a better bargaining chip for future probable peace negociations. It was launched a few days before the armistice but the “crew factor” has not be acertained correctly, and the project massively backfired on the German staff.

War-weary sailors did not shared this final “for honor” stand, and on 29 October 1918, the gathering at Jade roadstead, saw, especially in the night of 29 October, widespread mutinies on many ships. On the 30th for example, the one started on Thüringen extended on Helgoland, just behind Thüringen, until forced to surrender by two loyalist torpedo boats, the crew later taken ashore and incarcerated. Officers noted the mood abord Baden as “dangerous”. Event soon went further as on 3 November, about 20,000 sailors, joined to dock workers and civilians took up arms and attempted free the jailed mutineers. On 9 November, a Socialist red flag was hoisted aboard SMS Baden. At that point, Hipper and Scheer abandoned all hopes for their sortie.

SMS Baden was not cited in the list of ships to be interned during the discussions of the Armistice. She was however substituted for the the incomplete Mackensen, which could not sail. She was not part of the High Seas Fleet departure to Scapa Flow on 21 November 1918 but remained in Germany until 7 January 1919. On arrival, Von Reuter had most of her crew taken off on SMS Regensburg, back to Germany. He knew the crew’s mood and wanted to have reduced, but loyal men under his orders to prepare for all eventuality.

The Royal Navy inspected SMS Baden tow days after her arrival. They hoped to find valuable equipments but found none of the technical and gunnery equipments, all removed before departure. There was therefore no chance for the vessels to commit uinto battle, because of this and the reduced crews, which only left the option of scuttling, prepared for months by Reuter with his officers. Negotiations in Versailles which would decide the fate of the fleet were ongoing and Reuter knew he would never allow his ships to fall into the entente’s hands as war reparations as planned.

Closeup SMS Baden 21 June 1919

New arrived often after days, noytably copies of The Times, so Rear Admiral von Reuter was left in the ignorance of new developments in Paris. He only knew in June, that the armistice was about to end at noon on 21 June 1919, a deadline to sign that also meant his ships would be probaby seized soon after. Von Reuter hoped to see the British fleet leaving Scapa Flow for exercizes at sea, which eventually happened precisely the very day of the deadline, to the amazement of his staff. Little he knew the deadline has been postponed to the 23th. Nevertheless, at 11:20 her ordered a general scuttling, which was promptly made.

Some men from Baden were helped unload a supply ship this morning far from their ship, and were were unavailable to open seacocks, while the remaining skeleton crew was insufficient for this, until man ashore returned. This made SMS Baden the last major warship of the Germany Navy to scuttle herself. Meanwhile, British forces remaining in the harbor managed to secure her, cutting her anchor chains. She derived and ran aground before sinking in deeper water, and soon, Lieutenant Commander Bruce Fraser led an armed party onboard Baden, visibly furious about the event. They managed to prevent firther actions at gunpoint. Therefore Baden was not successfully sunk and therefore she was also quickly refloated, on 19 July 1919, towed to Invergordon base.

Inspected by British Royal Engineers (1919-1921)

Baden inspected by Royal Engineers in 1919

A new strange career started for Baden “under british flag” – in fact she was never recommissioned, nor named, just used as an anonymous hulk for testing purposes. After she arrived in Invergordon with a British crew, SMS Baden was carefully examined by Royal Navy technicians, teams of Royal naval engineers inspected for weeks, months on end, in tunovers and living onboard, so inspect at first her hull in drydock, in great detail, taking measurements and detailed notes of her screws, bilge keels, rudders, to get a picture of her hydrodynamic properties and overall water resistance. They estimated her hull shape at least as good as the British Revenge-class battleships.

The armor system was aso thoroughly examined, as of utmost importance. Indeed that part was considered at the time “top secret” for any navy. The investigation took weeks and would generate a considerable literrature. The main conclusion however, was that the design did not incorporated any lessons from the battle of Jutland. Which was true and evident as their completion was far too advanced for this at the time. Also scrutinzed were detailed of her watertight bulkhead and underwater protection systems. The teams tried pumping and counter-flooding equipment, showing they worked quite well and efficiently.

Also examined in detail were Baden’s main battery turrets, location and working of the ammunition magazines. The tech team went so far as making the whole loading process live test, noting notably how fast the magazines could be flooded (in 12 minutes as it happened). The gunnery school HMS Excellent arrived too to process to complete loading trials, and noted an average 23 seconds, at their amazement. Indeed the RN also prided herself for their record-loading (which cost Beatty dearly at Jutland), but still Baden can load a shell 13 seconds faster than on the Queen Elizabeth class battleships, using the same caliber.

Overall, Commander W M Phipps Hornby, which lived on board Baden for weeks, told in 1969 naval historian Arthur Marder that his own opinion was that he considered the German design overall “markedly in advance of any comparable ship of the Royal Navy”. Once the inspection complete, the admiralty decided to naturally convert the battleship into a gunnery target.

No option was ever given to press her into British service at the time: First, every scripture were to be converted, ammunitions standards were different, parts were unavailable, a special training was required, and the ship was alone, so not to be integrated in the usual five-battleships divisions the RN was accustomed to. The overall picture was that she was more valuable to perform a last telling test instead: Live firing.

In January 1921, after some preparations to more easily locate damage, she was fired upon by HMS Excellent, using the latest armor-piercing (AP) shells developed after Jutland. This was to determine the most efficient ratio of explosives in the detonator caps, as the pre-Jutland shalled tended to fragment when striking heavy armor, not penetrate. The monitor HMS Terror was moored just 500 yd (460 m) away to test point-blank fire with her own 15 in (38 cm) guns and these new shells.

Baden at anchor as target ship 1921

Baden listing as a target ship, 1921

After standard straight trajectories, engineers created an artificial list for Baden by removing of coal and armor from the port side (towards the monitor) so that she would met the shells at an angle (parabolic fire). They also removed when moored, her forward-most gun turret. Terror fired 17 times, testing various ammunitions on Baden. Conclusion was that the new shells were good eneough to penetrate her heavy armor, much more effective as expected than previous models. Heavy seas after the tests caused Baden to sink in shallow waters and teams worked for three months to have her relfoated, towed in drydock and repaired for more service. She was prepared for a second round of testing in August 1921. Meanwhile discussions for the Washington treaty went on, and she was excluded from the talks as a “target ship”, partially demlitarize, through she still was armed and protected as a regular battleship.

The second test round was to take place from 16 August 1921, with this time the monitor HMS Erebus. The latter fired again several shell types, all 15 inches (381 mm). They seemed not to perform however that well, as one failed to explode and two semi-armor piercing models (SAP) shattered on impact. This was not limited to ship to ship tests: To simulate planes dropping bombs, six aerial bombs were placed on board, nose against deck on derricks and detonated remotely. They did little damage, unlike Mitchell’s tests in USA (again against a German battleship).

Probably the most important finding was that Baden’s 7-inch (18 cm) medium armor was easily penetrated by large-caliber shells. From there, the British adopted the US approach of “all or nothing” armor, also from the US. It weight much in their design of the G3 class and Nelsons. They were to receive extremely heavy armor or nothing at all. After the second serie was over, it was decided that Baden was not to be kept, and she was scuttled, in Hurd Deep, under 180 m (600 ft) where she could not cause any threat for maritime trade.

Sources

Bayern colorized by hirootoko JR

Books

Conway’s all the world fighting ships 1906-1921

Bennett, Geoffrey (2005). Naval Battles of the First World War. Pen & Sword Military Classics.

Brown, David Keith (2006) [2000]. Nelson to Vanguard: Warship Design and Development, 1923–1945.

Butler, Daniel Allen (2006). Distant Victory: The Battle of Jutland and the Allied Triumph in WW1.

Dodson, Aidan (2016). The Kaiser’s Battlefleet: German Capital Ships 1871–1918, Seaforth Publishing

Friedman, Norman (2011). Naval Weapons of World War One… An Illustrated Directory.

Goodall, Stanley Vernon (1921). “The Ex-German Battleship Baden”. Transactions of the Institution of Naval Architects.

Grießmer, Axel (1999). Die Linienschiffe der Kaiserlichen Marine: 1906–1918, Bernard & Graefe Verlag

Gröner, Erich (1990). German Warships: 1815–1945. Vol. I: Major Surface Vessels.

Herwig, Holger (1998) [1980]. “Luxury” Fleet: The Imperial German Navy 1888–1918. Humanity Books.

Humble, Richard (1983). Fraser of North Cape: The Life of Admiral of the Fleet, Lord Fraser, 1887–1981

Marder, Arthur J. (1970). From the Dreadnought to Scapa Flow, Volume 5 1918–1919: Victory and Aftermath.

Massie, Robert K. (2003). Castles of Steel. New York: Ballantine Books.

New York Times Co. (1919). The New York Times Current History: Jan.–March, 1919.

Nottelmann, Dirk (December 2019). “From Ironclads to Dreadnoughts: The Development of the German Navy, 1864–1918

Schleihauf, William (2007). “The Baden Trials”. In Preston, Anthony (ed.). Warship 2007. Annapolis

Schwartz, Stephen (1986). Brotherhood of the Sea: A History of the Sailors’ Union of the Pacific, 1885–1985.

Staff, Gary (2006). German Battlecruisers: 1914–1918. Oxford: Osprey Books.

Staff, Gary (2010). German Battleships: 1914–1918. Vol. 2: Kaiser, König And Bayern Classes. Osprey

Tarrant, V. E. (2001) [1995]. Jutland: The German Perspective. London: Cassell Military Paperbacks.

Links

On www.sms-navy.com

German naval guns on navweaps.com

On dreadnoughtproject.org

German battleships (generic)

On jstor.org “From ironclads to dreadnoughts development of the german navy 1864-1918

The Bayern class on www.worldnavalships

Plans on virtualdockyard.co.uk

navistory

German WWI torpedo tubes

wiki

The model’s corner

Byern query on scalemates

Same for baden

Combrig 1:700 on northstarmodels

1/350 from Combrig on modelshipgallery.com

Baden 1917 by Bernt Villhauer, 1/700 Combrig

Bayern 1:350 Kombrig resin kit on berliner zinnfiguren

Baden 1917 1:250 by HMV on papermodel.com.au

The Battleship SMS Baden Paperback – Illustrated, 30 April 2016, Kagero Pub., Luke Millis

1/250 cardboard model

3D rendition on deviantart

3D renditions (world of warships)

WoW’ renditions of the Bayern

The first two specialized German minelayers

The Nautilus class were two minelaying cruisers planned for the Imperial German Navy, both built by the AG Weser shipyard in Bremen with different designs, at least in appearance. They never operated together, one being kep for training or in maintenance. They laid at the start of WWI a serie of strategic minefields, to protect the German coast and on known pathways for the British Royal Navy.

SMS Albatross was assigned to the Baltic Sea, ambushed by Russian cruisers, damaged and beached after the Battle of Åland Islands in July 1915, in neutral swedish waters, interned. SMS Nautilus participated in Operation Albion in 1917 and modified for amphibious operations in 1918. She was retained as a hulk until 1928, stricken since 1919.

Design

SMS Albatross in port

Design development

Nautilus had a clipper bow, while Albatross had a bow similar to contemporary German light cruisers. The ships were armed with a light battery of just eight 8.8 cm (3.5 in) guns and had a capacity of 168–288 naval mines. However they were slow and completely unprotected.

Hull Design in detail

SMS Albatross model

the two cruisers varied slightly in their dimensions and shapes: SMS Nautilus had a clipper bow, but still she was shorter, measuring 98.20 meters (322 ft 2 in) long overall for a beam of 11.20 m (36 ft 9 in). Her average draft (deeper aft) was 4.42 m (14 ft 6 in) forward. SMS Albatross was larger, 100.90 m (331 ft) long with a straight bow, 11.50 m (37 ft 9 in) of bream, 4.40 m (14 ft 5 in) of draft. The first displaced 1,975 metric tons (1,944 long tons), 2,345 t (2,308 long tons) fully loaded and her sister ship 2,208 tons normal, 2,506 t fully laden. Nautilus was modernized in 1908 at the Kaiserliche Werft, Kiel with her original stern overhang extended by 2.70 m (8 ft 10 in) so shat she was now 100.90 m (331 ft) long, and her superstructure deck extended further aft.

Hulls construction called for transverse and longitudinal steel frames. Under the waterline, it was subdivided into nine watertight compartments. Below there was a double bottom for 60% of her total length. Superstructyes were close, but diverged. Both had two pole masts with spotting tops, two slightly raked funnels, like the masts, but the mast location and bridge shape diverged. The foremast was behind the bridge on Albatross, but in center on Nautilus. On Albatross it was also higher, her forecastle extending to the base of the main mast. Nautilus had superstructure deck starting aft of the fore mast. The idea was to test both ships with different configurations. Nautilus was essentially a “yacht” in disguise order to operate in a more clandestine way.

Their crew comprised ten officers and 191 enlisted men, and in wartime, extended to 11 officers and 197 ratings. Their small boats fleet included two picket boats, a launch, two yawls, a dinghy, handled with a large derrick at the base of the main mast aft. There was no protection at all, no armour figure are given by any source, including Conways.

Powerplant

The ship’s Propulsion system comprised two 3-cylinder, triple-expansion steam engines. They each drove a single four-bladed screw propeller 3.20 m (10 ft 6 in) in diameter. Four coal-fired marine-type boilers provided steam, each in their own individual boiler room. They were trunked into two closely spaced funnels. Electricity on board came from two turbo generators rated at 90 kilowatts (120 hp)/110 volts each.

Performances wise, their top speed as designed was 20 knots (37 km/h; 23 mph), obtained from an output of 6,600 indicated horsepower (4,900 kW). This was exceeded on trials, Nautilus reaching 20.8 knots and Albatross at 20.2 kn. For range, they carried 200 t of coal. In wartime however, when using auxiliary storage spaces, SMS Nautilus could carry up to 490 t and Albatross even 526 t, giving them a 3,530 to 3,680 nautical miles (6,540 to 6,820 km; 4,060 to 4,230 mi) range 9 knots cruise speed. Steering was done via a single axial rudder and they handled well, with a tight turning radius. However they had a high weather helm and hard time not drifting underway.

Armament

8,8 cm gun (here a FLAK version of 1932)
The primary armament for the Nautilus-class was purely defensive and short range: It consisted in a battery of eight 8.8 cm (3.5 in) SK L/35 guns, all in individual mounts:
Two side by side on the forecastle, four amidships (two on each broadside) and a pair at the stern. A total supply of 2,000 rounds was carried. These 8.8 cm guns had a maximum range of 9,100 m (29,855 ft 8 in) only.
Mines:
Their main asset of course was their mine capacity and facilities: SMS Nautilus carried 186 naval mines, and up to 205 in wartime, 288 for Albatros which hull was better shaped to carry more. German naval mines of WWI were of the following type: Type I Moored Hertz horn contact mine (Total mass 560 lbs./254 kg, Diameter 31.5 inches/80 cm, Wet gun guncotton 180 lbs. 81.6 kg explosive charge.
Read more: http://www.navweaps.com/Weapons/WAMGER_Mines.php

Nautilus 1918 Conversion
In 1918, Nautilus was rearmed with two 7.6 cm (3.0 in) guns, four 2 cm (0.79 in) anti-aircraft guns, twenty-four machine guns, two flamethrowers, and four mine-launchers, in addition to her normal capacity of mines. Her new armament was intended to allow the ship to support amphibious operations.

Links

German mines on navweaps
Albatross on navypedia
nautilus on navypedia
On wikit.wiki Italy
WW1 german cruisers
On militaer-wissen.de/
Model kits on scalemates: Combrig 1:700
albatross kombrig kit review
Scratch model kit
additional colorized photos

⚙ Nautilus class specifications
Dimensions	98.20 x 11.20 x 4.42 m (322 x 37 x 16 feets)
Displacement	2,345 tons standard, 2600? tons Fully Loaded
Crew	11 officers, 197 men
Propulsion	2 shafts VTE 4 WT boilers, 6,600 hp
Speed	20 knots (37 km/h)
Range	3530 nm @ 9 knots.
Armament	8x 8.8 cm (3.5 in) SK L/35, 186 mines
Protection	None

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SMS Nautilus

SMS Nautilus under the Levensau Bridge

Prewar service

SMS Nautilus was launched at AG Weser shipyard on 28 August 1906 (laid down as “mine steamer A”, completed and commissioned for sea trials on 19 March 1907. From 25 May she starting training for for mine warfare in Cuxhaven. She took part in the annual fleet maneuvers in 1906, 1907 and 1908 and decommissioned as her sister ship Albatross took her place in peacetime. In 1909–10 she was modernized at the Kaiserliche Werft, Kiel. Her stern overhang was extended by 2.7 m (8 ft 10 in), her superstructure deck extended further aft.

On 23 January 1910, SMS Nautilus retuned to minelaying training and participated in the 1910 annual fleet maneuvers. After a new overhaul in Kiel until 27 January 1911 she returned to training and on 4 April was replaced again by Albatross. She later experimented with minesweepers in the North Sea and took part in the annual fleet exercises. On 30 October 1911, she was replaced by light cruiser Arcona and remained in reserve until the crisis developed in the Balkans, replacing on 5 June 1914 the older minelayer SMS Pelikan in long overhaul.

Wartime Operations

From July 1914 she was reclassified as a coastal defense mine cruiser and temporarily sent to the Baltic , laying defensive minefields in the path of the Russian Baltic Fleet. On 25-26 August, back to the west, and teaming with her sister ship, she layed a minefield off the Humber and Tyne on the English coast. That risky operation was performed by night, and two minelayers proceeded independently, covered each by a light cruiser and destroyers.

SMS Nautilus was protected by Mainz and she laid two mine fields 5 nmi (9.3 km; 5.8 mi) long across the known usual merchant pathways. When back, her group spoted and sank six British trawlers. SMS Nautilus, Albatross and the auxiliary minelayer SMS Kaiser later laid a defensive minefield on the Bight on 9–10 September. On 14 October 1914, protected by SMS Kolberg, she was to lay another minefield in the North Sea, off the Firth of Forth, but as they spotted the enemy off the Dogger Bank, they broke off.

Colorized photos of the SMS Albatross underway
In April 1916, SMS Nautilus was sent again in the Baltic after the modern modern SMS Brummer entered service, dedicated to western operations. The rest of 1916 and early 1917 were relatively uneventful with few sorties but she laid a serie of minefields for tactical funneling. In October 1917, she was assigned to the VI Scouting Group (light cruisers Kolberg, Strassburg, Augsburg, aviso Blitz), for Operation Albion. She stayed outside the Gulf of Riga until Russian forces were cleared off from the area and she then sailed off Arensburg on 18 October to lay defensive minefields. On the 21 she was planned to lay mines west of Schildau but it was found too shallow and she transferred her mines to smaller vessels of the II Minesweeper Flotilla to perform the mission, and she was later based in Arensburg.

In 1918, her armament was modified to act as an amphibious support ship. She received two 76 mm (3.0 in) SKL guns, four 20 mm (0.79 in) AA guns, 24 machine guns and two flamethrowers, plus four mine-launchers in addition to her mines. In February 1918 she joined the Sonderverband (Special Unit) tasked of cmbating the anti-communist faction during the Finland’s civil war. On 30 April 1918, Konteradmiral Ludolf von Uslar made Nautilus his flagship, but the operations ceased and the unit was disbanded in May. The minelayer stayed in the northern Baltic and patrolled off Åland island until December. She was decommissioned.

The Treaty of Versailles excluded her from the new Reichsmarine and instead she was stricken on 21 March 1919, in Kiel and used from 1921 as an unarmed storage hulk in Bremen, (“Hulk I”) from 1923, then “Hulk A” (April 1928) in Bremerhaven, with the Training Inspectorate. She was sold and BU in Copenhagen.

SMS Albatros

SMS Albatros stranded 1915
SMS Albatross was built at AG Weser shipyard, Bremen, laid down as “mine steamer B”, 24 May 1907, launched on 23 October and commissioned for sea trials on 19 May 1908, until 25 July. She took the head of her minesweeping unit while the older SMS Pelikan was under overhaul and took part in the annual fleet maneuvers. On 26 October 1908 and 1909 she became a training ship in Cuxhaven. In 1910 she was ovehauled at the Kaiserliche Werft and modernized, with her mine-launching equipment moved to the upper deck. In 1911, she rammed the steamer Wartburg and needed three weeks repairs; In September she was sent into the Baltic Sea. In 1912, 1913, and early 1914 she had the same same routine.

In July 1914 as a “mine cruiser” she laied defensive fields in the Baltic Sea and later with Nautilus off the Humber and Tyne. Albatross’s group comprised SMS Stuttgart and on her return, hit some of the six British fishing vessels sunk. By June 1915 she was in the Baltic with the auxiliary minelayer SMS Deutschland under Konteradmiral Albert Hopman’s command. Her first operation, codenamed V, was performed on 20 June escorted by SMS Roon, Prinz Heinrich, Prinz Adalbert, Augsburg, Lübeck, she laid a large minefield off Bogskär. Later she laid 350 mines escorted by Prinz Adalbert, Prinz Heinrich, Thetis (operation VI), screened by eight torpedo boats. She was based in Neufahrwasser all this time.

SMS Albatross stranded, crew evacuating photo by Bruzelius 1915

Battle of Åland Islands

For operation, VII (29-30 June night) she was escorted by Roon, and five TBs, meeting out of the Vistula later Kommodore (Commodore) Johannes von Karpf—Lübeck’s ships and more TBs. She laid her minefield off Bogskär and later Roon and Lübeck separated to guard a channel between minefield, while Albatross proceeded north to Bogskär, laying 160 mines. Augsburg went south to join Roon and Lübeck while Kdt. Karpf received via wireless a report over her position, intercepted and decrypted by the Russians, which were about t lauinch a bombarding sortie on Memel the following day.

Led by the armored cruiser Rurik four cruisers sorties on 1st July, trying to ambush the Germans, but Karpf dispersed his force and Albatross, Augsburg plus three TBs speamed to Rixhöft, the remainder to Libau. At 06:30 on 2 July, lookouts from SMS Augsburg spotted the Russians and Karpf ordered Albatross to seek refuge in neutral Swedish waters, the others using their speed to escape and possibly draw the Russians on Roon and Lübeck. However soon the latter catch up with them and turned to port to bring their full battery to bear, firing from 8,000 m (26,000 ft). Bogatyr and Oleg concentrated on SMS Albatross, but this was innacurate due to Heavy fog.

Soon, the monelayer was found alone, with all four Russian cruisers shelling her. At 07:20, she was hit and more were to come as the range closed. At some point she was close enough to replicate with her 8.8 guns, with little effect on the armoured cruisers. Her forecastle was soon crippled, foremast knocked down, conning tower destroyed, with the staff inside but eventually at 07:45, she entered Swedish territorial waters. However in violation of international laws, the Russians pressed on and kept firing for twenty minutes, stopping only at 08:07, after Albatross reached Östergarn Sound. She was badly damaged, listing heavily to port and her captain ordered her to be beached and made preparatios to evacuate and scuttling.

Hopman considered sending a torpedo boat for towing Albatross, but the Russian vessels were a serious thrat. Prinz Adalbert and Prinz Heinrich reinforced Karpf’s ships and sailed out to rescue Albatross, but en route, HMS E9 torpedoed Prinz Adalbert, so making Karp break off the operation. Albatross was interned by Sweden for the remainder of the war, never repaired and not scuttled as the Russian would not dare approaching. 26 German sailors were buried east of Östergarn Church and two at Björke cemetery. The survivors were interned in Roma, and Blåhäll, Tofta. The Swedish salvage company Neptun refloated Albatross on 23 July, towed to Fårösund, then Oskarshamn, to be interned, only returned (as her crew) to Kiel in January 1919, and decommissioned on 23 January, stricken on 21 March, then sold for BU in Hamburg.

Surviving SMS Albatross sailor on the Swedish island of Gotland, 1915

Two famous ships

The Dresden class followed the Königsberg class, but improved in size and speed a bit. Launched in 1907-1908, their fates were among the most interesting of the war: Both Königsberg and Dresden were part of the overseas squadrons of the Kaiserliches Marine in 1914. Dresden was in Mexican waters and has to quickly head for the eastern Indian Ocean via Good Hope, and became one of the most famous German commerce raiders, joining Admiral Von Spee’s squadron at the Coronel battle, duelled at the Falkands with Kent and Glasgow, but ended scuttled in the maze of islands of Chile in March 1915. Emden was in China, heading with Graf Spee’s East Asia Squadron and was detached for independent raiding in the Indian Ocean, also attacking Penang and the Cocos Islands, but lost a duel to HMAS Sydney. The Crew then managed to get back to Germany, in a true odyssey which was turned into two movies.

SMS Dresden through the Kiel Canal

Design

Profile overview in a German publication

The origins of the design could be found in the 1898 Naval Law, authorizing construction of no less than thirty new light cruisers. The Gazelle class has been the first, developed into the Bremen, and then Königsberg class. Both had many incremental innovations and improvements over globally the same basic design. The two Dresden class just proceeded with the same caution, design-wise. Ordered in the 1905–1906 construction program, they were not just a repeat of the Königsberg but consituted an improvement. Keeping the same main battery they had a slightly greater displacement, the internal machinery space be generous enough to accommodate an additional boiler, and thus, increase engine power. Like on the previous class, engineers differentiated both vessels by testing different machinery: VTE for SMS Emden and steam turbine for the lead ship, in order to compare their performances. But it was the last and decisive test of tht kind. After this, the admiralty decided from then on all cruisers would be fitted with turbines only.

The previous Bremen class – Illustrated London News, 20 March 1915

These cruisers were built at Blohm and Voss shipyard (Dresden) and Kaiserliche Werft, Danzig (Emden). They were launched in 1907-1908, and entered service in 1908-1909. Larger by one meter, wider by 30 cm and heavier by 200 tonnes, they were slightly faster (23.5 and 24 knots compared to 23), but possessing the same firepower, they really shows this almost timid incremental process. The next Kolberg class (1909) were much larger and faster, and better armed.But the true really first innovative designs were the Magdeburg (1912).

Hull & general characteristics

Model of the Emden: Note she was not in overall grey in 1914

Model of the Dresden

Both ships had this characteristic three-funnels silhouette. Their hull measured 117.90 meters (386 ft 10 in) long at the waterline and 118.30 m (388 ft 1 in) long overall, for a beam of 13.50 m (44 ft 3 in), with a draft iif 5.53 m (18 ft 2 in) forward, greater aft. Standard displacement was 3,664 metric tons, reaching 4,268 t (4,201 long tons; 4,705 short tons) fully loaded. Construction called like previous ships for transverse and longitudinal steel frames. They had a transverse metacentric height of .59 m (1 ft 11 in), which was reasonable. This ensure a gentle, predictable motion.

Dresden and Emden carried 18 officers for 343 enlisted men. Like all vessels of that era, they carried many small boats, a fleet including a single picket boat, a barge, a cutter, two yawls and two dinghies. The last four were mostly used for physical training, sailors making regattas against themselves or other crews, and to carry personal, or land armed parties, somehing which will proved handy for Emden in two occasions. The steam picket boat was the standard laison all-weather vessel used to carry officers to port or used to carry dispatch to other ships in the fleet at sea. The barge was used for coaling and carry supplies, and the cutter as a fast dispatch vessel with ample sail. It was used generally by captains as their own leizure boats when not in service;

Protection

Jane’s 1914 Dresden class diagrams and drawing

Their armour was slightly improved, with the deck and turrets protected by 50 mm (2.5 in) to 80 mm (3 in) of armor: It was thicker on the slopes either side.
To be more precise, the main armoured deck at the waterline reached up to 80 mm (3.1 in) amidships with sloped 50 mm (2 in) thick, but tapered down to 30 mm (1.2 in) aft and 20 mm (0.79 in) toward the stern.
The main belt was about 30 mm thick (1.8 in), only on the central section, between the forward bridge and extending to the aft gun. An extra stray of armour of 50 mm was fitted over the machinery spaces aft.
The conning tower had walls 100 mm thick (4 in) with a saller communication tube going two decks below.

The gun masks were 50 mm thick (2.5 in) and in addition the forward and aft guns were protected by a partial structure. The four on the corner of the main battery were inside casemates.
The hull was subdivided under the waterline into thirteen watertight compartments, with a double bottom below, extendeding for 47% of the length of the keel.

Machinery

Binnacle of Emden, salvaged in Australia

Propulsion relied on two propellers, and they possessed three 4-cylinder engines, 12 standard boilers, for a total of 13,500 hp, and top speed of 23.5 knots.
The Dresden were reputed to be good sea boats, but cranking and rolling up to 20° in heavy weather, being also very wet at high speeds. they also suffered a slight weather helm. But they turned tightly, and were very maneuverable and agile. Their relatively small size and hull design made speed losses on a hard turn limited to 35%, which was very reasonable for this class of ship.

Armament

10.5 cm SK/L40 salvaged on the Emden’s wreck by the Australians after the war, AWM.

Main armament: Ten 105 mm (4.1 in) (4 in) SK L/40 guns, which were placed as follows: Two side by side on the prow and bow, and the others six on the sides, the two amidship with their own masks and the remainder in casemates. They reached 12,700 m (13,900 yd) and were supplied with 1,500 rounds of ammunition (150 per gun).

Secondary armament: Both cruisers were armed with eight 5.2 cm (2 in) SK L/55 guns, with 4,000 rounds of ammunition. This was an improvement over the previous Königsberg, which had none. The danger indeed of torpeod boats was recoignised as it was estimated that the main guns had not enough rate of fire to deal with them until reaching critical distance. The 5.2 cm had a short career in the Kaiserliches Marine. The next Kolbergs had only four of them, and the Magdeburg class has none, but gaining the excellent 8.8 cm SK L/45 from 1917, which became the de facto standard light gun in the Navy.

Torpedo armament: Like all previous cruisers, the Dresden class were provided with two 45 cm (17.7 in) torpedo tubes. They were submerged, fixed in the broadside, with five reloads.

Old author’s illustration of the SMS Emden, in 1914 white colonial livery, Tsingtau, China.

Dresden class specifications
Dimensions	118,30 x 13,50 x 5.53 m
Displacement	3660 t/4270 t FL
Crew	361
Propulsion	2 shafts Brown-Boveri Steam turbines/VTE 15,000/13,500 cv
Speed	24 knots (44 km/h; 28 mph)
Range	? nmi (? km, ? mi) 19 knots (35 km/h, 22 mph)
Armament	10x 105 mm, 8x 52 mm, 2x 450 mm sub TT.
Armor	Belt 50 mm, deck 30mm, bulkheads 50 mm, CT 100 mm

Resources

On historyofwar.org
On deutsche-schutzgebiete.de
On worldnavalships.com
On scapa-flow.co.uk

On battleships-cruisers.co.uk
On worldwar1.co.uk
SMS Emden’s incredible true Odyssey
The class on wikipedia

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Docu-Movie about the Emden (Unter kaiserlicher Flagge (1/2))

Docu-Movie about the Desden (Unter kaiserlicher Flagge (2/2))

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Specs Conway’s all the world fighting ships 1906-1921.

Delgado, James P. (2004). Adventures of a Sea Hunter: In Search of Famous Shipwrecks. Douglas & McIntyre

Forstmeier, Friedrich (1972). “SMS Emden, Small Protected Cruiser 1906—1914”. Warship Profile 25.

Gröner, Erich (1990). German Warships: 1815–1945. Vol. I: Major Surface Vessels.

Halpern, Paul G. (1995). A Naval History of World War I. Annapolis

Herwig, Holger (1980). “Luxury” Fleet: The Imperial German Navy 1888–1918. Humanity Books.

Lenz, Lawrence (2008). Power and Policy: America’s First Steps to Superpower, 1889–1922. Algora Pub

Levine, Edward F. & Panetta, Roger (2009). Hudson–Fulton Celebration of 1909. Arcadia Pub.

Mueller, Michael (2007). Canaris: The Life and Death of Hitler’s Spymaster. Annapolis

Nottelmann, Dirk (2020). “The Development of the Small Cruiser in the Imperial German Navy”. Osprey.

Staff, Gary (2011). Battle on the Seven Seas: German Cruiser Battles, 1914–1918. Pen & Sword Maritime.

Von Mücke, Hellmuth (2000). The Emden—Ayesha Adventure: German Raiders in the South Seas and Beyond, 1914.

Koop, Gerhard & Schmolke, Klaus-Peter (2004). Kleine Kreuzer 1903–1918: Bremen bis Cöln-Klasse. Bernard & Graefe Verlag.

Movies about the Emden:

“How We Beat the Emden” and How We Fought the Emden and in 1928 The Exploits of the Emden, all produced in Australia. On the German side 1926 the silent Unsere Emden (footage) later incorporated in Kreuzer Emden, a 1932 feature film, and Heldentum und Todeskampf unserer Emden (1934). All three films were directed by Louis Ralph.

More recently, in 2012,Die Männer der Emden (The men of the Emden) was released, but only covering how Von Mücke’s stranded crew made their way back to Germany after the Battle of Cocos.

Model Kits

Dresden model kits on scaleway: , HP-Models & Arno 1/700 (etc.) Deans Marine 1/90

Revell 1/350

Gallery

SMS Dresden in New York, in prewar two-tones livery (white hull, canvas brown superstructures)

Hudson-Fulton Celebration, 1909, Dresden in company of other cruisers

Battle painting (cc)

Emden stranded, painting by Hans Bohrdt

Transferring wounded on Empress of Augusta after the battle

Aft view of the wreck

Battle damage of the Emden

Forward deck damage

The deck of SMS Eden, showing extensive damage

French article on the end of Dresden

SMS Emden

Interwar service

SMS Emden entered service in 1909, taking part in autumn manoeuvers and escorting the imperial yacht Hohenzollern with the Kaiser aboard. She was decommissioned after completing trials and on 1 April 1910 assigned to the Ostasiengeschwader (East Asia Squadron) in Tsingtao, 1897 Kiautschou concession (China). She left Kiel on 12 April 1910, but made a goodwill tour of South America (12 May, Montevideo to meet Bremen, Ostamerikanischen Station), and headed for Buenos Aires, to participate in the celebrations of the hundredth anniversary of Argentinian independence. They passed the Horn and stopped in Valparaíso, and separared off Peru, as Emden headed for the Pacific, stuggling at frst to get good quality coal.

Emden carried 1,400 t of coal from the Chilean naval base at Talcahuano and was en route on 24 June, making her long-term shakedown cruiser along the way. Everything was noted on a report for future cruiser designs. She met severe weather along the way, notably off Easter Island, stopped in French Papeete, Tahiti, and made the next 4,200 nautical miles trip to German Samoa (22 July) to meet the East Asia Squadron (Konteradmiral Erich Gühler).

The crew of SMS Emden before the war

In October, the squadron headed for Tsingtao and for the first time, Emden entered the Yangtze River, exploring it from 27 October to 19 November and stopping in Hankou. Next she headed to Japan, stopping at Nagasaki and was back in Tsingtao on 22 December, and a refit, interrupted by the the Sokehs Rebellion at Ponape in the Carolines. She was ordered there, departing on 28 December, and joined by SMS Nürnberg from Hong Kong.

They met at Ponape the old Cormoran and all three bombarded rebel positions, completing the mission by sending a large combined landing force, which were added to the colonial police troops. This ground offensive was made on mid-January 1911 and by late February the revolt was suppressed. On 26 February the old cruiser SMS Condor arrived arrived to relieve them and Emden departed on 1 March for Tsingtao, via Guam, arriving on 19 March and starting her overhaul.

Emden in Tsingtao, early 1914

By mid-1911, she toured Japan and accidentally rammed a Japanese steamer, during a typhoon, which caused enough damage to sent her in drydock in Tsingtao. Next she was ordered in the Yangtze to protect Europeans as the Chinese Revolution broke out on 10 October and by November she was placed under ordered of Vizeadmiral Maximilian von Spee. The cruiser won the Kaiser’s Schießpreis for her gunnery marksmanship, in the whole East Asia Squadron. She was sent off Incheon to assist the steamer Deike Rickmers, grounded, and by May 1913 Karl von Müller took command, soon promoted Fregattenkapitän. In mid-June she cruise German colonies in the Central Pacific. In between she was sent to Nanjing to protect nationals during a fight between Qing and revolutionary forces and in August, she was attacked by rebels believing she sided with Qing. Her gunners returned fire, which was efficient.

Wartime service

In August 1914, Commander Von Müller decided to leave the base quickly so as not to be cornered by a superior forced and to join Von Spee’s squadron in the Pacific through the Strait of Korea. In between the spotted and caught a Russian liner, the Riasan, take the crew in custodu, recoaled and scuttled the ship. Müller learnt in between Admiral Jerram’s squadron had arrived off Tsing tao, Von Spee then having no other option but to make for home, or die trying. The Japanese went at war in turn on 23 August but after a conference between Spee and Müller, Emden was to be left in the Indian Ocean as a diversion, while the squadron was steaming to the Cape Horn.

The Indian Ocean raider

The SMS Emden at sea.

By leaving Spee, Emden started a formidable raiding spree that would enter the annals of the Kaiserliches Marine as one of the most successful. After roaming off Indonesia, with a fourth fake funnel built to look like a British cruiser, she missed her coaler, the Markomannia on September 8th but persuaded the captain of the neutral Greek coaler Pontoporos to supply him. Later she seized the freighter “Indus” loaded with food a welcome addition.

The latter was abandoned as too slow, the crew transferred to Markomannia. Next, Emden captured the cargo “Lovat”, the Kabinga, the small coaler Killin, the large steamer SS Diplomat. Next he sized the Italian Loredano, sunk the coaster Trabboch, but was betrayed by a communicaion by the captain of the Loredano, passing his position to the Admiralty, that scrambled all available forces.

Leaving her small fleet, Emden loaded all she could and started to steam fast, now trying to attack British ports on the Indian coast. On September 22, she raided the oil tanks of Madras, and the shelled Colombo, also sinking a large transport of sugar.

Emden and Captain Müller in medallion

Next, she raided Diego Garcia, an important British colonial base, on the Mauritius islands. Von Müller briefed his staff of not to divulgate there was a state of war, and camed as for a “courtesy visit”. He was well received by the Governor and be able to replenish serenely. By wireless however he soon learned about the arrival of British vessels, and left the island precipitately, leaving behind the Markomannia. She hid behind the island of Minnikoy, sinking five English steamers. Eventually Von Müller decided to leave the area and rally Von Spee via Malacca strait.

The Emden arrived on the 28th of October before dawn off Georgetown, Penange, all light shut and surprised four French ships at anchor, including the cruiser d’Iberville. One destroyer, the Mousquet, was patrolling nearby but failed to see her. The Russian cruiser Jemtchug was also there, a more deadly opponent. Emden opened fire from the best position, at point-blank while hoisting the flag of war and launched a torpedo on the Jemtchoug, whichremained afloat but was crippled by artillery. The latter counter-fired but without effect and she launched a second torpedo, apparently striking her ammunition store. The Russian cruiser blew up and sank. D’Iberville came, but was fooled by a change of flag, and reassuring morse about an accidental explosion, until her captain saw the Emden fourth fake funnel trembling in the wind, realizing his error. But it was too late, with the Aviso’s light artillery and engines cold, she could do little before Emden escaped.

Steaming for the other side of the harbour she captured the steamer Glen Turret, but was surprised by the French destroyer Mousquet, which aptain decided to make a torpedo run. Emden’s fire battered the French TB during her approach and she eventually capsized and sank. A second destroyer approached, but again Emden managed to escape. She was chased off by the French destroyer for hours, until running out of coal.

The Cocos Islands Battle and return home

Battle engraving emden and sydney, Imperial War Museum, Galleries at the Crystal Palace

The Emden arrived next in the Cocos Islands, one of which had a radio station that Von Müller needed to destroy, in order to refuel there. When the cruiser arrived, a message was sent nevertheless, intercepted by the Australian cruisers HMAS Melbourne and Sydney escorting a convoy nearby. The two ships steamed towards the Cocos Islands just half an hour later, while 50 of the crew (a demolition landing party) just were now on the island, including the second Von Mücke, proceeding to the destruction of the radio station of Direction Island.

HMAS Sydney soon spotted and engaged Emden, with her numerous longer range, hard-hitting 6-in guns. With a reduced crew, Emden could not fleet not answer effectively and she was soon blasted. Her telemetry was destroyed, and her guns silenced one by one as the funnels were falling. Soon, this was over.

Emden’s wreck on North Keeling Island, took the day after.

Von Mücke’s company saw the unequal action from the roof of one building. They greeted the apparent 18 hits by Emden on Sydney (killing three, wounding 13) but she ended ablaze and dead in the water after 670 rounds spent, 100 claimed on target. Von Müller managed to beach her on the reefs of North Keeling, saving most of the remaining crew. Captain Glossop sent an injunction to surrender and two warning salvoes until a German white flag was hoisted. Emden lost 133 officers and men in this fight, out of 376. The remainder left the ship, which was scuttled properly.

The wreck of Emden

Survivors of SMS Emden under guard on a boat, to become POW in Australia and Malta

Sydney left quickly to head for Direction Island and land her own company of riflemen to engage Von Mücke’s men, but the latter in between seized the governor’s schooner, Ayesha, and sailed to the island of Padang, Dutch East Indies. Von Müller’s men were later made POW, some interned in Australia, the others in Malta, back home in 1920. The rest of the trip was near-legendary. Von Mücke managed to conduct the Ayesha to Sumatra on November, 7, later waited and embarked in a German steamer for Yemen. They reached Bab-el-Mandeb, crossed all the Arabian peninsula and arrived in Constantinople in june 1915. Latter they took the train and reached in June 1915 the fatherland, greeted as heroes. The rampage of Emden would span 30,000 nautical miles (56,000 km; 35,000 mi), added to the formidable tally she could claim.

Reunion of former adversaries in Germany, 1967

SMS Dresden

SMS Dresden, ordered as “Ersatz Comet” in Blohm & Voss shipyard (Hamburg), was laid down in 1906, launched on 5 October 1907, commissioned on 14 November 1908. On 28 November during her sea trials she collided with the small Swedish coaster Cäcilie off Kiel. Her starboard propeller shaft however was moved 1.2 in off-axis, requiring six months of repairs. Sea trials only resumed 1909, leading to a turbine accident, having her in repairs again until September.

Dresden had botched trials, declared over on 7 September by an impatient admiral, and she made her shakedown cruiser while visit the United States, representing Germany at the Hudson–Fulton Celebration (New York) in company of the cruisers Hertha and Victoria Louise as well as Bremen, sailing on 11 September, arriving at the gathering point at Newport, and arriving in New York on 24 September. She stayed there until 9 October and was back in Germany on 22 October.

Dresden and other German ships at the Hudson–Fulton Celebration NYC, 1909

Next, SMS Dresden was assigned to the reconnaissance force, High Seas Fleet and started her peacetime routine of squadron exercises alternated with training cruises and yearly fleet exercises. On 16 February 1910, really unlucky by this point, she collided with SMS Königsberg. The one caused again significant damage and furter repairs in Kiel for eight days. After visiting Hamburg on 13–17 May she was assigned to the Training Squadron on 14-20 April 1912 with Friedrich Carl and Mainz. She earned the 1911–12 Schießpreis (Shooting Prize) for light cruisers. Until September 1913 she was under orders of Fregattenkapitän Fritz Lüdecke, also her wartime captain.

On 6 April 1913 she sailed with SMS Strassburg to the Adriatic Sea and the Mittelmeer-Division (Mediterranean Division), flanking SMS Goeben (Konteradmiral Konrad Trummler). By late August, Dresden was ordered back to Kiel and sent to the Kaiserliche Werft for an overhaul until December. Her January planned Mediterranean service was cancelled by the Admiralstab and she was sent to the North American station instead, due to the Mexican Revolution. She replaced Bremen, due for replacement by SMS Karlsruhe. Dresden arrived off Vera Cruz on 21 January 1914, still under Erich Köhler, watching over German interests there, and she was later recalled and replaced by SMS Hertha, on a training cruise for naval cadets, and soon Bremen, watching over the evacuation of European nationals on the German HAPAG liners.

Dresden and HMS Hermione rescued also 900 American citizens trapped in the Vera Cruz hotel, transferred to US warships, by far the largest contingent there. The German consul in Mexico City asked for a landing party from Dresden, created with a Junior Petty Officer and ten sailors armed with two MG 08 machine guns. On 15 April 1914, the cruiser headed for Tampico, Mexico’s Gulf coast. In the meantime, the SS Ypiranga arrived in sight of Mexico with small arms for the Mexican dictator Victoriano Huerta. But the United States put in place an arms embargo in between, and they intercepted Ypiranga on 21 April. As she was German, Dresden arrived to confiscate officially the merchantman, and officially carry out German refugees out of Mexico, but delivering the weapons and ammunition nevertheless.

On 20 July 1914 the Huerta regime was toppled and SMS Dresden carried Huerta and Aureliano Blanquet (Vice Pdt.) and their families to Kingston in Jamaica, where they were granted asylum. Köhler learned there the situation degrading in Europe and set sail as she needed a refit. She met SMS Karlsruhe in Haiti and on the 31st, under captain Lüdecke, she was prepared for Handelskrieg (commerce raiding war) in the Atlantic instead.

Wartime service

Firing on the steamer SS Mauretania, August 1914

Dresden sailed south under radio silence and was conformed the state of war on 4–5 August, so she started her operations in the South Atlantic, and Brazilian coast. Close to the mouth of the Amazon River, she intercepted her first British merchantman on 6 August, SS Drumcliffe. Next she refuelled with the German collier SS Corrientes and sailed to the Rocas Atoll, escorting the HAPAG steamers Prussia, Baden, and Persia. She set sail for Trinidad, and intrcepted on her way the SS Hyades, then captured the British collier SS Holmwood (24 August). In Trinidade, she met the gunboat Eber and several steamers, replenishing.

On 26 August off Río de la Plata she caught two more British steamers. However due to her worn out condition at this point, her captain decided to stop operations and on 5 September, went to Hoste Island for urgent engine maintenance. Informed by the HAPAG steamer Santa Isabel’s captain from Punta Arenas, on 18 September Dresden’s captain decided to transit via the cape horn, and in the Pacific, she stopped in the Juan Fernández Islands, contacting Leipzig. On 12 October she was affected to Vizeadmiral Maximilian von Spee’s East Asia Squadron, coaling at Easter Island.

On 18 October she joined her sister ship Emden and the East Asia Squadron in a rampage along the South American coast, down to Más a Fuera island (26 October), escorting the auxiliary cruiser SS Prinz Eitel Friedrich and the SS Yorck and SS Göttingen to Chile. While Off Valparaiso they received intel about a British cruiser at Coronel, later identified as HMS Glasgow, forced to leave port due to neutrality rules. However he did not knew he was with the 4th Cruiser Squadron (RAdm Cradock) with Monmouth, Good Hope and MAC Otranto. This encounter led to the battle of Coronel.

On 1 November, at around 16:00, SMS Leipzig spotted first smoke from the British squadron, and the two squadrons closed the distance until fire broke out at 18:34, at 10,400 m. Dresden fired on Otranto making her fled at the third salvo and claimed to have started a fire. Next, she shifted on Glasgow, already duelling with Leipzig. She made five hits and at 19:30, was ordered to launch a torpedo attack. She increased speed in the heavy weather and deterioating sight, briefly spotting Glasgow withdrawing. Dresden met Leipzig and near fired on her in the semi-darkness. By 22:00, with other light cruiser she was deployed in a searching column but never took sight of the British again. She was not hit a single time.

Dresden in Valparaiso, Chile, 13 Nov. 1914

On 3 November Scharnhorst, Gneisenau and Nürnberg sere ordered back to resupply in Valparaiso under neutrality laws (three belligerent warships only) while Dresden and Leipzig remained with the colliers in Más a Fuera. Spee was back on 6 November, sending in turn Dresden and Leipzig to Valparaiso, arriving on 12 November and back on the 18th. On the 21th, the squadron sailed to St. Quentin Bay (Gulf of Penas) to coal while the British Amiralty ordered Vice Admiral Doveton Sturdee south with the battlecruisers Invincible and Inflexible, en route from 11 November. They arrived in the Falklands on 7 December, soon joined by the Cornwall, Kent, and Carnarvon, Glasgow and Bristol. The trap was set.

Spee left on 26 November and caught on 2 December the Canadian sailing vessel Drummuir carrying 2,750 t of excellent Cardiff coal. The squadron recoaled at Picton Island, and Spee made a council on 6 December, planning for an attack on the Falklands, to eliminate the large British wireless station there and all coal stocks, despite Lüdecke and Leipzig, Nürnberg captains opposition, preferring to raid La Plata area. Seniority won and ordered were given.

On 6 December afternoon, the squadron departed Picton Island and on 7 December arrived off Tierra del Fuego, and then sighted the Falklands at 02:00. At 05:00, Gneisenau and Nürnberg were detahced to send landing parties and were en route when they spotted at 08:30 smoke raising from Port Stanley’s harbor. Spee realized his error and gave orders to fleet eastwards, rejoining his squadron at 10:45, leaving the German auxiliaries to hide in the islands off Cape Horn. They were soon taken in hot chase by the British. At 12:50, the battlecruisers catched SMS Leipzig and Spee ordered the three light cruisers to escape south, while he would engage the British with the Scharnhorst and Gneisenau. Sturdee then ordered his armored and light cruisers to chase off the German light cruisers. While Spee died in his gallant fight, Dresden’s worn out turbine could not out-run her opposition and Lüdecke wanted her to hide in the islands off South America.

SMS Dresden’s prow, date unknown, Bundesarchiv

On 9 December, she rounded the Cape Horn and entered the Pacific, first dropping anchor at Sholl Bay with just 160 t of coal in store. Oberleutnant zur See Wilhelm Canaris convinced the Chilean naval representative a extra 24h delay to stock extra coal at Punta Arenas, starting on 12 December. She embarked 750 t from a German steamer and the admiral staff hoped she could make a run through the Atlantic and head for home. But still, her turbines would not allow this and Lüdecke wanted to continue his raiding spree in the Pacific, via Easter Island, then heading for the Solomon Islands, Dutch East Indies and operating in the Indian Ocean.

After taking on board 1,600 t of coal on 19 January, she headed for another hideout, making maintenance whith whatever available. On 27 February underway, she captured the British barque Conway Castle, south of Más a Tierra, was resupplied by the German liner Sierra Cordoba, and made another coaling at Juan Fernández Islands. On 8 March, while underway in dense fog, lookouts spotted HMS Kent, engines off, just 15 nautical miles away. Both raised steam, but Dresden recoignising she was a greater adversary managed to escape after a five-hour chase. This depleted her coal stocks and further deteriorating the state of her engines until Lüdecke estimated his ship was no longer operational, and he wanted her to be interned instead. He set sail to Más a Fuera, Cumberland Bay, later confirmed by the German Admiralty, and contacting Chilean officials.

On 14 March however, Kent and Glasgow arrived off Cumberland Bay, but Dresden was stuck. Lüdecke signaled she was no longer a combatant but the British disregarded this and HMS Glasgow soon opened fire, even in violation of Chile’s neutrality, soon joined by Kent. German gunners just had to time to be on battle station and fired three shots until British gunfire knowked them out. Lüdecke signalled “Am sending negotiator”, dispatching Canaris in a pinnace while Glasgow went on shelling Dresden. Lüdecke soon raised the white flag at last. Canaris met Captain John Luce, receiving terms of unconditional surrender, the latter perotesting they were already interned by Chile and saked for scuttling instead. This was done at 10:45 with charge detonated in the bow’s ammunition magazines, crew evacuated. Dresden sank after 30 minutes and as it did, the second scuttling charge exploded in the engine rooms.

Dresden’s white flag, before scuttling

The crew mostly managed to escape, 8 sailors had been killed and 29 wounded in the shelling. The British MAC HMS Orama took the most wounded to Valparaiso. The officeres eventually picked up Chilean warships, then a German passenger ship to be interned in Quiriquina Island. Canaris however would escape on 5 August 1915, making it back to Germany two months later and on 31 March 1917, others escaped and captured the Chilean barque Tinto, reaching in turn the fatherland after 120 days. The wreck was inspected in 2002.