Königsberg class light cruiser (1905)
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SMS Königsberg |
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| Class overview | |
|---|---|
| Operators: | German Empire |
| Preceded by: | Bremen class |
| Succeeded by: | Dresden class |
| Planned: | Four |
| Completed: | Four |
| Lost: | Two |
| Retired: | Two |
| General characteristics | |
| Displacement: | 3,400 tons, 3,814 tons full load |
| Length: | 115.3 m (378 ft) |
| Beam: | 13.2 m (43 ft) |
| Draught: | 5.29 m (17.4 ft) |
| Propulsion: | Twin triple expansion engines, 13,200 ihp (9,800 kW) |
| Speed: | 24.1 knots (44.6 km/h) |
| Complement: | 322 |
| Armament: | Ten 10.5 cm (4.1 in) rapid fire guns (10 x 1), ten 5.2 cm (2.0 in) rapid fire guns (10 x 1), and two 45 cm (18 in) torpedo-tubes |
The Königsberg class was a group of four light cruisers built for the German Imperial Navy. The class was comprised of the lead ship, Königsberg, Stettin, Stuttgart, and Nürnberg. The ships were an improvement on the preceding Bremen class, being slightly larger, and with a much smaller ram bow.
Contents |
[edit] Design
[edit] Dimensions and machinery
The ships of the class were 114.8 m at the waterline, and 115.3 m overall. The ships had a beam of 13.2 m and a draught of 5.24 m, and had a displacement of 3,736T. Three ships of the class; Königsberg, Stuttgart, and Nürnberg, were equipped with 2 shaft triple expansion engines, which were rated at 13,200 ihp (9,800 kW) and produced a top speed of 23 knots (43 km/h). Stettin was equipped with 4 shaft Parsons turbines for comparison purposes, which resulted in a slightly different profile. The Parsons turbines were rated at 13,500 shp (10,100 kW) and a top speed of 24 knots (44 km/h), but actually produced 21,670 shp (16,160 kW) in trials.
[edit] Armor
The ships had an armored deck that ranged in thickness from 1.5in at its thickest point to a half inch at its thinnest. The primary armament was protected by 2in thick gun shields.
[edit] Armament
The class had an improved armament compared to previous designs. The main armament of ten 105 mm guns in single turrets and casemates was identical to the preceding Bremen class, but the Königsberg ships had an additional eight 52 mm guns in single turrets and casemates. The ships were also equipped with two 450 mm torpedo tubes, compared to three on the Bremen class ships.
[edit] Service history
The ships had active careers during World War I. Königsberg began the war stationed in German East Africa, and sank a British merchantman, as well as the older cruiser HMS Pegasus, before being blockaded in the Rufiji River and eventually destroyed by two British monitors.
Nürnberg was a member of the German East Asia Squadron under Admiral Maximilian von Spee. She finshed off the HMS Monmouth during the Battle of Coronel, firing some 75 shells at close range. Nürnberg was sunk at the subsequent Battle of the Falkland Islands by the HMS Kent (ironically, Kent was Monmouth's sistership).
Stettin and Stuttgart were assigned to the IV Scouting Group at the start of hostilities. Stettin participated in the Battle of Heligoland Bight, and suffered relatively minor damage. She also fought at Jutland, along with Stuttgart, both of whom escaped relatively unscathed. Following the battle, Stettin and Stuttgart were withdrawn from frontline service and was used in auxiliary roles. In early 1918, Stuttgart was reconstructed as a seaplane carrier, and served as the flagship of the North Sea Aerial Forces. Both ships were ceded to Britain after the end of the war, and scrapped by 1921.
[edit] External links
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