German cruiser Karlsruhe
Encyclopedia
Karlsruhe was a light cruiser
of the German K class
in World War II, the other ships in class being and . The K class were the first cruisers of the German navy to employ electric arc welding
techniques and a newly designed triple 15 cm (5.9 in) gun turrets were installed. Karlsruhe served as a training vessel most of the time until and was out of service and in overhaul when World War II started, but recommissioned in November 1939. In April 1940 she sailed for Norway as part of the German invasion force and landed troops in Kristiansand
, after which she was torpedoed by on 9 April and severely damaged. The crew transferred to accompanying torpedo boats and the ship was finally sunk by two German torpedoes.
, were mounted in three turrets. In order to compensate for the positioning of two turrets, ‘Bruno’ and ‘Caesar’, aft, they were put slightly off the centre-line of the ship, enabling them to be directed further towards the bow. The original single barrelled 8.8 cm anti aircraft guns where first replaced by twin mounted ones in 1936 before being changed for 10.5 cm (4.1 in) guns in 1938. In addition, eight 3.7 cm SK C/30
and eight 2 cm MG L/83 provided defence against attacks from the air.
Propulsion was provided by two propeller shafts with three-blade propellers powered by two high-pressure and two low-pressure turbines fired by six oil boilers. For fuel efficiency, two diesel engines were fitted in the aftermost engine compartment for cruising.
Launched on 20 August 1927, Karlsruhe was eventually commissioned on 6 November 1929.
In January and February 1937, she took part in the non-intervention patrols off the coasts of Spain and Portugal during the Spanish Civil War
, but returned to the Baltic Sea for training purposes after that. In May 1938 she was put out of service and underwent major overhaul at Kriegsmarinewerft Wilhelmshaven
which lasted until November 1939.
In early April 1940, Karlsruhe took part in the invasion of Norway
(Operation Weserübung
) as part of Task Force (Gruppe) 4, carrying troops and, together with the torpedo boats
Seeadler, Greif and Luchs. Sailing from Bremerhaven
on 8 April 1940, she arrived off Kristiansand
early next morning. Fog prevented her from entering the harbour immediately. When the fog finally lifted, she encountered a Norwegian coastal battery, which was suppressed and eventually surrendered. After disembarking her troops in Kristiansand in the early hours of 9 April, she sailed back to Germany. However, the British submarine
, lying in wait outside Kristiansand, attacked Karlsruhe on her way back, hitting her with two torpedoes hitting her at the bow and at the base of the main mast, thus disabling both engines and power stations. The crew was ordered off the ship by the captain and was picked up by the torpedo boat Greif, which then fired two more torpedoes, sinking the crippled cruiser at 58°4′N 8°4′E around 22:50 in the evening .
Captain Friedrich Rieve later was reprimanded in an enquiry into the sinking of the Karlsruhe. Since it had been established that the ship had been afloat for more than two hours after being torpedoed the board came to the conclusion that not nearly enough effort had been made to save the ship, especially since it took two more torpedoes to finally sink her.
Light cruiser
A light cruiser is a type of small- or medium-sized warship. The term is a shortening of the phrase "light armored cruiser", describing a small ship that carried armor in the same way as an armored cruiser: a protective belt and deck...
of the German K class
German K class cruiser
The Königsberg class was a class of light cruisers of the German Reichsmarine and Kriegsmarine, consisting of three ships named after German cities: Königsberg, Karlsruhe, Köln...
in World War II, the other ships in class being and . The K class were the first cruisers of the German navy to employ electric arc welding
Arc welding
Arc welding is a type of welding that uses a welding power supply to create an electric arc between an electrode and the base material to melt the metals at the welding point. They can use either direct or alternating current, and consumable or non-consumable electrodes...
techniques and a newly designed triple 15 cm (5.9 in) gun turrets were installed. Karlsruhe served as a training vessel most of the time until and was out of service and in overhaul when World War II started, but recommissioned in November 1939. In April 1940 she sailed for Norway as part of the German invasion force and landed troops in Kristiansand
Kristiansand
-History:As indicated by archeological findings in the city, the Kristiansand area has been settled at least since 400 AD. A royal farm is known to have been situated on Oddernes as early as 800, and the first church was built around 1040...
, after which she was torpedoed by on 9 April and severely damaged. The crew transferred to accompanying torpedo boats and the ship was finally sunk by two German torpedoes.
Construction and Design
Karlsruhe was laid down in Kiel in July 1926. As with her sister ships, the treaty restrictions applying to her construction resulted in a number of structural weaknesses and only a modest range without refuelling. She was conceived as a Spähkreuzer, scouting for the main battle fleet. Thus her main armament was concentrated aft, in order to engage pursuing enemy ships. Her main artillery, nine 15 cm SK C/2515 cm SK C/25
The 15 cm SK C/25 was a German medium-caliber naval gun used during the Second World War. It served as the primary armament for the K-class and Leipzig-class cruisers...
, were mounted in three turrets. In order to compensate for the positioning of two turrets, ‘Bruno’ and ‘Caesar’, aft, they were put slightly off the centre-line of the ship, enabling them to be directed further towards the bow. The original single barrelled 8.8 cm anti aircraft guns where first replaced by twin mounted ones in 1936 before being changed for 10.5 cm (4.1 in) guns in 1938. In addition, eight 3.7 cm SK C/30
3.7 cm SK C/30
The 3.7 cm SK C/30 was the German Kriegsmarine's primary anti-aircraft gun during the Second World War...
and eight 2 cm MG L/83 provided defence against attacks from the air.
Propulsion was provided by two propeller shafts with three-blade propellers powered by two high-pressure and two low-pressure turbines fired by six oil boilers. For fuel efficiency, two diesel engines were fitted in the aftermost engine compartment for cruising.
Launched on 20 August 1927, Karlsruhe was eventually commissioned on 6 November 1929.
Service
Karlsruhe was first designated as a training ship and made five cruises until 1936. That year she was severely damaged during a tropical storm on the American West coast, and had to stop at Naval Base San Diego for major repairs before returning to Germany in June 1936.In January and February 1937, she took part in the non-intervention patrols off the coasts of Spain and Portugal during the Spanish Civil War
Spanish Civil War
The Spanish Civil WarAlso known as The Crusade among Nationalists, the Fourth Carlist War among Carlists, and The Rebellion or Uprising among Republicans. was a major conflict fought in Spain from 17 July 1936 to 1 April 1939...
, but returned to the Baltic Sea for training purposes after that. In May 1938 she was put out of service and underwent major overhaul at Kriegsmarinewerft Wilhelmshaven
Kriegsmarinewerft Wilhelmshaven
Kriegsmarinewerft Wilhelmshaven was the naval shipyard in Wilhelmshaven, Prussian Hanover, between 1918 and 1945 in the German Navy's extensive base located there.-History:...
which lasted until November 1939.
In early April 1940, Karlsruhe took part in the invasion of Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
(Operation Weserübung
Operation Weserübung
Operation Weserübung was the code name for Germany's assault on Denmark and Norway during the Second World War and the opening operation of the Norwegian Campaign...
) as part of Task Force (Gruppe) 4, carrying troops and, together with the torpedo boats
German torpedoboats of World War II
The German torpedoboats of World War II were armed principally, if not exclusively, with torpedoes and varied widely in size. They should not be confused with the larger destroyers, nor with the smaller, torpedo-armed Schnellboote .-Raubvogel and Raubtier :The six Raubvogel class torpedo boats were...
Seeadler, Greif and Luchs. Sailing from Bremerhaven
Bremerhaven
Bremerhaven is a city at the seaport of the free city-state of Bremen, a state of the Federal Republic of Germany. It forms an enclave in the state of Lower Saxony and is located at the mouth of the River Weser on its eastern bank, opposite the town of Nordenham...
on 8 April 1940, she arrived off Kristiansand
Kristiansand
-History:As indicated by archeological findings in the city, the Kristiansand area has been settled at least since 400 AD. A royal farm is known to have been situated on Oddernes as early as 800, and the first church was built around 1040...
early next morning. Fog prevented her from entering the harbour immediately. When the fog finally lifted, she encountered a Norwegian coastal battery, which was suppressed and eventually surrendered. After disembarking her troops in Kristiansand in the early hours of 9 April, she sailed back to Germany. However, the British submarine
Submarine
A submarine is a watercraft capable of independent operation below the surface of the water. It differs from a submersible, which has more limited underwater capability...
, lying in wait outside Kristiansand, attacked Karlsruhe on her way back, hitting her with two torpedoes hitting her at the bow and at the base of the main mast, thus disabling both engines and power stations. The crew was ordered off the ship by the captain and was picked up by the torpedo boat Greif, which then fired two more torpedoes, sinking the crippled cruiser at 58°4′N 8°4′E around 22:50 in the evening .
Captain Friedrich Rieve later was reprimanded in an enquiry into the sinking of the Karlsruhe. Since it had been established that the ship had been afloat for more than two hours after being torpedoed the board came to the conclusion that not nearly enough effort had been made to save the ship, especially since it took two more torpedoes to finally sink her.
Commanders
- Fregattenkapitän Eugen Lindau: November 1929 - September 1931
- Kapitän zur See Erwin Wassner: September 1931 - December 1932
- Fregattenkapitän Wilhelm Harsdorf von Enderndorf: December 1932- September 1934
- Kapitän zur See Günther LütjensGünther LütjensGünther Lütjens was a German Admiral whose military service spanned almost 30 years. Lütjens is best known for his actions during World War II, primarily his service as admiral of the squadron comprising and her consort, , during the Operation Rheinübung sortie.-Early career:Günther Lütjens was...
: September 1934 - September 1935 - Kapitän zur See Leopold Siemens: September 1935 - September 1937
- Kapitän zur See Erich Fröste: September 1937 - May 1938
- Kapitän zur See Friedrich Rieve: November 1939 - April 1940