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Königsberg class light cruiser (1905)
Encyclopedia
The Königsberg class was a group of four light cruiser
s built for the German Imperial Navy
. The class was composed 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
.
. Three ships of the class; Königsberg, Stuttgart, and Nürnberg, were equipped with 2 shaft triple expansion engines, which were rated at 13200 ihp and produced a top speed of 23 knots (45.1 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 13500 shp and a top speed of 24 knots (47 km/h), but actually produced 21670 shp in trials.
. Königsberg began the war stationed in German East Africa, and sank a British merchantman,the City of Winchester, as well as the older cruiser HMS Pegasus
, before being blockaded in the Rufiji River
and eventually destroyed by two British monitor
s. The ten guns were removed from the wreck and mounted on improvised gun carriages and used in German East Africa during the World War I land campaign.
Nürnberg was a member of the German East Asia Squadron
under Admiral Maximilian von Spee
. She finished 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 Following the battle, Stettin and Stuttgart were withdrawn from frontline service and was used in auxiliary roles.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.
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...
s built for the German Imperial Navy
Kaiserliche Marine
The Imperial German Navy was the German Navy created at the time of the formation of the German Empire. It existed between 1871 and 1919, growing out of the small Prussian Navy and Norddeutsche Bundesmarine, which primarily had the mission of coastal defense. Kaiser Wilhelm II greatly expanded...
. The class was composed of the lead ship
Lead ship
The lead ship or class leader is the first of a series or class of ships all constructed according to the same general design. The term is applicable military ships and larger civilian craft.-Overview:...
, Königsberg, Stettin
SMS Stettin
SMS Stettin was a Königsberg class light cruiser of the Kaiserliche Marine. Laid down at AG Vulcan Stettin shipyard in 1906, she was launched on 7 March 1907, and commissioned on 29 July 1907. The ship served in European waters during World War I, participating in the Battle of Heligoland Bight in...
, Stuttgart
SMS Stuttgart
SMS Stuttgart was a Königsberg class light cruiser of the Kaiserliche Marine, named after the city of Stuttgart.-Design:The Stuttgart was one of the three light cruisers whose eighth funnel was 'detached', meaning the distance to the central funnel was greater than that between the middle and front...
, and Nürnberg
SMS Nürnberg (1906)
SMS Nürnberg, named after the Bavarian city of Nuremberg, was a Königsberg class light cruiser of 3,450 tons laid down in 1905 and launched in 1907. Nürnberg's was similar in both size and appearance to the famous , differing mainly in its uneven funnel spacing. She was armed with ten guns, eight...
. The ships were an improvement on the preceding Bremen class, being slightly larger, and with a much smaller ram bow
Naval ram
A naval ram was a weapon carried by varied types of ships, dating back to antiquity. The weapon consisted of an underwater prolongation of the bow of the ship to form an armoured beak, usually between six and twelve feet in length...
.
Design
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 3,736TTon
The ton is a unit of measure. It has a long history and has acquired a number of meanings and uses over the years. It is used principally as a unit of weight, and as a unit of volume. It can also be used as a measure of energy, for truck classification, or as a colloquial term.It is derived from...
. Three ships of the class; Königsberg, Stuttgart, and Nürnberg, were equipped with 2 shaft triple expansion engines, which were rated at 13200 ihp and produced a top speed of 23 knots (45.1 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 13500 shp and a top speed of 24 knots (47 km/h), but actually produced 21670 shp in trials.
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. There was also an armoured citadel below the bridge rolled from 4 inch steel.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.Service history
The ships had active careers during World War IWorld War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. Königsberg began the war stationed in German East Africa, and sank a British merchantman,the City of Winchester, as well as the older cruiser HMS Pegasus
HMS Pegasus (1897)
HMS Pegasus was one of 11 Pelorus-class protected cruisers ordered for the Royal Navy in 1893 under the Spencer Program and based on the earlier Pearl-class. The class were fitted with a variety of different boilers most of which were not entirely satisfactory and by 1914 four ships had been...
, before being blockaded in the Rufiji River
Rufiji River
The Rufiji River lies entirely within the African nation of Tanzania. The river is formed by the convergence of the Kilombero and Luwegu rivers. It is approximately 600 km long, with its source in southwestern Tanzania and its mouth on the Indian Ocean at a point between Mafia Island called Mafia...
and eventually destroyed by two British monitor
Monitor (warship)
A monitor was a class of relatively small warship which was neither fast nor strongly armoured but carried disproportionately large guns. They were used by some navies from the 1860s until the end of World War II, and saw their final use by the United States Navy during the Vietnam War.The monitors...
s. The ten guns were removed from the wreck and mounted on improvised gun carriages and used in German East Africa during the World War I land campaign.
Nürnberg was a member of the German East Asia Squadron
German East Asia Squadron
The German East Asia Squadron was a German Navy cruiser squadron which operated mainly in the Pacific Ocean between the 1870s and 1914...
under Admiral Maximilian von Spee
Maximilian von Spee
Vice Admiral Maximilian Reichsgraf von Spee was a German admiral. Although he was born in Copenhagen, Denmark, the counts von Spee belonged to the prominent families of the Rhenish nobility. He joined the Kaiserliche Marine in 1878. In 1887–88 he commanded the Kamerun ports, in German West...
. She finished off the HMS Monmouth
HMS Monmouth (1901)
The sixth HMS Monmouth of the British Royal Navy was the lead ship of a class of armoured cruisers of 9,800 tons displacement. She was sunk at the Battle of Coronel in 1914....
during the Battle of Coronel
Battle of Coronel
The First World War naval Battle of Coronel took place on 1 November 1914 off the coast of central Chile near the city of Coronel. German Kaiserliche Marine forces led by Vice-Admiral Graf Maximilian von Spee met and defeated a Royal Navy squadron commanded by Rear-Admiral Sir Christopher...
, firing some 75 shells at close range. Nürnberg was sunk at the subsequent Battle of the Falkland Islands
Battle of the Falkland Islands
The Battle of the Falkland Islands was a British naval victory over the Imperial German Navy on 8 December 1914 during the First World War in the South Atlantic...
by the HMS Kent
HMS Kent (1901)
HMS Kent was a Monmouth-class armoured cruiser of 9,800 tons displacement, of the British Royal Navy. She was launched on 6 March 1901, with her heaviest guns being 6 inch quick-firers...
(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
Battle of Jutland
The Battle of Jutland was a naval battle between the British Royal Navy's Grand Fleet and the Imperial German Navy's High Seas Fleet during the First World War. The battle was fought on 31 May and 1 June 1916 in the North Sea near Jutland, Denmark. It was the largest naval battle and the only...
, 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.