SMS Elbing
Encyclopedia
The SMS Elbing was a German
Pillau class light cruiser
, named after the East Prussian city of Elbing
. Intended for the Russian navy under the name Admiral Newelski (named after the discoverer of the insularity of Sakhalin
), the ship was built at F. Schichau-Werft in Danzig in 1913-1914. Following the outbreak of World War I
, the ship was confiscated and launched on 21 November 1914 as the SMS Elbing.
being the first German light cruisers to be fitted with them. This delayed her deployment until September 1915.
from 31 May to 1 June of 1916, where she was the first to open fire, registering a hit at extreme range on HMS Galatea
(the shell did not explode). Together with the light cruisers Hamburg, Stuttgart and Rostock
, she then engaged a flotilla of British destroyers, receiving a heavy hit with a loss of 4 dead and 12 wounded.
During the night of 31 May to 1 June, Elbing collided with the German battleship Posen
, quickly taking heavy water, listing rapidly and losing all propulsion. Efforts to contain the damage failed, and the ship was scuttled by her crew in the early morning hours.
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
Pillau class light cruiser
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...
, named after the East Prussian city of Elbing
Elbing
Elbing is the German name of Elbląg, a city in northern Poland which until 1945 was a German city in the province of East Prussia.Elbing may also refer to:- Ships :* SMS Elbing, light cruiser of the Imperial Germany Navy...
. Intended for the Russian navy under the name Admiral Newelski (named after the discoverer of the insularity of Sakhalin
Gennady Nevelskoy
Gennady Ivanovich Nevelskoy was a Russian navigator.In 1848 Nevelskoy led the expedition in the Russian Far East, exploring the area of the Sakhalin and the outlet of the Amur River. He proved that the Strait of Tartary was not a gulf, but indeed a strait, connected to Amur's estuary by a narrow...
), the ship was built at F. Schichau-Werft in Danzig in 1913-1914. Following the outbreak of World War I
World 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...
, the ship was confiscated and launched on 21 November 1914 as the SMS Elbing.
Design
Elbing was originally intended to be fitted with Russian 13 cm guns, but was instead equipped with the new German 15 cm guns, she and her sister SMS PillauSMS Pillau
SMS Pillau was a German light cruiser in World War I. She and her sistership SMS Elbing were originally ordered from German shipyards by the Russian Navy, but were confiscated at the outbreak of war and taken over by the German Navy...
being the first German light cruisers to be fitted with them. This delayed her deployment until September 1915.
Service history
Under the command of Commander Madlung, the ship participated in the Battle of JutlandBattle 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...
from 31 May to 1 June of 1916, where she was the first to open fire, registering a hit at extreme range on HMS Galatea
HMS Galatea (1914)
HMS Galatea was an Arethusa-class light cruiser of the Royal Navy launched on 14 May, 1914 at William Beardmore and Company shipyard....
(the shell did not explode). Together with the light cruisers Hamburg, Stuttgart and Rostock
SMS Rostock
SMS Rostock was a light cruiser of the built by the German Kaiserliche Marine . She had one sister ship, ; the ships were very similar to the previous s. The ship was laid down in 1911, launched in November 1912, and completed by February 1914...
, she then engaged a flotilla of British destroyers, receiving a heavy hit with a loss of 4 dead and 12 wounded.
During the night of 31 May to 1 June, Elbing collided with the German battleship Posen
SMS Posen
SMS Posen "SMS" stands for "Seiner Majestät Schiff", or "His Majesty's Ship" was one of four battleships in the , the first dreadnoughts built for the German Imperial Navy...
, quickly taking heavy water, listing rapidly and losing all propulsion. Efforts to contain the damage failed, and the ship was scuttled by her crew in the early morning hours.