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SMS Karlsruhe (1912)
Encyclopedia
SMS Karlsruhe was a light cruiser
of the built by the German Kaiserliche Marine
(Imperial Navy). 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 January 1914. Armed with twelve 10.5 cm SK L/45 guns
, Karlsruhe had a top speed of 28.5 knots (15.5 m/s), which allowed her to escape from British cruisers during her career.
After her commissioning, Karlsruhe was assigned to overseas duties in the Caribbean. She arrived in the area in July 1914, days before the outbreak of World War I
. Once the war began, she armed the passenger liner SS Kronprinz Wilhelm
, but while the ships were transferring equipment, British ships located them and pursued Karlsruhe. Her superior speed allowed her to escape, after which she operated off the northeastern coast of Brazil. Here, she captured or sank sixteen ships. While en route to attack the shipping lanes to Barbados
on 4 November 1914, a spontaneous internal explosion destroyed the ship and killed the majority of the crew. The survivors used one of Karlruhes colliers to return to Germany in December 1914.
" and was laid down at the Germaniawerft shipyard in Kiel
in 1911. She was launched on 11 November 1912, after which fitting-out
work commenced. She was commissioned into the High Seas Fleet
on 15 January 1914. The ship was 142.2 metres (466.5 ft) long overall and had a beam
of 13.7 m (44.9 ft) and a draft
of 5.38 m (17.7 ft) forward. She displaced 6191 t (6,093.2 LT) at full combat load. Her propulsion system consisted of two sets of Marine steam turbine
s driving two 3.5 metres (11.5 ft) propellers. They were designed to give 26000 shp, but reached 37885 shp in service. These were powered by twelve coal-fired Marine-type water-tube boiler
s and two oil-fired double-ended boilers. These gave the ship a top speed of 28.5 knots (15.5 m/s). Karlsruhe carried 1300 tonnes (1,279.5 LT) of coal, and an additional 200 tonnes (196.8 LT) of oil that gave her a range of approximately 5000 nautical miles (9,260 km) at 12 knots (6.5 m/s). Karlsruhe had a crew of 18 officers and 355 enlisted men.
The ship was armed with twelve 10.5 cm SK L/45 guns
in single pedestal mounts. Two were placed side by side forward on the forecastle
, eight were located amidships, four on either side, and two were side by side aft. The guns had a maximum elevation of 30 degrees, which allowed them to engage targets out to 12700 m (41,666.7 ft). They were supplied with 1,800 rounds of ammunition, for 150 shells per gun. She was also equipped with a pair of 50 cm (19.7 in) torpedo tube
s with five torpedo
es submerged in the hull on the broadside
. She also could also carry 120 mines
. The ship was protected by a waterline armored belt that was 60 mm (2.4 in) thick amidships. The conning tower
had 100 mm (3.9 in) thick sides, and the deck was covered with up to 60 mm thick armor plate.
the following August, the ship was based in the Caribbean, along with the cruiser . She had anchored in Cay Sal Bank
in the Florida Strait when she received warnings that war in Europe was imminent. Karlsruhes standing orders in the event of war saw the ship conducting a commerce raiding campaign against British merchant traffic. To hunt down Karlsruhe and any merchant ships she might arm as auxiliary cruisers, the Royal Navy
deployed five cruiser squadrons, the most powerful were those commanded by Rear Admiral Christopher Craddock and Rear Admiral Archibald Stoddart. The British were forced to disperse their ships to cover the areas in which the two German cruisers, and any auxiliary cruisers they might arm, could operate.
On 6 August, Karlsruhe rendezvoused with the passenger ship SS Kronprinz Wilhelm
about 120 nmi (222.2 km) north of Watling Island. Karlsruhe was in the process of transferring guns and equipment to the liner when Craddock, in his flagship
, appeared to the south. The Germans had only managed to transfer two 8.8 cm guns, a machine gun, and some sailors by the time Suffolk arrived. The two ships quickly departed in different directions; Suffolk followed Karlsruhe and other cruisers were ordered to intercept her. Karlsruhes faster speed allowed her to quickly outpace Craddock, but at 20:15, joined the pursuit and briefly fired on the German cruiser. Karlsruhe turned east and again used her high speed to evade the British ships. The British failed to relocate her, and by 9 August, Karlsruhe entered reached Puerto Rico with only 12 tons of coal in her bunkers.
With limited options for coal in the Caribbean, Köhler took his ship down to the northeast coast of Brazil, off Pernambuco
. The area was not as heavily patrolled by the British. Here, Karlsruhe had easy access to coal supplies, either from chartered colliers or captured vessels. Köhler frequently kept one or two prizes
to assist in the search for targets. In the course of her patrols off the Brazilian coast, Karlsruhe sank or captured sixteen merchant ships. These merchantmen, fifteen British ships and one Dutch vessel, totaled . Köhler then decided to move to another area, as remaining in one area would increase his chances of being tracked down by the British. He turned his ship toward the West Indies to attack Barbados
and Fort-de-France
and the shipping lanes between Barbados and Trinidad
.
As Karlsruhe steamed to Barbados on the night of 4 November, a spontaneous internal explosion destroyed the ship. The hull was split in half; the bow section quickly sank and took with it Köhler and most of the crew. The stern remained afloat long enough for 140 of the ship's crew to escape onto the attending colliers. Commander Studt, the senior surviving officer, took charge and placed all of his men aboard the liner Rio Negro. He scuttled the second collier and steamed north for Iceland. The ship used the cover of a major storm to slip through the British blockade of the North Sea
, and put in at Ålesund
, Norway. Rio Negro then returned to Germany by early December. The Admiralstab, unaware of the loss of Karlsruhe, coincidentally radioed the ship to order her to return to Germany. Germany kept the loss of the ship a secret, and the British continued searching for her until they learned of her fate in March 1915.
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 built by the German Kaiserliche Marine
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...
(Imperial Navy). She had one sister ship
Sister ship
A sister ship is a ship of the same class as, or of virtually identical design to, another ship. Such vessels share a near-identical hull and superstructure layout, similar displacement, and roughly comparable features and equipment...
, ; the ships were very similar to the previous s. The ship was laid down in 1911, launched in November 1912, and completed by January 1914. Armed with twelve 10.5 cm SK L/45 guns
10.5 cm SK L/45 naval gun
The 10.5 cm SK L/45 The 10.5 cm SK L/45 The 10.5 cm SK L/45 (SK - Schnelladekanone (quick-loading cannon) L - Länge (with a 45-caliber barrel) was a German naval gun that was used in World War I and World War II.-Description:...
, Karlsruhe had a top speed of 28.5 knots (15.5 m/s), which allowed her to escape from British cruisers during her career.
After her commissioning, Karlsruhe was assigned to overseas duties in the Caribbean. She arrived in the area in July 1914, days before 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...
. Once the war began, she armed the passenger liner SS Kronprinz Wilhelm
SS Kronprinz Wilhelm
SS Kronprinz Wilhelm was a German passenger liner built for the Norddeutscher Lloyd, a former shipping company now part of Hapag-Lloyd, by the AG Vulcan shipyard in Stettin, in 1901...
, but while the ships were transferring equipment, British ships located them and pursued Karlsruhe. Her superior speed allowed her to escape, after which she operated off the northeastern coast of Brazil. Here, she captured or sank sixteen ships. While en route to attack the shipping lanes to Barbados
Barbados
Barbados is an island country in the Lesser Antilles. It is in length and as much as in width, amounting to . It is situated in the western area of the North Atlantic and 100 kilometres east of the Windward Islands and the Caribbean Sea; therein, it is about east of the islands of Saint...
on 4 November 1914, a spontaneous internal explosion destroyed the ship and killed the majority of the crew. The survivors used one of Karlruhes colliers to return to Germany in December 1914.
Construction
Karlsruhe was ordered under the contract name "ErsatzErsatz
Ersatz means 'substituting for, and typically inferior in quality to', e.g. 'chicory is ersatz coffee'. It is a German word literally meaning substitute or replacement...
" and was laid down at the Germaniawerft shipyard in Kiel
Kiel
Kiel is the capital and most populous city in the northern German state of Schleswig-Holstein, with a population of 238,049 .Kiel is approximately north of Hamburg. Due to its geographic location in the north of Germany, the southeast of the Jutland peninsula, and the southwestern shore of the...
in 1911. She was launched on 11 November 1912, after which fitting-out
Fitting-out
Fitting-out, or "outfitting”, is the process in modern shipbuilding that follows the float-out of a vessel and precedes sea trials. It is the period when all the remaining construction of the ship is completed and readied for delivery to her owners...
work commenced. She was commissioned into the High Seas Fleet
High Seas Fleet
The High Seas Fleet was the battle fleet of the German Empire and saw action during World War I. The formation was created in February 1907, when the Home Fleet was renamed as the High Seas Fleet. Admiral Alfred von Tirpitz was the architect of the fleet; he envisioned a force powerful enough to...
on 15 January 1914. The ship was 142.2 metres (466.5 ft) long overall and had a beam
Beam (nautical)
The beam of a ship is its width at the widest point. Generally speaking, the wider the beam of a ship , the more initial stability it has, at expense of reserve stability in the event of a capsize, where more energy is required to right the vessel from its inverted position...
of 13.7 m (44.9 ft) and a draft
Draft (hull)
The draft of a ship's hull is the vertical distance between the waterline and the bottom of the hull , with the thickness of the hull included; in the case of not being included the draft outline would be obtained...
of 5.38 m (17.7 ft) forward. She displaced 6191 t (6,093.2 LT) at full combat load. Her propulsion system consisted of two sets of Marine steam turbine
Steam turbine
A steam turbine is a mechanical device that extracts thermal energy from pressurized steam, and converts it into rotary motion. Its modern manifestation was invented by Sir Charles Parsons in 1884....
s driving two 3.5 metres (11.5 ft) propellers. They were designed to give 26000 shp, but reached 37885 shp in service. These were powered by twelve coal-fired Marine-type water-tube boiler
Water-tube boiler
A water tube boiler is a type of boiler in which water circulates in tubes heated externally by the fire. Fuel is burned inside the furnace, creating hot gas which heats water in the steam-generating tubes...
s and two oil-fired double-ended boilers. These gave the ship a top speed of 28.5 knots (15.5 m/s). Karlsruhe carried 1300 tonnes (1,279.5 LT) of coal, and an additional 200 tonnes (196.8 LT) of oil that gave her a range of approximately 5000 nautical miles (9,260 km) at 12 knots (6.5 m/s). Karlsruhe had a crew of 18 officers and 355 enlisted men.
The ship was armed with twelve 10.5 cm SK L/45 guns
10.5 cm SK L/45 naval gun
The 10.5 cm SK L/45 The 10.5 cm SK L/45 The 10.5 cm SK L/45 (SK - Schnelladekanone (quick-loading cannon) L - Länge (with a 45-caliber barrel) was a German naval gun that was used in World War I and World War II.-Description:...
in single pedestal mounts. Two were placed side by side forward on the forecastle
Forecastle
Forecastle refers to the upper deck of a sailing ship forward of the foremast, or the forward part of a ship with the sailors' living quarters...
, eight were located amidships, four on either side, and two were side by side aft. The guns had a maximum elevation of 30 degrees, which allowed them to engage targets out to 12700 m (41,666.7 ft). They were supplied with 1,800 rounds of ammunition, for 150 shells per gun. She was also equipped with a pair of 50 cm (19.7 in) torpedo tube
Torpedo tube
A torpedo tube is a device for launching torpedoes. There are two main types of torpedo tube: underwater tubes fitted to submarines and some surface ships, and deck-mounted units installed aboard surface vessels...
s with five torpedo
Torpedo
The modern torpedo is a self-propelled missile weapon with an explosive warhead, launched above or below the water surface, propelled underwater towards a target, and designed to detonate either on contact with it or in proximity to it.The term torpedo was originally employed for...
es submerged in the hull on the broadside
Broadside
A broadside is the side of a ship; the battery of cannon on one side of a warship; or their simultaneous fire in naval warfare.-Age of Sail:...
. She also could also carry 120 mines
Naval mine
A naval mine is a self-contained explosive device placed in water to destroy surface ships or submarines. Unlike depth charges, mines are deposited and left to wait until they are triggered by the approach of, or contact with, an enemy vessel...
. The ship was protected by a waterline armored belt that was 60 mm (2.4 in) thick amidships. The conning tower
Conning tower
A conning tower is a raised platform on a ship or submarine, often armored, from which an officer can con the vessel; i.e., give directions to the helmsman. It is usually located as high on the ship as practical, to give the conning team good visibility....
had 100 mm (3.9 in) thick sides, and the deck was covered with up to 60 mm thick armor plate.
Service history
Following her commissioning in January 1914, Karlsruhe was assigned to overseas service, under the command of Fregattenkapitän Erich Köhler. At the outbreak of 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...
the following August, the ship was based in the Caribbean, along with the cruiser . She had anchored in Cay Sal Bank
Cay Sal Bank
Cay Sal Bank is the third largest and the westernmost of the Bahama Banks. It is located between 23º27'N - 24º10'N and 079º25'W – 080º35'W...
in the Florida Strait when she received warnings that war in Europe was imminent. Karlsruhes standing orders in the event of war saw the ship conducting a commerce raiding campaign against British merchant traffic. To hunt down Karlsruhe and any merchant ships she might arm as auxiliary cruisers, the Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
deployed five cruiser squadrons, the most powerful were those commanded by Rear Admiral Christopher Craddock and Rear Admiral Archibald Stoddart. The British were forced to disperse their ships to cover the areas in which the two German cruisers, and any auxiliary cruisers they might arm, could operate.
On 6 August, Karlsruhe rendezvoused with the passenger ship SS Kronprinz Wilhelm
SS Kronprinz Wilhelm
SS Kronprinz Wilhelm was a German passenger liner built for the Norddeutscher Lloyd, a former shipping company now part of Hapag-Lloyd, by the AG Vulcan shipyard in Stettin, in 1901...
about 120 nmi (222.2 km) north of Watling Island. Karlsruhe was in the process of transferring guns and equipment to the liner when Craddock, in his flagship
Flagship
A flagship is a vessel used by the commanding officer of a group of naval ships, reflecting the custom of its commander, characteristically a flag officer, flying a distinguishing flag...
, appeared to the south. The Germans had only managed to transfer two 8.8 cm guns, a machine gun, and some sailors by the time Suffolk arrived. The two ships quickly departed in different directions; Suffolk followed Karlsruhe and other cruisers were ordered to intercept her. Karlsruhes faster speed allowed her to quickly outpace Craddock, but at 20:15, joined the pursuit and briefly fired on the German cruiser. Karlsruhe turned east and again used her high speed to evade the British ships. The British failed to relocate her, and by 9 August, Karlsruhe entered reached Puerto Rico with only 12 tons of coal in her bunkers.
With limited options for coal in the Caribbean, Köhler took his ship down to the northeast coast of Brazil, off Pernambuco
Pernambuco
Pernambuco is a state of Brazil, located in the Northeast region of the country. To the north are the states of Paraíba and Ceará, to the west is Piauí, to the south are Alagoas and Bahia, and to the east is the Atlantic Ocean. There are about of beaches, some of the most beautiful in the...
. The area was not as heavily patrolled by the British. Here, Karlsruhe had easy access to coal supplies, either from chartered colliers or captured vessels. Köhler frequently kept one or two prizes
Prize (law)
Prize is a term used in admiralty law to refer to equipment, vehicles, vessels, and cargo captured during armed conflict. The most common use of prize in this sense is the capture of an enemy ship and its cargo as a prize of war. In the past, it was common that the capturing force would be allotted...
to assist in the search for targets. In the course of her patrols off the Brazilian coast, Karlsruhe sank or captured sixteen merchant ships. These merchantmen, fifteen British ships and one Dutch vessel, totaled . Köhler then decided to move to another area, as remaining in one area would increase his chances of being tracked down by the British. He turned his ship toward the West Indies to attack Barbados
Barbados
Barbados is an island country in the Lesser Antilles. It is in length and as much as in width, amounting to . It is situated in the western area of the North Atlantic and 100 kilometres east of the Windward Islands and the Caribbean Sea; therein, it is about east of the islands of Saint...
and Fort-de-France
Fort-de-France
Fort-de-France is the capital of France's Caribbean overseas department of Martinique. It is also one of the major cities in the Caribbean. Exports include sugar, rum, tinned fruit, and cacao.-Geography:...
and the shipping lanes between Barbados and Trinidad
Trinidad
Trinidad is the larger and more populous of the two major islands and numerous landforms which make up the island nation of Trinidad and Tobago. It is the southernmost island in the Caribbean and lies just off the northeastern coast of Venezuela. With an area of it is also the fifth largest in...
.
As Karlsruhe steamed to Barbados on the night of 4 November, a spontaneous internal explosion destroyed the ship. The hull was split in half; the bow section quickly sank and took with it Köhler and most of the crew. The stern remained afloat long enough for 140 of the ship's crew to escape onto the attending colliers. Commander Studt, the senior surviving officer, took charge and placed all of his men aboard the liner Rio Negro. He scuttled the second collier and steamed north for Iceland. The ship used the cover of a major storm to slip through the British blockade of the North Sea
North Sea
In the southwest, beyond the Straits of Dover, the North Sea becomes the English Channel connecting to the Atlantic Ocean. In the east, it connects to the Baltic Sea via the Skagerrak and Kattegat, narrow straits that separate Denmark from Norway and Sweden respectively...
, and put in at Ålesund
Ålesund
is a town and municipality in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. It is part of the traditional district of Sunnmøre, and the center of the Ålesund Region. It is a sea port, and is noted for its unique concentration of Art Nouveau architecture....
, Norway. Rio Negro then returned to Germany by early December. The Admiralstab, unaware of the loss of Karlsruhe, coincidentally radioed the ship to order her to return to Germany. Germany kept the loss of the ship a secret, and the British continued searching for her until they learned of her fate in March 1915.