SMS Rostock
Encyclopedia
SMS Rostock 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 February 1914. Armed with twelve 10.5 cm SK L/45 guns
, Rostock had a top speed of 28.5 knots (15.5 m/s) and displaced 6191 t (6,093.2 LT) at full load.
Rostock served with the High Seas Fleet
as a leader of torpedo boat
flotillas for the duration of her career. She served with the screens for both the battlecruisers of the I Scouting Group
on operations against the British coast and the Battle of Dogger Bank
. She was assigned to the screen for the battle fleet during the Battle of Jutland
on 31 May – 1 June 1916. She saw major action at Jutland and frequently engaged British light forces, culminating in her torpedoing by destroyers shortly after midnight. She was taken under tow by German torpedo boats, but the following morning the cruiser came upon the retreating ships. The Germans set scuttling charges aboard Rostock and took off the crew before Dublin arrived on the scene.
" and was laid down at the Howaldtserhe shipyard in Kiel
in 1911. She was launched on 12 November 1912, after which fitting-out
work commenced. She was commissioned into the High Seas Fleet
on 5 February 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 43628 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 29.3 knots (16 m/s). Rostock 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). Rostock 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.
flotilla leader with the High Seas Fleet. On 24 January, 1915, Rostock formed part of the support for Admiral Franz von Hipper
battlecruiser
s in the I Scouting Group
during a sortie to destroy British light forces known to be operating near the Dogger Bank
. The ship steamed with three other light cruisers and nineteen torpedo boats. Rostock and several of the torpedo boats were tasked with screening the port flank of the battlecruiser squadron. The German group encountered five British battlecruisers, resulting in the Battle of Dogger Bank
, during which the armored cruiser
was sunk. Rostock participated in the bombardment of Yarmouth and Lowestoft
on 24 April 1916, and as part of the screen for the I Scouting Group. While the battlecruisers bombarded Lowestoft, Rostock and five other cruisers engaged the Harwich Force
. Shortly thereafter, the battlecruisers intervened and forced the Harwich Force to withdraw. The German squadron then broke off and returned to port.
Rostock also participated in the Battle of Jutland
, on 31 May 1916. She served as the leader of the torpedo boat flotillas, flying the flag of Kommodore
Andreas Michelsen. The flotilla was tasked with screening for the battle squadrons of the High Seas Fleet. As the German fleet reached the engagement between the British and German battlecruiser squadrons at 17:30, a pair of destroyers, and attempted to attack the German battle line. Rostock and a number of the battleships engaged the destroyers, which were both disabled by the heavy German fire.
At 19:32, Rostock and several torpedo boats crossed through the German line and began to lay a smoke screen to cover the withdrawal of the German fleet. Some twenty minutes later, Michelsen detached several torpedo boats to assist the badly damaged battlecruiser . By the time the German fleet had assumed its night cruising formation, Rostock fell in with the light cruisers of the IV Scouting Group on the port side of the fleet. Shortly before midnight, Rostock and the IV Scouting Group came into contact with the 2nd Light Cruiser Squadron. Shortly after midnight, the British 4th Destroyer Flotilla attacked the German line, where Rostock was positioned. She joined the cannonade directed against the destroyers as they pressed home their attack. The destroyers launched several torpedoes at the Germans, forcing Rostock and the other cruisers to turn away to avoid them; this pointed the ships directly at the battleships in the I Battle Squadron. Rostock successfully passed through the formation, but the cruiser was rammed by one of the battleships and disabled.
In the chaos of the night engagement, Rostocks search lights illuminated the destroyer . Gunfire from Rostock and the battleships and smothered the British destroyer; although heavily damaged, she managed to limp back to port. The ship was attacked by the destroyers HMS Ambuscade and Contact; the two ships each fired a single torpedo at high-speed settings at a range of about 1000 yd (914.4 m). One torpedo struck Rostock, though it is unknown which destroyer launched it. Rostock was also hit by three 4 in (101.6 mm) shells, probably from the destroyer Broke. The disabled Rostock called the destroyer S54 to join her; S54 took Rostock in tow, at times making up to 10 kn (5.4 m/s). The pair was subsequently joined by the destroyers V71 and V73, which had been detached from the flotilla to escort Rostock back to port.
At around 03:55 on 1 June, the four German ships encountered the British cruiser . The three destroyers went alongside the crippled cruiser and evacuated her crew, while flashing the first two letters of the British signal challenge. Smoke screens were laid to obscure the identity of the German warships. After about ten minutes, S54 departed with Rostocks crew aboard, while V71 and V73 remained. Scuttling charges had been set in the cruiser, but to ensure Rostock sank faster, the two destroyers fired a total of three torpedoes into the ship. Rostock sank bow-first at approximately 04:25, after which V71 and V73 made for Horns Reef
at high speed. Of Rostocks crew, 14 men were killed and 6 were wounded during the battle.
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 February 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:...
, Rostock had a top speed of 28.5 knots (15.5 m/s) and displaced 6191 t (6,093.2 LT) at full load.
Rostock served with 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...
as a leader of torpedo boat
Torpedo boat
A torpedo boat is a relatively small and fast naval vessel designed to carry torpedoes into battle. The first designs rammed enemy ships with explosive spar torpedoes, and later designs launched self-propelled Whitehead torpedoes. They were created to counter battleships and other large, slow and...
flotillas for the duration of her career. She served with the screens for both the battlecruisers of the I Scouting Group
I Scouting Group
The I Scouting Group was a special reconnaissance unit within the German Kaiserliche Marine. The unit was famously commanded by Admiral Franz von Hipper during World War I. The I Scouting Group was one of the most active formations in the High Seas Fleet during the war; the unit took part in every...
on operations against the British coast and the Battle of Dogger Bank
Battle of Dogger Bank (1915)
The Battle of Dogger Bank was a naval battle fought near the Dogger Bank in the North Sea on 24 January 1915, during the First World War, between squadrons of the British Grand Fleet and the German High Seas Fleet....
. She was assigned to the screen for the battle fleet during the Battle of 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...
on 31 May – 1 June 1916. She saw major action at Jutland and frequently engaged British light forces, culminating in her torpedoing by destroyers shortly after midnight. She was taken under tow by German torpedo boats, but the following morning the cruiser came upon the retreating ships. The Germans set scuttling charges aboard Rostock and took off the crew before Dublin arrived on the scene.
Construction
Rostock 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 Howaldtserhe 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 12 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 5 February 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 43628 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 29.3 knots (16 m/s). Rostock 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). Rostock 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 February 1914, Rostock was assigned as a torpedo boatTorpedo boat
A torpedo boat is a relatively small and fast naval vessel designed to carry torpedoes into battle. The first designs rammed enemy ships with explosive spar torpedoes, and later designs launched self-propelled Whitehead torpedoes. They were created to counter battleships and other large, slow and...
flotilla leader with the High Seas Fleet. On 24 January, 1915, Rostock formed part of the support for Admiral Franz von Hipper
Franz von Hipper
Franz Ritter von Hipper was an admiral in the German Imperial Navy . Franz von Hipper joined the German Navy in 1881 as an officer cadet. He commanded several torpedo boat units and served as watch officer aboard several warships, as well as Kaiser Wilhelm II's yacht Hohenzollern...
battlecruiser
Battlecruiser
Battlecruisers were large capital ships built in the first half of the 20th century. They were developed in the first decade of the century as the successor to the armoured cruiser, but their evolution was more closely linked to that of the dreadnought battleship...
s in the I Scouting Group
I Scouting Group
The I Scouting Group was a special reconnaissance unit within the German Kaiserliche Marine. The unit was famously commanded by Admiral Franz von Hipper during World War I. The I Scouting Group was one of the most active formations in the High Seas Fleet during the war; the unit took part in every...
during a sortie to destroy British light forces known to be operating near the Dogger Bank
Dogger Bank
Dogger Bank is a large sandbank in a shallow area of the North Sea about off the east coast of England. It extends over approximately , with its dimensions being about long and up to broad. The water depth ranges from 15 to 36 metres , about shallower than the surrounding sea. It is a...
. The ship steamed with three other light cruisers and nineteen torpedo boats. Rostock and several of the torpedo boats were tasked with screening the port flank of the battlecruiser squadron. The German group encountered five British battlecruisers, resulting in the Battle of Dogger Bank
Battle of Dogger Bank (1915)
The Battle of Dogger Bank was a naval battle fought near the Dogger Bank in the North Sea on 24 January 1915, during the First World War, between squadrons of the British Grand Fleet and the German High Seas Fleet....
, during which the armored cruiser
Armored cruiser
The armored cruiser was a type of warship of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Like other types of cruiser, the armored cruiser was a long-range, independent warship, capable of defeating any ship apart from a battleship, and fast enough to outrun any battleships it encountered.The first...
was sunk. Rostock participated in the bombardment of Yarmouth and Lowestoft
Bombardment of Yarmouth and Lowestoft
The Bombardment of Yarmouth and Lowestoft was a naval battle fought during the First World War between the German Empire and the British Empire in the North Sea....
on 24 April 1916, and as part of the screen for the I Scouting Group. While the battlecruisers bombarded Lowestoft, Rostock and five other cruisers engaged the Harwich Force
Harwich Force
The Harwich Force was a squadron of the Royal Navy, formed during the First World War, that went on to play a significant role in the war.-History:...
. Shortly thereafter, the battlecruisers intervened and forced the Harwich Force to withdraw. The German squadron then broke off and returned to port.
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...
, on 31 May 1916. She served as the leader of the torpedo boat flotillas, flying the flag of Kommodore
Kommodore
Kommodore is a German rank equivalent to Commodore. Kommodore originated as a title used by some Captains in World War I. A German Commodore could hold any naval rank between Lieutenant and Captain and the title of Commodore was held by those officers who held tactical control over more than one...
Andreas Michelsen. The flotilla was tasked with screening for the battle squadrons of the High Seas Fleet. As the German fleet reached the engagement between the British and German battlecruiser squadrons at 17:30, a pair of destroyers, and attempted to attack the German battle line. Rostock and a number of the battleships engaged the destroyers, which were both disabled by the heavy German fire.
At 19:32, Rostock and several torpedo boats crossed through the German line and began to lay a smoke screen to cover the withdrawal of the German fleet. Some twenty minutes later, Michelsen detached several torpedo boats to assist the badly damaged battlecruiser . By the time the German fleet had assumed its night cruising formation, Rostock fell in with the light cruisers of the IV Scouting Group on the port side of the fleet. Shortly before midnight, Rostock and the IV Scouting Group came into contact with the 2nd Light Cruiser Squadron. Shortly after midnight, the British 4th Destroyer Flotilla attacked the German line, where Rostock was positioned. She joined the cannonade directed against the destroyers as they pressed home their attack. The destroyers launched several torpedoes at the Germans, forcing Rostock and the other cruisers to turn away to avoid them; this pointed the ships directly at the battleships in the I Battle Squadron. Rostock successfully passed through the formation, but the cruiser was rammed by one of the battleships and disabled.
In the chaos of the night engagement, Rostocks search lights illuminated the destroyer . Gunfire from Rostock and the battleships and smothered the British destroyer; although heavily damaged, she managed to limp back to port. The ship was attacked by the destroyers HMS Ambuscade and Contact; the two ships each fired a single torpedo at high-speed settings at a range of about 1000 yd (914.4 m). One torpedo struck Rostock, though it is unknown which destroyer launched it. Rostock was also hit by three 4 in (101.6 mm) shells, probably from the destroyer Broke. The disabled Rostock called the destroyer S54 to join her; S54 took Rostock in tow, at times making up to 10 kn (5.4 m/s). The pair was subsequently joined by the destroyers V71 and V73, which had been detached from the flotilla to escort Rostock back to port.
At around 03:55 on 1 June, the four German ships encountered the British cruiser . The three destroyers went alongside the crippled cruiser and evacuated her crew, while flashing the first two letters of the British signal challenge. Smoke screens were laid to obscure the identity of the German warships. After about ten minutes, S54 departed with Rostocks crew aboard, while V71 and V73 remained. Scuttling charges had been set in the cruiser, but to ensure Rostock sank faster, the two destroyers fired a total of three torpedoes into the ship. Rostock sank bow-first at approximately 04:25, after which V71 and V73 made for Horns Reef
Horns Reef
Horns Rev is a shallow area in the eastern North Sea, about 15 km / 10 miles off the westernmost point of Denmark, Blåvands Huk...
at high speed. Of Rostocks crew, 14 men were killed and 6 were wounded during the battle.