This work, made in the form of a reference book, is the only one of its kind and has no analogues in Russia. For the first time in our country, it summarizes the basic information about warships of the main classes of special construction, involved in solving combat missions at sea in the interests of the German Navy. For large surface ships and submarines, along with the main tactical and technical elements, the main moments of their combat activities during the war years are given. At the same time, special attention is paid to the conduct of hostilities against the Soviet Navy and in the operational zones of the Soviet Northern, Baltic and Black Sea fleets. The latter fundamentally distinguishes this guide from other similar works, both in our country and abroad, and allows you to visually see the real damage inflicted by the German fleet on the Soviet one and vice versa.

Sections of this page:

2.3.7. Light cruisers of the Koenigsberg class

In total, three ships of this type were built: Koenigsberg, Karlsruhe and Cologne. These were the first in German, and indeed in world military shipbuilding, cruisers with a combined main power plant and three-gun turrets of the main caliber. The main elements of these ships are given in Table. 2.8.

"Konigsberg" ("Konigsberg")

In 1925, it was laid down at the naval shipyard in Wilhelmshaven under the letter designation "B". 03/26/27 was launched and received the name "Koenigsberg", 04/17/29 was commissioned.

In April 1940, he participated in the Norwegian landing operation, entering the third detachment of ships intended to capture Bergen, where he received damage from the fire of the Norwegian coastal artillery. On April 10, 1940, while repairing the damage received the day before, it was sunk in Bergen by British aircraft, 18 people died.

Light cruiser "Leipzig", 1933

Light cruiser "Leipzig", 1940

Light cruiser "Königsberg", 1930

"Karlsruhe" ("Karlsruhe")

In 1926, it was laid down at the shipyard of the Deutsche-Werke company in Kiel under the letter designation "C". 08/20/27 was launched and received the name "Karlsruhe", in November 1929 it entered service.

"By the start of World War II, he was under repair at the naval shipyard in Wilhelmshafen. In April 1940, he participated in the Norwegian landing operation, leading the fourth detachment, intended to capture Kristiansand and Arendal. On April 9, returning from Kristiansand to the base, torpedoed British submarine "Truant", but remained afloat, 11 people died. Due to the impossibility of towing, it was sunk by two torpedoes of the German destroyer "Vulture".

"Cologne" ("Koln")

In 1926 it was laid down at the naval shipyard in Wilhelmshaven under the letter designation "D". 01/15/30 was launched and received the name "Cologne", 05/23/28 was put into operation.

In April 1940, he participated in the Norwegian landing operation, leading the third detachment of ships intended to capture Bergen. In September 1941 he was part of the "Baltic Fleet", created to prevent the breakthrough of Soviet ships to Sweden for internment. August 6, 1942 arrived from the Baltic to Narvik, and in early February 1943 he returned to Germany.

January 1, 1945 hit a mine. On March 30, it was damaged during a British air raid on Wilhelmshaven and sat on the ground, but used its artillery until May 2. In 1946, it was dismantled for metal.

With the outbreak of the First World War, the "Unofficial Department" of the oldest naval magazine "Naval Collection" introduced two sections - "Naval Chronicle" and "Essays on the World War" (since 1915 "Essays on the World War at Sea"), specially designed to review the combat operations of the opposing sides.

At the same time, covering this or that topic, he did not dwell on stating the event that had taken place, but tried to further supplement it with information received from various sources. If the story had its continuation, the collection returned to it repeatedly, and sometimes after its completion it published, as it were, a final, generalized message.

As such an example, we offer readers a selection of materials from the Naval Collection devoted to the actions of the German cruiser Konigsberg and the measures of the British fleet to neutralize and destroy it, published in separate issues of the collection from the autumn of 1914 to the summer of 1915.

The comments placed at the end of these materials are compiled for the most part on the basis of later editions and serve as a clarification of individual points, as well as in order to give a broader idea of ​​those distant events that, for quite understandable reasons, could not become the property of the pages. Marine collection "of those years.

In preparation for publication, all dates, unless otherwise specified, appearing in the "Naval Collection" in the old style, have been translated into the new one, as they are given in the attached comments.

However, before moving on to the proposed materials, we will highlight a few background events and the beginning of the combat activities of Konigsberg.

Armament: 10 105 mm guns, 10 machine guns, 2 450 mm torpedo tubes; armor: deck 45 mm (on bevels 80 mm), wheelhouse 100 mm, gun shields 50 mm; normal displacement 3480 tons (total 3814 tons), main dimensions: maximum length 115.0 (between perpendiculars 108.0), width 13.2, draft 4.83 m, maximum speed 24.1 knots, total capacity of machines 13,900 hp, crew 322 people.

The cruiser "Konigsberg" was a ship of a single (individual) construction (laid down at the shipyard in Kiel on January 12, 1905 and launched on December 12 of the same year) and, in its design, most closely approached, or rather, was the predecessor of the Nurnberg-class cruisers ".

The direct service of the ship as part of the active fleet began in 1908, although since the middle of 1907 he had already managed to make a number of trips in European waters. In 1910, the Konigsberg won the imperial prize for shooting for the light forces of the fleet.

In the spring of 1914, a decision was made to send the cruiser (updated by this time with ten 52-mm guns) to East African waters as a station to change the Gaier gunboat, which was transferred to the South Pacific Ocean. Having left Wilhelmshaven on April 28, Konigsberg (commander - frigate captain M. Luff) arrived in Dar es Salaam on June 5 through the Mediterranean Sea and the Suez Canal, which at that time was the administrative center of German East Africa.

With the news of political tension in Europe after the assassination of the heir to the throne of Austria-Hungary in Sarajevo, M. Luff interrupts the ship's hydrographic work in the port of Bagamoyo and returns to Dar es Salaam.

Having replenished the ship's stores, Konigsberg again went to sea on July 31. Having successfully broken away, thanks to speed and a rainy squall, from the pursuit of two English cruisers, he heads for the Gulf of Aden. With the receipt of a radio message from Dar es Salaam on August 5 about the outbreak of war, Konigsberg began a cruising operation to disrupt the navigation of Germany's enemies and the very next day detained the English mail and passenger steamer City of Winchester in the Gulf of Aden. With the prize team, he was sent to Burum Bay on the southern coast of the Arabian Peninsula, where the Konigsberg, by prior agreement by radio, met with the German steamer Zieten. By the way, a replacement crew of the German hydrographic vessel "Planet" of 98 people, led by commander Oberleutnant Brooks, followed home on board. On August 10, Konigsberg, Zieten and City of Winchester met again near the islands of Kuria Muria in the eastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula, where ship supplies were removed from the prize, the crew and passengers were transferred to Zieten, and the ship itself to the next flooded the day.

With this more than modest success, his first and, in fact, last cruising operation ended for the ship. Having not found any more enemy transport, the commander of the ship M. Luff decided to eliminate the malfunctions of the mechanisms that had arisen for a while to hide in some inconspicuous and hard to reach place. The choice fell on the delta of the Rufiji River on the east coast of Africa, since measurements of its arms carried out shortly before the war by the German hydrographic vessel Mowe showed that at high tide it was accessible to ships with the draft of the cruiser Konigsberg.

Showing up to mislead the enemy, on August 30, 1914, near the port of Mayunga in the north-west of the island of Madagascar, and then, having replenished coal supplies from its bunker steamer Somali near the Aldabra Islands, Konigsberg headed for the mouth of Rufiji. Entering on September 3 in her branch of Kikunya, he anchored 10 miles upstream from the station of Salalah.

The immediate delivery of coal by coastal ships allowed the cruiser, even before the repair of the mechanisms, to go back to sea on September 19 and make a raid on Zanzibar, which ended with the sinking of the English cruiser Pegasus the next day.

Returning then to the Rufiji Delta, Konigsberg set about repair work, which took place in difficult tropical conditions in an undeveloped parking area. Therefore, some parts of the mechanisms had to be repaired or made again in Dar es Salaam, for which it was necessary to organize their delivery through the impenetrable jungle and off-road.

Soon discovered and blocked from the sea, the Konigsberg valiantly resisted the superior forces of the enemy for more than eight months (during the operation, the British brought in the battleship Goliath, the cruisers Cornwall, Chatham, Dartmouth, Weymouth, "Hyacinth", "Pyramus", "Pioneer", "Fox", "Pegasus", monitors "Mersey", "Severn", auxiliary cruiser "Kanfauns Castle") until the very last minutes of its existence. This largely explains the repeated reports about him on the pages of the Marine Collection, with which we decided to acquaint our readers.

Destruction of the German port of Dar es Salaam. Battle with the English cruiser "Pegasus"

On the seashore, the English cruiser Pegasus (2200 tons, 97 [year of construction] 8 10 cm guns) destroyed the best port on this coast of Dar es Salaam by bombardment, and the wireless telegraph station was destroyed and the floating dock was flooded . He also destroyed a small measuring German military vessel "Mowe" (650 tons, 06 year [year of construction], 3 37 mm). But the end of Pegasus was sad. On September 20, he was taken by surprise at anchor in Zanzibar by the German cruiser Konigsberg (3400 tons, 05 year [year of construction], 10 10.5-cm guns [of guns]) and after a short battle put him out of action, and the British lost 25 people . killed and 80 people. wounded out of 234 people. crew. After that, Konigsberg went to sea. Although these cruisers differ greatly in displacement, their artillery armament is almost the same, and therefore the defeat of the English cruiser is most likely due to the fact that the enemy found him at anchor without steam.

Marine collection. 1914. No. 10. Unofficial department. World War Essays. § 252. S.222.

Armament: 8 102 mm, 8 76 mm guns, 2 356 mm torpedo tubes; booking: deck 25.4 mm (on bevels 51 mm), wheelhouse 76 mm; normal displacement 2135 tons, main dimensions: length between perpendiculars 91.44, width 11.13, draft 4.11 m, maximum speed 20 knots, total power of machines 7000 hp.

Operation cruiser "Konigsberg"

The cruiser Konigsberg, as has already been said (see § 252), disabled the English cruiser Pegasus. Where this cruiser came from is hard to say. In the schedule of the German fleet by station by January 1, 1914, he is not listed at any of the stations, just as he is not in the composition of active and reserve squadrons and training detachments. Therefore, one must think that he was on a shift at one of the stations and was just off the eastern coast of Africa. And by the way, it is possible that one of the cruisers that left Kiao-Chau, Nurnberg and Leipzig, was mistaken for him, the whereabouts of which there is no news. The sudden appearance of this cruiser at Zanzibar is confirmed by the misstep of the Pegasus, which was taken by surprise, at anchor, and apparently without steam.

Marine collection. 1914. No. 10. Unofficial department. World War Essays. § 262. p. 230.

British Admiralty announcement

With the permission of the British Admiralty, the following is announced on September 21st: “Since the outbreak of hostilities, the gunboat Pegasus, under the command of Captain 2nd Rank John Inglis, has operated in the ocean, based on the port of Zanzibar, and has provided us with many valuable services, including here the destruction enemy Dar es Salaam and the sinking of the German gunboat "Meve" and the German floating dock. This morning, while at anchor in Zanzibar, cleaning the boilers and sorting out the mechanisms, the Pegasus was taken by surprise by the sudden appearance of the German cruiser Königsberg. There was a fierce battle.

Deprived of the ability to move, "Pegasus" was in extremely unfavorable conditions. In addition, it must be borne in mind that the enemy, armed with new 4-inch guns, had an overwhelming superiority in strength. As a result of the battle, our gunboat was put out of action, losing 25 people killed and 80 people wounded out of a total crew of 234 people. The loss of "Koenigsberg" has not been clarified. After the battle, the enemy cruiser left towards the south.

Marine collection. 1914. No. 10. Unofficial department. Marine Chronicle. S. 136

Discovery of the cruiser Konigsberg

Konigsberg was discovered by the British cruiser Chatham (5500 tons, built in 1911, 25.5 knots, 8 15-cm and 4 4.7-cm guns) on October 30 in the river on the island ve Mafia (opposite the island. - LK) off the coast of German East Africa. This cruiser, which shot down the English cruiser Pegasus on September 20 (see § 252), probably either received serious damage in this battle or could not get coal. For this reason or another - if the first assumption is correct, then this once again serves as an indicator of the disadvantage for the pursuer of trade to engage in battle, even with a weaker opponent - but Konigsberg, obviously, could not continue its activities anymore, and therefore, having unloaded, he climbed up the river for 6 miles and there he was put on shallow water, and his crew dug in on the shore.

As a result, "Chatham" could only fire at him from a very long distance, and because of the dense palm thickets, he could not establish the results of his shelling. But in order to prevent the German cruiser from leaving the river, the British sank coal ships in it in such a way that the Konigsberg was securely locked.

Marine collection. 1914. No. 12. Unofficial department. World War Essays, § 464, p. 210

The Admiralty reports: “Monitors Severn and Mersey, having risen on July 4 along the Rufiji River in East Africa, started a battle with the German cruiser Konigsberg. Airplanes directed fire through the jungle. Six hours later, "Konigsberg", engulfed in fire, continued to fire from only one gun and, finally, was completely silenced. A secondary attack on 11 July completed the destruction of the Konigsberg. Our losses in both battles: 4 killed and 6 wounded.

Marine collection. 1915. No. 8. Marine chronicle. pp. 174-175

London reports the following details of the destruction of the German cruiser Koenigsberg at the mouth of the Rufiji River, on the coast of German Southeast Africa, by the English monitors Severn and Mersey.

English monitors went up the Rufiji July 4th (New Style) Admiralty dated October 28th*, was opened by the cruiser Chatham.

He managed to get far enough up the river to be out of range of the English cruisers, which had a large depression. In addition, he disguised himself with greenery tied to pipes and masts and hiding his location from the sea. Shortly thereafter, the river fairway was blocked by sunken coal miners, and the cruiser was thus blocked and rendered harmless. Observation of him, however, was necessary, since, according to the report of one officer who returned from East Africa, the Koenigsberg exchanged radio communications with the British cruiser. The commander of the latter promised the commander of the Koenigsberg [Frigattencaptain M. Luff] that if he left, he would be cordially welcomed by the British. There was no reply to this telegram.

The Admiralty report dated June 29* states that “two months ago it decided to send at the disposal of the commander-in-chief of the station of the Cape of Good Hope, Vice Admiral King Hall, two river monitors - "Mersey" and "Sovern" to assist in this operation. The position of the "Kenigsberg" was precisely clarified by the aviators, and as soon as the monitors were ready, the operations began. On the morning of July 4, the monitors entered the river and opened fire, to which the Koenigsberg immediately responded, firing volleys from 5 guns with great speed and accuracy. Her Majesty's ship "Mersay" received two hits, and with one shell 4 people of his team were killed and the same number were wounded. Due to the fact that "Kenigsberg" was surrounded by jungle, airplanes experienced great difficulty in marking the impact of shells. At the beginning of the battle, the cruiser received five hits, but after six hours of monitor fire, airplanes reported that the Konigsberg masts were still standing still. Following that, a volley of our ships burst over it, and the cruiser caught fire between the masts. Nevertheless, he continued to fire from one cannon at short intervals, but at the end he completely stopped firing due to the lack of shells or the unfitness for further service of his guns, and although he was not completely destroyed, he was, in all likelihood, removed from building. The commander-in-chief reports that the work of the monitors was extremely hampered by the jungle and the difficulty of correcting fire, but they were helped by the ship of e[e] in [majesty] "Weymouth" (under the flag of the commander-in-chief), which accompanied them when passing through the river bar and fired at the banks from small guns at that time, as the ship of e[e] in [e] majesty's "Pioneer" kept the mouth of the river in the sphere of its fire. For the final destruction of the Koenigsberg, the commander-in-chief ordered a new attack on August 11, and now a telegram has been received from him announcing that the ship has been completely destroyed.

In the last battle, our losses are expressed only by two wounded on the ship of e[e] in [majesty's] "Mersey".

From the fact that the Weymouth and Pioneer had to silence the guns mounted on the river bank, it is clear that the German cruiser expected an attack and, if possible, prepared for it.

Marine collection. 1915. No. 8. Essays on the World War at Sea. § 173. S. 318-320

*It was not possible to establish which style these dates belong to.

warships of the world

"Konigsberg" ("Konigsberg") - light cruiser of the German Kaiser fleet.

Service timeline:

August 3, 1907 - escorted the Kaiser's yacht "Hohenzollern" at a meeting with the yacht of the Emperor of Russia "Standard". Salute to the standard of Nicholas II.

September 9, 1907 - completion of acceptance tests and re-staffing of the crew according to the state - 322 people.

September 21, 1907 - arrived in Koenigsberg (modern Kaliningrad in Russia) and saluted the city after which it is named.

November 5, 1907 - an order to send a cruiser at the disposal of the imperial yacht "Hohenzollern".

December 17, 1907 - departure of the cruiser from Kiel under the flag of Prince Henry of Prussia to Stockholm (Sweden, Baltic Sea) to participate in the funeral ceremony Swedish king Oscar II.

November 27, 1909 - completed maneuvers together with the reconnaissance forces of the fleet and got up for repairs.

February 16, 1910 - a collision in the Kiel Bay of the Baltic Sea with the light cruiser "Dresden", the return of both cruisers to Kiel to the factory for repairs.

March 9 - 13, 1910 - escort of the imperial yacht "Hohenzollern" on a voyage along the Helgoland Bay of the North Sea.

May 8 - 27, 1910 - escorting the Hohenzollern on a voyage to England for the funeral of King Edward VII.

March 8 - May 22, 1911 - escort under the command of Captain 3rd Rank Heinrich "Hohenzollern" on a voyage across the Mediterranean Sea and to England.

June 12, 1914 - the beginning of sounding depths in the area of ​​the German port of Dar es Salaam in Tanzania (Indian Ocean).

July 31, 1914 - left Dar es Salaam to the Gulf of Aden between the Red and Arabian Seas.

August 6, 1914 - the English steamer "City of Winchester" was captured with a cargo of Indian tea, taken to the bay near the port of Bender Burum on the southern tip of the Arabian Peninsula.

August 14, 1914 - a meeting with the German steamship "Somali" in the bay of Kuria-Muriya and the departure of the cruiser to Cape Ras Hafun on the coast of Italian Somalia due to the proximity of the radio communications of British military ships.

August 30, 1914 - shelled a French radio station in Majunga on the northwest coast of about. Madagascar.

September 1, 1914 - loading of 230 tons of coal from "Somalia" at the Aldabra Islands (halfway from Dar es Salaam to the northern tip of Madagascar).

September 3, 1914 - rounded about. Mafia (the coast of Tanzania) and anchored in one of the channels of the Rufiji River Delta (south of Dar es Salaam).

September 20, 1914 - entered the roadstead of the English port of Zanzibar (Zanzibar Island, coast of Tanzania) and sank the English light cruiser Pegasus with artillery fire (2 officers and 31 sailors died, 59 were injured); destroyed the radio station on the coast with artillery (45 English colonial soldiers died). Return to Rufiji.

November 1, 1914 - shelling of the cruiser's anchorage in Rufiji by artillery from the English light cruiser Chatham

November 2, 1914 - shelling of the parking lot by the English light cruisers "Chatham", "Darmouth" and "Weymouth" The German steamer "Somali", which was with the "Koenigsberg", was destroyed, with 800 tons of coal.

December 10, 1914 - The Germans from the coast guard captured the English seaplane pilot Dennis Cutler, whose engine failed.

July 6, 1915 - artillery battle between the cruiser and the English monitors "Severn" and "Mersey". Mercey damaged, 4 killed and 4 wounded. "Koenigsberg" received 13 hits, 4 killed and 10 wounded. In total, the cruiser fired about 400 shells.

July 11, 1915 - the cruiser was sunk by artillery fire from the Severn, Mersey, the light cruiser Weymouth and the Australian cruiser Pioneer. An English spotter plane was shot down. Of the 213 people on board, 32 were killed and 128 were wounded. The survivors escaped captivity.

Tactical and technical characteristics:

Standard displacement 3390 tons, total displacement 3814 tons.
Dimensions: 114.8 by 13.2 by 3.2 m.
Maximum speed 23 knots. Twin-shaft power plant, triple expansion steam engine, 11 naval-type boilers, 12,000 horsepower, 820 tons of coal.
Armament: 10 105 mm guns, 8 52 mm guns, 2 450 mm torpedo tubes.
Reservation: shields on guns - 50 mm, deck - 20-30 mm, conning tower - 100 mm.
Cruising range - 5750 miles at a speed of 12 knots.
Crew: 14 officers and 308 sailors.
The last commander is Captain 2nd Rank Max Loof.

The results of the fighting:

Captured and sunk: English steamer City of Winchester.

Enemy warships sunk: English light cruiser ''Pegasus''.

The selection was compiled by Dmitry Viktorovich Mazurik.

Returning to the North Sea, the cruiser took part in the second battle of Helgoland on 11/17/1917. The only thing that distinguished "Frankfurt" was a torpedo salvo on the British cruisers, which, however, did not bring success. This was the last combat encounter of "Frankfurt". After the armistice, the cruiser was interned at Scapa Flow. On June 21, 1919, during the sinking of the ships of the High Seas Fleet, he was nevertheless rescued by the British.

In July 1919, he was handed over to the United States. After crossing the ocean and studying the design of the ship, the Americans decided to use it to conduct experiments on aerial bombing. 18/7/1921 during another bombing "Frankfurt" sank off Cape Henry on the coast of Virginia.

The death of the ship was filmed, and now these shots are very popular with filmmakers, who for some reason pass them off as the battle of Jutland or in general for any battles of the first, and sometimes the second world war.

Light cruiser "Kenigsberg"

Type "Koenigsberg"

Program of 1913 [* All ships of this series are named after cruisers that died in the war.].

Displacement: 5440 tons (project), 7125 tons (full).

Dimensions: 151.4x14.3x6.0 m.

Mechanisms: 2 naval turbines, 12 boilers (10 coal, 2 oil).

Power: 31,000 hp from. Speed: 27.5 knots. Fuel supply: coal - 1340 tons, oil - 500 tons.

Cruising range: 4850 miles / 12 knots.

Booking: see type "Magdeburg".

Armament: see Wiesbaden type.

Crew: 475 people (17 officers, 458 sailors).

"Koenigsberg" Built at the shipyard "Weser" (Bremen). Laid down in 1914, launched on 12/18/1915, joined the fleet on 12/8/1916. He was included in the second reconnaissance group.

The first major operation of the cruiser was participation in the capture of the Moonsund Islands. "Koenigsberg" covered the landing in Taga-Lakht Bay, but did not take part in battles with Russian ships. 11/17/1917 participated in the second battle of Helgoland. Received a 380mm shell from the newest British battlecruiser Repulse. The shell pierced all three chimneys of the Koenigsberg and penetrated through the upper deck into the coal pit, squeezed out its internal bulkhead, exploded there and started a fire. The cruiser managed to get out of the battle and get to the base. After repairs, he returned to the fleet, but the war soon ended. 20/7/1920 in Cherbourg "Koenigsberg" was transferred to France and until 1933 was part of its fleet under the name "Metz". In 1936, it was dismantled for metal in Brest.

"Karlsruhe" Built on naval shipyards in Wilhelmshaven. Laid down in 1915, launched on 1/31/1916, joined the fleet on 12/23/1916.

As part of the second reconnaissance group, he took part in the operation to capture the Moonsund Islands and in the second battle at Heligoland. After the armistice, the Karlsruhe was interned at Scapa Flow and scuttled by her crew on 21/6/1919. Raised in 1962 and dismantled for metal.

"Emden" Built at the shipyard "Weser" (Bremen). Laid down in 1914, launched on February 1, 1916, entered the Navy on December 16, 1916. Was the flagship of the destroyer flotilla.

Exterior view of light cruisers of the Koenigsberg type (1918).

He took part in the capture of the Moonsund Islands. At noon on 10/11/1917, as part of the main forces, "Emden" headed north. The cruiser followed the wake of the flagship battlecruiser Moltke, followed by the battleships of the Fourth Brigade under the command of Vice Admiral Souchon. 10/12/1917 "Emden" together with the best German battleship "Bayern" crushed the battery at Cape Toffri. But "Bayern" soon hit a mine and retreated. On the same day, the cruiser assisted its destroyers and minesweepers, which were attacked by the Russian destroyers General Kondratenko and Border Guard.

Later, "Emden" entered into battle with Russian ships, which prevented the German destroyers from breaking through to the Kassar reach. After a two-hour skirmish, the Germans withdrew. On October 13-14, Emden, together with the battleship Kaiser, fought with Russian ships, during which the Russian destroyer Grom was sunk. After the capture of the Moonsund Islands, the cruiser was transferred to the North Sea.

12/11/1917 "Emden" provided the passage of the second flotilla of destroyers, sent to attack the Scandinavian convoys. After a successful raid, the destroyers were again met by the cruiser.

After the armistice, the ship is interned at Scapa Flow. During the "great flood" on June 21, 1919, he was dragged into shallow water, and he remained intact. On March 11, 1920, it was transferred to France, but due to poor technical condition, it was not included in its fleet, but was used after studying the design for testing. In 1926, it was dismantled for metal.

Nuremberg Built at the Havaldswerke plant (Kiel). Laid down in 1915, launched on 14/4/1916, joined the fleet on 15/2/1917.

As part of the second reconnaissance group, he participated in the Moondzund landing operation. Accompanied the fourth transport group, covered the landing in Taga-Lakht Bay. In the second battle of Helgoland, he was the flagship of the second reconnaissance group, actively supported the formation of minesweepers.

After the armistice, he was interned at Scapa Flow. During the self-sinking of the High Seas Fleet, it was pulled out onto the shallows. Subsequently transferred to the UK and used for various experiments and as a target. 7/7/1922 sank off the Isle of Wight.

Light cruiser Cologne

Type "Cologne"

[* Cruisers of this type were built to make up for military losses. A fairly large series was planned, but only two cruisers were commissioned. They became the last cruisers of the Kaiser fleet.].

Displacement: 5620 tons (project), 7486 tons (full).

Dimensions: 155.5x14.3x6.0 m.

Mechanisms: 2 naval turbines, 14 boilers (8 coal, 6 oil).

Power: 31,000 hp from. Speed: 27.5 knots.

Fuel supply: coal - 1100 tons, oil - 1050 tons.

Cruising range: 5400 miles / 12 knots.

Booking: see type “Magdeburg”

Armament: 8 - 150 mm, 3 - 88 mm (zeniths.), 4 TA - 600 mm (deck), 120 min barriers.

Exterior view of the Cologne-class light cruisers (1918).

"Cologne" Built at the shipyard "Blom und Voss" (Hamburg). Laid down in 1915, launched 10/5/1916, entered the fleet on 1/17/1918. The first commander was Captain 2nd Rank Erich Raeder, the future commander-in-chief of the Kriegsmarine. The cruiser did not take an active part in the hostilities. He made several outings on patrol and to escort submarines. After the armistice, he was interned at Scapa Flow. 21/9/1919 scuttled by crew.

Dresden Built at the Howaldswerke plant (Kiel). Laid down in 19*16, launched on 25/4/1917, joined the fleet on 28/3/1918. He did not take an active part in the hostilities. Interned at Scapa Flow. Scuttled by crew 21/6/1919.

Unfinished cruisers of the type "Cologne" and their fate

Name	Primary title	Shipyard	Laid down	Launched	Dismantled
"Wiesbaden"	"Nuremberg"	"Volcano" (Stettin)	1916	3.03.1917	1920
"Magdeburg"	"Magdeburg"	Howaldswerke (Kiel)	1916	17.11.1917	1922
"Leipzig"	"Leipzig"	"Weser" (Bremen)	1915	28.01.1918	1921
"Rostock"	"Mainz"	"Volcano" (Stettin)	1915	6.04.1918	1922
"Frownlob"	"Koenigsberg"	Naval "shipyard (Kiel)	1915	16.10.1918	1921
-	"Koln"	"Weser" (Bremen)	1915	-	1921
-	"Emden"	"Weser" (Bremen)	1915	-	1921
-	"Karlsruhe"	Naval Shipyard (Kiel)	1916	-	1920

German light cruisers. 1921-1945 Part I. “Emden”, “Koenigsberg”, “Karlsruhe” and “Cologne” Trubitsyn Sergey Borisovich

Cruiser "Kenigsberg"

Cruiser "Kenigsberg"

"Kenigsberg" before launching and on completion in 1928

On April 12, 1926, a new cruiser was laid down at the Wilhelmshaven Naval Shipyard, which received the code designation Kreuzer “B” (“Ersatz Thetis”), on March 26, 1927, a christening and descent ceremony took place. The ship was named "Koenigsberg" in honor of the capital city of East Prussia. He inherited his name from the cruiser-raider of the First World War. The speech during the ceremony was delivered by the governor of Koenigsberg, Dr. Lohmeyer. Frau Loof, the wife of the commander of the first Koenigsberg, became the godmother.

After completion, the cruiser raised the naval ensign. This happened on April 17, 1929. The first commander of the cruiser was Captain 2nd Rank Wolf von Trotha. The crew of the "Kenigsberg" was formed from the sailors of the cruiser "Nymphe", excluded from the lists of the fleet. The functions of the Nymphe were inherited from this cruiser, the Koenigsberg became the flagship of the Baltic Station and the reconnaissance forces of the fleet. After passing the tests, the ship arrived on the Koenigsberg roadstead on August 22. Then new tests and combat training began.

On December 7, 1929, the tests were completed. But even before they ended, on October 12, 1929, Rear Admiral Gladish boarded the ship. The cruiser made a trip to Spain for the world exhibition in Barcelona. The cruiser was in Barcelona from 18 to 26 October. Since January 1, 1930, the cruiser has been the flagship of the reconnaissance forces and the Baltic Station. The composition of this formation included: the cruisers "Kenigsberg" and "Amazone", the 2nd destroyer flotilla, the 1st minesweeper semi-flotilla.

In January 1930, the obsolete Amazone was deleted from the connection lists. It was replaced by the new cruiser Cologne. In 1930, a large foreign campaign was planned. April 2, 1930 the squadron went to sea. It also included “Kenigsberg”. Business calls were made to Vigo, Alieria, Catania. In this Italian port, the commander of the line forces, Vice Admiral Aldekop and Rear Admiral Gladish, were introduced to the King of Italy, Victor Emmanuel. Then the ships visited Argostilion, Split, Port Mahon and Lisbon. Only reconnaissance forces entered the capital of Portugal. In this port, the commander of the reconnaissance forces, together with the German ambassador, had to investigate the murder of a German sailor. On June 19, 1930, the Koenigsberg returned to Kiel, after which large fleet maneuvers began. After them, there was a change in the commander of the reconnaissance forces, Rear Admiral Gladish left, he was replaced by Rear Admiral K. Albrecht.

On sea trials (above) and April 17, 1929 during the hoisting of the Naval flag

The end of 1930 and the first half of the next 1931 passed for the cruiser in routine service. May 19, 1931 "Koenigsberg" participated in the celebrations dedicated to the descent of the "Battleship A". During the christening ceremony, a comical incident occurred: German President Field Marshal P. Hindenburg dozed off and in a dream pressed the button that actuated the trigger. "Battleship A", the future "Deutschland", left the slipway ahead of time. After the completion of the celebrations, the cruiser took part in demonstration maneuvers of the fleet. On May 20, they staged a big parade in the Kiel Bay. "Kenigsberg" with the president on board bypassed the formation of the ships of the fleet. From June 10 to June 12, the cruiser and destroyers Albatross, Falk, Grif and Meve were on the roadstead in Liepaja, participating in the parade dedicated to the 10th anniversary of the Latvian fleet. After returning to Germany and a short rest, from June 15 to July 3, the cruiser takes part in the exercises of the connection in the Skagerak Strait and in Norwegian waters, and in September - in the big autumn exercises of the fleet.

Autumn and the first month of the new 1932 passed for the ship in routine service. From January 30 to February 20, Koenigsberg underwent current repairs. At that time, the duties of the flagship of the reconnaissance forces were carried out by the mother ship "Hela". After the completion of the work, the cruiser returned to the fleet. The first half of the year passed for the ship in combat training. From June 11 to June 17, “Königsberg”, accompanied by destroyers: “Zeeadler”, “Condor”, “Falk”, “Meve” and “Albatross”, pays a visit to Stockholm, where he was visited by the most august persons. In August, the Koenigsberg conducted a demonstration artillery fire in the presence of the Minister of War, Infantry General von Schleicher, and in the autumn took part in the big autumn maneuvers in the North Sea and off the southern coast of Norway.

The year 1933 passed for the cruiser in routine service. Destroyers and minesweepers were excluded from the reconnaissance forces of the formation to which he was a member. The only noteworthy event of that period was a small trip abroad from July 17 to August 5.

1934 was devoted to combat training. Only in July 1934, "Koenigsberg" and "Leipzig" under the flag of Admiral Kolbe paid a visit to the British naval base of Portsmouth. This was the first visit German ships to Great Britain after 1914. Then a call to Reykjavik took place, and at the end of the month (27-30) - a visit to the Estonian capital Tallinn. Then participation in the autumn maneuvers of the fleet. After their completion, Rear Admiral Bam raised his flag on the Koenigsberg. In December, the cruiser visited Stettin, where a living legend of the German army, the last Kaiser Field Marshal von Mackensen, boarded her.

On the "Kenigsberg" on a long voyage

The year 1935 passed for the ship in routine service. In August, a visit was made to the Polish port of Gdynia, followed by the traditional autumn exercises. On February 22, 1936, Admiral Bam transferred his flag to the Leipzig - this is how the ship's service as the flagship of the fleet's reconnaissance forces ended. "Kenigsberg" was withdrawn from the ships of the first line and transferred to the artillery inspection as a training ship of the artillery school.

In the summer of 1936, he participated in exercises as part of the reconnaissance forces of the fleet and a visit to the capital of Finland, Helsinki. The outbreak of the Spanish Civil War necessitated a permanent German naval presence in the waters of this state. On November 25, 1936, the training cruiser “Königsberg” sets out to sea from Kiel and heads south. He calls at El Ferrol, Cadiz, Tangier, Melila.

January 15, 1937 "Koenigsberg" returned to Kiel and continued to serve in the artillery school. In the summer of 1937, a campaign took place in Norwegian waters, and then the usual service as a training artillery ship.

In May 1939, Koenigsberg visited the Swedish ports of Vaza and Visbe. second world war"Kenigsberg" met in the Baltic waters, but at the end of September it was transferred to the North Sea. “Koenigsberg” took part in setting up the “Westwall” minefield system, and in October in torpedo firing. From 1 to 3 November, he took part in the maneuvers of the German fleet in the Baltic.

On the night of November 12-13, a formation of German destroyers laid mines off the English coast. The operation was covered by the cruisers Koenigsberg and Nuremberg and the 6th destroyer flotilla. This was the last operation of "Koenigsberg" in 1939 - the cruiser is standing against the factory wall for current repairs, which were completed in 1940.

On February 20, 1940, General von Falkenhorst was summoned to Berlin, where he appeared before the Fuhrer, who ordered him to prepare a plan for the invasion of Norway by 3 pm. Von Falkenhorst drew up a plan for the invasion. The main idea of ​​this plan: the capture of the main Norwegian ports.

Artillery of the main caliber

All combat-ready ships of the German fleet were divided into groups designed to capture a specific port. "Koenigsberg" became part of group 3, whose target was Bergen. The group also included the cruiser Cologne, the artillery training ship Bremse, the floating base of the torpedo boats Karl Peters, the destroyers Leopard and Wolf, 5 torpedo boats and 2 auxiliary ships. The group was commanded by Rear Admiral Schmundt. He was very unhappy with his group. He considered the cruisers obsolete, the Bremse artillery training ship required major repairs, and the Karl Peters had not yet passed the tests, not to mention the combat training course. Schmundt requested that these two ships be replaced by the cruiser Karlsruhe. But there were too few ships, so the admiral's request remained unsatisfied.

In early April, 750 soldiers of the 69th Infantry Division were loaded on board the Koenigsberg, and Admiral Schrader, appointed commander of the western Norwegian coast, and his headquarters also arrived. On board the "Kenigsberg" was the commander of the 159th infantry regiment. Around midnight on April 7, the cruisers put to sea. From the air they were covered by two He-111 aircraft. The group united at sea with the Bremse and Karl Peters, and then with torpedo boats. On April 9, the ships of the Kriegmarine were at the target. In accordance with the order of the high command, the English naval flags were hoisted on the ship and, to the request of the Norwegian patrol ship, they answered in English. Something like: "his majesty's ship" name "we are going on a friendly visit." The Norwegians, suspecting something was wrong, illuminated the Koenigsberg with a searchlight and fired a lighting rocket. But everything worked out, and the Norwegian guards of the “sea lines” calmed down. But soon the flagship "Cologne" entered into battle with the Norwegian coastal battery.

"Koenigsberg" managed to land troops, after which an order was received to enter the harbor and support the landing. But as soon as the cruiser entered the narrowness, it was immediately illuminated by searchlights and coastal batteries, armed with 210-mm guns, opened fire. The cruiser commander was not at a loss, ordered to signal: "Cease fire - friend." But this did not help, the first shot was a warning, and then fire was opened to kill.

Light cruiser "Koenigsberg". 1939 (external view and top view)

Volley of the main caliber

The first shell exploded just above the Koenigsberg waterline, in the bow on the starboard side. The cistern, the 2nd power plant and the 3rd boiler room were in the affected area. Numerous shrapnel cut pipelines and electrical cables, part of the electrical equipment was also destroyed. The boiler rooms were filled with steam. Water and fuel poured into the hull. After the failure of the power plant, the steering and the fire control system failed. The latter in this case no longer had of great importance, since the battery was well disguised. The second shell hit the superstructure near the 37-mm machine gun, which was damaged, passed through the officers' cabins, the first chimney and smashed the rear 37-mm gun of the left side, incapacitating his calculation. The third shell hit next to the second and caused a fire in the cabins. Due to the heavy smoke, the rangefinder on the foremast could not operate. The commander of the "Kenigsberg" captain 1st rank Runfus began to leave the battle and led the ship to the port. Soon the Cologne arrived there. Another coastal battery opened fire on the German cruisers. She was discovered and fired back. At the same time, “Kenigsberg” fired from all three towers. The battery was suppressed, and then it was captured by the German infantry. Bergen was occupied.

On the "Kenigsberg" during classes and work

The soldiers remaining on board were unloaded from the Koenigsberg, and part of the fuel was transferred to other ships. Despite everything, the damage to the ship was minor. The ship remained able to develop the highest speed of 22-24 knots, although due to a hole in the hull, its seaworthiness noticeably decreased. Admiral Schmundt, after consulting with the higher command, decided to leave the damaged cruiser in the Norwegian port for repairs, apparently fearing the appearance of superior forces of the British fleet.

"Koenigsberg" in the prewar years

This danger was very real: 4 of the latest Town-class cruisers under the command of Admiral Leighton were already on their way to Bergen. The speed of the English ships was greatly reduced by the storm. But the Germans were very lucky: the British cruisers, located 80 miles south of Bergen, were stopped by the Admiralty. In London, they feared that the Germans had already managed to bring coastal batteries into combat readiness. If the ships had not been returned, then most likely the 3rd group would have been destroyed.

But "Cologne" and "Koenigsberg" still stood in the port of Bergen.

In the afternoon of April 9, the German formation was attacked by British aircraft. 24 bombers dropped bombs, but none of them hit the target. Therefore, “Cologne”, together with combat-ready ships, went to sea, and “Koenigsberg” was transferred to the pier, in such a way that its stern towers and 88-mm anti-aircraft guns kept the western entrance to the port under control. The northern entrance to the port was controlled by all the towers of the main caliber. Torpedo boats moored to its side. Part of the crew went ashore to reinforce the Wehrmacht units. When choosing a mooring place, the proximity to residential areas and neutral merchant ships was taken into account. Therefore, the Germans believed that they were completely safe, the bombing was ruled out.

The British came to the same conclusion, but still, based on the current situation, they decided to strike with naval aviation. At that time, it was armed with two types of attack aircraft: torpedo bombers of the Swordfish type and fighters, dive bombers of the Skua type. It was the latter who were supposed to bomb Koenigsberg. For the raid, two squadrons were allocated, previously assigned to the aircraft carrier Ark Royal. In April 1940 they were based in the Orkiney Islands.

During the war years

On April 10, 11 aircraft were lifted into the air. The British flew over the North Sea, crossed the Norwegian coast. They approached Bergen from the southeast. The pilots expected to see two cruisers, but only one Koenigsberg was in the port. The Skua entered from the direction of the sun, the dive angle was 60°, the bombing height was 650 m, after leaving it the planes went west towards the sea. There was practically no anti-aircraft fire. After 10 minutes, the target was shrouded in smoke. According to the pilots, three bombs hit the enemy ship. Two planes did not return to the base, including the plane of the commander of the 803rd squadron.

The German sailors were taken by surprise. The first bombs exploded on the pier at the starboard side next to the boiler room No. 1. The fragments pierced the side, opened the fuel tank and broke the steam lines. The onboard compartments had to be abandoned due to burning oil and steam. The second bomb passed through the signal bridge and exploded in the water at the side. As a result of a hydraulic shock, a hole appeared in the XII compartment, and a double bottom was opened in the adjacent compartment, the boiler room No. 4, the power plant No. 4 and the pump room were in the affected area. Soon the water rose to the level of the platform deck, in the radio room, in the central artillery post and in the central post. The cruiser began to list to port. The third bomb exploded in the auxiliary boiler room, a fire started, and there were heavy losses among the crew.

Yu April 1940 "Koenigsberg" after the attack of British aircraft (above) and in 1942-43.

Two more bombs, breaking through the deck, exploded inside the ship, and the last one exploded in the water at the stern, making a hole in the side. Water began to flow into the boiler room No. 3 and No. 2. Only boiler room No. 1 remained in service, but it was not possible to supply steam to the generators and pumps, since diesel generators were flooded in the XII compartment. Therefore, Captain 1st Rank Runfus, seeing the hopeless situation, ordered to leave the ship. At this time, a large fire was raging in the middle of the cruiser, and a real danger cellar explosions. The crew managed to get to the pier in an organized manner. Soon the cruiser capsized. The time of the death of the ship was 10 hours 51 minutes, the loss of the crew amounted to 18 people (according to other sources, 11). Only the screws and part of the bottom remained above the water. The sailors of "Koenigsberg" were transferred to the Marine Corps. Soon, singing the song: “We are going to England,” they walked through the streets of Bergen.

The Koenigsberg hull was raised in the summer of 1942 and used as a pier for submarines. In June 1942, the headquarters of the leadership of the war at sea planned to transfer the Koenigsberg to the Baltic, to be used as an anti-aircraft floating battery or dismantled for metal. But due to the lack of escort ships, it had to be abandoned. The Koenigsberg hull was dismantled in Bergen after the war.

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