sms sms majesty ship vulture unprotected cruiser class built german_imperial_navy kaiserliche_marine laid launched october commissioned fleet year later october ship designed service germany overseas colonies required comparatively heavy armament guns long cruising radius speed mph spent majority career foreign stations including tours americas africa deployed caribbean following year involved spanish american war crossing blockade lines cuban ports ferry europeans war zone mexico transferred western coast americas reassigned china help suppress remained east asian waters recalled germany major repairs ship assigned colony german served little time area balkan wars required german warships mediterranean safeguard german interests returned early june month new light cruiser arrived relieving second deployment china route german base war broke europe august slipped neutral british singapore days britain declared war germany crossed central pacific attempt link sea captured british freighter sink need engine repairs coal neutral united_states port honolulu hawaii october eventually interned american entrance war april navy seized commissioned uss placed convoy duty ultimately sunk following collision freighter coast north_carolina man killed injured rests depth feet popular diving site design meters long overall beam draft forward displaced long tons short tons combat load propulsion system consisted horizontal cylinder triple expansion steam engines powered coal fired cylindrical boilers provided speed mph range approximately nautical miles mph crew officers enlisted men ship armed quick firing guns single pedestal mounts supplied rounds ammunition total range guns placed forward broadside aft gun armament rounded revolver cannon equipped torpedo tubes torpedoes mounted deck service history ordered contract laid launched october fitting work commenced launching ceremony vice admiral christened ship commissioned german_navy october sea trials trials completed january decommissioned temporarily kiel construction design slightly modified based experience sister ships completed sea trials displacement increased slightly long tons short tons compared ships class stern modified deployment abroad recommissioned december deployment abroad west_indies germany relied school ships protect german nationals region rising tensions haiti prompted admiralty staff send caribbean replacing old ironclad scheduled deploy ironclad recently rebuilt armored cruiser sent strengthen german naval contingent departed kiel december arrived danish west indies january school ships charlotte charlotte taken care situation haiti went stayed march april received order visit brazilian ports stops included brazil april argentina april port tour south_america cut short outbreak spanish american war arrived trips san_juan san_juan witnessed american squadron rear admiral bombard city government permitted cross blockade line outside havana evacuate civilians veracruz mexico arriving 29th governor city artillery officer training ship visited practice torpedo launches mexico german ambassador invited commander men visit mexico_city received president returned cuba june ship called port cuba passed american blockade twice june august war ended visited new_orleans october departing days later caribbean resumed tour south_america interrupted war typically stopped ports significant numbers germans emigrated buenos_aires received order proceed west coast continent february stops chile peru panama stopped guatemala met british cruiser ships sent settle financial disputes government tour continued stops nicaragua ecuador costa_rica received orders proceed north western coast united_states canada stopped acapulco arriving san_francisco august underwent boiler overhaul september departed san_francisco bound vancouver stopping route october left vancouver began return voyage south visited chilean january february including february turning north assigned newly created west american station acapulco july ordered cross pacific join forces nation alliance fighting china left port july japan way honolulu hawaii arrived august joined ships patrolled docking german held bay concession october october steamed shanghai remained february steamed replaced sister ship april returned 29th transferred coast central china replaced sister returned july began tour korean japanese ports days later flagship months filled cruises region october began long cruise south dutch_east_indies included stop singapore ship entered dry dock nagasaki japan major overhaul march lasted april time formally assigned ship resumed normal routine cruises east asian waters stops ports february russo japanese war broke april august captured japanese ship worn having spent seven years foreign stations repair facilities insufficient work needed ordered return germany left january arrived kiel march decommissioned significant period repair work schooner barque rig reduced schooner rig second overseas deployment early recommissioned replace unprotected cruiser based german left danzig arriving kiel following day equipped deployment abroad ship left kiel arrived july joined cruised colony coast end september ordered mediterranean_sea broken 29th time german warship mediterranean old station ship constantinople result heightened tensions europe following crisis july german warships european waters recalled germany departure mediterranean delayed coal fire required crew left october arrived greece october remained january formally assigned recently arrived battlecruiser mid april mid july trips provide humanitarian assistance libya palestine red_sea interrupted arrival yacht ships cruised island early july went austria-hungary overhaul lasted september went cruise eastern mediterranean visited ports loading coal january coal dust explosion killed crew members cruising turkish waters august ordered replace light cruiser international naval blockade montenegro second balkan war arrived mouth montenegro august patrolled october released major overhaul repairs completed january ordered return arrived february conducted survey harbor ship formally reclassified light cruiser arrived june replace reassigned turn replace sister world war captain learned rising tensions europe following assassination austria route pacific ship singapore july departing day austria-hungary declared war serbia proceeded southeast north expected august received order commander join august received word german order begin cruiser warfare steamer august steaming north steamer acted crew temporary repairs ship engines boilers proceeding north took tow conserve coal august managed contact cruiser detached operating commerce instructed rendezvous island unable reach island departed ships met sea following day took commander lieutenant commander aboard meet captain departed proceeded arriving steamer intended rendezvous central pacific proceeded turning north september captured british freighter disabled ship engines departing freighter crew repaired damage australia reported german presence september arrived departed island august time ship engines bad shape unable reach point japanese forces besieged port addition opportunities commerce raiding area slim suitably fast available arm auxiliary cruisers decided follow south_america despite slow speed ship reduced knots mph lloyd steamer towed repairs september time ship coal water supplies low ship able continue past hawaii arrived honolulu october neutral americans requested interned japanese ships battleship armored cruiser patrolling area learning arrival ships remained outside mile limit await departure able delay request november owing damage ship poor weather following day navy interned service uss united_states entered war allies april navy seized refitted service navy ship renamed uss june commissioned september command commander departed pearl harbor october escorted san_diego arriving november continued submarines early december end month convoy panama canal proceeded honduras january relieved escort duty carried american consul sailed florida transferred new_orleans sailed charleston south_carolina february entered dry dock periodic maintenance assigned departed charleston end april months conducted patrols performed escort duty missions east coast caribbean june departed new_york key west 21st southwest rammed merchant ship florida ship hit starboard wing bridge penetrating berth deck feet cutting bunker forward fire room crewmen killed instantly injured abandoned sank hours later ship struck navy list august wreck wreckage rests depth feet wreck situated feet ship subject phase archaeological investigation headed wreck protected sovereign immunity illegal recover artifacts site permission magazine named uss wreck north_carolina
SMS Geier