german cruiser german light cruiser operated april including service world war lead vessel class operated german navies kriegsmarine sister ships built wilhelmshaven laid april launched march commissioned april armed main battery guns triple turrets speed knots mph served training ship naval cadets 1930s joined non intervention patrols spanish civil war late 1930s outbreak world war september laid defensive minefields north_sea participated invasion norway april attacking bergen badly damaged norwegian coastal artillery sunk british bombers following day harbor wreck eventually raised broken scrap following year characteristics meters long overall beam maximum draft displaced long tons combat load propulsion system consisted steam turbines pair cylinder stroke diesel engines steam turbines provided marine type double ended oil fired boilers ship propulsion system provided speed knots mph range approximately nautical miles knots mph crew officers enlisted men ship armed guns mounted triple gun turrets located forward placed superfiring pair aft rear gun turrets offset increase arc fire supplied rounds ammunition shells gun ship equipped anti aircraft guns single mounts rounds ammunition carried triple torpedo tube mounts located amidships supplied torpedoes capable carrying naval mines ship protected armored deck thick amidships armored belt thick conning tower thick sides service history ordered cruiser given temporary intended replace old cruiser laid wilhelmshaven april launched march commissioned april commissioning ship assigned flagship reconnaissance force german fleet conducted series training cruises naval cadets numerous goodwill visits mediterranean_sea ship major modification took place foremast shortened rear superstructure slightly lengthened commanded ship september september relieved served ship captain following year pair anti aircraft guns individual mounts installed aft superstructure forward main battery turrets year cruiser leipzig goodwill visit united_kingdom end world war sixteen years earlier ship aircraft catapult installed crane handle following year single guns replaced new stabilized twin mount twin mounts added rear superstructure fire control directors anti aircraft guns installed emerging refit employed gunnery training ship spanish civil war late 1930s ship participated non intervention patrols forced republicans surrender german freighter seized returning germany resumed gunnery training duties served radar prototypes scheduled transferred boat school target ship boat crews duty interrupted outbreak world war september day german invasion poland august spotted polish destroyers baltic start hostilities german cruisers laid defensive minefield north_sea went baltic_sea training maneuvers served ship captain june september late installed ship hull returned active duty march assigned invasion force attack norway operation invasion norway took place early april assigned tasked transporting troops wilhelmshaven bergen norway included sister ship artillery training ship torpedo boats wolf leopard germans left wilhelmshaven april reached target following day transferred landing party smaller vessels high speed run port attempt land remainder infantry town directly coastal battery fort took ship fire scored hits forward hits caused severe flooding fires boiler rooms cut ship power unable maneuver drop anchor luftwaffe bombers infantry norwegian guns required major repairs able return germany temporarily moored harbor broadside facing harbor entrance allow bring main battery guns bear british naval attack rest returned germany evening april attacked british bombers effect following morning british launched air raid ship raid consisted sixteen dive bombers seven naval air squadron naval air squadron launched thin deck armor rendered vulnerable dive bomber attack attacked groups aircraft lost contact outward flight found independently dive bombers attacked catching ship crew guard half dive bombers completed crew realized attack large anti aircraft gun reported manned shells fired seconds aft ship lighter anti air weapons firing shore adjacent ships firing later attack hit pound bombs caused damage ship penetrated thin deck armor went ship exploded water causing significant structural damage hit destroyed auxiliary boiler room bombs exploded water ship concussion tore large holes hull took heavy list immediately captain ordered crew abandon ship took slightly hours start attack ship completely sink gave crew time evacuate dead wounded time remove significant ammunition equipment stricken cruiser eighteen men killed attack wreck raised july slowly broken scrap wreck completely dismantled
German cruiser Königsberg