german cruiser german light cruiser leipzig class built kriegsmarine named city sister ship leipzig laid launched december year completed november armed main battery guns triple turrets steam speed knots mph longest serving major warship kriegsmarine active service end world war german navy late 1930s took non intervention patrols spanish civil war major incident outbreak world war september lay defensive minefields german coast escort offensive layers north_sea torpedoed british submarine december training ship baltic_sea rest war apart short deployment norway november april january assigned laying duties severe shortages fuel permitted operation end war seized royal_navy ultimately awarded soviet_union war december soviet crew took ship following month took renamed admiral served 8th fleet training cruiser based broken scrap design meters long overall beam maximum draft forward displaced metric tons long tons short tons combat load propulsion system consisted steam turbines man stroke double acting 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 diesel engines crew officers enlisted men fitted catapult crane handle later replaced models ship armed guns mounted triple gun turrets located forward placed superfiring pair aft centerline supplied rounds ammunition shells gun ship equipped anti aircraft guns anti aircraft guns anti aircraft guns number changed career 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 modifications outbreak war ship fitted protect magnetic mines ship aircraft handling equipment aft torpedo tubes removed war radar suite upgraded march equipped radar early radar set installed search radar surface targets low flying aircraft low range set replaced short range centimeter radar fitted radar warning receivers ship anti aircraft battery improved course world war late pair army variant quadruple mounts installed navigating bridge aft superfiring turret navy proposed installing guns weapons diverted uses guns installed mounted bridge catapult located navy pattern added replaced army model atop aft superfiring turret placed anti aircraft fire director army pattern moved main deck december revised anti aircraft plan proposed time incorporating new gun twin mounts germany wartime situation end prevented changes service history laid shipyard kiel launched december completed year commissioned november ship worked baltic_sea april joined leipzig training cruise atlantic time flagship reconnaissance forces german_navy cruisers returned baltic additional maneuvers participated non intervention patrols spanish civil war initial deployment flew flag course conflict conducted patrols spain encounter forces exception claimed attack unidentified submarine south july september took fleet maneuvers heavy cruisers admiral light cruisers leipzig destroyers months spent baltic went dock periodic refit june went training cruise norway returned germany following month august present fleet review held kiel adolf hitler visiting regent hungary joined fleet sent march seize region completing occupation joined admiral leipzig training cruise mediterranean_sea included stops spanish ports returning germany resumed training baltic world war outbreak world war september assigned blockade force intended prevent escaping baltic despite germans efforts polish destroyers submarines escaped britain continued war september rest cruisers withdrawn north_sea lay series defensive minefields protect german coastline returned baltic training exercises october following month transferred north_sea tasked escorting destroyers laying minefields british coast december ship conducted mining operation norway december escorting group destroyers returning laying operation british coast royal_navy submarine hms salmon launched spread torpedoes german flotilla torpedo tracks spotted heading ship turned hard port attempt evade passed ahead ship second struck bow reduced speed knots mph allow crew inspect damage torpedo tracks spotted port ship immediately accelerated speed turned starboard torpedoes exploded cruiser wake hit caused minor flooding minimal damage watertight bulkheads held germans spotted salmon briefly engaged main battery turret effect got underway speed knots mph port hms unsuccessfully attacked damaged cruiser following day entered arriving kiel went drydock repairs lasted april early june commander informed ship participate operation sortie battleships instead transferred norway departing kiel june escort torpedo boats june torpedo boats sent fuel meantime steamed course knots mph evade submarines area following day 2nd took escort duty trondheim june reached base month period unsuccessfully attacked british submarine action ship saw norway july destroyers torpedo boats escorted damaged battleship torpedoed british submarine trondheim norway kiel flotilla arrived kiel july august replaced ship commander spent rest year baltic italian admiral visited ship september short refit conducted october november february reclassified training cruiser assigned surviving light cruisers ships tasked training crews boat arm expanding rapidly wage battle atlantic start period crewmen transferred boat fleet outbreak war soviet_union june reassigned centered new battleship clear soviet baltic fleet intend sortie german ships dispersed returned training duties remainder year refit conducted january period aircraft equipment aft torpedo tubes removed light anti aircraft armament increased allied air raids caused damage delayed return service august conducted sea trials october deployed norway november left bound trondheim arrived november remained transferred bay outside december joined fleet centered saw action period april left german waters trondheim arriving kiel machinery overhauled work completed late assigned baltic frequent crew changes kept ship low state readiness remained duty saw action assigned shore bombardment units supported retreating german_army eastern unlike ships start assigned laying duty based oslo norway completed laying operation january forces assigned operation included destroyers torpedo boats layer carried mines severe fuel shortages prevented operations january steamed copenhagen remained end war long tons synthetic fuel oil aboard received order british cruisers arrived post war service heavy cruiser sailed copenhagen escort warships flotilla arrived wilhelmshaven german vessels remained determined conference allies eventually decided award soviet_union prevent germans ships allies formally seized vessels december drydock day ship soviet crew came aboard january soviets took seized warships included target ship radio control vessel blitz destroyer torpedo boats present day examined ship great detail arrived cruiser renamed admiral assigned 8th fleet based late flagship 8th fleet command vice admiral early 1950s new class cruisers entered service prompted withdraw admiral line duties returned old job training cruiser time based period light anti aircraft armament removed new radars installed ultimate fate unclear appears placed service scrapped time reportedly longest surviving major warship kriegsmarine active service end war
German cruiser Nürnberg