sms sms class cruiser imperial_german_navy built early 1910s following commissioning battlecruiser assigned mediterranean division response balkan wars british warships mediterranean reach constantinople transferred ottoman_empire august ottomans join world war ships ottoman vessels raided russian ports october prompting russian declaration war ships renamed respectively saw extensive service ottoman fleet primarily black_sea active laying minefields russian coast bombarding russian ports installations shortage ottoman merchant ships transporting troops supplies black_sea ports supplying ottoman troops fighting lightly damaged times russian ships damage inflicted kept service half year ship mined sunk january loss vast majority crew construction ordered contract laid vulcan shipyard stettin launching ceremony christened mayor ship namesake launching fitting work commenced lasted commissioned high_seas_fleet august ship meters long overall beam draft forward displaced long tons short tons combat load propulsion system consisted sets steam turbines driving meter propellers designed shaft horsepower reached shp service powered sixteen coal fired marine type water tube boilers later altered use fuel oil sprayed coal increase burn rate gave ship speed knots mph carried tonnes long tons coal additional tonnes long tons oil gave range approximately nautical miles knots mph crew officers enlisted men ship armed guns single pedestal mounts placed forward forecastle located amidships aft guns maximum elevation degrees allowed engage targets supplied rounds ammunition shells gun guns replaced guns fore aft broadside equipped pair torpedo tubes torpedoes submerged hull broadside carry mines ship protected waterline armored belt thick amidships conning tower thick sides deck covered thick armor plate service history following commissioning attached battlecruiser command admiral german_navy decided needed permanent naval presence mediterranean aftermath balkan wars began future grand admiral world war served aboard outbreak world war french transports transferring troops algeria france august ships steaming algeria shortly bombarded port attacks caused minimal damage quickly broke returned coal stocks british war germany british battlecruisers german ships route partially coal 5th arranged meet left port following morning bound constantinople pursued evening 1st commanded intercepted germans briefly exchanged fire light cruiser gloucester broke attack fearing powerful guns august met island near days later entered dardanelles neutrality requirements germany transferred ships august supposed sale simply ruse september accepted offer command turkish fleet renamed renamed german crews remained ships donned ottoman uniforms british accept sale ships ottoman_empire stationed blockading force outside dardanelles orders attack ships appeared regardless flag flew ottoman service evening october rest ottoman fleet left steamed black_sea ostensibly conduct maneuvers instead fleet split groups attack russian bases black_sea cruiser tasked mining attacking port laid mines later claimed russian merchant ships joined ship bombarding set port oil tanks fire damaged seven merchant ships sank gross register tons grt damage inflicted russians relatively light forced russians declare war ottoman_empire bringing country war germany early november operating eastern black_sea covering ottoman transports detached shell russian port retaliation russian attacks turkish shipping november sortied command attempt intercept returned bombarding discovered russian ships southern tip poor visibility short range resulting engagement ordered assume safer position rear engaged pre dreadnoughts effect ordered turkish ships shortly afterward cruiser spent rest month escorting shipping december escorted small raiding party intended attack railroad installations return voyage bombarded damaging anchor month later december sortied rendezvous darkness following morning encountered russian transport intended sunk quickly sank forced turn away spotting encountered forced crew ship briefly engaged russian destroyers moving ahead russian fleet monitor progress ottoman coastal guns forced remaining deep water conducted series sorties russians early including operation concert cruiser january inadvertently came contact scored hit battleship main battery turret ottoman ships withdrew april ottoman fleet sortied attack russian transports provided covering force attack failed cruiser struck sank russian fleet attempted intercept turkish force able escape undamaged ships joined conducted sweep attack russian transports found targets later month detachments naval infantry landed assist defense allied landings gallipoli night june encountered russian destroyers brief cruiser crippled hit starboard engine compartment broke main steam line engines forced turn away fired torpedoes hit seven times slight damage towed following day struck july sailed constantinople escort merchant ship minefields defending capital explosion boiler room killed crewmen flooded long tons water ship port inspection revealed badly damaged hampered shortage trained personnel material ship repairs took long time ship return service february opportunity taken replace guns pieces february quickly transport officers men machine gun company significant stock supplies munitions heavy pressure russian army route night 28th encountered russian destroyers evaded russians reached march attempted attack pair destroyers north unable catch ship returned march run time carrying soldiers barrels fuel oil successfully landed 13th stopped picked long tons short tons flour ton tons coal returning supply operation followed april ship brought men rifles cases ammunition making delivery ship met boat proceeded attack russian forces shelled russian positions set fire destroyed deck gun turned north sank russian sailing vessel running powerful dreadnought battleship fled high speed times damaged early cruiser laid minefields mines laid branch second trip bombarded laying mines transported troops returning grain tobacco deck cargo july sortied support ottoman counterattack broke russian lines advanced sank pair russian ships july destroyed torpedoed previous day rejoined return ships evaded strong russian forces attempting intercept later month july attempted lay minefield russian wireless interception allowed dreadnought destroyers leave port attempt cut ships encountered quickly turned south stern gun kept russian destroyers bay ship slowly drew range heavy guns near misses shell splinters deck wounded men heavy use smoke screens rain allowed break contact russian reached early following morning end severe coal shortage prevented conducting offensive operations laid minefield mouth danube destroyed wireless station captured prisoners minefield laid later sank destroyer june sea russian force raided including renamed returning port spotted russian fleet attempted cut safety raced port fell destroyer closed attack guns drove cruiser managed reach port damage engagement war german warships russian fleet november left conduct sweep russian warships russians observed departure attempted attack cruiser new battleship mutiny aboard prevented force slipped port night january left dardanelles command vice admiral replaced previous september intention draw allied naval forces away palestine support turkish forces outside straits course known ottoman ships surprised sank monitors anchor pre dreadnoughts guarding decided proceed port british pre dreadnought battleship raising steam attack turkish ships route struck total mines sank hit mines forced beach avoid sinking thirty crew killed sinking survivors rescued british destroyers according men rescued ship
SMS Breslau