dresden class cruiser dresden class pair light cruisers built imperial_german_navy early 20th century class comprised sms dresden lead ship ships laid dresden launched followed entered service respectively design ships improvement preceding class slightly larger slightly faster primary armament guns dresden powered steam turbines triple expansion engines respectively continued experiments new turbine technology ships served extensively foreign stations assigned commissioning dresden sent caribbean waters dresden return germany periodic maintenance shortly outbreak world war august impossible onset hostilities operated commerce linking dresden participated november battle islands following december german vessel escape destruction engagement remained large months dresden finally chilean island march owing worn engines pair british cruisers violated chilean neutrality attacked dresden lay anchor germans scuttled ship prevent capture detached pursue independent commerce raiding campaign indian_ocean captured sank numerous vessels including steamer converted auxiliary cruiser september raided caught russian protected cruiser french destroyer quickly destroyed ships shortly caught australian cruiser islands forced beach ferocious engagement design ships dresden class ordered construction program design represents improvement earlier class carried main battery guns slightly greater displacement like ship dresden fitted steam turbine engine compare performance traditional triple expansion engine identical sister ship subsequent designs german cruisers utilized turbine propulsion systems general characteristics dresden class cruisers meters long waterline long overall beam draft forward displaced metric tons long tons designed long tons combat load hulls constructed transverse longitudinal steel frames hulls contained thirteen watertight compartments double extended percent length keel ships good sea boats rolled degrees wet high speeds suffered slight weather helm ships turned tightly hard turn speed fell percent transverse metacentric height dresden crew officers enlisted men carried number smaller boats including picket boat barge cutter machinery dresden propulsion system consisted parsons steam turbines designed shaft horsepower instead equipped triple expansion engines rated indicated horsepower ships speed knots mph vessels engines powered coal fired marine type water tube boilers ships carried metric tons long tons coal ranges slightly different owing different propulsion systems dresden steam nautical miles knots mph range nmi knots mph electrical power supplied turbo generators provided total kilowatts volts armament armor ships armed guns single pedestal mounts placed forward forecastle located amidships aft guns maximum elevation degrees allowed engage targets supplied rounds ammunition shells gun ships equipped guns rounds ammunition ships equipped pair torpedo tubes torpedoes submerged hull broadside ships protected armored deck thick amidships thick sloping armor sides deck reduced aft stern conning tower thick sides guns protected thick shields construction service history dresden dresden spent career foreign stations commissioning visited united_states germany delegation returned north american waters late stationed mexican coast protect german nationals mexican revolution following rebels victory following year dresden evacuated dictator jamaica british granted asylum need repairs cruiser scheduled return germany july outbreak world war prevented taking place instead dresden operated commerce south american waters atlantic months war moving pacific_ocean september joining dresden participated major battles took place november dresden engaged british cruiser second battle islands followed december british battlecruisers annihilated german squadron dresden vessel escape british months march engines worn coal left boilers ship captain contacted local chilean authorities vessel interned duration conflict trapped british cruisers including old opponent glasgow british violated chilean neutrality opened fire ship germans scuttled dresden majority crew escaped interned chile duration war wreck remains harbor surveyed following commissioning fleet assigned corvette captain ship commander outbreak war major german warship main german naval base asia immediately began operate commerce captured ship russian steamer ordered rendezvous rest cruisers remained days convinced independent indian_ocean arriving indian_ocean september captured british sea lanes india september ship bombarded madras resuming hunt merchant ships captured vessels raided port caught russian protected cruiser harbor quickly destroyed departing encountered sank french destroyer proceeded intended destroy wireless station australian cruiser reacted british wireless signals warning germans presence fierce gunnery duel sydney caused damage forced beach island surviving crew including taken captivity wreck eventually broken early 1950s japanese salvage company parts ship remain scattered area
Dresden-class cruiser