class cruiser class traditional class armored cruisers built marine class comprised ships larger class cruisers preceded extra size primarily increase main armament inch guns ships german cruiser reach equality british counterparts ships named 19th century prussian army august von built overseas service assigned respectively relieved old armored cruiser squadron flagship station ships short careers shortly outbreak world war ships departed german colony november ships destroyed british force battle inflicted royal_navy defeat including class ships subsequently annihilated battle islands december design general characteristics ships class meters long overall long waterline beam draft displaced metric tons long tons short tons standard long tons short tons load ships hulls constructed transverse longitudinal steel frames outer hull plating vessels watertight compartments double ran length hull ships standard crew officers enlisted men squadron flagship larger crew including additional officers men serving squadron second command flagship extra staff officers men ships carried number smaller vessels including picket boats launches machinery class ships powerplant preceding class cylinder triple expansion engines engine drove single propeller center shaft diameter outer wide screws slightly smaller wide center shaft outer pair triple expansion engines supplied steam coal fired marine type boilers fire boxes engines designed provide indicated horsepower trials achieved higher figures ihp ihp ships rated speed knots mph trials steamed maximum knots mph ran knots mph vessels carried long tons short tons coal normally capable storing long tons short tons coal provided maximum range nautical miles cruising speed knots mph ships single rudder vessels carried electrical plant older class ships consisted turbo generators delivered kilowatts volts class ships cruisers built germany equipped generators power volts subsequent design generators ran volts armament ships main battery armament consisted guns twin gun turrets fore aft main superstructure remaining mounted single wing turrets guns fired armor piercing muzzle velocity metres second guns rate fire rounds minute guns supplied total rounds guns mounted twin turrets elevate degrees enabled maximum range metres single turrets elevate degrees range lower metres twin turrets train approximately degrees direction centerline secondary armament included guns casemates guns fired armor piercing shells rate minute ships carried shells gun total rounds total guns degrees elevate degrees maximum range metres manually elevated trained ships armed eighteen centimetres guns mounted casemates fired shells muzzle velocity approximately metres second ship carried shells gun total rounds capable engaging targets larger guns weapons manually elevated trained customary warships period class ships equipped submerged torpedo tubes mounted bow broadside fourth placed stern ships supplied total torpedoes weapons type weighed kilograms carried kilograms high explosive speed knots mph torpedoes effective range metres set slower speed knots mph weapons hit targets twice distance metres armor standard german warships ships class protected krupp armor armor belt thick central portion ship important areas located belt decreased end central citadel bow stern entire belt backed teak main armored deck ranged thickness critical areas deck sloped belt portion thick forward conning tower thick sides thick roof rear conning tower armored sides thick roof thick main battery gun turrets thick sides thick roofs amidships guns protected thick gun shields thick roofs guns armored thick shields ships service history commissioning ships class assigned serving admiral flagship regarded trained vessels ships won awards excellence gunnery start world war ships routine cruise rest squadron dispersed pacific declaration war japan germany convinced consolidate force cruisers leipzig dresden american station head chile refuel flotilla attempt return germany atlantic_ocean admiral intended attack british cruisers command admiral british shipping encountered september approached island french intention seizing coal harbor ships conducted short bombardment resulted sinking old feared harbor mined decided avoid risk french set fire coal stocks prevent germans coal approximately november encountered ships german ships advantage speed able distance kilometers closing engage british flotilla hit good hope times shells penetrated good hope ammunition magazines resulted tremendous explosion destroyed ship light cruiser closed point blank range attack severe sank british light cruiser glasgow auxiliary cruiser escaped cover darkness sea lord remarked naval action war defeat inflicted royal_navy battle news battle reached berlin ordered iron crosses awarded men squadron departed order destroy british wireless located battle hours news battle reached england admiral fisher ordered admiral commander grand_fleet battlecruisers invincible hunt german ships vice admiral placed command flotilla included armored cruisers cornwall defence kent light cruisers bristol glasgow survived ships reached morning december shortly squadron arrived british spotted unaware british sent battlecruisers observed ordered ships withdraw despite head start fast battlecruisers quickly caught worn german ships completed mile voyage repairs approximately battlecruisers opened fire range kilometres hour long battle dead water listing heavily ship sunk shortly hit times close range crew gave cheers kaiser vessel sank leipzig sunk dresden managed escape temporarily destroyed men killed admiral
Scharnhorst-class cruiser