sms sms class light cruiser german kaiserliche_marine built vulcan stettin launched march stettin germany second ship class sister sms served world war operating time company sister ships took ambush convoy north_sea sank destroyers surprise attack hunting sinking returned port unscathed kaiserliche_marine considered sending ships attack convoys atlantic_ocean difficulties associated sea convinced germans abandon plan ships interned scapa_flow terms armistice november june commander interned fleet rear admiral ordered fleet salvaged teams working contend large quantities oil risks fires explosions having brought surface decade underwater scrapped construction ordered contract laid vulcan shipyard stettin launched march fitting work commenced completed months commissioned high_seas_fleet july ship meters long overall beam draft forward displaced long tons short tons combat load propulsion system consisted sets steam turbines powered coal fired oil fired marine type boilers provided speed knots mph range nautical miles mph service ship reached mph ship armed guns single pedestal mounts arranged forward placed superfiring pair aft guns fired pound shell muzzle velocity meters second guns maximum elevation degrees allowed engage targets supplied rounds ammunition shells gun carried anti aircraft guns mounted centerline astern funnels equipped pair torpedo tubes torpedoes swivel mount amidships designed carried mines ship protected waterline armored belt thick amidships conning tower thick sides deck covered thick armor plate career period october served high_seas_fleet north_sea january ships laid minefield escorted march based wilhelmshaven major offensive operation attack british convoy october britain agreed ship long tons short tons tons coal month norway regular stream convoys carrying shipments coal crossing north_sea late usually weakly escorted couple destroyers armed attempts boats point ineffective admiral chief decided deploy surface force carry surprise attack supplement boat campaign addition damaging british shipping sought divert escorts atlantic theater boats concentrated commanded commanded selected operation high speed large radius action coupled resemblance british light cruisers suited task preparation raid crews painted ships dark gray camouflage british vessels half hour dawn morning october attacked westbound convoy nautical miles east convoy consisted escorted destroyers pair armed departed bergen dawn aboard stronghold reported unidentified ships closing convoy british cruisers recognition signals suddenly fired range barrage shells tried come assistance hit ships quickly sunk turned attention convoy hunting sinking returning port armed fired attempting pick survivors ships able send wireless report despite having squadron sixteen light cruisers sea south convoy british learn attack late admiral said action luck admiralty responded raid adding bigger escorts late war considered sending commerce raiding mission atlantic operate azores concert central atlantic normal range boats convoys lightly defended area canceled plan determined sea difficult problem tendency ships clouds red sparks steaming speeds mph ability evade allied ships night april laid minefield consisting mines north_sea laid mines area april sister ended month fleet sortie rest battle fleet april laid minefield north_sea mines days later laid mines north_sea final sortie high_seas_fleet october operation cancelled outbreak mutiny modern units high_seas_fleet included ships specified scapa_flow victorious allied powers ships steamed germany november single file commanded rear admiral met sea combined fleet british american french warships fleet arrived later day november escorted scapa_flow arrival wireless equipment removed ships breech blocks heavy guns taken prevent use crews reduced minimum levels fleet remained captivity negotiations ultimately produced treaty versailles believed british intended seize german ships june deadline germany signed peace treaty unaware deadline extended 23rd ordered ships sunk opportunity morning june british fleet left scapa_flow conduct training maneuvers transmitted order ships armed british naval party attempted board close found rising waterline instead anchor chains taken tow destroyer attempt beach sank managed run bow beach south sloping approach meant stern settled deeper water rolled sank water leaving bow visible low tide salvage admiralty arranged ships salvaged left sound entrepreneur bought salvage rights began raise remaining ships early 1920s presented particular challenges come rest rock sloped away dramatically causing fears slip sink deeper water cox salvage team sealed bulkheads divided hull watertight compartments hull fitted team ran difficulties large oil covered wreck found ships salvaged previously man team ignited oil causing explosion men escaped injuries small explosions fires common months took prepare ship injured july superstructure cleared turned upside techniques developed destroyers pump air hull bring surface supported inch wires attached floating docks anchored port salvage teams raised suddenly toppled gradually night settling rocks thought failure caused remaining superstructure attempts clean large quantity oil attempt raise decision burn oil fire spread brought control pumped air breaking surface november eventually considered unsafe tow scrapping ships cox salvaged instead taken november broken
SMS Bremse