class cruiser class light cruisers pair ships built german_imperial_navy start world war ships similar previous class cruisers mounting armament similar armor protection larger faster earlier ships vessels laid launched day apart november joined fleet january fitting work lasted slightly longer sister commissioned following month ships short service careers assigned overseas duty caribbean arriving station july days outbreak world war war began armed passenger liner raid british shipping moderately successful commerce raiding career sank sixteen merchant ships successfully evaded british cruisers sank accidental internal explosion november crew killed sinking survivors returned germany attendant december served torpedo boat flotilla leader high_seas_fleet following commissioning flotilla frequently screened battlecruisers including january operations british coast early saw heavy action june screen main battle fleet ferocious night fighting occurred german fleet punched british rear guard torpedoed british destroyer ship taken tow torpedo boats early morning june cruiser located cruiser prevent capture british germans scuttled ship taking crew design design class prepared improvement previous class faster larger hull greater displacement armament armor protection ordered laid shipyard kiel construction number launched november commissioned fleet january ordered laid dockyard kiel construction number launching ceremonies took place november day sister completed february date joined fleet dimensions machinery class ships meters long waterline long overall beam draft forward aft displaced metric tons long tons short tons designed load long tons short tons combat loading hull constructed longitudinal steel frames incorporated watertight compartments double extended percent length hull ships crew eighteen officers enlisted men carried number smaller vessels including picket boat barge cutter spotting tops installed masts german_navy regarded ships good sea boats suffered slight weather helm swell severe slow steering turn rudder hard lost percent speed transverse metacentric height powered sets marine type steam turbines drove bladed screw diameter turbine divided engine room steam supplied coal fired water tube boilers oil fired double ended water tube boilers split boiler rooms propulsion system rated shaft horsepower speed knots mph ships significantly exceeded figures speed trials shp knots mph reached shp knots mph designed coal oil storage long tons short tons long tons short tons respectively internal accommodate long tons short tons long tons short tons respectively electrical power supplied turbo generators rated kilowatts respectively volts armament armor armed previous class cruisers carried guns single pedestal mounts placed forward forecastle located amidships aft guns maximum elevation degrees allowed engage targets supplied rounds ammunition shells gun ships equipped pair torpedo tubes torpedoes submerged hull broadside carry mines ships armor identical preceding class protected waterline armored belt thick amidships belt reduced forward stern armored conning tower thick sides thick roof deck covered thick armor plate forward amidships aft sloped armor thick connected deck belt armor service history sms commissioning assigned overseas duties caribbean relieve cruiser dresden arrived area july days outbreak world war war began armed passenger liner operate commerce ships transferring equipment british cruisers located pursued superior speed allowed escape operated northeastern coast brazil puerto_rico possession neutral united_states steaming brazil brazilian coast captured sank sixteen ships totaling gross register tons grt ship captain decided operate shipping lanes barbados route november spontaneous internal explosion destroyed ship killed majority crew including captain survivors return germany december sms served high_seas_fleet leader torpedo boat duration career served screens rear admiral battlecruisers operations british coast battle british battlecruisers ambushed german squadron sank armored cruiser april screened battlecruisers bombardment cruisers briefly engaged assigned screen battle fleet june saw major action jutland frequently engaged british light forces including assisting destruction destroyers participation battle culminated destroyers shortly midnight taken tow german torpedo boats following morning cruiser came retreating ships prevent capture germans set charges aboard took crew firing torpedoes disabled cruiser ensure sank
Karlsruhe-class cruiser