sms majesty ship lead ship class light cruisers german kaiserliche_marine class included ships built shipyard bremen august commissioned high_seas_fleet ship armed main battery guns speed knots mph torpedo test ship commissioning outbreak world war august brought active service deployed baltic baltic fired shots war russians august shelled port participated series russian positions late august 26th participated sweep entrance steaming coast ran aground island freed pair russian cruisers appeared seized ship crew members killed brief engagement recovered intact german code books passed british ability german wireless signals provided british ability ambush german units occasions war including russians partially scrapped remained grounded completely destroying wreck design ordered contract laid shipyard bremen launched fitting work commenced 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 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 commissioning torpedo test ship following outbreak world war august assigned baltic_sea command rear admiral fired shots war russia august shelled russian port laid minefield outside harbor russians fact left seized german_army minefield laid poorly marked hindered german operations russian efforts rest baltic forces conducted series russian positions including days later august shelled lighthouse august destroyers encountered pair powerful russian armored cruisers admiral russian commander mistaken assumption german armored cruisers present attack forces withdrew overall commander baltic naval forces replaced ordered operation august sweep russian reconnaissance forces entrance early morning ran aground lighthouse coast escorting destroyer attempted pull free unable began taking crew evacuation going russian cruisers appeared shelled stranded cruiser germans destroyed forward section ship complete destruction russians reached ship crew members killed attack german code books destroyed russians able recover books current key passed copy british_royal_navy pair russian october partially scrapped ship eventually destroyed wreck capture code books proved provide significant advantage royal_navy admiralty recently created department known room process intercepted german wireless signals code books key british able track movements german warships information passed admiral commander grand_fleet allowed british ambush parts entire german fleet occasions successfully january jutland
SMS Magdeburg