sms sms german_imperial_navy prior world war ship class launched march bremen named peninsula near danzig present day lightly armed light cruiser main armament consisted centimeter guns classified light cruiser deployed china boxer rebellion participated extensive fleet maneuvers significantly rebuilt fleet tender outbreak world war active service support ship torpedo boats stationed september torpedoed sunk british submarine crew died design culmination development type imperial_german_navy german developed earlier torpedo boats intended use home waters fleet purchased british seven ships built german yards laid type culminated later referred light cruiser successors class cruisers true light cruisers built general characteristics machinery meters long waterline overall beam draft forward aft designed displace long tons combat load displacement increased long tons hull constructed transverse longitudinal steel frames contained watertight compartments armored deck double ran percent length hull crew consisted officers enlisted men ship powered cylinder triple expansion engines drove screw diameter engine separate engine room engines supplied steam locomotive boilers split boiler rooms engines rated indicated horsepower speed mph trials reached half knot better equipped electrical generators produced kilowatts volts steering controlled single rudder armament armor armed quick firing guns individual guns fired projectiles muzzle velocity meters second rate approximately shots minute maximum elevation guns hit targets yards guns provided total rounds gun equipped quick firing guns guns fired shells shots minute maximum range carried rounds gun armament completed torpedo tubes placed deck submerged bow ship lightly armored protected armor deck thick composed steel deck sloped sides slightly increased thickness conning tower armored thick steel service history early assigned year training exercises served dispatch vessel class battleships boxer rebellion boxer rebellion chinese nationalists laid siege foreign murdered baron german minister widespread violence china led creation alliance germany seven united_kingdom italy russia austria-hungary united_states france japan soldiers china time number defeat force slightly officers infantry armies european powers time primary german military force china consisted protected cruisers small cruisers jaguar german man detachment combined nations units force numbered men men led british admiral attempted reach heavy resistance forced stop result kaiser determined expeditionary force sent china reinforce naval expedition included class pre dreadnought battleships sent china reinforce german flotilla admiral opposed plan saw unnecessary costly force sent spite objections arrived china september time siege lifted result task force suppressed local uprisings end operation cost german government million marks fleet training august annual fleet maneuvers began portion exercise positioned germany naval war powerful enemy superior forces north baltic seas german squadron consisting coastal defense ships division torpedo boats trapped superior enemy unit north_sea german squadron tasked returning kiel baltic return wilhelmshaven rejoin rest fleet class battleships cruisers positioned main channels kiel act opposing force battle squadrons positioned block advance isolated german squadron morning september operation commenced tasked sweeping numerous smaller channels bays squadron area responsibility morning commander german squadron decided ships channel assigned hostile torpedo boat screen sighted german flotilla dense fog effective pursuit battleships cruisers torpedo boats detached engage german torpedo boat screen ships quickly destroyed german torpedo boats prompted german squadron retreat northward ships pursuit german squadron chased exercise called night september entire fleet anchored island crews rest following day september exercise resumed german squadron reinforced battleships armored cruiser assigned hostile force german flotilla ordered sail north_sea attempt reach safety island fortress assigned screening force intended intercept german squadron brought battle short engagement hostile screen ensued damaged protected cruisers torpedo boat attack german squadron followed early hours september hostile force unable prevent escape german squadron reached rest fleet anchored september day ships conducted training steam tactics september ships returned wilhelmshaven following days ships coal supplies september final operation annual maneuvers began situation specified naval war gone badly germany battleships service division torpedo boats ships stationed mouth river protect access hamburg september hostile force blockaded rivers north_sea torpedo boats scattered previous engagement tracked destroyed hostile force hostile battleship squadron steamed mouth remaining torpedo boats stationed happened day september night german torpedo boats managed destroy blockading cruisers badly damage following day engaged briefly forcing ships retreat weather began storm operation postponed following day morning hostile fleet forced way past fortifications mouth river german flotilla desperate attack resulted sinking hostile battleships hostile force ultimately overwhelmed outnumbered german ships exercise ended victory reconstruction later service taken dry dock extensive modernization ship superstructure rebuilt rear guns removed boilers single smoke stack split funnels coal storage capacity increased long tons long tons ship subdivided watertight compartments armored deck increased double extended cover percent hull original boilers replaced marine type boilers work lasted point rejoined fleet stationed germany crew increased addition officer enlisted men withdrawn active service fleet tender world war world war broke brought active duty assigned covering forces german torpedo boats formed outer ring coastal scouting patrols german portion north_sea stationed northeast cruiser stettin forces surprised attacked superior british forces august battle bight reports initial engagement light forces reached ship turned eastward join fighting report stated british ships retreating southwest away reached ship returned patrol station emerged battle damage night cruisers provide cover remaining torpedo boats bight patrol line weeks later morning september attacked miles southwest british submarine command future admiral conducting training exercise time area presumed safe british submarines spotted german cruiser immediately submerged fire torpedoes minutes rose depth inspect scene british submarine found sinking minutes slipped beneath waves crew awarded bounty reward sinking despite speed ship sank entire crew exception sailors rescued sea german ship sunk british submarine war result loss german ships conducting training exercises moved baltic_sea prevent guns retrieved wreck preserved
SMS Hela