sms sms majesty ship cologne class light cruiser german kaiserliche_marine world war sister ships sms built hull laid launched june commissioned high_seas_fleet june armed main battery guns speed mph commissioning served reconnaissance forces high_seas_fleet assigned patrols island outbreak world war early august flagship battle bight august german patrol forces attacked superior british forces including battlecruisers light cruisers initially stationed support forces patrol line attempted reinforce german forces encountered vice admiral battlecruisers hit times battlecruisers large caliber guns managed escape inadvertently turned quickly disabled battle resumed crew abandoned german vessels search area days man survived design meters long overall beam draft forward displaced long tons short tons combat load initially powered sets steam turbines manufactured propulsion system revised instead consisted sets steam turbines driving propellers designed shaft horsepower powered coal fired marine water tube boilers gave ship speed knots mph carried long tons short tons coal gave range approximately nautical miles knots mph crew eighteen officers enlisted men ship armed guns single pedestal mounts placed forward forecastle located amidships aft carried anti aircraft guns equipped pair torpedo tubes submerged hull carry mines conning tower thick sides deck covered thick armor plate service history ordered contract laid shipyard kiel launched june christened mayor fitting work commenced builders sea trials turbines found poor quality replaced produced models work significantly delayed completion commissioned high_seas_fleet june began acceptance trials interrupted fleet parade kaiser september october assigned screened battlecruisers participated normal peacetime routine individual squadron fleet exercises cruises years incident served commander october september august september served flagship rear admiral deputy commander reconnaissance forces hipper temporarily displaced usual flagship battlecruiser von der hipper left briefly returned september remained aboard following year autumn fleet maneuvers september attempted warn crew deteriorating weather conditions receive message result crashed island conclusion maneuvers hipper lowered flag replaced year began normal training routine tensions rose following assassination austria june forced cancellation planned fleet exercises end july starting july war stationed german bight monitor maritime traffic outbreak world war beginning august cruisers tasked patrol duties cruisers divided torpedo boat assigned rotate nightly patrols north_sea august lay went mouth joined cruiser hamburg torpedo boat flotilla patrol operations conducted sortie night august incident battle bight time british submarines began german patrol lines august british commanders submitted plan attack patrol line light cruisers destroyers commanded ships supported submarines vice admiral battlecruisers associated light forces plan approved set august british forces began leave port evening august beginning submarines assigned operation surface forces went sea early following morning 7th added provide support left port later day morning august wilhelmshaven sister anchor mouth lay entrance cruisers assigned support cruisers stettin stationed patrol line morning encountered outer german torpedo boats fled german cruisers patrol line ensuing battle bight stettin engaged british force quickly reinforced receiving reports action rear admiral commander reconnaissance forces ordered deploy cruisers support engaged vessels steamed port steamed aid sister heavy fire british cruisers battlecruisers came damaged cruiser destroyers engaged british ships briefly interrupted appearance british battlecruisers point turn returned fire battlecruisers british ships turned port steam closer turn similarly altered course escape hit times including hit killed german cruiser arrived scene distracted british ships allowed slip away north minutes later turned south east return port reversal course brought range british battlecruisers quickly opened fire scored damaging hits order abandon ship given men began gathering deck engineers set charges men prepared water ship rolled sank survivors expected british pick instead departed german ships searched area days later find survivor leading rest crew died water wreck moved august render underwater hazard parts ship salvaged preserved
SMS Cöln (1909)