ships majesty ship leipzig sixth seven bremen class cruisers imperial_german_navy named city leipzig begun bremen launched march commissioned april armed main battery guns torpedo tubes leipzig capable speed knots mph leipzig spent career overseas stations outbreak world war august cruising coast mexico rejoining proceeded south american waters participated german squadron sank pair british armored cruisers month later saw action battle islands saw destruction leipzig chased sunk cruisers majority crew killed battle survivors construction leipzig ordered contract laid shipyard bremen launched march fitting work commenced commissioned high_seas_fleet april ship meters long overall beam draft forward displaced long tons short tons combat load propulsion system consisted triple expansion engines designed indicated horsepower speed knots mph engines powered coal fired marine type water tube boilers leipzig carried tonnes long tons coal gave range nautical miles knots mph crew officers enlisted men ship armed guns single mounts placed forward forecastle located amidships placed aft guns engage targets supplied rounds ammunition shells gun equipped torpedo tubes torpedoes submerged hull broadside fitted carry naval mines ship protected armored deck thick conning tower thick sides guns protected thick shields service history served ship commanding officer commissioning april september leipzig deployed overseas assigned armored cruisers light cruisers ship cruising west coast mexico outbreak world war august flag americas addition leipzig tasked german nationals mexico period unrest spent weeks conflict patrolling british san_francisco stopping august way south_america week later leipzig sank british freighter carrying sugar proceeded coast 28th stopped neutral mexico fresh load coal september october joined rest vice admiral brought october squadron departed bound south_america stopped route october approaching steamed chile received intelligence indicated british cruiser anchored decided proceed ambush british ship left port glasgow fact joined armored cruisers hms good hope patrolling stopped chilean barque searched neutral vessel carrying germans let november leipzig spotted column smoke distance followed second ship british spotted leipzig approximately time squadrons formed lines battle leipzig ship german line armored cruisers issued order fire distribution left meaning ship engage opposite number germans fired quickly wrecked british counterparts leipzig fired glasgow success glasgow hit leipzig shell explode leipzig dresden hit glasgow times ordered leipzig close stricken good hope torpedo rain obscured ship time leipzig reached good hope position sunk unaware sinking good hope rescue operations mounted leipzig crew leipzig encountered dresden gathering darkness initially hostile warships quickly established identity leipzig emerged battle essentially unscathed wounded crewmen aftermath decided return receive orders went harbor leipzig dresden escorted rest joined november cruisers coal supplies november leipzig dresden sent arriving 13th days later rejoined squadron approximately nautical miles west robinson island unified squadron proceeded arriving november prepared long voyage british shocked defeat dispatched powerful battlecruisers hms invincible hms command vice admiral hunt destroy ships departed britain november reached december having joined way armored cruisers kent cornwall light cruisers bristol battered glasgow battle november departed bound atlantic reached cape december cape leipzig took canadian sailing ship prize ship carrying long tons short tons coal transferred night december held conference ship commanders discuss proposed attack commander leipzig commanders dresden opposed plan favored bypassing wage commerce war decision attack december germans approached capital early morning december british quickly spotted raised steam meet initially thought smoke clouds british burning coal stocks prevent germans seizing realizing presence powerful british squadron broke attack turned flee british quickly steamed harbor pursuit battlecruisers caught retreating germans opened fire leipzig ship german line hit ordered light cruisers flee turned hope cover escape response sent cruisers chase dresden leipzig glasgow pursued leipzig quickly caught opening fire minutes firing leipzig hit turned port open range turning starboard order bring broadside action ensuing action ships hit times forcing glasgow break fall powerful armored cruisers leipzig battered severely cornwall kent set fire remained action continued fight course engagement leipzig hit cornwall eighteen times causing significant list port fired torpedoes british ships failed score hits issued order wrecked ship british approached opened fire stricken cruiser close range killing large numbers crew british destroyed cutter filled survivors killing leipzig finally capsized sank going ship eighteen men pulled freezing water
SMS Leipzig