class cruiser class pair armored cruisers built german_imperial_navy turn 20th century class comprised closely resembled earlier ships incorporated slight improvements ships easily distinguished predecessors addition fourth funnel like armored cruisers built germany intended serve station ships germany overseas possessions ships compare british rivals ships served high_seas_fleet reconnaissance squadrons joined fleet outbreak world war ships served alongside powerful battlecruisers returning port raid english coast december struck german mines sank heavy loss life disarmed intended converted seaplane carrier carried ship eventually broken scrap design design work sister ship completed design class traced german armored cruiser built preceding class protected cruisers came german armored cruisers designed overseas service specifically serve station ships german colonies africa asia pacific sister improved versions preceding class ships slightly larger faster class slightly different armor layout class ships thinner armor turret faces slightly thinner armored decks shared layout characteristics contemporary german pre dreadnought battleships including smaller main armament heavier secondary battery foreign result compared british contemporaries taylor describes ships poorly protected successful class service general characteristics ships class meters long waterline overall beam draft displaced metric tons long tons short tons normally metric tons long tons short tons load hulls constructed transverse longitudinal steel frames formed structure steel hull plates hulls contained watertight compartments double ran percent length ship like preceding ships good sea boats fuel gentle motion responsive helm rudder hard ships lost percent speed ships casemates placed low result wet guns impossible use heavy seas metacentric height ships standard numbered officers enlisted men serving squadron flagship crew augmented officers men second command ship officers sailors propulsion powered engine system preceding class cylinder vertical triple expansion engines drove ships screws central screw diameter outer screws steam provided engines boilers built boiler apiece total propulsion system produced ihp delivered speed knots ships turbo generators provided kilowatts volts ships single rudder armament ships primary armament consisted centimeter guns mounted twin turrets fore aft guns fired kilogram armor piercing shell muzzle velocity meters second maximum range original maximum elevation degrees guns later improved degrees extended maximum range secondary armament included guns single turrets casemates fourteen guns guns fired shell muzzle velocity second guns elevated degrees provided maximum range guns fired shell muzzle velocity second guns maximum elevation degrees range ships equipped torpedo tubes armament identical preceding class exception ammunition stores class ships carried shells main battery rounds guns shells guns planned conversion seaplane carrier called guns guns rounds carried armor protected krupp cemented steel armor waterline armored belt thick amidships ships located decreased slightly end central section belt belt backed teak deck armor thick armored deck ranged thickness connected belt sloped armor thick forward conning tower thick sides thick roof rear conning tower protected sides thick roof thick main battery gun turrets armored thick steel plates sides thick roofs turrets protected thick sides thick gun shields construction laid dockyard launched june completed april cost marks laid february shipyard launched completed november cost marks laid replacement old armored frigate kaiser renamed harbor ship ordered replace kaiser renamed converted target ship service history sms commissioning fleet assigned served flagship rear admiral second division served replaced new battlecruiser start world war serving flagship ship participated actions world war including raid served cruiser screen dreadnoughts high_seas_fleet conducted operations russian forces baltic_sea including russian positions support army battle islands took place german cruisers russian forces led powerful cruiser july august bombarded russian positions baltic briefly engaged russian destroyers disarmed guard ship floating barracks kiel end war design work commenced convert ship seaplane carrier work planned period months ship struck naval register november scrapped following year sms served sister ship second division ship won annual reconnaissance squadron ship came command command war hipper held position aboard october january early ship decommissioned crew transferred new battlecruiser ship short career world war outbreak war brought reserve fleet joined raid ship navigational error returning accidentally sailed german defensive minefield ship sank quickly men complement rescued wreck cleared periods mid-1980s period work lasted work commenced briefly final work removing ship began
Roon-class cruiser