Light cruisers [approx. 2] type "Magdeburg" - a type of cruiser of the German imperial fleet from the First World War . The first full-fledged light cruisers in Germany. They were the development of small cruisers of the Kolberg type. 4 units were built: Magdeburg ( SMS Magdeburg ), Breslau ( SMS Breslau ), Stralsund ( SMS Stralsund ), Strassburg ( SMS Straßburg ). All four cruisers took an active part in the hostilities, and it was the cruisers of this series who opened and closed the account of the military losses of the German light cruisers in the First World War . The first was the Magdeburg, which jumped out onto the rocks and was destroyed by an internal explosion on August 23, 1914. The last - "Breslau", blown up by a mine in the Aegean least January 25, 1918. The Stralsund and Strasbourg survived and, after the defeat of Germany, entered the French and Italian fleets under the new names: the first became known as the Mühlhaus, the second Taranto. Light cruisers of the Karlsruhe type became their improved version.
| Light cruisers of the Magdeburg type | |
|---|---|
| Kleiner Kreuzer der Magdeburg-Klasse | |
 Light cruiser "Breslau" type "Magdeburg" | |
| Project | |
| A country |
|
| Prior type | Kolberg |
| Subsequent type | Karlsruhe |
| Built | four |
| Scrapped | one |
| Losses | 3 |
| Main characteristics | |
| Displacement | normal - 4570 t , full - 5587 t |
| Length | 138.7 m |
| Width | 13.5 m |
| Draft | 5.1 m |
| Reservation | Belt - 60 mm; deck - 20 mm; bevels - 40 mm; cutting - 100 mm; billboards GK - 50 mm |
| Engines | 2 Fri (Breslau, Strassburg), 3 Fri (Magdeburg, Stralsund) 16 naval boilers |
| Power | 29 904 l. with. ("Magdeburg"), 33 742 l. with. (Breslau, Strassburg), 35 515 l. with. (Stralsund) |
| Mover | 4 screws "Breslau", 2 screws "Starssburg", 3 screws (Magdeburg, Stralsund) |
| Speed | 27 knots - design 27.5-28.2 knots - tests |
| Sailing range | 5820 nautical miles at 12 knots |
| Crew | 354 people |
| Armament | |
| Artillery | 12 × 1 - 105 mm; (in 1914 ÷ 1918 they were rearmament: up to 7 × 1-150 mm [1] ) |
| Mine torpedo armament | Two single-tube 500 mm torpedo tubes, 120 sea mines [approx. one] |
Design
On the ships of this series, experiments continued on developing the optimal power plant and the number of propeller shafts: Magdeburg and Stralsund had 3 turbines and three screws, Breslau had 2 turbines and four screws, Strassburg had 2 turbines and two screws. The design speed for the cruisers was the same: 27 knots with a capacity of mechanisms of 25,000 liters. with. [2]
For the first time the Germans included an armored belt in the power circuit of the hull , which significantly reduced the total weight. In addition, the hull was set according to the so-called longitudinal system. Prior to this, the longitudinal recruitment system was used only for small warships, mainly destroyers .
German engineers managed to solve all the problems, and so successfully that the use of armor in the hull structure and the longitudinal recruitment system gradually became standard on all fleets [3] .
Design
The cruisers were designed under the direction of senior shipbuilder Dr. Hans Buckner. The first, most noticeable change is the shape of the hull. All the “echoes of the French fashion”, such as the smooth forms of ramming formations or blockage of boards, are gone. Cruisers of the Magdeburg type received a hull formed by large flat surfaces of vertical sides, a straight inclined stem instead of a rounded “tusk” and a high forecastle [4] . These are Germany’s first small cruisers of a new type, which differed from the previous ones, purely armored, in that, in addition to the armored deck, they had an armored belt along the waterline. They also differed from their predecessors by an increased torpedo caliber up to 50 cm (against the previous 45 cm) and an increased total coal reserve (1200 tons instead of 960 tons).
The cruiser had a normal displacement of 4570 tons, only 200 tons more than its predecessors , a length of 136 m along the waterline, a width of 13.5 m, a draft of 5.1 m. The main mechanisms included turbines with a total capacity of 25,000 liters. with. , 16 naval boilers in four boiler rooms. The design speed reached 27 knots, a cruising range of 5820 miles on the move 12 knots and 900 at 25 [2] .
Armament
The main caliber consisted of twelve 10.5 cm SK L / 45 guns in single installations. Two of them were placed side by side in front of the tank , eight were located in the middle of the vessel, four on each side, and two were placed side by side in the stern. The guns had a maximum range of up to 12,700 m [5] . Ammunition amounted to 1800 rounds. The cruisers were also equipped with two 50 cm traverse submarine torpedo tubes with a total stock of five torpedoes. In addition, cruisers could take up to 120 sea mines [6] [4] .
Booking
The armor belt was extended (more than 3/4 of the length), although rather narrow of 60 mm nickel armor, it had a thickness of 18 mm further than the bow, was absent in the stern, the horizontal section of the armor deck (except for the stern end) was 20 mm nickel armor, bevels had a thickness of 40 mm [7] . The height of the main belt was 2.6 m with a normal draft of 1.3 meters leaving under water. A little behind the beginning of the main belt was a 40 mm bow traverse. The aft end was protected by a 40 mm deck and 60 mm bevels. The conning tower had a wall thickness of 100 mm of Krupp armor, and a steel 20 mm roof of nickel armor. The main caliber guns were covered with shields 50 mm thick. The range finder was covered with 30 mm armor [2] [7] .
Price
The average cost of one cruiser was 7.77 million marks, less than the previous armored four [2] [4] . The cost reduction was affected by the simplification of the design and the reduction in the price of turbine units mastered by German industry [4] .
Service
| Title | Pledged | Launched | Put into operation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Magdeburg | 1910 year | May 13, 1911 | August 2, 1912 |
| Breslau | 1910 year | May 18, 1911 | May 10, 1912 |
| Stralsund | 1910 year | November 4, 1911 | December 10, 1912 |
| Strassburg | 1910 year | August 24, 1911 | October 9, 1912 |
Magdeburg
The cruiser Magdeburg was laid down by the Weser company in shipyards in the city of Bremen in 1910. Launching took place on May 13, 1911, entered the fleet on August 20, 1912. Used as a training ship for miners. After the outbreak of war - as part of the Baltic Sea Fleet. During the first weeks of the war, the cruiser carried out bombardments and the laying of mines near Libau . Subsequently, he was sent to the Gulf of Finland , where on August 26, 1914 he sat on a rock in the fog near the island of Odenholm . Attempts to save the ship ended in failure. Due to the inability to save the cruiser, it was blown up by its crew and finished off by the approaching Russian cruisers. German ships managed to remove part of the crew, but were then driven off by the fire of Russian ships.
The Magdeburg was the first German light cruiser to die in World War II. The hull of the ship for many years was at a point with coordinates
Breslau
Breslau was built at the Vulkan shipyard (Stettin). Laid down in 1910, launched on May 18, 1911. He joined the fleet on May 10, 1912. Since 1912, as part of the Mediterranean cruising squadron. On August 8, Göben and Breslau met near the city of Naxos, and two days later they entered the Dardanelles. To comply with the requirements of neutrality, Germany on August 16 transferred both ships to the Ottoman fleet, although most likely the sale was just a ruse. September 23, Sushon accepted the offer to command the Turkish fleet. Breslau was renamed Midilly, and Göben was renamed Sultan Yavuz Selim ; their German crews remained on ships and put on Ottoman uniforms and fez . So Breslau was at the center of a political action in which two ships, led by an outstanding and active admiral, were able to revive and sharply strengthen the pro-German sentiments in Turkey and, despite the actions of the English, Russian, French and American ambassadors, involved Turkey in the war against the Entente .
In the first battle of the Goeben with the Russian fleet on November 18 near Cape Sarych , the Breslau remained out of the reach of the fire of Russian ships. On December 5-7, he covered up an action with the landing of 24 saboteurs dressed in Russian uniform delivered by transport from Sulina. After that, Breslau managed to shell Russian minesweepers near Sevastopol, avoiding the bombs of the seaplanes attacking it.
On January 20, 1918, the cruiser was immediately blown up on five English mines and sank. Together with the cruiser 330 people died. The grave of Breslau, Germany’s last light cruiser, who died in the 1st World War -
Strassburg
Strassburg was built at the Wilhelmshaven Naval Shipyard. Laid down in 1910, launched on August 24, 1911, joined the fleet on October 9, 1912. In the years 1913-1914 - overseas navigation.
At the beginning of the war, the cruiser was part of the High Seas Fleet . The cruiser took part in the Helgoland battle on August 28, 1914. In December 1914, the cruiser participated in a raid on Scarborough, Hartlepool and Whitby. In March 1915 he was transferred to the Baltic, took part in the shelling of Palanga. On August 8, 1915, he participated in forcing the Irbensky Strait . In the fall of 1917 he participated in the operation to capture the Moonsund Islands .
After the war, he was transferred to Cherbourg Italy and renamed Taranto. After the surrender of Italy captured by the Germans, but twice sunk by Allied aircraft. After the war, raised and cut into metal.
Stralsund
Stralsund was built at the Weser plant (Bremen). Laid down in 1910, launched on November 4, 1911, became part of the fleet on December 10, 1912. 08/28/1914 Stralsund suffered minor injuries in a battle in Helgoland Bay . He participated in the raid on Yarmouth, in the raid on Hartlepool. In 1916, the cruiser received seven 150-mm guns, two of which were installed linearly-elevated aft. The side salvo was five guns. Also on it were installed two 88-mm anti-aircraft guns.
After the war ended, the ship was transferred to France (3.8.1920), and it was renamed "Milhouse". After the repair, it was transferred to the reserve and in 1935 it was cut into metal.
Project Evaluation
By the combination of tactical and technical characteristics at the time the cruiser appeared, they had no analogues in the world and had a significant impact on the world military shipbuilding as a whole. They were distinguished by good booking, underwater protection system, good seaworthiness and maneuverability. One of the drawbacks was the small caliber of artillery weapons, which forced the cruiser to rearm 150 mm guns during the war [8] . A comparison of the German ships with the British Towns of the same construction year shows that the Germans surpassed the British both in the power of cars and in driving performance, the German small armored cruisers bypassed the British counterpart by about two knots [4] .
| Comparative performance characteristics of turbine cruisers | ||||||||||
| Specifications | Tikuma [9] | Admiral Shaun [10] | Active [11] | The Weymouth [12] | The Kohlberg [13] | The Magdeburg [2] | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bookmark year | 1909 | 1908 | 1910 | 1910 | 1907 | 1910 | ||||
| Year of commissioning | 1912 | 1910 | 1911 | 1911 | 1909 | 1912 | ||||
| Dimensions, m (D × W × Oh ) | 144.8 × 14.2 × 5.1 | 130.6 × 12.8 × 5.3 | 123.8 × 12.6 × 4.7 | 138.1 × 14.8 × 4.82 | 130 × 14 × 5.36 | 138.7 × 13.5 × 5.1 | ||||
| Displacement, t [approx. 3] | 5080 | 3500 | 3495 | 5334 | 4362 | 4570 | ||||
| Armament | 8 - 15.2 cm, 4 - 8 cm [14] , TA 3 × 1 - 45 cm | 7 - 10 cm, 1 - 4.7 cm | 10 - 102 mm, 4 - 47 mm, SL 2 × 1 - 450 mm | 8 - 152 mm, 4 - 47 mm, SL 2 × 1 - 533 mm | 12 - 10.5 cm, 4 - 5.2 cm, TA 2 × 1 - 45 cm | 12 - 10.5 cm, TA 2 × 1 - 50 cm | ||||
| Booking mm | Deck - 57-38, belt - 89-50, deckhouse - 102 (Deck - 22, side in the area of the torpedo compartment - 89, bevels - 57, cabin - 102 [14] ) | Deck - 20, belt - 60, wheelhouse - 50 | Deck - 25, wheelhouse - 102 | Deck - 51 - 19, wheelhouse - 102 | Deck - 20 - 40, bevels - 50 - 80, gun shields - 50, deckhouse - 100 | Deck - 20 - 40, bevels - 40, belt - 60, gun shields - 50, deckhouse - 100 | ||||
| Power plant, l. with. | Fri. 22,500 | Fri. 25 130 | Fri. 18,000 | Fri. 22,000 | Fri. 19,000 | Fri 25,000 | ||||
| Range, nautical miles | 10,000 at 10 knots 5000 at 16 knots [15] | 4200 at 10 knots | 5600 at 10 knots | 3500 at 14 knots | 5820 at 12 knots | |||||
| Design speed, knots | 26 | 25 | 25 | 25.5 | 27 | |||||
| Maximum speed, knots | 26.79 - 27.14 | 27.01 | 25.1 - 25.9 | 25.6 - 26.0 | 26.3 - 26.8 | 27.5 - 28.2 | ||||
Notes
- ↑ All data at the time of commissioning
- ↑ According to the German classification of the time, small cruisers ( German Kleiner Kreuzer )
- ↑ For British and American ships in the sources, displacement is given in long tons , so it is converted to metric tons
References and sources
- ↑ Tsvetkov I.F. Guards cruiser "Red Caucasus" Leningrad. Shipbuilding. 1990 p. 20
- ↑ 1 2 3 4 5 Gröner . Band 1. - P.135
- ↑ V. Kofman. DIRECT HEIRS BY NAME // Modelist-Constructor. - M .: ZAO "Editorial Modeller-Constructor", 2009. - No. 06 . - S. 32-34 . - ISSN 0131-2243 .
- ↑ 1 2 3 4 5 Cruisers, 2015 , p. 204.
- ↑ Germany 10.5 cm / 45 (4.1 ") SK L / 45
- ↑ Gröner . Band 1. - P.136
- ↑ 1 2 Erwin Strohbusch, 1981 , S. 93.
- ↑ Ship's Handbook, 1996 .
- ↑ Conway's, 1906-1921 . - P.237
- ↑ Conway's, 1906-1921 . - P.336
- ↑ Conway's, 1906-1921 . - P.53
- ↑ Conway's, 1906-1921 . - P.52
- ↑ Gröner . Band 1. - P.134
- ↑ 1 2 Lacroix and Wells, 1997 , p. 788.
- ↑ Lacroix and Wells, 1997 , p. 789.
Literature
- Wilson H. Battleships in battle. 1914-1918. - M. , EKSMO, 2002.
- Patients A. On the ocean. - M .: AST, 2000.
- Lisitsyn F.V. Kreiser of the First World War / Executive Editor L. Nezvinskaya. - M .: Yauza, EKSMO, 2015 .-- 448 p. - (War at sea). - 1400 copies. - ISBN 978-5-699-84344-2 .
- Yu. V. Apalkov. German Navy 1914-1918 Handbook on the composition of the ship. "Marine Collection", No. 3. - Model Designer, 1996. - (Marine Collection).
- Conway's All The Worlds Fighting Ships, 1906-1921 / Gray, Randal (ed.). - London: Conway Maritime Press, 1985 .-- 439 p. - ISBN 0-85177-245-5 .
- Eric Lacroix, Linton Wells II. Japanese cruisers of the Pacific war. - Annapolis, MD: Naval Institute Press, 1997 .-- 882 p. - ISBN 1-86176-058-2 .
- Gröner, Erich. Die deutschen Kriegsschiffe 1815-1945. Band 1: Panzerschiffe, Linienschiffe, Schlachschiffe, Flugzeugträger, Kreuzer, Kanonenboote. - Bernard & Graefe Verlag, 1982. - 180 p. - ISBN 978-3763748006 .
- Erwin Strohbusch. Leichter Kreuzer aus den Jahren 1908 bis 1918: II. Die Flottenkreuzer // Marine Rundschau International: Journal. - 1981. - No. 2 . - S. 93-98 .