Recognition Guide Warships of the Second World War
Kriegsmarine — Light cruiser

German cruiser Karlsruhe

Königsberg-class cruiser (1927) light cruiser

German cruiser Karlsruhe
Unknown author — This image was provided to Wikimedia Commons by the German Federal Archive (Deutsches Bundesarchiv) as part of a cooperation project . The German Federal Archive guarantees an authentic representation only using the originals (negative and/or positive), resp. the digitalization of the originals as provided by the Digital Image Archive — CC BY-SA 3.0 de — Wikimedia Commons Plate

Service

  1. Kriegsmarine as Karlsruhe6 November 1929 — 9 April 1940221 days of the war
Königsberg-class cruiser (1927) light cruiser Particulars
Name
Karlsruhe
Namesake
Karlsruhe, Germany
Builder
Deutsche Werke, Kiel
Laid down
27 July 1926
Launched
20 August 1927
Commissioned
6 November 1929
Fate
Sunk, 9 April 1940 (1940)
Status
Wreck

Specifications

Displacement, standard
7,700 long tons (7,824 t)
Length
174 m (570.9 ft)
Beam
15.3 m (50.2 ft)
Draught
6.28 m (20.6 ft)
Speed
32 knots (59.3 km/h, 36.8 mph)
Range
5,700 nmi (10,556 km)
Complement
514
Main gun
150 mm (5.9 in)

Karlsruhe was a Königsberg-class cruiser (1927) light cruiser, operated by the Kriegsmarine. The ship was named after Karlsruhe. Her keel was laid at Deutsche Werke, Kiel on 27 July 1926. She entered service on 6 November 1929, having been launched on 20 August 1927.

She displaced 7,700 long tons. She measured 174 m (571 ft) long with a beam of 15.3 m (50 ft). Her designed speed was 32 knots, and she carried a complement of 514.

Her main battery was nine 150 mm (5.9 in) guns. Her belt armour was 50 mm (2.0 in) and her deck 40 mm. Her machinery developed 65,000 shp.

She was in commission for 221 days of the Second World War.

She was sunk on 9 April 1940, at 58°04′N 8°04′E. The wreck survives.

Written from the harvested record. Every figure above is sourced; the wording is this site's own.

Armament and machinery

Armament and machinery
Propulsion
  • 2 × MAN 10-cylinder diesel engines
  • 4 × geared steam turbines
  • 2 screw propellers
Power
  • 6 × water-tube boilers
  • 65000 shp
Armament
  • 9 × 15 cm SL C/25 guns
  • 2 × 8.8 cm SK L/45 anti-aircraft guns
  • 12 × 50 cm torpedo tubes
  • 120 mines
Armour
  • Belt: 50 mm
  • Deck: 40 mm
  • Conning tower: 100 mm

Sister ships

Sources

  • Facts harvested from German cruiser Karlsruhe on Wikipedia. Figures only — no wording is taken from it.
  • Photograph: Unknown author — This image was provided to Wikimedia Commons by the German Federal Archive (Deutsches Bundesarchiv) as part of a cooperation project . The German Federal Archive guarantees an authentic representation only using the originals (negative and/or positive), resp. the digitalization of the originals as provided by the Digital Image Archive — CC BY-SA 3.0 de — Wikimedia Commons