Bremen-class cruiser

File:SMS Medusa.jpg

The 1898 Naval Law authorized the construction of thirty new light cruisers by 1904, with two cruisers to be built per year; an amendment passed in 1900 increased that number to three per annum. By this time, Admiral Alfred von Tirpitz had become the head of the {{lang|de|Reichsmarineamt}} (RMA—Imperial Naval Office), and he favored a strategy of concentrating the German fleet in home waters, rather than dispersing numerous vessels on foreign stations.{{sfn|Herwig|p=42}}{{sfn|Nottelmann|pp=108–110}}

The {{sclass|Gazelle|cruiser|1}}s filled the requirements for the first ten vessels projected by the 1898 Naval Law. The design for the {{lang|de|Bremen}} class was an incremental improvement over the {{lang|de|Gazelle}} class, the improvements chiefly being in size and speed. To accommodate the more powerful propulsion system, a third funnel was added. The armor deck was also thickened significantly.{{sfn|Gardiner|p=259}} The German Navy had begun experimenting with steam turbines aboard small vessels in 1901. Toward the end of the year, Tirpitz instructed the construction department to study the possibility of fitting one of the new cruisers with turbines, since they promised to provide greater power for the same weight. In addition, the quality of turbine engines could be compared with otherwise identical vessels that were fitted with triple-expansion steam engines. Kaiser Wilhelm II approved the decision to equip the fourth member of the new class, {{SMS|Lübeck||2}}, with the new engines on 20 January 1903.{{sfn|Nottelmann|p=111}}

The {{lang|de|Bremen}} class marked a change in German cruiser naming conventions; Kaiser Wilhelm II authorized the use of city names for the new ships, three of which were major ports from the old Hanseatic League, along with Danzig, two major cities in Bavaria and Saxony, along with the German capital.{{sfn|Hildebrand, Röhr, & Steinmetz Vol. 2|p=124}} The {{lang|de|Bremen}} class was followed by the {{sclass|Königsberg|cruiser (1905)|4}}, which was very similar to the {{lang|de|Bremen}}s, including the same armament. And like the {{lang|de|Bremen}}s, one ship of the class, {{SMS|Stettin||2}}, was equipped with turbines while the others retained triple-expansion machinery.{{sfn|Campbell & Sieche|p=157}}

File:Bremen-class plan and profile drawing.jpg

The {{lang|de|Bremen}}-class ships were {{convert|110.6|m|ftin|sp=us}} long at the waterline and {{convert|111.1|m|ftin|abbr=on}} long overall. They had a beam of {{convert|13.3|m|ftin|abbr=on}} and a draft of {{convert|5.28|to|5.68|m|ftin|abbr=on}} forward. They displaced {{convert|3278|t|LT|sp=us|lk=on}} as designed and between {{convert|3652|to|3816|t|abbr=on}} at full load. The ships' hulls had flush decks and a pronounced ram bow. They were constructed with transverse and longitudinal steel frames, and incorporated twelve watertight compartments. The hulls also had a double bottom that ran for 56 percent of the length of the hull.{{sfn|Gröner|pp=102–103}}

All seven ships were good sea boats, but they were crank and rolled up to twenty degrees. They were also very wet at high speeds and suffered from a slight weather helm. Nevertheless, the ships turned tightly and were very maneuverable. In a hard turn, their speed fell up to 35 percent. They had a transverse metacentric height of {{convert|0.58|to|0.61|m|in|abbr=on}}. The ships had a standard crew of fourteen officers and between 274 and 287 enlisted men, though later in their careers, these figures increased to 19 and 330, respectively. The {{lang|de|Bremen}}-class ships carried a number of smaller boats, including one picket boat, one pinnace, two cutters, two yawls, and one dinghy.{{sfn|Gröner|p=103}}

With the exception of {{lang|de|Lübeck}}, the ships' propulsion system consisted of two triple-expansion steam engines, which drove a pair of screw propellers. {{lang|de|Lübeck}} was instead fitted with a pair of Parsons steam turbines manufactured by Brown, Boveri & Co. that drove four screws. All seven ships were fitted with ten coal-fired Marine-type water-tube boilers, which were trunked into three funnels amidships. {{lang|de|Bremen}} and {{lang|de|Hamburg}} had three generators that produced a total output of 111 kilowatts at 110 volts; the rest of the ships had two generators rated at 90 kilowatts at the same voltage.{{sfn|Gröner|pp=102–103}}{{sfn|Nottelmann|p=111}}

The triple-expansion engines were designed to give {{convert|10000|PS|ihp|lk=on}} for a top speed of {{convert|22|kn|lk=in}}, while {{lang|de|Lübeck}}{{'}}s turbines were rated at {{convert|11343|PS|shp|lk=out}} and a maximum speed of {{convert|22.5|kn}}, though all seven ships exceeded these speeds on trials. The ships carried up to {{convert|860|t|LT}} of coal, which gave the first three ships a range of {{convert|4,270|nmi|lk=in}} at {{convert|12|kn}}; {{lang|de|Lübeck}}{{'}}s less efficient turbine engines cut her cruising radius to {{convert|3,800|nmi|abbr=on}}, while the last three ships of the class had a longer range, at {{convert|4,690|nmi|abbr=on}}.{{sfn|Gröner|pp=102–103}}

File:SMS Bremen Gun LOC 08813u.jpg

The ships of the class were armed with ten 10.5 cm SK L/40 naval gun in single mounts. Two were placed side by side forward on the forecastle, six were located amidships, three on either side, and two were placed side by side aft. The guns could engage targets out to {{convert|12200|m|ftin|abbr=on}}. For defense against torpedo boats, they were armed with ten QF 1-pounder pom-poms. They were supplied with 1,500 rounds of ammunition, for 150 shells per gun. All seven ships were also equipped with two {{convert|45|cm|abbr=on|1}} torpedo tubes with five torpedoes. These tubes were submerged in the hull on the broadside.{{sfn|Gröner|p=103}}

Later in their careers, {{lang|de|Bremen}} and {{lang|de|Lübeck}} had two 15 cm SK L/45 guns installed in place of the two forward and two rear 10.5 cm guns. They retained the six broadside 10.5 cm guns. {{lang|de|Lübeck}} later had a pair of {{cvt|50|cm|1}} torpedo tubes installed in deck mounts, with four torpedoes.{{sfn|Gröner|p=103}}

Armor protection for the members of the class consisted of two layers of steel with one layer of Krupp armor. The ships were protected by an armored deck that was up to {{convert|80|mm|sp=us}} thick. Sloped armor {{cvt|50|mm|0}} thick gave some measure of vertical protection, coupled with the coal bunkers. The conning tower had {{convert|100|mm|abbr=on}} thick sides and a {{convert|20|mm|abbr=on}} thick roof. The ships' guns were protected by 50 mm thick gun shields.{{sfn|Gröner|p=102}}

File:Bundesarchiv Bild 102-07600, Kreuzer "Berlin".jpg

class="wikitable plainrowheaders" |+ Construction data ! scope="col" | Name ! scope="col" | Builder{{sfn|Gröner|p=102}} ! scope="col" | Laid down{{sfn|Gröner|p=102}} ! scope="col" | Launched{{sfn|Gröner|pp=103–104}} ! scope="col" | Commissioned{{sfn|Gröner|pp=103–104}}
scope="row" | {{SMS|Bremen||2}} |AG Weser, Bremen | 1902 | 9 July 1903 | 19 May 1904
scope="row" | {{SMS|Hamburg||2}} |AG Vulcan, Stettin | 1902 | 25 July 1903 | 8 March 1904
scope="row" | {{SMS|Berlin||2}} | Kaiserliche Werft Danzig | 1902 | 22 September 1903 | 4 April 1905
scope="row" | {{SMS|Lübeck||2}} | AG Vulcan, Stettin | 1903 | 26 March 1904 | 26 April 1905
scope="row" | {{SMS|München||2}} | AG Weser, Bremen | 1903 | 30 April 1904 | 10 January 1905
scope="row" | {{SMS|Leipzig|1905|2}} | AG Weser, Bremen | 1904 | 21 March 1905 | 20 April 1906
scope="row" | {{SMS|Danzig|1905|2}} | Kaiserliche Werft Danzig | 1904 | 23 September 1905 | 1 December 1907

The ships of the {{lang|de|Bremen}} class served in a variety of roles throughout their careers. {{lang|de|Bremen}} and {{lang|de|Leipzig}} served abroad from 1905 to 1914; the former returned to Germany shortly before the outbreak of World War I, and the latter remained with the East Asia Squadron. {{lang|de|Hamburg}}, {{lang|de|Berlin}}, {{lang|de|Lübeck}}, and {{lang|de|Danzig}} served in the reconnaissance forces of the High Seas Fleet after they entered service. {{lang|de|München}} meanwhile was used as a torpedo test ship during her pre-war service. All seven of the ships saw action during the First World War, though only {{lang|de|Bremen}} and {{lang|de|Leipzig}} were lost during the conflict.{{sfn|Gröner|pp=103–104}}

File:SMS Bremen LOC hec 01142a.jpg

{{lang|de|Danzig}} was present during the Battle of Heligoland Bight in August 1914, but did not directly engage the British ships. She did, however, rescue survivors from the sinking cruiser {{SMS|Ariadne||2}}.{{sfn|Staff 2011|p=24}} {{lang|de|Hamburg}} was present for the raid on Scarborough, Hartlepool and Whitby in December 1914, where she briefly encountered—but did not engage—British light forces.{{sfn|Massie|pp=340–341}} Only one ship, {{lang|de|München}}, saw action at the Battle of Jutland on 31 May and 1 June 1916,{{sfn|Tarrant|p=62}} where she was hit by five medium-caliber shells and moderately damaged.{{sfn|Tarrant|p=296}} Three of the ships, {{lang|de|Bremen}}, {{lang|de|Lübeck}}, and {{lang|de|Danzig}}, saw action against Imperial Russian forces in the Baltic Sea during the war, including during the assault on Libau and the Battle of the Gulf of Riga in 1915 and during Operation Albion in 1917.{{sfn|Halpern|pp=191–192, 197}}{{sfn|Staff 2008|p=4}} {{lang|de|Bremen}} struck Russian mines in December 1915 and sank with the majority of her crew going down with her.{{sfn|Halpern|p=205}} {{lang|de|Leipzig}}, still overseas at the start of the war, saw action at the Battles of Coronel and Falkland Islands in late 1914. At the former, she engaged the British cruiser {{HMS|Glasgow|1909|6}}, and at the latter, was sunk by Glasgow and {{HMS|Cornwall|1902|6}}.{{sfn|Staff 2011|pp=34–37, 74–76}}

{{lang|de|Berlin}} was withdrawn from service in 1916 and disarmed. {{lang|de|München}} was badly damaged by a British mine in October 1916, and thereafter decommissioned for use as a barracks ship. {{lang|de|Hamburg}} was also used as barracks ship later in the war, and {{lang|de|Lübeck}} became a training ship in 1917. {{lang|de|Danzig}} was the last ship to leave active service, in late 1917. Of the five surviving ships, {{lang|de|Berlin}} and {{lang|de|Hamburg}} were retained by the newly reorganized {{lang|de|Reichsmarine}} as training ships. The remaining three, {{lang|de|Lübeck}}, {{lang|de|München}}, and {{lang|de|Danzig}}, were surrendered as war prizes to the United Kingdom, which sold them for scrapping in the early 1920s. {{lang|de|Hamburg}} and {{lang|de|Berlin}} soldiered on as training cruisers into the late 1920s and early 1930s; by the mid-1930s, they had again been converted into floating barracks.{{sfn|Gröner|pp=103–104}} {{lang|de|Hamburg}} was sunk by British bombers in 1944,{{sfn|Rohwer|p=264}} and later raised and broken up for scrap in 1949. {{lang|de|Berlin}} survived World War II and was loaded with chemical weapons and scuttled in the Skaggerak after the war to dispose of the munitions.{{sfn|Gröner|pp=103–104}}

{{Commons category}}

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{{Bremen class cruisers}}

{{WWI German ships}}

{{Good article}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bremen}}

Category:Cruiser classes

Category:World War I cruisers of Germany