A refined overseas cruiser
High speed and good endurance prepared the class for scouting and commerce warfare, though both ships had exceptionally short careers.
6191 tMaximum displacement
142,2 mOverall length
29,3 knMaximum speed
373Complement
The full story
History of Rostock
The small cruisers Karlsruhe and Rostock were among the many ships of this kind build in Germany between 1908 and the outbreak of World War I. They were the last small cruisers which were built with the four-funnel layout, typical for several different classes of small cruisers, and showed no major differences to its predecessors.
Both ships were lost during the war. The Rostock was used for fleet operations after the outbreak of the war, serving as flagship for the torpedo boats. The ship took part in the battles of Helgoland (28.08.1914) and Doggerbank (24.01.1915). During the battle of Jutland, a torpedo took out the boiler rooms while breaking through the German battle line and the ship had to be scuttled on 01.06.1916.
At a glance
Technical profile
Dimensions, armament, protection and performance.
Dimensions
- Size (Max)
- 6191 t
- Length (Total)
- 142,2 m
- Length (Waterline)
- 139,0 m
- Beam
- 13,7 m
- Draft
- 5,38 m
- Crew
- 373
Armament
- 10,5 cm
- 12
- 50 cm Torpedo tubes
- 2
Armor
- Deck
- 40-60 mm
- Belt
- 18 - 60 mm
Machinery
- Shafts
- 2
- Turbines
- 2
- Type
- Marine
Performance
- Total Performance
- 43628 shp
- Speed
- 29,3 kn
- Range
- 5000 miles as 12 kn
Construction record
Rostock
- Laid down
- Germaniawerft Kiel, 1911
- Launched
- 12.11.1912
- Commissioned
- 05.02.1914
- Fate
- scuttled during the Battle of Jutland on 01.06.1916