Design German cruiser Emden

1 design

1.1 general characteristics
1.2 machinery
1.3 armament

design

according article 181 of treaty of versailles, treaty ended world war i, german navy permitted 6 light cruisers. article 190 limited new cruiser designs 6,000 long tons (6,100 t) , prohibited new construction until vessel replaced @ least twenty years old. design work on first new light cruiser, ordered ersatz niobe , began in 1921. ship intended long-range overseas service, designers placed emphasis on large cruising radius , capacious crew accommodation spaces. designers wanted use main battery of 8 15-centimeter (5.9 in) guns in 4 dual mounts, allied powers insisted on single gun turrets. arrangement placed 4 guns amidships, reduced power of broadside, 6 guns fire on either side, opposed eight.

the ship based on cruiser designs late in world war i, due personnel shortages in design staff , closure of navy s experimental institute. nevertheless, ship incorporated major advances on earlier designs, including large-scale use of welding in construction , more efficient propulsion system gave cruising radius fifty percent larger of older ships. emden laid down @ reichsmarinewerft in wilhelmshaven on 8 december 1921 , launched on 7 january 1925. commissioned fleet 9 months later, on 15 october 1925.

general characteristics

emden 150.5 meters (494 ft) long @ waterline , 155.1 m (509 ft) long overall. had beam of 14.2 m (47 ft) , designed draft of 5.3 m (17 ft); @ standard load, draft 5.15 m (16.9 ft), , @ combat load draft increased 5.93 m (19.5 ft). designed displacement 5,960 long tons (6,060 t), 5,300 long tons (5,400 t) standard , 6,990 long tons (7,100 t) combat displacements. hull constructed longitudinal steel frames , incorporated seventeen watertight compartments , double bottom extended 56 percent of length of keel. had waterline armored belt 50 mm (2.0 in) thick; armored deck 20 40 mm (0.79 1.57 in) thick, , conning tower had 100 mm (3.9 in) thick sides.

the ship had standard crew of nineteen officers , 464 enlisted men. while serving on cadet training cruises, crew numbered twenty-nine officers , 445 enlisted, 162 cadets. after 1940, standard crew increased twenty-six officers , 556 enlisted, , after being reduced training ship, crew numbered thirty officers , 653 enlisted men. emden carried 6 boats. german navy regarded ship sea boat, slight lee helm , gentle motion in swell. cruiser maneuverable, slow going turn. steering controlled single large rudder. lost speed in head sea, lost sixty percent in hard turns. had metacentric height of .79 m (2 ft 7 in).

machinery

a replacement engine built emden, displayed @ sinsheim auto & technik museum (2011 picture)

emden powered 2 sets of brown, boverie & co. geared steam turbines; drove pair of three-bladed screws 3.75 m (12.3 ft) in diameter. steam provided 4 coal-fired marine-type boilers , 6 oil-fired marine boilers divided 4 boiler rooms. engines rated @ 46,500 shaft horsepower (34,700 kw) , top speed of 29 knots (54 km/h; 33 mph). on speed trials, engines reached 45,900 shp (34,200 kw) , maximum of 29.4 knots (54.4 km/h; 33.8 mph). ship designed carry 300 metric tons (295 long tons) of coal, though additional space accommodate 875 metric tons (861 long tons). oil capacity 200 metric tons (197 long tons) designed, , 1,170 metric tons (1,150 long tons) in additional fuel bunkers. gave ship cruising radius of 6,700 nautical miles (12,400 km; 7,700 mi) @ 12 knots (22 km/h; 14 mph). @ 18 knots (33 km/h; 21 mph), range fell 5,200 nmi (9,600 km; 6,000 mi). electrical power supplied 2 systems of 3 generators each, total combined output of 420 kilowatts (560 hp) @ 220 volts.

armament

the ship s main battery have been 8 15 cm sk l/55 guns in twin turrets, allied disarmament authority refused permit armament. instead, equipped existing stocks of 15 cm sk l/45 guns in single turrets. guns c/16 models; fired 45 kg (99 lb) shell @ muzzle velocity of 835 meters per second (2,740 ft/s). elevate 40 degrees , had maximum range of 17,600 m (57,700 ft). 8 guns supplied total of 960 rounds of ammunition. emden equipped 2 8.8 cm sk l/45 anti-aircraft guns, , third later added. these guns had between 900 , 1,200 rounds of ammunition in total. designed, have carried 8 deck-mounted 50 cm (20 in) torpedo tubes in dual launchers, 4 tubes fitted built. in 1934, these replaced more powerful 53.3 cm (21.0 in) tubes. ship carried twelve torpedoes.

in 1938, ship s anti-aircraft battery strengthened. received 2 , later 4 3.7 cm sk c/30 guns , eighteen 2 cm flak guns. capacity carry 120 mines added. in 1942, 2 of 4 torpedo launchers removed, , rearmed new model of 15 cm gun. gun tbts kc/36 model, , designed use on destroyers. fired smaller 40 kg (88 lb) shell @ higher muzzle velocity—875 m/s (2,870 ft/s). gun elevate 47 degrees maximum range of 23,500 m (77,100 ft). 1945, ship s anti-aircraft battery consisted of 9 3.7 cm guns , 6 2 cm guns.