Nautilus-class minelayer
 Nautilus passing under the Levensau High Bridge in the Kaiser Wilhelm Canal shortly after entering service
| |
| Class overview | |
|---|---|
| Name | Nautilus class |
| Builders | AG Weser, Bremen |
| Operators |  Imperial German Navy |
| Preceded by | SMS Pelikan |
| Succeeded by | Brummer class |
| Built | 1905–1908 |
| In commission | 1907–1919 |
| Completed | 2 |
| Scrapped | 2 |
| General characteristics | |
| Type | Minelaying cruiser |
| Displacement | 2,345 t (2,308 long tons) |
| Length | 98.20 m (322 ft 2 in) o/a |
| Beam | 11.20 m (36 ft 9 in) |
| Draft | 4.42 m (14 ft 6 in) |
| Installed power |
|
| Propulsion |
|
| Speed | 20 knots (37 km/h; 23 mph) |
| Range | 3,530 nautical miles (6,540 km; 4,060 mi) at 9 knots (17 km/h; 10 mph) |
| Complement | 11 officers, 197 men |
| Armament |
|
The Nautilus class was a pair of
The two ships served with the
Albatross was returned to Germany after the war ended in 1918, and both vessels were stricken from the
Design
General characteristics
The two ships of the Nautilus class varied slightly in their dimensions. Nautilus was 98.20 meters (322 ft 2 in) long overall and had a beam of 11.20 m (36 ft 9 in) and an average draft of 4.42 m (14 ft 6 in) forward. Albatross was slightly larger, with an overall length of 100.90 m (331 ft), a beam of 11.50 m (37 ft 9 in) and a draft of 4.40 m (14 ft 5 in). Nautilus displaced 1,975 metric tons (1,944 long tons) normally and up to 2,345 t (2,308 long tons) at full load, while Albatross normally displaced 2,208 t (2,173 long tons) and 2,506 t (2,466 long tons) fully laden. In 1909–10, Nautilus was modernized at the Kaiserliche Werft (Imperial Shipyard) in Kiel. Her stern overhang was extended by 2.70 m (8 ft 10 in), bringing the ship's overall length to 100.90 m (331 ft), and her superstructure deck was extended further aft.[1]
The ships'
Steering was controlled with a single rudder. The vessels handled well and had a tight turning radius, but they suffered from weather helm and tended to drift while underway. The ships' crew numbered ten officers and 191 enlisted men, and later increased to eleven officers and 197 enlisted men. The ships carried several smaller boats, including two picket boats, one launch, two yawls, and one dinghy. These were handled with a large derrick that was fitted to the main mast.[1]
Machinery
Their
The ships' engines were rated to produce a top speed of 20 knots (37 km/h; 23 mph) from 6,600 indicated horsepower (4,900 kW), though both ships slightly exceeded those figures on speed trials, with Nautilus reaching 20.8 knots (38.5 km/h; 23.9 mph) and Albatross at 20.2 kn (37.4 km/h; 23.2 mph). The ships were designed to carry 200 t (200 long tons; 220 short tons) of coal, though by using auxiliary storage spaces, Nautilus could store up to 490 t (480 long tons; 540 short tons) and Albatross could carry up to 526 t (518 long tons; 580 short tons). This allowed the ships to cruise for 3,530 to 3,680 nautical miles (6,540 to 6,820 km; 4,060 to 4,230 mi) at a speed of 9 knots (17 km/h; 10 mph).[1]
Armament
The primary armament for the Nautilus class was a battery of eight
Ships
| Name | Builder[1] | Laid down[1] | Launched[1]
|
Completed[1] |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nautilus | AG Weser, Bremen | 1905 | 28 August 1906 | 19 March 1907 |
| Albatross | 1907 | 23 October 1907 | 19 May 1908 |
Service history
After entering service, Nautilus and Albatross alternated between service with the High Seas Fleet; Nautilus participated in the annual fleet maneuvers in 1907 and 1908, and was replaced by Albatross thereafter.[2] Nautilus was modernized at the Kaiserliche Werft (Imperial Shipyard) in Kiel in 1909–1910, and Albatross underwent a similar modernization there in 1910–1911.[1] While Albatross was out of service, Nautilus temporarily returned to the fleet. Once the former's refit was completed in 1911, the latter was transferred to mine warfare training in the North Sea before being decommissioned at the end of the year.[2] Albatross remained in service through 1914, but apart from a collision with the steamer SS Wartburg, the time passed uneventfully.[3]
After the outbreak of World War I in July 1914, both ships were mobilized to lay a series of minefields, initially to protect Germany's coastlines in the North and Baltic Seas.[4] In August, the two ships laid offensive minefields off the British coast,[5] and Nautilus made a similar attempt in October that was cancelled when radio intercepts indicated British naval forces were present.[6] In June 1915, Albatross was transferred to the eastern Baltic, where she began to lay offensive minefields.[7] The last of these resulted in the Battle of Åland Islands on 2 July after a group of Russian armored cruisers intercepted Albatross and her escorts. The cruisers badly damaged Albatross, and to prevent her sinking, her captain beached the ship off the coast of neutral Sweden.[8]
Nautilus was transferred to the Baltic in 1916, and took part in
See also
Media related to Nautilus class cruiser at Wikimedia Commons
Footnotes
Notes
- calibers, meaning that the gun is 35 times long as it is in diameter.
Citations
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Gröner, p. 169
- ^ a b Hildebrand, Röhr, & Steinmetz (Vol. 6), p. 149
- ^ Hildebrand, Röhr, & Steinmetz (Vol. 1), p. 211
- ^ Goldrick, p. 77
- ^ Goldrick, p. 98
- ^ Woodward, p. 29
- ^ Staff (2011), pp. 106–107
- ^ Staff (2011), pp. 108–11
- ^ Staff (2008), pp. 141, 144–145
- ^ Hildebrand, Röhr, & Steinmetz (Vol. 6), p. 150
- ^ Staff (2011), p. 126
References
- ISBN 978-0-87021-790-6.
- Goldrick, James (2015). Before Jutland: The Naval War in Northern European Waters, August 1914–February 1915. Annapolis: ISBN 9781612518817.
- Hildebrand, Hans H.; Röhr, Albert & Steinmetz, Hans-Otto (1993). Die Deutschen Kriegsschiffe (Volume 1) (in German). Ratingen: Mundus Verlag. ISBN 3-78220-237-6.
- Hildebrand, Hans H.; Röhr, Albert & Steinmetz, Hans-Otto (1993). Die Deutschen Kriegsschiffe (Volume 6) (in German). Ratingen: Mundus Verlag. ISBN 3-78220-237-6.
- Staff, Gary (2008). Battle for the Baltic Islands. Barnsley, South Yorkshire: Pen & Sword Maritime. ISBN 978-1-84415-787-7.
- Staff, Gary (2011). Battle on the Seven Seas: German Cruiser Battles, 1914–1918. Barnsley, South Yorkshire: Pen & Sword Maritime. ISBN 978-1-84884-182-6.
- Woodward, David (1973). The Collapse of Power: Mutiny in the High Seas Fleet. London: Arthur Barker Ltd. ISBN 0-213-16431-0.
Further reading
- Gardiner, Robert & Gray, Randal, eds. (1985). Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1906–1921. Annapolis: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 0-87021-907-3.