German cruiser Königsberg
Encyclopedia
Königsberg was a light cruiser
of the in the German Reichsmarine
and Kriegsmarine
. Her sisterships were Köln
and Karlsruhe
.
After a number of foreign visits in the 1930s, the ship operated along the Spanish coast from November 1936 to January 1937 during the Spanish Civil War
. Her design and construction rendered her poorly suited to commerce raiding
or deep-water operations, and when war broke out in September 1939 she was assigned to duty as a torpedo
training ship in the Baltic
and subsequently used for mining operations in the North Sea
(Operation "Westwall"). The Königsberg later was sunk by British dive bombers while anchored Bergen, Norway
.
), transporting troops from Wilhelmshaven to Bergen, Norway, together with her sistership Köln, the artillery training ship Bremse and the torpedo boats Wolf and Leopard. Königsberg and Bremse were lightly damaged by Norwegian coastal artillery
batteries at Kvarven Fort
on 9 April 1940. The Königsberg suffered a mechanical failure attributed to the ship's unreliable machinery causing it to remain in port while the other ships returned to Germany.
dive bombers of the British Fleet Air Arm
(7 of 800 Naval Air Squadron and 9 of 803 Naval Air Squadron
, launched from RNAS Hatston
, Orkney). The Königsberg had only two inch thick armor protection at its water line and quarter of an inch maximum deck armor making it an ideal dive bomber target. The skuas attack comprised three groups of nine-six-one with a lone aircraft losing contact during the outward flight and successfully navigating to the Königsberg. At 7:20 the dive bombers began their attack on the Königsberg with the crew of the light cruiser being caught off guard. It wasn't until the half of the dive bombers completed their dive. Only one large anti-air gun was reported as being manned with shells being fired once every five second from the aft of the ship with lighter anti-air weapons firing from the shore and adjacent ships firing even later in the attack. Two hits were claimed amidship and a third being scored on the forecastle
. The ship started sinking by the bow with flames reaching nearly 100 ft in the air. The stern later rose into the air exposing her screws causing her to roll over and sink in Bergen harbor 50 minutes after the initial attack The Königsberg fate was witnessed and reported by Americans aboard the Flying Fish also in harbor during the attack.
s. The wreck capsized again on 22 September 1944, and was broken up after the end of World War II in Bergen.
Light cruiser
A light cruiser is a type of small- or medium-sized warship. The term is a shortening of the phrase "light armored cruiser", describing a small ship that carried armor in the same way as an armored cruiser: a protective belt and deck...
of the in the German Reichsmarine
Reichsmarine
The Reichsmarine was the name of the German Navy during the Weimar Republic and first two years of Nazi Germany. It was the naval branch of the Reichswehr, existing from 1918 to 1935...
and Kriegsmarine
Kriegsmarine
The Kriegsmarine was the name of the German Navy during the Nazi regime . It superseded the Kaiserliche Marine of World War I and the post-war Reichsmarine. The Kriegsmarine was one of three official branches of the Wehrmacht, the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany.The Kriegsmarine grew rapidly...
. Her sisterships were Köln
German cruiser Köln
Köln was a German light cruiser prior to and during World War II, one of three K-Class cruisers named after cities starting with the letter K. This ship was named after the city of Köln . The others in her class were the Königsberg and the Karlsruhe...
and Karlsruhe
German cruiser Karlsruhe
Karlsruhe was a light cruiser of the German K class in World War II, the other ships in class being and . The K class were the first cruisers of the German navy to employ electric arc welding techniques and a newly designed triple gun turrets were installed...
.
After a number of foreign visits in the 1930s, the ship operated along the Spanish coast from November 1936 to January 1937 during the Spanish Civil War
Spanish Civil War
The Spanish Civil WarAlso known as The Crusade among Nationalists, the Fourth Carlist War among Carlists, and The Rebellion or Uprising among Republicans. was a major conflict fought in Spain from 17 July 1936 to 1 April 1939...
. Her design and construction rendered her poorly suited to commerce raiding
Commerce raiding
Commerce raiding or guerre de course is a form of naval warfare used to destroy or disrupt the logistics of an enemy on the open sea by attacking its merchant shipping, rather than engaging the combatants themselves or enforcing a blockade against them.Commerce raiding was heavily criticised by...
or deep-water operations, and when war broke out in September 1939 she was assigned to duty as a torpedo
Torpedo
The modern torpedo is a self-propelled missile weapon with an explosive warhead, launched above or below the water surface, propelled underwater towards a target, and designed to detonate either on contact with it or in proximity to it.The term torpedo was originally employed for...
training ship in the Baltic
Baltic Sea
The Baltic Sea is a brackish mediterranean sea located in Northern Europe, from 53°N to 66°N latitude and from 20°E to 26°E longitude. It is bounded by the Scandinavian Peninsula, the mainland of Europe, and the Danish islands. It drains into the Kattegat by way of the Øresund, the Great Belt and...
and subsequently used for mining operations in the North Sea
North Sea
In the southwest, beyond the Straits of Dover, the North Sea becomes the English Channel connecting to the Atlantic Ocean. In the east, it connects to the Baltic Sea via the Skagerrak and Kattegat, narrow straits that separate Denmark from Norway and Sweden respectively...
(Operation "Westwall"). The Königsberg later was sunk by British dive bombers while anchored Bergen, Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
.
Norway
In early April 1940, Königsberg participated in Gruppe 3 of the invasion of Norway (Operation "Weserübung"Operation Weserübung
Operation Weserübung was the code name for Germany's assault on Denmark and Norway during the Second World War and the opening operation of the Norwegian Campaign...
), transporting troops from Wilhelmshaven to Bergen, Norway, together with her sistership Köln, the artillery training ship Bremse and the torpedo boats Wolf and Leopard. Königsberg and Bremse were lightly damaged by Norwegian coastal artillery
Coastal artillery
Coastal artillery is the branch of armed forces concerned with operating anti-ship artillery or fixed gun batteries in coastal fortifications....
batteries at Kvarven Fort
Kvarven fort
Kvarven Fort is a mountain fort strategically located by the coastal entry to Bergen, Norway.- Construction :In the late 1800s, relations between the two countries in the union between Sweden and Norway had gradually worsened; Norwegians were discontent and wanted independence. To account for the...
on 9 April 1940. The Königsberg suffered a mechanical failure attributed to the ship's unreliable machinery causing it to remain in port while the other ships returned to Germany.
Sinking
On April 9, 1940 16 Blackburn SkuaBlackburn Skua
The Blackburn B-24 Skua was a carrier-based low-wing, two-seater, single-radial engine aircraft operated by the British Fleet Air Arm which combined the functions of a dive bomber and fighter. It was designed in the mid-1930s, and saw service in the early part of the Second World War...
dive bombers of the British Fleet Air Arm
Fleet Air Arm
The Fleet Air Arm is the branch of the British Royal Navy responsible for the operation of naval aircraft. The Fleet Air Arm currently operates the AgustaWestland Merlin, Westland Sea King and Westland Lynx helicopters...
(7 of 800 Naval Air Squadron and 9 of 803 Naval Air Squadron
803 Naval Air Squadron
803 Naval Air Squadron was a Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm squadron.-Interwar:803 NAS was formed on 3 April 1933 by promoting No 409 Flight to the status of a squadron, with nine Ospreys...
, launched from RNAS Hatston
RNAS Hatston
RNAS Hatston, also called HMS Sparrowhawk, was a Royal Naval Air Station.It was situated one mile to the north west of Kirkwall on the island of Mainland, Orkney...
, Orkney). The Königsberg had only two inch thick armor protection at its water line and quarter of an inch maximum deck armor making it an ideal dive bomber target. The skuas attack comprised three groups of nine-six-one with a lone aircraft losing contact during the outward flight and successfully navigating to the Königsberg. At 7:20 the dive bombers began their attack on the Königsberg with the crew of the light cruiser being caught off guard. It wasn't until the half of the dive bombers completed their dive. Only one large anti-air gun was reported as being manned with shells being fired once every five second from the aft of the ship with lighter anti-air weapons firing from the shore and adjacent ships firing even later in the attack. Two hits were claimed amidship and a third being scored on the forecastle
Forecastle
Forecastle refers to the upper deck of a sailing ship forward of the foremast, or the forward part of a ship with the sailors' living quarters...
. The ship started sinking by the bow with flames reaching nearly 100 ft in the air. The stern later rose into the air exposing her screws causing her to roll over and sink in Bergen harbor 50 minutes after the initial attack The Königsberg fate was witnessed and reported by Americans aboard the Flying Fish also in harbor during the attack.
Aftermath of Sinking
The wreck was raised on 17 July 1942, and after being righted in March 1943 was used as a pier for U-boatU-boat
U-boat is the anglicized version of the German word U-Boot , itself an abbreviation of Unterseeboot , and refers to military submarines operated by Germany, particularly in World War I and World War II...
s. The wreck capsized again on 22 September 1944, and was broken up after the end of World War II in Bergen.