German World War I & II Cruisers

Short histories of German Cruisers from 1860 to 1945, including World War I cruisers Konigsberg, Nurnberg, Stuttgart and Stettin, Dresden Class light cruisers, Kolberg light cruisers and Magdeburg cruisers, Karlsruhe, Graudenz, Pillau, Weisbaden, Koln classes and World War II heavy cruisers Prinz Eugen, Admiral Hipper, Deutschland, Admiral Scheer, Blucher and Graf Spee. Message board for use of naval enthusiasts is available on each class. CLICK ON THE NAME OF SHIP TO TRANSFER TO ITS OWN PAGE IF AVAILABLE
LIST OF GERMAN CRUISERS BUILT BETWEEN 1860 AND 1945.
NAME	LAUNCH		FATE
Arcona Class wooden screw frigates
Arcona	19th May 1858		Latterly used as a target ship then scrapped in 1884.
Arcona, 1859. A large image size 10" x 7" approx, is available. Reproduced from the original negative / photo under license from MPL, the copyright holder. A signed numbered certificate is supplied. Price £25. Order photograph here Order Code XMP5494 Original republished © MPL Photograph (Postcard Size). Price £5 Click here to order. Order Code MP5494
Gazelle	19th December 1859		Sold for scrap in 1904.
Vineta	4th June 1863		Sold for scrap in 1904.
Vineta, 1864. A large image size 10" x 7" approx, is available. Reproduced from the original negative / photo under license from MPL, the copyright holder. A signed numbered certificate is supplied. Price £25. Order photograph here Order Code XMP5495 Original republished © MPL Photograph (Postcard Size). Price £5 Click here to order. Order Code MP5495		Vineta in dock, 1864. A large image size 10" x 7" approx, is available. Reproduced from the original negative / photo under license from MPL, the copyright holder. A signed numbered certificate is supplied. Price £25. Order photograph here Order Code XMP5496 Original republished © MPL Photograph (Postcard Size). Price £5 Click here to order. Order Code MP5496
Hertha	1st October 1864		Sold for scrap in 1904.
Elisabeth	18th October 1868		Sold for scrap in 1904.
Nymphe Class wooden flush-decked screw corvettes
Nymphe	15th April 1863		Scrapped after 1887.
Nymphe, 1870s. A large image size 10" x 7" approx, is available. Reproduced from the original negative / photo under license from MPL, the copyright holder. A signed numbered certificate is supplied. Price £25. Order photograph here Order Code XMP5497 Original republished © MPL Photograph (Postcard Size). Price £5 Click here to order. Order Code MP5497
Medusa	20th October 1864		Scrapped after 1881.
Medusa, 1867. A large image size 10" x 7" approx, is available. Reproduced from the original negative / photo under license from MPL, the copyright holder. A signed numbered certificate is supplied. Price £25. Order photograph here Order Code XMP5498 Original republished © MPL Photograph (Postcard Size). Price £5 Click here to order. Order Code MP5498
Augusta Class wooden flush-decked screw corvettes
Augusta	1864		Sunk during a hurricane on 2nd June 1885, all hands lost.
Augusta, 1870. A large image size 10" x 7" approx, is available. Reproduced from the original negative / photo under license from MPL, the copyright holder. A signed numbered certificate is supplied. Price £25. Order photograph here Order Code XMP5499 Original republished © MPL Photograph (Postcard Size). Price £5 Click here to order. Order Code MP5499
Victoria	1864		Scrapped in 1892.
Ariadne Class wooden flush-decked screw corvettes View Class
Ariadne	21st July 1871		Scrapped in 1891.
Luise	16th December 1872		Scrapped in 1897.
Freya	29th December 1874		Scrapped in 1896.
World War I Cruisers
Armoured Cruisers Click here to View Protected Cruisers Only
Fürst Bismarck	25th September 1897		Stricken on 17th June 1919.
Prinz Heinrich	22nd March 1900		Stricken on 25th January 1920.
Prinz Adalbert Class
Prinz Adalbert	22nd June 1901		Torpedoed on 23rd October 1915.
Friedrich Carl	21st June 1902		Mined on 17th November 1914.
Roon Class
SMS Roon	27th June 1903		Stricken on 25th November 1920.
SMS Yorck	14th May 1904		Mined on 4th November 1914
Scharnhorst Class
SMS Scharnhorst	22nd March 1906		Sunk on 8th December 1914.
SMS Gneisenau	14th June 1906		Sunk on 8th December 1914.
Protected Cruisers Click here to View Protected Cruisers Only
Irene II Class
Irene	23rd July 1887		Used as a u-boat depot ship in 1914.
Irene, RN Fleet Review at Spithead, 1889. This glass slide was labelled as 'Wacht - German Navy'. A large image size 10" x 7" approx, is available. Reproduced from the original Symonds glass negative. Price £25. Order photograph here Order Code SYM0067
Prinzess Wilhelm	22nd September 1887		hulked in 1914.
Prinzess Wilhelm. c.1903
Kaiserin Augusta Class
Kaiserin Augusta	15th January 1892		Stricken on 1st October 1919.
Victoria Luise Class View Class
Victoria Luise	23rd August 1897		Stricken on 1st October 1919. Sold and became the merchant ship Flora Sommerfeld. She was eventually scrapped in 1923.
Hertha	14th April 1897		Stricken on 6th December 1919.
Freya	27th April 1897		Stricken on 25th January 1920.
Vineta	14th April 1897		Stricken on 6th December 1919.
Hansa	12th March 1898		Stricken on 6th December 1919.
Light Cruisers Click Here to View Light Cruisers Only
Leipzig Class iron flush-decked corvettes View Class
Leipzig	13th September 1875		Hulked in 1894.
Sedan	17th June 1876		Hulked in 1890.
Bismarck Class iron flush-decked corvettes
Bismarck	25th July 1877		Hulked in 1891.
Blücher	20th September 1877		Sold as a hulk in 1908.
Stosch	8th October 1877		Broken up and used for scrap in 1907.
Moltke	18th October 1877		Hulked in 1910.
Gneisenau	4th September 1879		Wrecked on 16th December 1900.
Stein	14th September 1879		Hulked in 1908.
Carola Class iron flush-decked corvettes View Class
Carola	27th November 1880		Broken up for scrap in 1906.
Olga	11th December 1880		Sold in 1906 and broken up for scrap two years later.
Marie	20th August 1881		Broken up for scrap in 1909.
Sophie	10th November 1881		Hulked in 1908.
Alexandrine	7th February 1885		Broken up for scrap in 1907.
Arcona	7th May 1885		Broken up for scrap in 1906.

Nixe	23rd July 1885		Hulked in 1911.
Nixe, c.1907. A reproduction of this original photo / photo-postcard size 10" x 7" approx available. Order photograph here © Walker Archive. Order Code PGC004

Charlotte	5th August 1885		Hulked in 1911.
Schwalbe Class
Schwalbe	16th August 1887		Used as a harbour ship in 1911.
Sperber	23rd August 1889		Hulked in 1912.
Bussard Class Click to View class
Bussard	23rd January 1890		Stricken on 25th October 1912.
Falke	4th April 1891		Stricken on 25th October 1912.
Seeadler	2nd February 1892		Hulked in 1914 and then sunk on 19th April 1917.
Condor	23rd February 1992		Stricken on 18th November 1920.
Cormoran	17th May 1892		Scuttled on 28th September 1914.
Geier	18th October 1894		Captured by the US Navy in 1917 and then sunk on 21st June 1918.

Zieten	9th March 1876		Broken up 1921
Blitz Class avisos
Blitz	26th August 1882		Broken up 1921
Pfeil	16th September 1882		Broken up 1922
Pfeil, 1884. A large image size 10" x 7" approx, is available. Reproduced from the original negative / photo under license from MPL, the copyright holder. A signed numbered certificate is supplied. Price £25. Order photograph here Order Code XMP5502 Original republished © MPL Photograph (Postcard Size). Price £5 Click here to order. Order Code MP5502

Greif	29th July 1886		Hulked 1912
Greif, and other German "Ironclads" at the Royal Navy Fleet Review at Spithead, 1889. A reproduction of this original photo / photo-postcard size 10" x 7" approx available. Order photograph here © Walker Archive. Order Code BLD0010B
Wacht Class avisos
Wacht	27th August 1887		Lost 4th September 1901
Wacht, 1896. A large image size 10" x 7" approx, is available. Reproduced from the original negative / photo under license from MPL, the copyright holder. A signed numbered certificate is supplied. Price £25. Order photograph here Order Code XMP5503 Original republished © MPL Photograph (Postcard Size). Price £5 Click here to order. Order Code MP5503
Jagid	7th July 1888		Hulked 1910
Meteor Class avisos
Meteor	20th January 1890		Stricken on 24th June 1911.
Comet	15th November 1892		Stricken on 24th June 1911.

Gefion	31st March 1898		Used as a merchant ship in 1920.

Hela	28th March 1895		Sunk by British Submarine E9 with the loss of two crew on 13th September 1914.
Gazelle Class View Class
Gazelle	31st March 1898		Stricken on 28th August 1920.
Niobe	18th July 1899		Stricken on 24th June 1925.
Nymphe	21st November 1899		Stricken on 29th August 1931.
Thetis	3rd July 1900		Stricken on 27th September 1929.
Ariadne	10th August 1900		Sunk on 28th August 1914.
Amazone	6th October 1900		Stricken on 31st March 1913.
Medusa	5th December 1900		Stricken on 27th March 1929 and scuttled on 3rd May 1945.
Frauenlob	22nd March 1902		Sunk on 31st May 1916.
Arcona	22nd October 1902		Stricken on 15th January 1930, scuttled on 3rd May 1945.
Undine	11th December 1902		Sunk on 7th November 1915.
Bremen Class View Class
SMS Bremen	9th July 1903		Mined on 17th December 1915.
SMS Hamburg	25th July 1903		Stricken on 31st March 1931.
SMS Berlin	22nd September 1903		Hulked in 1935, scuttled in 1947.
SMS Lübeck	26th March 1904		Stricken on 5th November 1919.
München	30th April 1904		Stricken on 5th November 1919.
Leipzig	21st March 1905		Sunk 8th December 1914.
Danzig	23rd September 1905		Stricken on 5th November 1919.
Koningsberg Class View Class
Königsberg	12th December 1905		Scuttled on 11th July 1915.
Nurnberg	29th August 1908		Sunk on 8th December 1914.
Stuttgart	22nd September 1906		Broken up in 1921.
Stettin	7th July 1907		Broken up over the years 1921-23.
Dresden Class
Dresden	5th October 1907		Scuttled 14th March 1915.
Emden	26th May 1908		Sunk 9th November 1914.
Kolberg Class View Class
Kolberg	14th November 1908		Broken up in 1929.
Mainz	23rd January 1909		Sunk on 28th August 1914.
Coln (or Köln)	5th June 1909		Sunk on 28th August 1914.
Augsberg	10th July 1909		Broken up in 1922.
Magdeburg Class View Class
Magdeburg	13th May 1911		Sunk on 26th August 1914.
Breslau	16th May 1911		Sunk on 20th January 1918.
Strassburg	24th August 1911		Sunk on 23rd October 1943
Stralsund	4th November 1911		Broken up in 1935.
Karlsruhe Class View Class
Karlsruhe	11th November 1912		Sunk on 4th November 1914.
Rostock	11th December 1912		Sunk on 1st June 1916.
Graudenz Class View Class
Graudenz	25th October 1913		Ceded to Italy in 1921.and became Ancona broken up in 1938
Regensburg	25th April 1914		Ceded to France 1920. and became the new Strasbourg she was broken up in 1944
Pillau Class
Pillau	11th April 1914		Ceded to Italy 1921. and became Bari. Sunk in 1943 by US aircraft
Elbing	21st November 1914		Sunk on 1st June 1916.
Wiesbaden Class View Class
Wiesbaden	30th January 1915		Sunk on 1st June 1916.
Frankfurt	20th March 1915		Sunk 18th July 1921.
Königsberg II Class View Class
Königsberg ii	18th December 1915		Ceded to France in 1920.
Karlsruhe ii	31st January 1916		Scuttled 21st June 1919.
Emden ii	1st February 1916		Broken up 16th December 1926.
Nürnberg ii	14th April 1916		Sunk 7th July 1922.
Cöln Class
Cöln ii	5th October 1916		Scuttled 21st June 1919.
Wiesbaden ii	3rd March 1917		Broken up in 1920.
Dresden ii	25th April 1917		Scuttled 21st June 1919.
Dresden, 1919. A large image size 10" x 7" approx, is available. Reproduced from the original negative / photo under license from MPL, the copyright holder. A signed numbered certificate is supplied. Price £25. Order photograph here Order Code XMP5527 Original republished © MPL Photograph (Postcard Size). Price £5 Click here to order. Order Code MP5527		Dresden, 1919. A large image size 10" x 7" approx, is available. Reproduced from the original negative / photo under license from MPL, the copyright holder. A signed numbered certificate is supplied. Price £25. Order photograph here Order Code XMP5528 Original republished © MPL Photograph (Postcard Size). Price £5 Click here to order. Order Code MP5528
Leipzig Class
Leipzig	13th September 1875		Hulked in 1894.
Sedan	17th June 1876		Hulked in 1890.
Bismarck Class
Bismarck	25th July 1877		Hulked in 1891.
Blücher	20th September 1877		Sold as a hulk in 1908.
Stosch	8th October 1877		Broken up and used for scrap in 1907.
Moltke	18th October 1877		Hulked in 1910.
Gneisenau	4th September 1879		Wrecked on 16th December 1900.
Stein	14th September 1879		Hulked in 1908.
Olga Class
Carola	27th November 1880		Broken up for scrap in 1906.
Olga	11th December 1880		Sold in 1906 and broken up for scrap two years later.
Marie	20th August 1881		Broken up for scrap in 1909.
Sophie	10th November 1881		Hulked in 1908.
Alexandrine	7th February 1885		Broken up for scrap in 1907.
Arcona	7th May 1885		Broken up for scrap in 1906.
Nixe Class
Nixe	23rd July 1885		Hulked in 1911.
Charlotte Class
Charlotte	5th August 1885		Hulked in 1911.
Schwalbe Class
Schwalbe	16th August 1887		Used as a harbour ship in 1911.
Sperber	23rd August 1889		Hulked in 1912.
Meteor Class
Meteor	20th January 1890		Stricken on 24th June 1911.
Comet	15th November 1892		Stricken on 24th June 1911.
Bussard Class Click to View class
Bussard	23rd January 1890		Stricken on 25th October 1912.
Falke	4th April 1891		Stricken on 25th October 1912.
Seeadler	2nd February 1892		Hulked in 1914 and then sunk on 19th April 1917.
Condor	23rd February 1992		Stricken on 18th November 1920.
Cormoran	17th May 1892		Scuttled on 28th September 1914.
Geier	18th October 1894		Captured by the US Navy in 1917 and then sunk on 21st June 1918.
Hela	28th March 1895		Sunk on 13th September 1914.
Gefion	31st March 1898		Used as a merchant ship in 1920.
Gazelle Class View Class
Gazelle	31st March 1898		Stricken on 28th August 1920.
Niobe	18th July 1899		Stricken on 24th June 1925.
Nymphe	21st November 1899		Stricken on 29th August 1931.
Thetis	3rd July 1900		Stricken on 27th September 1929.
Ariadne	10th August 1900		Sunk on 28th August 1914.
Amazone	6th October 1900		Stricken on 31st March 1913.
Medusa	5th December 1900		Stricken on 27th March 1929 and scuttled on 3rd May 1945.
Frauenlob	22nd March 1902		Sunk on 31st May 1916.
Arcona	22nd October 1902		Stricken on 15th January 1930, scuttled on 3rd May 1945.
Undine	11th December 1902		Sunk on 7th November 1915.
Bremen Class
Bremen	9th July 1903		Mined on 17th December 1915.
Hamburg	25th July 1903		Stricken on 31st March 1931.
Berlin	22nd September 1903		Hulked in 1935, scuttled in 1947.
Lübeck	26th March 1904		Stricken on 5th November 1919.
München	30th April 1904		Stricken on 5th November 1919.
Leipzig	21st March 1905		Sunk 8th December 1914.
Danzig	23rd September 1905		Stricken on 5th November 1919.
Koningsberg Class View Class
Königsberg	12th December 1905		Scuttled on 11th July 1915.
Nurnberg	29th August 1908		Sunk on 8th December 1914.
Stuttgart	22nd September 1906		Broken up in 1921.
Stettin	7th July 1907		Broken up over the years 1921-23.
Dresden Class
Dresden	5th October 1907		Scuttled 14th March 1915.
Emden	26th May 1908		Sunk 9th November 1914.
Kolberg Class View Class
Kolberg	14th November 1908		Broken up in 1929.
Mainz	23rd January 1909		Sunk on 28th August 1914.
Coln (or Köln)	5th June 1909		Sunk on 28th August 1914.
Augsberg	10th July 1909		Broken up in 1922.
Magdeburg Class View Class
Magdeburg	13th May 1911		Sunk on 26th August 1914.
Breslau	16th May 1911		Sunk on 20th January 1918.
Strassburg	24th August 1911		Sunk on 23rd October 1943
Stralsund	4th November 1911		Broken up in 1935.
Karlsruhe Class Click to View Class
Karlsruhe	11th November 1912		Sunk on 4th November 1914.
Rostock	11th December 1912		Sunk on 1st June 1916.
Graudenz Class
Graudenz	25th October 1913		Ceded to Italy in 1921.and became Ancona broken up in 1938
Regensburg	25th April 1914		Ceded to France 1920. and became the new Strasbourg she was broken up in 1944
Pillau Class
Pillau	11th April 1914		Ceded to Italy 1921. and became Bari. Sunk in 1943 by US aircraft
Elbing	21st November 1914		Sunk on 1st June 1916.
Wiesbaden Class
Wiesbaden	30th January 1915		Sunk on 1st June 1916.
Frankfurt	20th March 1915		Sunk 18th July 1921.
Königsberg II Class View Class
Königsberg ii	18th December 1915		Ceded to France in 1920.
Karlsruhe ii	31st January 1916		Scuttled 21st June 1919.
Emden ii	1st February 1916		Broken up 16th December 1926.
Nürnberg ii	14th April 1916		Sunk 7th July 1922.
Cöln Class
Cöln ii	5th October 1916		Scuttled 21st June 1919.
Dresden ii	25th April 1917		Scuttled 21st June 1919.
One of the Coln Class Cruisers. Unknown date, unknown location. A reproduction of this original photo / photo-postcard size 10" x 7" approx available. Order photograph here © Walker Archive. Order Code PGC104		Here is the ship opposite in close-up.
BATTLECRUISERS Click To View Battlecruisers Only
Blucher (Armoured Cruiser)	11th April 1908		Sunk at the battle of Dogger Bank 24th January 1915

Von Der Tann	20th March 1909		Scuttled 21st June 1919. at Scapa Flow and raised in 1934 for scrap
Moltke Class View Class
Moltke	7th April 1910		Scuttled at Scapa Flow 21st June 1919
Goeben	28th March 1911		Broken up 1971

Seydlitz	30th March 1912		Scuttled 21st June 1919. at Scapa Flow and raised in 1934 for scrap

Hindenburg	1st August 1915		Scuttled 21st June 1919. at Scapa Flow and raised in 1934 for scrap
Derflinger Class Battlecruiser
Derflinger	1st June 1913		Scuttled 21st June 1919. at Scapa Flow and raised in 1934 for scrap
Lutzow	29th November 1913		Sunk 1st June 1916 at Jutland
Mackensen Class
Mackensen	21st April1917		Broken up 1923 - 1924
Ersatz Freya	13th March 1920 to clear slipway		Broken up incomplete 1920 - 1922
Graf Spee	315th September 1917		Broken up incomplete 1921 - 1922
Ersatz A	Broken up incomplete on Slipway		Broken up on slipway 1922
Minelayers
Nautilus Class
Nautilus	20th August 1906		Broken up in 1928.
Nautilus. A reproduction of this original photo / photo-postcard size 10" x 7" approx available. Order photograph here © Walker Archive. Order Code PGC087
Albatross	23rd October 1907		Sunk on 2nd July 1915 and subsequently broken up in 1921.
SMS Albatross. Sent in by Terence Malone
Brummer Class Cruiser Minelayer
Brummer	11th December 1915		Scuttled 21st June 1919.
Brummer, 1919. A large image size 10" x 7" approx, is available. Reproduced from the original negative / photo under license from MPL, the copyright holder. A signed numbered certificate is supplied. Price £25. Order photograph here Order Code XMP5517 Original republished © MPL Photograph (Postcard Size). Price £5 Click here to order. Order Code MP5517
Bremse	11th March 1916		Scuttled 21st June 1919.
Bremse, 1919. A large image size 10" x 7" approx, is available. Reproduced from the original negative / photo under license from MPL, the copyright holder. A signed numbered certificate is supplied. Price £25. Order photograph here Order Code XMP5518 Original republished © MPL Photograph (Postcard Size). Price £5 Click here to order. Order Code MP5518
World War II Cruisers
Deutschland Class View Class
Deutschland	19th May 1931		Scuttled on 4th May 1945.
Admiral Scheer	1st April 1933		Sunk on 9th April 1945.
Admiral Graf Spee	30th June 1934		Scuttled on 17th December 1939.
Hipper Class
Admiral Hipper	6th February 1937		Scuttled in May 1945.
Blücher	8th June 1937		Sunk on 9th April 1940.
Prinz Eugen	22nd August 1938		Sunk on 22nd December 1946.
Emden Class
Emden	7th January 1925		Scuttled on 3rd May 1945.
'K' Class German Cruisers Click to View Class
KMS Koningsburg	26th March 1927		Sunk on 10th April 1940.
KMS Karlsruhe	20th August 1927		Sunk on 9th April 1940.
KMS Köln	23rd May 1928		Sunk on 30th April 1945.

Leipzig	18th October 1929		Scuttled 16th December 1946.
Nürnberg Class Click to View
KMS Nürnberg	6th December 1934		Given to the Russian Navy in 1946.
Hipper Class Heavy Cruisers View Class
Admiral Hipper	6th February 1937		Scuttled in May 1945.
Blücher	8th June 1937		Sunk on 9th April 1940.

Prinz Eugen	22nd August 1938		Sunk on 22nd December 1946.
Lutzow	1st July 1939		Sold to Russia 1940. bombed at Leningrad 1941/1942
Seydlitz	19th January 1939		1942 work started to convert to aircraft carrier, never completed and Finally Scuttled at Konigsberg 10th may 1945

Our message board system has now been upgraded to a discussion forum at worldnavalships.com. Any messages on this page are now archive messages kept here to service those who left the messages originally. Click Here to go to the new Forum