SMS Königsberg ("His Majesty's Ship Königsberg") was the lead ship of her class of light cruisers built by the German Imperial Navy. Named for the capital of East Prussia, she was laid down and launched in 1905 and completed the next year. The ship was armed with a main battery of ten 10.5-centimeter (4.1 in) guns and had a top speed of 24.1 knots (44.6 km/h; 27.7 mph). Königsberg served with the High Seas Fleet's reconnaissance force, and frequently escorted Kaiser Wilhelm II's yacht on visits to foreign countries. A planned two-year deployment to German East Africa was interrupted by the outbreak of World War I. The cruiser attempted to raid British and French commercial traffic, but only destroyed one merchant ship during her career. In September 1914, she surprised and sank the British protected cruiser HMS Pegasus in the Battle of Zanzibar, then retreated into the Rufiji River to repair her engines. British cruisers located her and set up a blockade. On 11 July 1915, two monitors got close enough to cause severe damage, and her crew scuttled the ship. (Full article...)
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