Emden was a light cruiser used by Germany during World War II. Her namesake was the German town of Emden, and she was the sole ship of her class.
Description[]
Emden specific characteristics were limited by the Treaty of Versaille, which placed heavy restrictions on the German navy after World War I. Her design was based on that of older vessel used by the German navy before 1918. Despite these restrictions, Emden possessed far more advance characteristics compared to early German cruisers, such as the extensive use of welding in her construction, and modernized and more efficient propulsion system. Emden displaced at 5,400 tons standard, and 7,100 tons while under full load. She measured 155.1 meters in length, 14.2 meters in beam, and 5.3 meters in draught. Her machinery consisted of ten coal-fired, Marine-type boilers powering two-shaft Brown, Boverie & Co. steam turbines, generating some 46,500 shaft horsepower, giving her a top speed of 29.5 knots. Emden had the capacity to carry some 300 to 875 metric tons of coal, 200 metric tons of oil, as well as up to 1,170 metric tons in additional fuel bunkers, giving her a range of 6,700 nautical miles at a cruising speed of 15 knots.
Emdens armament was planned to comprised of eight 150 mm SK L/55 guns in dual turrets, but this was prohibited by the Allied treaty of 1919, so instead she was fitted with eight existing 150 mm SK L/45 guns in single turrets, two afore and two abaft. The other four guns were mounted in similar turrets amidship, two on either side of the superstructure, and a total of 960 rounds of ammunition was carried for these guns. This limited her broadside to only six guns instead of eight. Additionally, two 88 mm SK L/45 anti-aircraft guns were also mounted, and a third was later added, with a total of about 900 to 1,200 rounds ammunition. Eight 500 mm deck mounted torpedo tubes were also planned, but only four were fitted. In 1934, these were replaced by the larger 533 mm tubes. A total of twelve torpedoes were carried. In 1938, her anti-aircraft armament was further augmented by the adding of two, then later four 37 mm SK C/30 guns, and eighteen 20 mm FlaK 30s. In 1942, two of the four torpedo tubes were removed, and the newer 150 mm Tbts KC/36 naval guns were fitted, and mine carrying capacity was expanded to hold 120 mines. By 1945, her anti-aircraft armament had been further modified, and comprised of nine 37 mm guns and six 20 mm guns.
Emdens armor protection consisted of a 50 mm main armor belt, 40 mm deck plating, and 100 mm plating around the conning tower. Her steel hull was built with seventeen watertight compartments and a double bottom that ran for more half the length of the keel. Her crew comprised of 445 to 653 enlisted sailors, and 19 to 30 officers. She could also carry six light landing craft.
History[]
Emden off the coast of China in 1931.
Emdens keel was laid down on December 8, 1921 at the Reichsmarinewerft at Wilhelmshaven. The was launched on January 7, 1925, and was finally commissioned on October 15 the same year. Once commissioned, Emden served primarily as a training ship for naval cadets, and took several world cruises during the interwar period. She was commanded by Lothar von Arnauld de la Perière from September 1928 to October 1930.[1] After the completion of her modifications in 1933, Karl Dönitz, the man who would later become the commander of the Kriegsmarine, was commissioned as Emdens skipper in September 1934, and remained so until September 1935. The following year, Emden underwent further modifications,[2] and finally in July 1937, Leopold Bürkner was commissioned as her commander until June 1938.[3]
At the beginning of World War II, Emden took part in minelaying duties off the German coast in the North Sea, an operation she took part in alongside the light cruisers Nürnberg, Leipzig, Köln and Königsberg, and sixteen other destroyers. After returning to port at Wilhelmshaven, she was attacked by British bombers, five of which were shot down, one inadvertently colliding with the moored Emden.[4] Emden next participated in Operation Weserübung, the invasion of Norway, and was assigned to task force Kriegsschiffgruppe 5, which attacked at Oslo. Once the port at Oslo was seized, she served as a joint communications center for the coordination of Kriegsmarine, Wehrmacht and Luftwaffe units. After the operation she returned to Germany and continued serve as a training ship until September 1941.
Emden was then deployed the Gulf of Riga in 1941, as a fire-support vessel for German troops on land.[5] During this operation, she, along with the cruiser Leipzig, were attacked twice by Soviet forces, but was left undamaged.[6] She was then assigned to Baltic fleet, as part of the German effort to prevent the Soviet navy from breaking out the Baltic sea. Emdens group was based primarily at Libau, but after only a brief service period she was recalled to Gotenhafen.[7] Emden then resumed training duties again until June 1942, when she underwent another refit at Wilhelmshaven. She then continued to train cadets until September 1944, when she reassigned to Norway as the flagship of the minelaying force there. In the following October, the was transferred to convoy escort duties, protecting German supply convoy coming out of Oslo, until she ran aground in the December at Oslofjord off the island of Flateguri. She was partially repaired at Schichau-Werke, and her guns were removed. She then set course back to Germany, carrying the bodies of former German president Paul von Hindenburg and his wife, in order to prevent their remains from falling into Soviet hands. However, due to the incomplete repairs, she was towed into Pillau, were the remains were disembarked.[8] The repairs were then completed and her guns were refitted, though she was now incapable of reaching maximum speed.[9]
Emdens last voyage was from Pillau to Kiel, from February 1 to February 7, 1945. The final repair works were to be carried out at Deutsche-Werke, but she was seriously damaged in two British bombing raids. She listed heavily until finally being towed out into Heikendorfer Bay on April 14, and was run aground. She was scuttled on May 3,[10] and the wreck finally broken up for scrap in 1949.[11] Her bow ornament is currently on display in the Deutsches Museum in Munich.[12]