World War II Database

Contributor: C. Peter Chen

ww2dbaseLight cruiser Königsberg was constructed after WW1. She, along with her sisterships, shared various strengths and weaknesses. For the first time in German cruiser design history, guns were mounted in turrets instead of in single mounts; the rear turrets were also of an interesting design, placed off-center in order to achieve a better arc of fire. The preserve weight, about 85% of the hull was welded, which actually became a major weakness of the ship as it made her too weak for deep water operations. She operated off Spanish coast between Nov 1936 and Jan 1937 during the Spanish Civil War. When the European War started, she was a torpedo training ship in the Baltic Sea and then was used as a minelayer in the North Sea. During the invasion of Norway in Apr 1940, she transported troops for the invasion. On 10 Apr 1940, she was attacked by 15 British dive bombers and received three direct hits. She capsized and sank in Bergen harbor. The wreck was raised on 17 Jul 1942 and was used as a submarine pier.

Photographs

Königsberg Operational Timeline

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