Turbines tested at sea
Dresden and Emden paired similar hulls with different machinery, producing two of the best-known German commerce raiders.
4268 tMaximum displacement
118,3 mOverall length
24,0 knMaximum speed
361Complement
The full story
History of Emden
Dresden and Emden became the best-known German small cruisers of World War I. Their hulls differed little from those of their predecessors, but the two ships used different machinery: Emden retained triple-expansion engines, while Dresden served as a test platform for steam turbines.
Both cruisers were stationed overseas at the outbreak of World War I. Emden served with the East Asia Squadron, while Dresden operated in the Caribbean. After the squadron left Tsingtau in July 1914, Emden briefly remained behind before rendezvousing with it at Pagan in the Mariana Islands. Emden then began a highly successful commerce-raiding cruise in the Indian Ocean. During the next two and a half months, she destroyed or captured 23 ships, bombarded the harbor and oil tanks at Madras and sank the Russian cruiser Zhemchug and French destroyer Mousquet at Penang. On 9 November 1914, the Australian cruiser Sydney surprised Emden during an attack on the Cocos Islands radio station while about fifty members of her crew were ashore. Sydney’s 15.2 cm guns outranged Emden’s battery, leaving the German cruiser a burning wreck after ninety minutes. Emden was beached to prevent her from sinking; 134 of her 376 crew members were killed. The wreck remained on the reef for decades and was partly broken up in the 1950s.
Operational history
Service timeline
Emden is commissioned
Test and trials. Attached to the South East Asia squadron.
Sent to South East Asia via South America. Leaves Kiel.
Arrived in Montevideo, meets with the small cruiser Bremen.
Visit to Buenos Aires.
After voyage around Cape Horn, the Emden leaves Talcahuano to cross the Pacific.
Arrived in Tahiti.
Joins the German cruiser squadron at Samoa.
Based at the Yangtze River.
Various operations in South East Asia.
To prevent to be captured at the port of Tsingtau, the Emden leaves the base just before the outbreak of the war.
Emden captures the Russian steamer Rjäsan which is refitted as auxiliary cruiser Cormoran.
After a meeting with the other ships of the cruiser squadron at the Marianas, the Emden is sent into the Indian Ocean for commerce warfare.
Emden captures the Greek freighter Pontoporos.
Emden shells the oil storage at the port of Madras, causing heavy damage in the storage facilities.
In a night surprise attack, the Emden enters the port of Penang. Equipped with a fourth false funnel, the Emden is able to deceive the Russian cruiser Zhemchug, and sink the ship from a distance of only 300 meters. The French destroyer Mousquet is sunk while the Emden leaves the port.
While attacking the radio/cable station on the Cocos-Islands with a landing party, the Emden is surprised by the Australian cruiser Sydney. Outgunned by the Australian ship, the Emden is wrecked in a two-hour battle and is beached on a reef at the North Keeling Island. 134 of the 376 crew members are killed.
The wreck of the Emden, is destroyed in a tropical storm.
At a glance
Technical profile
Dimensions, armament, protection and performance.
Dimensions
- Size (Max)
- 4268 t
- Length (Total)
- 118,3 m
- Length (Waterline)
- 117,9 m
- Beam
- 13,5 m
- Draft
- 5,53 m
- Crew
- 361
Armament
- 10,5 cm
- 10
- MG
- 10
- 45 cm Torpedo tubes
- 2
Armor
- Deck
- 25 mm (max)
- Belt
- 80-100 mm
Machinery
- Shafts
- 2
- Engines
- 2
- Type
- 3-cyl triple expansion
Performance
- Total Performance
- 16350 shp
- Speed
- 24,0 kn
- Range
- 3760 miles at 12 kn
The archive
Models
Ship models in 1/1250 scale.
Construction record
Emden
- Laid down
- Kaiserliche Werft Danzig, 06.04.1906
- Launched
- 26.05.1908
- Commissioned
- 10.07.1909
- Fate
- destroyed 09.11.1914 at the Cocos Islands.