Karlsruhe

The three K-class light cruisers were the first modern German cruisers completed after World War I. Their 15 cm main guns were mounted in enclosed triple turrets rather than the single mounts used by earlier German light cruisers. The two aft turrets were offset from the centerline to improve their arcs of fire.

Welding was used for about 85 percent of the hull to save weight, but the resulting structure lacked the strength required for prolonged operations in heavy seas. Limited range and structural weakness made the ships unsuitable for their intended commerce-raiding role in the North Atlantic. Königsberg, originally ordered as Kreuzer B, was laid down on 12 April 1926 and completed three years later.

Karlsruhe entered service in November 1929, followed by Köln in January 1930. Before World War II, all three cruisers undertook training cruises and foreign visits. During the war they operated in the North Sea and Baltic Sea.

Königsberg and Karlsruhe were lost during Operation Weserübung, the invasion of Norway, while Köln was sunk near the end of the war.

Karlsruhe entered service in October 1929 and completed five long-distance training cruises before the war, visiting Africa, Asia, the Americas and the Pacific. Severe storm damage during her final voyage exposed the structural weakness of the class, and the cruiser underwent an extensive reconstruction from 1938 to 1939. During Operation Weserübung she transported troops to Kristiansand. On 9 April 1940 the British submarine Truant torpedoed Karlsruhe and disabled her machinery. After the crew had transferred to the torpedo boat Greif, the escort scuttled the crippled cruiser with two torpedoes.