A 1902 lithograph ofGazelle
Class overview
Builders	AG Weser (5) Friedrich Krupp Germaniawerft (3) Howaldtswerke (1) Kaiserliche Werft Danzig (1)
Operators	Imperial German Navy  Reichsmarine  Kriegsmarine  Royal Yugoslav Navy  Regia Marina
Preceded by	SMS Hela
Succeeded by	Bremen class
Built	1897–1904
In service	1900–1954
Completed	10
Lost	4
Scrapped	6
General characteristics
Type	Light cruiser
Displacement	Normal: 2,643 to 2,706 t (2,601 to 2,663long tons) Full load: 2,963 to 3,180 t (2,916 to 3,130 long tons; 3,266 to 3,505 short tons)
Length	105 m (344 ft 6 in)
Beam	12.20 to 12.40 m (40 ft 0 in to 40 ft 8 in)
Draft	4.11 to 5.38 m (13 ft 6 in to 17 ft 8 in)
Installed power	8 ×water-tube boilers Gazelle: 6,000 ihp (4,500 kW) All others: 8,000 ihp (6,000 kW)
Propulsion	2 × screwpropellers 2 ×triple-expansion steam engines
Speed	Gazelle: 19.5 knots (36.1 km/h; 22.4 mph) All others: 21.5 knots (39.8 km/h; 24.7 mph)
Range	3,560 to 4,400 nmi (6,590 to 8,150 km; 4,100 to 5,060 mi)
Complement	14 officers 243–256 enlisted men
Armament	10 ×10.5 cm SK L/40 guns 2 × 45 cm (17.7 in)torpedo tubes
Armor	Deck: 20 to 25 mm (0.79 to 0.98 in)

TheGazelle class was a group of tenlight cruisers built for theImperial German Navy at the turn of the 20th century. They were the first modern light cruiser design of the Imperial Navy, and set the basic pattern for all future light cruisers in Imperial service. The design of theGazelle class attempted to merge the fleet scout with the colonial cruiser. They were armed with a main battery of ten 10.5 cm (4.1 in) guns and a pair oftorpedo tubes, and were capable of a speed of 21.5 knots (39.8 km/h; 24.7 mph).

All ten ships served with the fleet when they were first commissioned, and several served on foreign stations in the decade before the outbreak ofWorld War I. Most were used as coastal defense ships early in the war.Ariadne was sunk at theBattle of Heligoland Bight in August 1914,Undine was torpedoed in the Baltic by a British submarine in November 1915, andFrauenlob was sunk at theBattle of Jutland in May 1916. The rest survived the war to see service with theReichsmarine, with the exception ofGazelle, which was broken up in 1920.

Niobe was sold toYugoslavia in 1925 and renamedDalmacija, and the rest of the cruisers were withdrawn from service by the end of the 1920s and used for secondary duties or broken up for scrap.Medusa andArcona were converted into anti-aircraft ships in 1940 and were scuttled at the end ofWorld War II.Dalmacija was captured twice during the war, first by the Italians, who renamed herCattaro, and then by the Germans, who restored the original name ofNiobe. She ran aground in December 1943 and was subsequently destroyed by BritishMotor Torpedo Boats.Amazone was the only member to survive the war intact, as abarracks ship, and she remained in service until 1954, when she was broken up for scrap.

Through the 1870s and early 1880s,Germany built two types of cruising vessels: small, fast, but lightly armedavisos suitable for service as fleet scouts and larger, long-rangedscrew corvettes capable of patrolling theGerman colonial empire. Beginning in the mid-1880s, GeneralLeo von Caprivi, theChief of the Imperial Admiralty, embarked on a construction program to modernize Germany's cruiser force. The first step in the program, the twoSchwalbe-classunprotected cruisers, provided the basis for the largerBussard class. All of these vessels were comparatively slow, capable of no more than 15.5knots (28.7 km/h; 17.8 mph), which was not sufficient for scout operations with the main fleet.^[1][2]

In the early 1890s, naval officers began to consider a new type of cruiser that incorporated the speed of the avisos with the heavier armament and longer cruising radius of the unprotected cruisers. Then-CaptainAlfred von Tirpitz, at the time the Chief of Staff of theImperial Naval High Command (Oberkommando der Marine—OKM), wrote a summary of 1894 fleet maneuvers that included what he believed to be the necessary characteristics of a new small cruiser. These included a top speed of at least 18 knots (33 km/h; 21 mph), armament sufficient to permit them to engage enemy fleet scouts, and an armordeck to protect the ship's propulsion machinery.^[3]

The General Department of theImperial Naval Office (Reichsmarineamt—RMA) issued a call for proposals on 10 May 1895 for the next cruiser, provisionally titled "G". Records of the initial proposals have not survived, though the final design closely followed Tirpitz's specifications outlined in 1894. The caliber of themain battery had to be limited to 10.5 cm (4.1 in), despite his preference for larger weapons, to keepdisplacement within reasonable limits. Maximum speed was to be 19.5 knots (36.1 km/h; 22.4 mph), a margin of 3 knots (5.6 km/h; 3.5 mph) over contemporarybattleship designs. The design for the first vessel, which would becomeGazelle, was prepared in 1895–1896 by the navy's chief designer, Alfred Dietrich. As additional members of the class were ordered, a series of improvements were incorporated in their designs over the course of 1897–1900.^[4][5]

By 1897, when the second member of the class would be proposed to theReichstag to be included in the next year's budget, developments in other vessels prompted the first of these changes. The latestKaiser Friedrich III-class battleships would have a speed of 18 knots (33 km/h; 21 mph), necessitating an increase in speed to maintain the 3-knot speed advantage. The RMA also considered increasing the caliber of main guns in line with Tirpitz's thinking, but Dietrich stated that the requested improvements could not be incorporated while retaining a displacement of not more than 3,000metric tons (2,953long tons). More problematically, the cost of the new ship would increase by around 26 percent, which theReichstag would not likely approve. As a result, the next vessel would largely repeatGazelle's design, though new machinery developed by theGermaniawerft shipyard secured the necessary increase of speed to 21.5 knots (39.8 km/h; 24.7 mph).^[6]

The design was somewhat smaller than contemporary light cruisers, but the ships were nevertheless sturdy and powerfully armed for the period.^[7] These characteristics evenly balanced the requirements for the two roles envisioned for the class.^[8] According to the historian Eric Osborne, "[t]he light cruisers of theGazelle-class established a trend for future ships of this general design...[they] carried little or no armor, the chief asset being speed."^[9] Indeed, all future light cruisers built by the Imperial Navy through theDresden class of 1906 generally followed the same pattern, with few fundamental changes.^[10][11]

The ships of theGazelle class were 104.10 to 104.40 m (341 ft 6 in to 342 ft 6 in)long at the waterline and 105 meters (344 ft 6 in)long overall. The first seven ships had abeam of 12.20 m (40 ft 0 in) and the last three were slightly wider, at 12.40 m (40 ft 8 in). They had adraft of 4.11 to 5.38 m (13 ft 6 in to 17 ft 8 in) forward and 5.31 to 5.69 m (17 ft 5 in to 18 ft 8 in) aft. They were designed to displace 2,643 to 2,706 metric tons (2,601 to 2,663 long tons) at a normal loading, and atfull load their displacement rose to 2,963 to 3,180 t (2,916 to 3,130 long tons; 3,266 to 3,505 short tons). The ships' hulls were constructed with transverse and longitudinal steel frames; the outer hull wall consisted of wooden planks covered with a layer ofMuntz metal to prevent fouling. The Muntz metal extended up to a meter above the waterline. The hull was divided into twelvewatertight compartments and it had adouble bottom that extended for 40 percent of the length of the keel. For the last three ships, their double bottom was lengthened to 46 percent of the hull.^[12]

All ten ships werecrank and rolled severely. They were also wet in ahead sea. After their modernizations, they tended to suffer fromlee helm. Nevertheless, the ships turned tightly and were very maneuverable. In a hard turn, their speed fell up to 65 percent. They had a transversemetacentric height of 0.5 to 0.63 m (1 ft 8 in to 2 ft 1 in). TheGazelle class required a crew of 14 officers and 243 enlisted men, though for the last three ships, the number of enlisted men rose to 256. They carried a number of boats, including one picket boat, onepinnace,two cutters, twoyawls, and onedinghy.^[13]

Their propulsion system consisted of twotriple-expansion engines manufactured by the dockyards that built the ships.Gazelle's engines were designed to give 6,000indicated horsepower (4,500 kW), for a top speed of 19.5 knots (36.1 km/h; 22.4 mph), while the rest of the ships' engines were rated at 8,000 ihp (6,000 kW) for 21.5 knots (39.8 km/h; 24.7 mph). The engines were powered by eight coal-firedwater-tube boilers of various manufacture, divided into two boiler rooms. The first three ships carried 500 tonnes (490 long tons) of coal, which gave them a range of 3,570nautical miles (6,610 km; 4,110 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph). The next four vessels carried slightly more, at 560 t (550 long tons), which allowed them to cruise to the approximately same range, 3,560 nmi (6,590 km; 4,100 mi), at the higher speed of 12 knots (22 km/h; 14 mph). The last three ships carried 700 t (690 long tons) of coal, which substantially increased their cruising radius, to 4,400 nmi (8,100 km; 5,100 mi) at 12 knots. The ships were equipped with three electricity generators that provided a total of 110 kilowatts at 110 volts.^[14]

The ships were armed with ten10.5 cm SK L/40 guns in single mounts. Two were placed side by side forward on theforecastle, six were located amidships, three on either side, and two were placed side by side aft. The guns could engage targets out to 12,200 m (13,300 yd). They were supplied with 1,000 rounds of ammunition, for 100 shells per gun, though the allotment for the last three ships increased to 1,500 rounds, or 150 per gun. They were also equipped withtorpedo tubes.Gazelle had three 45 cm (17.7 in) tubes with eighttorpedoes; one was submerged in the hull in the bow and two were mounted in deck launchers on thebroadside. The rest of the class only had two 45 cm tubes with five torpedoes, and these were submerged in the ships' hulls, on the broadside.^[13]

The ships were protected by an armored deck that was 20 to 25 mm (0.79 to 0.98 in) thick, with 50 mm (2.0 in) thick sloping armor on the side. The armor consisted of two layers of steel with a single layer ofKrupp steel. TheGazelle-class cruisers were also equipped with corkcofferdams to increase buoyancy. Theconning tower had 80 mm (3.1 in) thick sides, with a 20 mm thick roof. The guns were protected by 50 mm (2.0 in) thick shields.^[5]

The ten ships of theGazelle class were built between 1897 and 1904, at various German dockyards, including private firms and government shipyards.^[15]

TheGazelle-class cruisers served in various capacities after their commissioning. Most of them served with the fleet reconnaissance force, though several served on foreign stations as well.Gazelle served abroad in 1902–1904,Thetis in 1902–1906,Niobe in 1906–1909, andArcona in 1907–1910.Nymphe was also used as a training ship for naval cadets in addition to her fleet scout role, andUndine served as a gunnery training ship.^[16]

Due to their age, theGazelles had been placed in reserve by 1914, but after the outbreak ofWorld War I in August 1914, they were mobilized for active service.^[8] Most were initially used as coastal defense vessels in the Baltic, butFrauenlob andAriadne remained in service with the fleet.^[16] They both saw action at theBattle of Heligoland Bight on 28 August 1914;Frauenlob engaged and badly damaged the British cruiserHMS Arethusa, whileAriadne was sunk by severalbattlecruisers.^[17]Frauenlob soldiered on in the fleet reconnaissance forces until theBattle of Jutland on 31 May 1916, when she was torpedoed and sunk byHMS Southampton in a ferocious night battle, with the loss of almost her entire crew.^[18] In the Baltic,Undine was torpedoed and sunk by the BritishsubmarineHMS E19 on 7 November 1915.^[19]

The seven surviving ships were withdrawn from front-line service in 1916 and disarmed, with the exception ofMedusa, which retained six of her guns, andThetis, which was rearmed with nine 10.5 cmU-boat guns for use as a gunnery training ship. The remaining seven cruisers survived the war and went on to serve in the newReichsmarine, except forGazelle, which was broken up for scrap in 1920. The ships remained in service throughout the 1920s, but were all withdrawn by the early 1930s.Niobe was sold to Yugoslavia in 1925 and renamedDalmacija, whileNymphe andThetis were scrapped in the early 1930s.Arcona,Medusa, andAmazone were used as barracks hulks for the rest of the 1930s.^[8][16]

After the outbreak ofWorld War II,Medusa andArcona were converted into floating anti-aircraft batteries and defended German ports from 1940 to the end of the war, when they were scuttled by their crews on 3 May 1945.Amazone meanwhile remained in service as a barracks ship through the end of the war.^[16]Dalmacija was captured by the Italians after theInvasion of Yugoslavia in April 1941, renamedCattaro, and pressed into service with the Italian Navy. She was then captured by the Germans after the Italian surrender in September 1943, and returned to her original name,Niobe. The ship ran aground in the Adriatic in December 1943 and was destroyed by a pair of BritishMotor Torpedo Boats.^[20]Niobe,Medusa, andArcona were broken up for scrap in the late 1940s, butAmazone lingered on as a barracks ship until 1954, when she too was sold for scrapping.^[16]

Wikimedia Commons has media related toGazelle class cruiser.

• Campbell, John (1998).Jutland: An Analysis of the Fighting. London: Conway Maritime Press.ISBN 978-1-55821-759-1.
• Campbell, N. J. M. & Sieche, Erwin (1986). "Germany". In Gardiner, Robert & Gray, Randal (eds.).Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1906–1921. London: Conway Maritime Press. pp. 134–189.ISBN 978-0-85177-245-5.
• Gröner, Erich (1990).German Warships: 1815–1945. Vol. I: Major Surface Vessels. Annapolis: Naval Institute Press.ISBN 978-0-87021-790-6.
• Herwig, Holger (1980)."Luxury" Fleet: The Imperial German Navy 1888–1918. Amherst: Humanity Books.ISBN 978-1-57392-286-9.
• Lyon, Hugh (1979). "Germany". In Gardiner, Robert; Chesneau, Roger; Kolesnik, Eugene M. (eds.).Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1860–1905. Greenwich: Conway Maritime Press.ISBN 978-0-85177-133-5.
• Nottelmann, Dirk (2020). "The Development of the Small Cruiser in the Imperial German Navy". In Jordan, John (ed.).Warship 2020. Oxford: Osprey. pp. 102–118.ISBN 978-1-4728-4071-4.
• Osborne, Eric W. (2004).Cruisers and Battlecruisers. Santa Barbara: ABC-CLIO.ISBN 978-1-85109-369-4.
• Polmar, Norman & Noot, Jurrien (1991).Submarines of the Russian and Soviet Navies, 1718–1990. Annapolis: Naval Institute Press.ISBN 978-0-87021-570-4.
• Rohwer, Jürgen (2005).Chronology of the War at Sea, 1939–1945: The Naval History of World War Two. Annapolis: Naval Institute Press.ISBN 978-1-59114-119-8.
• Sondhaus, Lawrence (1997).Preparing for Weltpolitik: German Sea Power Before the Tirpitz Era. Annapolis: Naval Institute Press.ISBN 978-1-55750-745-7.
• Staff, Gary (2011).Battle on the Seven Seas. Barnsley: Pen & Sword Maritime.ISBN 978-1-84884-182-6.

• Dodson, Aidan; Nottelmann, Dirk (2021).The Kaiser's Cruisers 1871–1918. Annapolis: Naval Institute Press.ISBN 978-1-68247-745-8.

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