SMS Cöln II (Wreck)
United Kingdom /
Scotland /
Stromness /
World
/ United Kingdom
/ Scotland
/ Stromness
World / United Kingdom / Scotland
shipwreck, cruiser
The light cruiser Cöln was the last of the 74 ships of the surrendered German High Seas Fleet to reach Scapa Flow, but among the first to obey the order to scuttle. All 5531 tons of her went down, sternfirst with a starboard heel, and all 510ft went out of sight at 1.50pm on 21 June, 1919, writes Kendall McDonald.
The Cöln II, named after the city of Cologne, did not have much of a war record. She was built at the Blohm and Voss Hamburg shipyard to replace the sunken Cöln I and launched in October, 1916, but was not completed and taken into service until January, 1918.
She was a high-speed mover with a heavy punch. Her two sets of turbines and twin propellers could drive her along at nearly 30 knots, even when fully loaded with ammunition for her eight 5.9in and two 3.4in AA guns, torpedoes for her four deck tubes, and 200 mines. That is not to mention the weight of a large amount of 2.4in and 3.9in armour. Her crew numbered 559.
The Cöln became part of the Second Scout Group, escorting U-boats through the swept channels of German minefields in Heligoland Bight. Sometimes she laid some of her own mines. Her chances of action against the British Fleet diminished as German naval mutinies spread, but she and the Second Scout Group remained loyal and stayed at sea, awaiting orders.
Those orders, when they finally came, were to join not battle but the Internment Fleet. Leaky condensers meant that she finally limped into Scapa Flow behind the rest of the German Fleet.
However, she nearly did sink one British warship. A destroyer went alongside to try to stop her sinking and just missed being taken down by the Cöln as she rolled over for her final plunge.
The Cöln II, named after the city of Cologne, did not have much of a war record. She was built at the Blohm and Voss Hamburg shipyard to replace the sunken Cöln I and launched in October, 1916, but was not completed and taken into service until January, 1918.
She was a high-speed mover with a heavy punch. Her two sets of turbines and twin propellers could drive her along at nearly 30 knots, even when fully loaded with ammunition for her eight 5.9in and two 3.4in AA guns, torpedoes for her four deck tubes, and 200 mines. That is not to mention the weight of a large amount of 2.4in and 3.9in armour. Her crew numbered 559.
The Cöln became part of the Second Scout Group, escorting U-boats through the swept channels of German minefields in Heligoland Bight. Sometimes she laid some of her own mines. Her chances of action against the British Fleet diminished as German naval mutinies spread, but she and the Second Scout Group remained loyal and stayed at sea, awaiting orders.
Those orders, when they finally came, were to join not battle but the Internment Fleet. Leaky condensers meant that she finally limped into Scapa Flow behind the rest of the German Fleet.
However, she nearly did sink one British warship. A destroyer went alongside to try to stop her sinking and just missed being taken down by the Cöln as she rolled over for her final plunge.
Wikipedia article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SMS_Cöln_II
Nearby cities:
Coordinates: 58°53'59"N 3°8'24"W
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