700-24 SMS "MAGDEBURG" GERMAN LIGHT CRUISER

SMS Magdeburg was a German light cruiser of the First World War. The keel for this unit was laid in 1910, the launch took place in 1911, and entry into service in the Kaiserliche Marine - in 1912. The full displacement of the ship at the time of launching was about 5,600 tons, length - 138.7 meters, and 13.4 meters wide. The maximum speed was around 27-28 knots. The on-board armament consisted of 12 105 mm guns, two torpedo tubes and sea mines. SMS Magdeburg was the leading unit of the cruiser class of the same name, consisting of a total of four ships. Units of this class were created as a development of the previous, successful German light cruiser types - primarily the Köningsberg and Dresden. Compared to the latter, they were larger, had a higher maximum speed (by 3-4 knots) and had two more 105 mm caliber guns. SMS Magdeburg was built at the AG Weser shipyard in Bremen. At the outbreak of World War I, it was a very modern unit, but its combat career was very short, because on August 26, 1914 it sank after climbing the rocks near the Gulf of Finland in the Baltic Sea. The shipwreck was quickly taken over by the Russians, who took over the German cipher books, which were handed over to the British Royal Navy, which greatly facilitated actions against the German fleet.