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fighting ships of the world

KRIEGSMARINE (GERMANY)

CRUISERS

"M" light cruisers

"M"

Name No Yard No Builder Laid down Launched Comp Fate
"M"   263 Deutsche Werke, Kiel 1938 --- --- cancelled 19.9.1939
"N"   129 KMW Wilhelmshaven 1939 --- --- cancelled 21.9.1939

  

Displacement standard, t

7800

Displacement full, t

10400

Length, m

178.0 wl 183.0 oa

Breadth, m

17.0

Draught, m

5.40 mean 7.30 max

No of shafts

3

Machinery

CODAS: 2 sets Brown & Boveri & Wagner geared steam turbines, 4 Wagner boilers (2 shafts) + 4 MAN 2-stroke 12-cylinder double action diesels (1 shaft)

Power, h. p.

100000+16500=116500

Max speed, kts

35.5

Fuel, t

oil 1600, diesel oil 520

Endurance, nm(kts) 8000(19)

Armour, mm

belt: 50 - 30, deck: 35 - 20, turrets: 80 - 20, CT: 100 - 50

Armament

4 x 2 - 149/52 SK C/28, 2 x 2 - 88/72 SK C/32, 4 x 2 - 37/80 SK C/30, 4 x 1 - 20/65 C/30, 2 x 4 - 533 TT, 1 catapult, 2 seaplanes (Ar 196)

Complement

920

Project history: Development of triple-turret cruiser, with the same machinery arrangement and similar dimensions but twin turrets of the type fitted on Bismarck class battleships. New arrangement of armament and superstructures given appearance similar to foreign contemporaries French La Galissoniere or British Southampton. Requirement to achieve high speed and endurance without weakening of armament and protection in limited displacement followed to some doubtful decisions. As example, both turbines were placed in one common compartment and all boilers smoke ducts were trunked into one fore funnel. In spite of undertaken measures, strengthening of AA armament by means of replacing of 88mm guns by two twin 105mm appeared unreal or may be managed at the expence of removal of aircraft. Low durability was clear at design stage and it had decided to fix this lack on later cruisers with enlarged dimensions (standard displacement 9300t, 188.0x18.0x5.4m) "Q" and "R". Cruisers "O" and "P" were ordered at Germaniawerft in Kiel (order on "O" was transferred to Wilhelmshaven KMW in August, 1939) but construction never started.

Ship protection: Belt consisted of two strips of armor plates, upper strip consisted of 30mm plates and lower of 50mm. 20mm main deck was connected with lower edge of the belt by 35mm slopes. Turrets had 30mm faces and 20mm sides, rears and roofs. Shell hoists had 30mm armour. CT had 100-50mm sides, 50mm roof and 50mm communication tube. There was 20mm fore bulkhead.

© Ivan Gogin, 2008-14