Nymphe 1903
Nymphe 1925
Niobe 1943
Arcona 1943
Arcona 1944
| Name | No | Yard No | Builder | Laid down | Launched | Comp | Fate |
| Gazelle | 76 | Germaniawerft, Kiel | 1897 | 31.3.1898 | 6.10.1900 | hulk 1.1916 | |
| Niobe | 120 | Weser, Bremen | 30.8.1898 | 18.7.1899 | 25.6.1900 | accommodation ship 1917-1922, to Yugoslavia 6.1925 (Dalmacija), captured by Italy (Cattaro) 11.9.1943, to Croatia 9.1943-12/1943 (Zniam), sunk 22.12.1943 | |
| Nymphe | 83 | Germaniawerft, Kiel | 1898 | 21.11.1899 | 20.9.1900 | stricken 3.1931 | |
| Thetis | Danzig KW | 1899 | 3.7.1900 | 14.9.1901 | stricken 9.1929 | ||
| Ariadne | 127 | Weser, Bremen | 1899 | 10.8.1900 | 18.5.1901 | sunk 28.8.1914 | |
| Amazone | 87 | Germaniawerft, Kiel | 1899 | 6.10.1900 | 15.11.1901 | stricken 3.1931 | |
| Medusa | 128 | Weser, Bremen | 1900 | 5.12.1900 | 26.7.1901 | miscellaneous auxiliary 1917-1920, accommodation ship 3.1929, floating AA battery 7.1940, scuttled 3.5.1945 | |
| Frauenlob | 132 | Weser, Bremen | 1901 | 22.3.1902 | 17.2.1903 | sunk 31.5.1916 | |
| Arcona | 133 | Weser, Bremen | 1901 | 22.10.1902 | 12.5.1903 | depot ship 1919-1920, accommodation ship 1.1930, floating AA battery 5.1940, scuttled 3.5.1945 | |
| Undine | 390 | Howaldtswerke, Kiel | 1901 | 11.12.1902 | 5.1.1904 | sunk 7.11.1915 |
|
Displacement normal, t |
Gazelle, Niobe: 2643 Nymphe, Thetis, Ariadne, Amazone, Medusa: 2659 Frauenlob, Arcona, Undine: 2706 |
|
Displacement full, t |
Gazelle, Niobe: 2963 Nymphe, Thetis, Ariadne, Amazone, Medusa: 2972 - 3082 Frauenlob, Arcona, Undine: 3112 - 3180 |
|
Length, m |
Gazelle, Niobe, Frauenlob, Arcona, Undine: 104.4 wl 105.0 oa Nymphe, Thetis, Amazone, Medusa: 104.1 wl 105.1 oa |
|
Breadth, m |
12.2 Frauenlob, Arcona, Undine: 12.4 |
|
Draught, m |
Gazelle, Niobe: 5.53 Nymphe, Thetis, Ariadne, Amazone, Medusa: 5.40 Frauenlob, Arcona, Undine: 5.52 |
|
No of shafts |
2 |
|
Machinery |
Gazelle: 2 VTE, 8 Niclausse boilers Niobe: 2 VTE, 8 Thornycroft boilers Nymphe: 2 VTE, 10 Marine boilers Thetis, Ariadne, Amazone, Medusa, Frauenlob, Arcona, Undine: 2 VTE, 9 Marine boilers |
|
Power, h. p. |
Gazelle: 6000 Niobe: 8110 Nymphe, Thetis, Ariadne, Amazone, Medusa: 7970 - 9020 Frauenlob, Arcona, Undine: 8580 |
|
Max speed, kts |
Gazelle: 20 Niobe: 22.1 Nymphe, Thetis, Ariadne, Amazone, Medusa: 20.9 - 21.8 Frauenlob, Arcona, Undine: 21.5 |
|
Fuel, t |
Gazelle, Niobe: coal 500 Nymphe, Thetis, Ariadne, Amazone, Medusa: coal 560 Frauenlob, Arcona, Undine: coal 700 |
|
Endurance, nm(kts) |
Gazelle, Niobe: 3570(10) Nymphe, Thetis, Ariadne, Amazone, Medusa: 3560(12) Frauenlob, Arcona, Undine: 4400(12) |
|
Armour, mm |
steel / Krupp steel - deck: 25 - 20, slopes: 50, CT: 80, shields: 50 |
|
Armament |
Gazelle: 10 x 1 - 105/37 SK L/40 C/97, 3 - 450 TT(8, 1 bow, 2 beam) others: 10 x 1 - 105/37 SK L/40 C/97, 2 - 450 TT (5, beam) |
|
Complement |
249 Frauenlob, Arcona, Undine: 259 |
Project history: The Gazelle class were the first modern light cruisers. They were well armed with the 105mm guns the German Navy believed best for dealing with destroyers and TBs (this preference for the lighter gun with the greater rate of fire as compared to the heavier 6in remained a constant feature of German light cruisers up to 1914). They inherited the pronounced ram of the Hela, though only the Gaselle had a bow TT. Another difference from her sisters was that the two broadside TTs of the lead ship of the class were above water, whilst in all the other ships they were submerged. Gazelle also differed in having her charthouse placed between her two funnels, whilst all the others had it in the normal position in front of the forefunnel.
Arcona and Medusa in 1923-1924 were stricken from fleet list and converted to hulks, machines and boilers were thus removed. In 1940 they were converted to floating AA batteries. Superstructures practically were completely demounted, new armament and fire control equipment were fitted, subsequently they received Würzburg radar. Arcona returned to active service 27.5.1940, and Medusa in July, 1940.
Ship protection: 25mm protective deck with 50mm slopes protected machinery, outside machine spaces 20mm deck had turtleback form. Engines had 80mm glacises. CT had 80mm sides and 20mm roof, guns had 50mm shields.
Modernizations: 1912, Arcona: - 2 x 1 - 105/40, 2 - 450 TT; + 2 x 1 - 500 TT, 200 mines
1914, Arcona: + 2 x 1 - 105/37 SK L/40 C/97
1916, Medusa: - 4 x 1 - 105/40
1917, Thetis: - 10 x 1 - 105/40; + 9 x 1 - 105/42 SK L/45 C/06
1920, Medusa: - 2 - 450 TT; + 4 x 1 - 105/37 SK L/40 C/97, 2 x 1 - 500 TT, 200 mines
1923, Nymphe; 1924, Amazone: stems were reconstructed, length oa was 108.7m
1922, Niobe; 1923, Amazone; 1924, Nymphe: - 10 x 1 - 105/40, 2 - 450 TT; + 10 x 1 - 105/42 SK C/06, 2 x 1 - 500 TT
1922, Thetis: - 2 - 450 TT; + 1 x 1 - 105/42 SK C/06
3/1929, Medusa; 1.1930, Arcona: were disarmed
5/1940, Arcona, 7.1940, Medusa: had following data: full displacement: 3100t, machinery was removed; armament consisted of 5 x 1 - 105/60 SK C/33, 1 x 2 - 37/80 SK C/30, 4 x 1 - 20/65 C/38
9/1943, Niobe: had following data: 2360 / 2953t, 104.4x12.2x5.20m, 16kts, armament consisted of 6 x 1 - 84/55 Škoda M.27, 6 x 1 - 20/65 C/38
1944 - 1945, Arcona, Medusa: - 1 x 2 - 37/80, 2 x 1 - 20/65; + 2 x 1 - 40/56 FlaK 28, 1 x 4 - 20/65 C/38, FuMO 212 or FuMO 213 radar
Naval service: To the beginning of WWI these cruisers were considered become outdated. Arcona was converted to minelayer. Undine, Amazone, Thetis and Nymphe were used as training cruisers. Remaining served in coast defence, basically on Baltic. Ariadne was sunk by gunfire of British battlecruisers off Helgoland 28.8.1914. Undine was sunk 7.11.1915 at Helgoland by British submarine E19. Frauenlob was destroyed by torpedoes of British cruiser Southampton in the North Sea 31.5.1916.
Niobe 24.6.1925 was sold to Yugoslavia as Dalmacia. In 1925-1926 she was rebuilt by Deutsche Werke in Kiel, in 1926-1927 re-armed by Škoda artillery. In 1941 Dalmacia was captured by German troops and transferred to Italy, she entered Italian service as coast defence ship Cattaro. 11.9.1943 she was again captured by German troops in Pola. It was originally supposed to transfer ship to Croatia under name Zenta or Znjam, but 6.12.1943 she was renamed Niobe and entered German naval service, fleets though has partially been staffed by Croatian crew. 19.12.1943 she ran aground at Sylba and 22.12.1943 was destroyed by torpedoes of British MTB98 and MTB76. Arcona and Medusa were scuttled in Wilhelmshaven in May, 1945; in 1948-1949 they were salvaged and handed over on demolition.
Nymphe 1919
Niobe 1943
AA floating battery Arcona
AA floating battery Medusa
© Ivan Gogin, 2008-14