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The five ships of the Victoria Louise class were the only protected cruisers to serve with the German fleet during the First World War. As protected cruisers they had an armoured deck amidships, protecting the most vulnerable parts of the ship.
Despite undergoing an extensive refit (1905-1911, including a change of boilers and a change to the armament) the class was at best obsolescent at the start of the war. They were mobilised to form the 5th Scouting Group of the training cruiser division, and served in the Baltic during 1914. At the end of the year they were decommissioned.
Freya was used as a schoolship, with reduced heavy armament (one 140mm and four 105mm guns) but with an increase to fourteen 88mms. The remaining four were used as accommodation ships.
After the war Victoria Luise was sold for use as a merchant ship, and renamed the Flora Sommerfeld, surviving until 1923, by which time the other four ships had already been scrapped.
Displacement (loaded) |
6,389t |
Top Speed |
18.5kts |
Armour – deck |
4in (amidships) |
- turrets |
4in |
Length |
363ft 2in |
Armaments as built |
Two 210mm/ 8.2in guns |
Armament in 1914 |
Two 210mm guns |
Crew complement |
477 |
Launched |
1897-1898 |
Completed |
1898-1899 |
Ships in class |
SMS Victoria Louise |