NAVYPEDIA

Ships

Name	No	Yard No	Builder	Laid down	Launched	Comp	Fate
Schwalbe		9	Wilhelmshaven KW	1887	16.8.1887	4.5.1888	harbour ship 1902
Sperber		10	Wilhelmshaven KW	1888	23.8.1888	2.4.1889	gunboat 3.1911, hulk 3.1912

Technical data

Displacement normal, t	1111
Displacement full, t	1359
Length, m	66.9 oa 62.6 wl
Breadth, m	9.36
Draught, m	4.40 mean 4.72 deep load
No of shafts	2
Machinery	2 HC, 4 cylindrical boilers
Power, h. p.	1500
Max speed, kts	13.5
Fuel, t	coal 240
Endurance, nm(kts)	2180(12)
Armament	8 x 1 - 105/32 RK L/35 C/86, 5 x 5 - 37/27 RV L/30
Complement	117

Standard scale images

Project history

Though classed as light cruisers, these slow, composite-built (steel and wood with copper sheathing), ram-bowed, barquentine-rigged vessels fall more readily into the sloop or colonial gunboat class, and spent their early careers overseas.

Modernizations

None.

Naval service

Both were used as hulks during the First World War, and broken up in 1922. Schwalbe had a rebuild between 1903 and 1905 and had her rig cut down to steadying.