The Kaiser's Cruisers, 1871-1918 covers the full range of cruising vessels operated or ordered by the Imperial German Navy between 1871 and 1918, excluding the battlecruisers, previously covered by the author's companion volume The Kaiser's Battlefleet. Arranged in a chronological narrative, these include corvettes, avisos, sloops, torpedo cruisers, III- and IV-class cruisers, and small cruisers. This book includes both design and operational histories, the latter continuing down to the end of ships' service after the fall of Imperial Germany, and it is accompanied by an extensive selection of many rare photographs. The ships' technical details are itemized in the second half of the book which also includes sketches of ships' internal layouts and armor and changes in appearance over time. Aidan Dodson and Dirk Nottelmann have made extensive use of archival material, particularly relating to the political and technical background to design and procurement and present a developmental history of this ship class which is unique in the English language.

The Kaiser's Cruisers, 1871-1918

History

Dodson, Aidan

Nottelmann, Dirk

Europe

Naval_Institute_Press

Features an abundant selection of illustrations, photographs, maps and tables, many of them never before published, sourced from the vast Federal Archives at Freiburg and several private archives.\nIn 1864, the Prussian Navy, the core element of what would become the Imperial German Navy, acquired its first ironclad vessels from Great Britain and France. Until then, it had existed as a relatively insignificant force, mainly consisting of a handful of gunboats, corvettes, and other small craft. However, over the subsequent 50 years, the fleet would rise from these small beginnings into one capable of threatening the Royal Navy on the high seas. The development of the Imperial German Navy mirrored the rise of Germany as a technical power following unification in 1871. Still, such a rise needed more than just technical ability – it required considerable political will and economic resources.\nThe early chapters of From Ironclads to Dreadnoughts cover the initial purchase of ships from abroad, the switch to German shipyards, and the hesitant attempts of Emperor Wilhelm II to develop the navy. The later chapters present the fundamental changes after Alfred von Tirpitz became naval minister in 1897. They focus on the history of the various classes of ships, from their inception to the wide variety of design influences, through their history in service and individual fates.\nThe text is accompanied by an abundant selection of illustrations, photographs, maps and tables, many of them never before published, sourced from the vast Federal Archives at Freiburg or several private archives – including those of both authors – after many years of research.

From Ironclads to Dreadnoughts: The Development of the German Battleship, 1864-1918 (From Musket to Maxim 1815-1914)

Sullivan, David M.

Helion and Company

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