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(Photo Caption: SMS Pillau on patrol in Heligoland Bight, 1918. Note one of the two 8.8 cm/45 Flak L/45 Guns is visible on the aft superstructure)
This is a suggestion for the German Pillau-class Light Cruiser, SMS Pillau, in its 1917 configuration. Pillau was initially designed for the Imperial Russian Navy as a Project No.356-class Light Cruiser intended for Pacific operations. In 1914, the incomplete ship was seized and eventually rebuilt into the first of the Pillau-class Cruisers due to the commencement of hostilities between Russia and Germany. Gameplay-wise, Pillau would be like her sister ship, Elbing, which is already in the game. However, Pillau would gain additional anti-aircraft weaponry while having a slightly different design armor-wise. These factors would make her a worthy addition to the Ranks of the German Bluewater tree, preferably in a group with Elbing.
Background
Spoiler
Following the disastrous defeat of the Russian 1st Pacific squadron during the Battle of Tsushima and the heavy losses sustained during the Russo-Japanese War, the Russian navy faced a severe shortage of new ships. The remaining vessels in the Baltic, Black Sea, and Pacific fleets were mostly combat-incapable due to their age and general obsolescence. This was compounded by the decision in 1906 to sideline most of the remaining cruisers in the Baltic Fleet. This action spurred the Russian Navy to begin efforts to procure new cruisers. These efforts would culminate in 1912, when several new ships were ordered, including the four Svetlana-class cruisers for the Baltic and four modified variants for the Black Sea Fleets. Furthermore, four Izmail-class Battlecruisers were also ordered. However, it was noted during procurement efforts that the Russian Navy possessed no ships capable of being used to train sailors to operate Turbine-equipped ships; furthermore, immediate replacements were needed for the old obsolescent Protected Cruisers Askold and Zhemchug.
These considerations led to a design competition that saw Russian Shipbuilders square off against other European shipbuilders, such as Ansaldo and Schichau-Werke, to design a new cruiser. Ultimately, the Nevsky Plant won the competition, and work was ordered to commence. However, in a twist of fate, it was noted that the proposed design was the most expensive one, and the proposed time frame for construction was deemed unacceptable. As such, it was subsequently decided to order the cheaper and quicker-to-build Schichau-Werke design. This decision eventually led to the construction of Project No 356-class Light Cruisers. However, before either could be completed, the First World War broke out, and the ships were quickly seized and completed to a modified German design under the names Pillau and Elbing. Both ships saw extensive service during the First World War, with Pillau and Elbing also partaking in the Battle of Jutland, where Elbing was sunk. Pillau would survive the war and was transferred in the 1920s to the Italian Regia Marina as part of war repatriations, where she would serve until 1943 when she was sunk in an Allied bombing raid and subsequently scrapped Post-War.
History
Spoiler
With the conclusion of the Russo-Japanese War in September 1905, the badly weakened Russian navy faced a severe shortage of combat-capable ships. This was further compounded by the decision in 1906 to sideline most of the remaining cruisers in the Baltic Fleet, which spurred the Russian Navy to begin efforts to procure new cruisers. These efforts would culminate with the design and start of the construction of eight new Svetlana-class cruisers and the four Izmail-class Battlecruisers. However, it was noted during procurement efforts that the Russian Navy possessed no ships capable of being used to train sailors to operate turbine-equipped ships; furthermore, immediate replacements were needed for the already near ancient Protected Cruisers Askold and Zhemchug. These considerations led to a design competition that saw Russian Shipbuilders square off against other European shipbuilders like Ansaldo and Schichau-Werke. Ultimately, the Nevsky Plant won the competition, and work was ordered to commence on their new Light Cruiser. However, in a twist of fate, it was noted that the proposed design was the most expensive one, and the proposed time frame for construction was deemed unacceptable. It was subsequently decided to order the Schichau-Werke design instead, as it was reasoned that the ship could be built quickly and cheaply as a modified variant of an existing class (the Kolberg-class) of Light Cruiser. This decision eventually led to the design and construction of what was supposed to become the Project No 356-class Light Cruisers Maraviev Amurskyy and its sister Admiral Nevelskoy.
(Photo Caption: Design of the Project No.356 class Light Cruiser as prepared by the Schichau-Werke Shipyard)
The design by Schichau-Werke called for the Project No 356 Light Cruiser called for a ship 135 meters long, with a beam of 13.60 meters, displacing 4390 tons at average load and 5252 tons maximum. The class was to be powered by ten Yarrow Boilers (four oil, six mixed) and two steam turbines which drove two screws propelling the ship to speeds of 28 knots. Armament was to have consisted of eight single 130 mm/55 B7 Pattern 1913 guns and four single 63 mm/36 Obukhov Guns. The ship, as designed, would also have featured 150 mines, allowing the class to perform the role of a fast minelayer. On 11 April 1913, the first of these two cruisers, Maraviev Amurskyy, was laid down at the Schichau-Werke shipyard in Danzig (now known as Gdańsk). Construction of the class’s lead ship progressed quickly, and on 11 April 1914, the class’s lead ship, Maraviev Amurskyy, was launched and sent to be fitted out. However, Work on Admiral Nevelskoy progressed far slower and would not be launched until 21 November 1914, when Germany had already seized, redesigned, and renamed the ship SMS Elbing.
(Photo Caption: Launching the cruiser Maraviev Amurskyy at the Schichau-Werke Shipyard in Danzig, 11 April 1914)
Despite the rapid progression of work on Maraviev Amurskyy, the ship was still undergoing its final fitting out in August 1914 when, following months of tensions, the German Empire formally declared war on the Russian Empire and issued an order seizing all Russian property in Germany. Among the property seized were the incomplete hulls of Maraviev Amurskyy and Admiral Nevelskoy. Subsequentially, negotiations were initiated with Schichau-Werke shipyard regarding potentially purchasing both hulls. To this end, Großadmiral Alfred Von Tirpitz headed negotiations as he felt that despite not being built to German Standards, both ships could further reinforce the German Fleet. After several negotiation attempts and much tension, a price was agreed upon, and both cruisers were sold to the German navy. Following this, both cruisers were added to the German Naval Register and were renamed SMS Pillau and SMS Elbing. The renaming of Elbing only occurred on 9 January 1915, suggesting that the ship had been launched earlier without any ceremony. Initially, the Schichau-Werke shipyard chose to continue building the class to its original design; however, owing to supply issues and the inability to procure the 130 mm/55 B7 Pattern 1913 guns for the ships, it was ultimately decided to rearm the class with the 15 cm SK L/45 Naval gun which would become the standard German Naval gun for Light Cruisers going forward. Furthermore, the German Reichsmarineamt (RMA) ordered several significant design changes that caused further friction with the shipyard and resulted in Schichau-Werke issuing a warning to the Kaiserliche Marine that the ships would no longer be able to achieve their designed top speed.
(Photo Caption: SMS Pillau Longitudinal section showing frame numbers and armor thickness; note this shows the ship as of her 1917 configuration)
SMS Pillau would finally be commissioned on 14 December 1914 but would not be released into active service until 16 March 1915, owing to the necessary sea trials. During Trials, Pillau was noted to be very powerful, achieving a maximum power rating of 35,500shp. However, due to poor quality fuel clogging her boiler’s oil filter, that power dropped in the following hours. There is also some anecdotal evidence that a max power rating of 44,900shp was achieved, but no speed records have survived. SMS Elbing’s trials, on the other hand, did not go as well despite having achieved her designed speed. The trials commission was unimpressed, however. In their criticisms, they referred to the ship as inter-alia, or extremely hard to handle and maneuver. It was also noted that the ship could not use her forward 15cm guns in a mild to heavy sea state as there was no flaring on the bow to protect them from the sea spray. Despite these criticisms, both ships would be accepted into the Kaiserliche Marine as part of the Hochseeflotte, and both ships would see extensive service during the First World War.
(Photo Caption: SMS Pillau shortly after entering service; note the two 5.2 cm/55 SK L/55 guns on the aft superstructure.)
Following her commissioning, SMS Pillau primarily operated with the II Scouting Group. Her first significant engagement occurred from 8 August 1915 to 20 August 1915 in what would become known as the Battle of the Gulf of Riga. During this action, the ship partook in several operations against her former owners and was nearly torpedoed. However, operations in the Gulf of Riga would later be suspended due to the presence of Russian Minefields, Torpedo boats, and submarines, which had inflicted losses on the German Fleet; for the remainder of 1915 and part of 1916, Pillau primarily served in an escort and patrol role in the North Sea. In early 1916, Pillau became the temporary flagship of Johannes Hartog, the Commander of the Kaiserliche Marine Torpedoboat squadrons. In April of 1916, she joined the rest of the I Scouting Group in the inconclusive Bombardment of Yarmouth and Lowestoft as the flagship of the II Scouting Group.
(Photo Caption: SMS Pillau setting sail from Wilhemshaven on 31 May 1916 to rendevous with the rest of the fleet at Skagerrak in what would become known as the Battle of Jutland)
In May 1916, as part of Admiral Reinhard Scheer’s ploy to lure the Royal Navy’s Grand Fleet into a significant fleet action, both Pillau and Elbing were attached to the II Scouting Group under the command of the I Scouting Group in what would become known as the Battle of Jutland. On 31 May 1916, the ships set out from the Jade Roadstead, and by 15:30 that afternoon, both had already made contact with the British Grand Fleet. By 17:00, the British 5th Battle Squadron arrived and immediately spotted Pillau, Elbing, and Frankfurt. Eight minutes later, the battleships Warspite and Valiant opened fire at Pillau, straddling the cruiser at a range of 17,000 yards (16,000 m). A cloud of smoke and turn away at high speed. Around 18:00, the German battlecruisers were also attacked by British destroyers. However, Pillau, Frankfurt, and the battlecruisers’ secondary guns drove them off.
Around 18:30, Pillau and the rest of II Scouting Group encountered the cruiser HMS Chester and opened fire, scoring several hits before disengaging. As both sides began disengaging, Rear Admiral Horace Hood’s battlecruisers intervened. His flagship, HMS Invincible, immediately scored a hit on Wiesbaden that exploded in her engine room and disabled the ship. Pillau was later struck by a 305mm shell from HMS Inflexible. The shell exploded below the ship’s chart house, causing severe damage, although most of the blast went overboard. However, the ship’s air supply shaft vented part of the explosion into the second boiler room. All six of the ship’s coal-fired boilers were disabled, though the ship could still make 24 knots on her four oil-fired boilers. This ultimately allowed the ship to escape. The ship would once again come under fire at around 21:30, but no hits were reported, and the ship was able to retire. Following the Battle, Pillau was ordered to assist the severely damaged Battlecruiser Seydlitz in returning to port. Despite some hurdles, including the tow lines snapping and Seydlitz running aground, the operation was a success, and the ship was able to make it to port, all the while being guided by Pillau. In all, SMS Pillau suffered four KIA and 23 casualties. However, Pillau’s sister ship, Elbing, was not as fortunate and was rammed midway through the Battle by the German Battleship SMS Possen, which caused severe damage and led to the ship being scuttled.
(Photo Caption: Sailors inspect the battle damage to SMS Pillau following the Battle of Jutland; this damage was caused by a 305mm shell smashing into the ship superstructure)
Following Jutland, Pillau would be sent to the repair yards, where the ship would remain from 4 June to 18 July. The rest of 1916 for Pillau was relatively uneventful, with the ship partaking in several failed operations that led the Kaiserliche Marine to abandon its aggressive fleet doctrine and later rescuing the crew of SM U-20. In 1917, Pillau was confined mainly to patrol operations and suffered several crew mutinies due to the worsening war situation and the cancellation of leave on various occasions. The ship’s captain did not take these incidents seriously and ordered the mutineers only to receive light punishment. In October 1917, the ship was ordered into drydock for maintenance, and two 8.8 cm SK L/45 guns replaced her 5.2 cm SK L/55 naval guns. Following this drydock period, the ship returned to service in time to partake in the indecisive Second Battle of Heligoland Bight.
(Photo Caption: SMS Pillau passing astern of a battleship in 1917-1918)
During 1918, the ship saw several changes, including the appointment of a new commander, FK Adolf Pfeiffer. However, with the war coming to a close, the ship would see little action and was primarily used for patrol. On 24 October 1918, the ship was ordered to proceed from Wilhelmshaven to be part of the Fleet that would lead the final attack on the British Grand Fleet. However, before this could be done, the sailors onboard several larger capital ships mutinied in what would become the Kiel Naval Mutiny. Following the Mutiny and the cancellation of the order, the First World War would come to an end on 11 November 1918 at 11:00 AM, and Pillau would subsequently be ordered to remain in Wilhemshaven under the care of a skeleton crew and was not among those ships selected to sail for internment in Scapa Flow and was formally decommissioned in March 1919. However, on 21 June 1919, the ships interned at Scapa Flow would partake in a mass scuttling that led the Entente to order that the ship be made available as a replacement war prize for the ships scuttled. Thus, on 14 June 1920, she sailed from Germany with the cruisers Königsberg, Stralsund, Strassburg, and several other ships. They arrived in Cherbourg, France, between 19-20 July and were subsequently surrendered to the Entente. Pillau was among the ships selected to be ceded to the Italian Regia Marina and was given the provisional name “U” but was later renamed Bari for future Italian service.
(Photo Caption: The Ex-Pillau now temporarily renamed “U” before she entered into service with the Regia Marina
The ship, now renamed Bari, would initially be commissioned into the Regia Marina on 21 January 1924, following four years of repair and refit work. The ship initially retained all her German armament but also saw the replaced of her two 8.8cm guns with three 76mm/40 AA guns. Later, in 1930, the ship was again modified by extending the bridge and shortening the forward funnel. In 1934, the ship, now 20 years old, would be refitted again. Her boilers were converted to oil firing this time, and her forward funnel was removed. Aside from this, the ship would receive several armament upgrades during her extensive Regia Marina service. Initially, the ship was classified as an Esploratore (Scout Cruiser), but the classification was later changed in 1929 to Incrociatore Leggero (Light Cruiser). Bari would ultimately end up serving the Regia Marina until 28 June 1943, when she was sunk by an Allied bombing raid on Livorno while undergoing an extensive refit to convert the ship into a dedicated Anti-Aircraft Light Cruiser armed with 90mm guns. The ship was subsequently raised and scrapped in 1948, thus ending the nearly 29-year service life of a ship built for one navy and saw service in two others.
(Photo Caption: The wreck of RN Bari (Ex-Pillau) in 1944 following her sinking during an Allied bombing raid on Livorno
Specifications for SMS Pillau (1917):
Spoiler
General Specifications
Displacement:
Standard: 4,390 tons/Full load: 5,252 tons
Length: 135.3 meters
Beam: 13.60 meters
Draft: 5.98 meters
Machinery:
Propulsion 10 × water-tube boilers (6 Coal-fired, 4 Oil-fired), 2 × Steam Turbines, and 2 × Screw Propellers
Power: 30,000 shp (22,400 kW)
Speed: 28 knots (50.9 km/h)
Complement :
Complement: 21 officers, 421 enlisted men
Armament
Primary Armament:
8 × 1 15 cm SK L/45 guns
Secondary/Anti-Aircraft armament
2 × 1 8.8 cm SK L/45 guns
Torpedo/Mines
2 × 50 cm Deck mounted torpedo launchers (G6/G7 torpedoes)
120 mines
Armor : (Elbing has a similar arrangement)
Deck
80-20mm along the traverse sections
Conning tower:
75mm (sides)
50mm (roof)
Gun Shields
50mm
Additional Photos
Spoiler
(Photo Caption: Hull of the Maraviev Amurskyy shortly after launch)
(Photo Caption: SMS Pillau ca.1914-1916)
(Photo Caption: SMS Pillau with mines on her deck)
(Photo Caption: The entry hole for the 305mm shell from Inflexible that struck Pillau at Jutland
(Photo Caption: Damage to SMS Pillau from the 305mm shell that struck the ship on the port side)
(Photo Caption: SMS Pillau in 1917 with SMS Frankfurt, SMS Seydlitz, and SMS Derflinger)
(Photo Caption: RN Bari (Ex-Pillau) in Taranto shortly after her delivery to the Italian Navy in 1922; the effects of going three years without maintenance are visible)
(Photo Caption: RN Bari (Ex-Pillau) In Italian Service)
(Photo Caption: RN Bari following her first refit; note the shortened forward funnel)
(Photo Caption: RN Bari in the 1930s; note the unusually shaped stern)
(Photo Caption: RN Bari in the late 1930s following a refit that gave her addition Italian Light AA armament)
(Photo Caption: RN Bari on 11 November 1942; note the extensive modifications to the ship, including the removal of one of her funnels and the addition of Light AA weaponry, as well as superstructure modifications)
Illustration
Text Sources
Spoiler
Bargoni, Franco, and Franco Gay. Esploratori Italiani. Ufficio Storico Della Marina Militare, 2019.
Bari - Navy (difesa.it)
Bari (incrociatore) - Wikipedia
Germany 15 cm/45 (5.9") SK L/45 - NavWeaps
Germany 8.8 cm/45 (3.46") SK L/45 - NavWeaps
Germany 5.2 cm/55 (2.05") SK L/55 - NavWeaps
McCartney, Innes. 2018. Jutland 1916: The Archaeology of a Naval Battlefield. Oxford: Osprey Publishing LTD.
Pillau-class light cruisers - Wiki. Lesta Games
Pillau-class light cruisers - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
SMS Pillau (1914) — Wiki. Lesta Games
SMS Pillau - Wikipedia
Photo Sources