Köln German Light Cruiser

Köln was the third member of the Königsberg class of light cruisers that were operated between 1929 and March 1945, including service in World War II. Her two sister ships, Königsberg and Karlsruhe were both sunk early in the war, in April 1940 during the Norwegian Campaign.

Laid down in August 1926, Köln was launched in May 1928, and commissioned into the Reichsmarine in 15 January 1930. She was armed with a main battery of nine 15 cm SK C/25 (5.9-inch) guns in three triple turrets and had a top speed of 32 knots (59 km/h; 37 mph).

After the outbreak of World War II in September 1939, she conducted several operations in the North Sea, but did not encounter any British warships. She participated in the attack on Bergen during Operation Weserübung in April 1940, and she was the only member of her class to survive the operation. In 1942, she was modified to carry a Flettner Fl 282 helicopter experimentally. Later in 1942, she returned to Norway, but did not see significant action. She remained there until early 1945, when she returned to Germany; in March, she was sunk by American bombers in Wilhelmshaven. She remained on an even keel, with her gun turrets above water; this allowed her to provide gunfire support to defenders of the city until the end of the war in May 1945.