SMS Pillau

SMS "Pillau" was a German light cruiser in World War I. She and her sistership SMS "Elbing" were originally ordered from German shipyards by the Russian Navy, but were confiscated at the outbreak of war and taken over by the German Navy. "Pillau" was laid down as "Muraviev Amurskyy" (named after the eponymous count) at the Schichau-Werft in Danzig in 1913 and completed in December 1914.

Design

135 meters long and 15.6 meters wide, she had a draught of 5.64 meters and a displacement of 5,252 tons at full load. Two turbines gave her a top speed of 27.5 knots. Intended to be fitted with Russian 13 cm guns, she was eventually equipped with 8 15 cm German guns; "Pillau" and "Elbing" were the first German light cruisers with 15 cm armament.

ervice history

"Pillau" was assigned to the II Scouting Group in 1915. She served in the Baltic and North Seas and took part in the Battle of the Gulf of Riga in August 1915. "Pillau" also participated in the Battle of Jutland on 31 May–1 June 1916. After the end of the battle, "Pillau" was dispatched to escort the severely damaged "Seydlitz" back to Germany. "Seydlitz's" navigation systems had failed, and needed "Pillau" to guide her back to German waters. [Staff, Gary: "German Battlecruisers: 1914-1918", page 33. Osprey Books, 2006. ISBN 978-1-84603-009-3] Her last action of the First World War, "Pillau" took part in the Second Battle of Heligoland Bight. She was ceded to Italy after the end of the war. "Pillau" was renamed "Bari", and served in the Regia Marina until she was sunk in 1943.

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