Freivogel, Zvonimir Large Cruisers of the Imperial German Navy

Of a total of 15 large cruisers in the German Imperial Navy, six belonged to the category of large armoured deck cruisers, while the remaining nine were armoured cruisers. After two armoured cruiser prototypes, three series of two ships each were built, and finally a lone ship, which represented the culmination of this development in the Kaiserliche Marine. The six oldest (armoured deck) cruisers were withdrawn from active service in time for the start of the war, while six of the nine armoured cruisers were lost in the war, the two most famous - Scharnhorst and Gneisenau - in the South Atlantic. The newest armoured cruiser - Blücher - on the other hand, was sunk in the North Sea, but also in action against the much stronger opponents - the battle cruisers.
In this richly illustrated book, the already well-known naval author Zvonimir Freivogel describes the development of the armoured cruisers in Germany, but also worldwide, which had their peak in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, only to be finally outclassed by the battle cruisers. In addition to the overview of technical data of all these ships (from the large cruiser Kaiserin Augusta to the armoured cruiser Blücher), their lesser-known participation in international missions, their cruises on the world's oceans before the First World War as well as their war operations and final fates were described.

Of a total of 15 large cruisers in the German Imperial Navy, six belonged to the category of large armoured cruisers, while the remaining nine were merely armoured cruisers. After two armoured cruiser prototypes, three series of two ships each were built and finally a lone ship, which represented the high point of this development in the Imperial Navy. The six oldest (armoured deck) cruisers were withdrawn from active service in good time after the start of the war, while six of the nine armoured cruisers were lost in the war, the two best known - "Scharnhorst" and "Gneisenau" - in the South Atlantic. The newest armoured cruiser - "Blücher" - was sunk in the North Sea, but also in battle against the much stronger opponents - the battle cruisers.