KÖNIGSBERG SMS or KOENIGSBERG

[aukepalmhof]

The vessel depict on this stamp is actually the KÖNIGSBERG (II) also given as KOENIGSBERG, However she left never the North Sea or Baltic waters when under German flag, the design is of the wrong warship. Also the inscription on the stamp is wrong, the KÖNIGSBERG (I) never was at that date in the waters off Aldabra, at that date she was bottled up in the Rufiji Delta. One thing is not correct most probably an alternation of the designer, the first funnel was actually higher as the other two.
01 September 1914 was the correct date when she arrived off Aldabra were she filled up her bunkers with coal from the German steamer SOMALI.

Built as a light cruiser under yard No 210 by AG Weser, Bremen for the Imperial German Navy.
She was ordered in 1913 intended name ERSATZ GAZELLE but before launching changed.
August 1914 keel laid down.
18 December 1915 launched as the SMS KÖNIGSBERG (II).
Displacement 5.440 ton standard, 7.125 ton full load. Dim. 145.8 x 14.2 x 6.3m. (draught).
Powered by 2 steam turbines, 45.900hp. twin screws, speed 27.8 knots.
Bunker capacity 1.340 ton maximal, coal.
Range by a speed of 12 knots, 4850 mile.
Armament 8 – 15 cm QF, 2 – 8.8cm AA, torpedo tubes 4 – 50cm., could carry 200 mines.
Crew 475.
12 August 1916 commissioned under command of Capt. Karl Weniger.

20 October 1916 after her trials were finished.
30 October flagship of the II Scouting Group. And used as frontline ship against British cruisers, used as minelayer and was used for raids against shipping on the East coast of the U.K.
1917 Transferred to the Baltic and in the autumn of that year used by the occupation of the Baltic islands (Operation Oesel).
After she returned to the North Sea on 17 November 1917 in battle with British cruisers in the Battle of Helgoland Bight, during the battle was she hit by a 38.1 shell in which all her three funnels were damaged, and she got on fire in her coalbunkers, which after 30 minutes was extinguished. In this battle she lost 8 men and had 15 wounded.

13 November 1918 with on board Rear-Admiral Meurer sailed she to the U.K. for signing of the armistice of the German Fleet, she returned in Wilhelmshaven on 18 November 1918.

She was the only vessel of her class who did not sail for internment in Scape Flow, she was used as escort of 8 German submarines and left Helgoland on 29 November 1918 bound for Harwich
From December used many times as mail-boat for the crew’s mail of the interned German fleet in Scape Flow.
05 November 1919 stricken of the navy list and 31 May 1920 decommissioned.
20 July 1920 ceded to France in Cherbourg.
31 May 1920 commissioned in the French Navy renamed METZ.
18 August 1933 stricken, and broken up in Brest in 1936.

Source: http://www.miramarshipindex.org.nz
http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/SMS_K%C3%B6nigsberg_(1915) Log Book