SMS Kaiserin Augusta

SMS Kaiserin Augusta in 1893
Class overview
Preceded by	Irene class
Succeeded by	Victoria Louise class
History
German Empire
Name	Kaiserin Augusta
Namesake	Empress Augusta
Builder	Germaniawerft, Kiel
Laid down	1890
Launched	15 January 1892
Commissioned	17 November 1892
Stricken	1 October 1919
Fate	Scrapped 1920
General characteristics
Class and type	Unique protected cruiser
Displacement	Normal: 6,056 t (5,960 long tons) Full load: 6,318 t (6,218 long tons)
Length	123.2 m (404 ft) oa
Beam	15.6 m (51 ft)
Draft	6.48 m (21.3 ft)
Installed power	8 × fire-tube boilers 12,000 PS (8,800 kW)
Propulsion	3 × triple-expansion steam engines 3 × screw propellers
Speed	21 knots (38.9 km/h)
Range	3,240 nmi (6,000 km; 3,730 mi) at 12 kn (22 km/h; 14 mph)
Complement	13 officers 417 enlisted men
Armament	4 × 15 cm (5.9 in) RK L/30 guns 8 × 10.5 cm (4.1 in) SK L/35 guns 8 × 8.8 cm (3.5 in) SK L/30 guns 4 × machine gun 5 × 35 cm (13.8 in) torpedo tubes
Armor	Deck: 50 to 70 mm (2.0 to 2.8 in) Conning tower: 50 mm

SMS Kaiserin Augusta was a unique protected cruiser, built for the German Kaiserliche Marine (Imperial Navy) in the early 1890s. Named for Empress Augusta, who died in January 1890, she was laid down in 1890, launched in January 1892, and completed in November of that year. Owing to budgetary restrictions, Kaiserin Augusta was designed to fill both fleet scout and colonial cruiser roles. The ship was initially armed with a main battery of four 15 cm (5.9 in) and eight 10.5 cm (4.1 in) guns, which by 1896 was replaced with twelve new model 15 cm guns. She was the first ship in the German Navy to feature a three-shaft propeller arrangement.

Kaiserin Augusta served abroad between 1897 and 1902, primarily in the East Asia Squadron under the command of Admiral Otto von Diederichs. During this time, the ship's crew assisted in the suppression of the Boxer Uprising in 1900. In 1902, she returned to Germany for an extensive overhaul that lasted until 1907, after which she went into reserve. Following the outbreak of World War I in 1914, Kaiserin Augusta was mobilized to serve as a gunnery training ship. She served in this role throughout the war; the ship was ultimately sold for scrapping in October 1919 and broken up the following year.