SMS Frankfurt was a Wiesbaden class

Wiesbaden class light cruiser

The Wiesbaden class of light cruisers was a class of ships in the German Imperial Navy in the 1910s. Two ships were built to this class.-Details of construction:...

 light cruiser

Light cruiser

A light cruiser is a type of small- or medium-sized warship. The term is a shortening of the phrase "light armored cruiser", describing a small ship that carried armor in the same way as an armored cruiser: a protective belt and deck...

 of the German Imperial Navy

Kaiserliche Marine

The Imperial German Navy was the German Navy created at the time of the formation of the German Empire. It existed between 1871 and 1919, growing out of the small Prussian Navy and Norddeutsche Bundesmarine, which primarily had the mission of coastal defense. Kaiser Wilhelm II greatly expanded...

. Construction of the ship started before World War I

World War I

World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...

, but she was not completed until after hostilities began. She was laid down at the Kiel

Kiel

Kiel is the capital and most populous city in the northern German state of Schleswig-Holstein, with a population of 238,049 .Kiel is approximately north of Hamburg. Due to its geographic location in the north of Germany, the southeast of the Jutland peninsula, and the southwestern shore of the...

 Navy dockyard in January 1913 and launched in 1915.

Dimensions and machinery

Frankfurt was 141.7m at the waterline, and 145.3m long overall. She had a beam of 13.9m, a draught of 5.8m, and displaced 5,180 tonnes standard, and 6,601t with a full load. Frankfurt was propelled by two-shaft Navy turbines, which produced 31,000shp, and delivered a top speed of 27.5 knots.

Armament

Frankfurt was armed with eight 150 mm (5.9 in) guns, singly mounted. Two guns were mounted in a pair forward, one on either side of the forward superstructure, one on either side of the aft superstructure, and two mounted aft, in a superfiring configuration. She was also armed with two 88 mm guns, four 500 mm (19.7 in) torpedo tubes, and 120 naval mine

Naval mine

A naval mine is a self-contained explosive device placed in water to destroy surface ships or submarines. Unlike depth charges, mines are deposited and left to wait until they are triggered by the approach of, or contact with, an enemy vessel...

s.

Service history

During World War I

World War I

World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...

 Frankfurt took part in the Battle of Jutland

Battle of Jutland

The Battle of Jutland was a naval battle between the British Royal Navy's Grand Fleet and the Imperial German Navy's High Seas Fleet during the First World War. The battle was fought on 31 May and 1 June 1916 in the North Sea near Jutland, Denmark. It was the largest naval battle and the only...

. On 21 October 1918, Frankfurt collided with German submarine UB-89 in the harbor at Kiel

Kiel

Kiel is the capital and most populous city in the northern German state of Schleswig-Holstein, with a population of 238,049 .Kiel is approximately north of Hamburg. Due to its geographic location in the north of Germany, the southeast of the Jutland peninsula, and the southwestern shore of the...

; seven men died when UB-89 sank.

After the war, Frankfurt was interned at Scapa Flow

Scapa Flow

right|thumb|Scapa Flow viewed from its eastern endScapa Flow is a body of water in the Orkney Islands, Scotland, United Kingdom, sheltered by the islands of Mainland, Graemsay, Burray, South Ronaldsay and Hoy. It is about...

. Frankfurt was taken over by the U.S. 11 March 1920 in England, commissioned 4 June, towed to the United States, and sunk as a target of Gen. Billy Mitchell's aerial bombing demonstration on 18 July 1921.