Friday, May 2, 2008

Reluctant Turncoat








SMS Pillau - fast light cruiser originally designed and built for Russia by Schicau of Elbing. It was to have Oblukhov 130mm main guns but the Germans mounted Krupp 150s. Upon the outbreak of war in 1914 the German Navy took over her and her sister SMS Elbing.


German cruisers led much more busy lives than the capital ships and Pillau was no exception. She was at Jutland, Heligoland Bight, Riga Gulf and numerous skirmishes with the enemy throughout the war. In 1919 she was handed over to the Italians as part of reparations and renamed Bari. As such, she was sunk by the British in 1943.

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