 Ariadne before the war
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| History | |
|---|---|
 German Empire | |
| Name | Ariadne |
| Namesake | Ariadne |
| Laid down | 14 December 1899 |
| Launched | 10 August 1900 |
| Commissioned | 18 May 1901 |
| Fate | Sunk at Battle of Helgoland Bight on 28 August 1914 |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type | Gazelle-class light cruiser |
| Displacement | |
| Length | 105.10 m (344 ft 10 in) loa |
| Beam | 12.2 m (40 ft) |
| Draft | 4.93 m (16 ft 2 in) |
| Installed power |
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| Propulsion |
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| Speed | 21.5 knots (39.8 km/h; 24.7 mph) |
| Range | 3,560 nmi (6,590 km; 4,100 mi) at 12 kn (22 km/h; 14 mph) |
| Complement |
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| Armament |
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| Armor |
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SMS Ariadne was the fifth member of the ten-ship Gazelle class of light cruisers that were built for the German Kaiserliche Marine (Imperial Navy) in the late 1890s and early 1900s. The Gazelle class was the culmination of earlier unprotected cruiser and aviso designs, combining the best aspects of both types in what became the progenitor of all future light cruisers of the Imperial fleet. Built to be able to serve with the main German fleet and as a colonial cruiser, she was armed with a battery of ten 10.5 cm (4.1 in) guns and a top speed of 21.5 knots (39.8 km/h; 24.7 mph).
Ariadne saw little service during her career; she served with the main fleet, first in I Squadron and then with I Scouting Group between 1902 and 1906. During this period, she took part in routine training exercises and cruises abroad. Decommissioned in late 1906, she lay in reserve until the start of World War I in July 1914. Reactivated on 2 August, she served as a flotilla leader for torpedo boats guarding Germany's North Sea coast. During the Battle of Helgoland Bight on 28 August, she sortied to reinforce the ships on patrol in the Helgoland Bight, where she was surprised and sunk by British battlecruisers. Casualty figures vary, with 59 or around 250 of her crew being rescued by other German cruisers.