 Schwalbe in the Kaiser Wilhelm Canal
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| Class overview | |
|---|---|
| Preceded by | None |
| Succeeded by | Bussard class |
| Built | 1886–1889 |
| Completed | 2 |
| Scrapped | 2 |
| General characteristics | |
| Type | Unprotected cruiser |
| Displacement | |
| Length | 66.90 m (219 ft 6 in) |
| Beam | 9.36 m (30 ft 9 in) |
| Draft | 4.40 m (14 ft 5 in) |
| Installed power |
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| Propulsion | |
| Speed | 13.5 knots (25.0 km/h; 15.5 mph) |
| Range | 3,290 nmi (6,090 km) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph) |
| Complement |
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| Armament |
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The Schwalbe class of unprotected cruisers were the first ships of the type built for the German Kaiserliche Marine (Imperial Navy). The class comprised two ships, Schwalbe, the lead ship, and Sperber. They were designed for service in Germany's recently acquired colonial empire, and were built between 1886 and 1889. They were armed with a main battery of eight 10.5-centimeter (4.1 in) guns and could steam at a speed of 13.5 knots (25.0 km/h; 15.5 mph).
Schwalbe and Sperber spent their active careers abroad, usually in Germany's African colonies or in the Pacific. The two cruisers assisted in the suppression of the Abushiri Revolt in German East Africa in 1889–1890. By the end of the 1890s, both ships had been overhauled and decommissioned in Germany. They returned to service at the turn of the century for another tour overseas; Schwalbe joined the forces that battled the Boxer Rebellion in China in 1900 before being decommissioned a second time in 1902. Sperber remained in Africa until 1911, when she too was decommissioned. Schwalbe was used as a training ship after 1912 and Sperber was used as a target ship during World War I. Both vessels were sold in 1920 and broken up in 1922.