Legends of the Seas - SMS Gneisenau

The SMS Gneisenau, named after the Prussian field marshal August von Gneisenau (1760-1831), was launched in Danzig on October 3, 1880. She was a three-mast sailing vessel which belonged to the Imperial German Navy. The abbreviation SMS stands for „Seiner Majestät Schiff“(His Majesty’s Ship).

The SMS Gneisenau had a sailcloth surface of over 2’210 square meters with an additional steam engine which was able to reach a maximum of 12 knots. She had an iron unarmoured hull with 15 guns.

The SMS Gneisenau belonged to the “Kreuzerkorvetten” class and served in the German Navy as a cadet training ship in order to train junior-officers. Its crew consisted of 406 cadets and 58 officers.

After several journeys to the German Far East colonies the Gneisenau participated in an Imperial Navy manoeuvre in 1890 off the coast of Malaga in Spain. During a bad storm, on December 16, the ship rammed the harbour mole and sank immediately. In the process 40 men died.