SMS Adler

Drawing of SMS Adler by Rear Admiral L.A. Kimberly, U.S. Navy
History
Name:	SMS Adler
Namesake:	German word for "eagle"
Builder:	Kaiserliche Werft Kiel
Cost:	881,000 German gold mark
Laid down:	1882
Launched:	3 November 1883
Commissioned:	27 May 1884
In service:	1884-1889
Fate:	16 March 1889 stranded off Samoa, 20 dead
Notes:	commander: Fregattenkapitän Frizze
General characteristics
Class and type:	Habicht Klasse (Hawk class)
Displacement:	880 metric tons (870 long tons; 970 short tons)/1,040 metric tons (1,020 long tons; 1,150 short tons)
Length:	61.8 m (202 ft 9 in) o/a
Beam:	8.8 m (28 ft 10 in)
Draught:	3.11 m (10 ft 2 in)-4.02 m (13 ft 2 in) (bow-stern)
Propulsion:	4 cylinder, coal-fired, double expansion steam engine
Speed:	11 kn (20 km/h; 13 mph)
Range:	2,000 nmi (3,700 km; 2,300 mi) @ 9 kn
Complement:	7 officers, 126 men
Armament:	5 × 12.5 cm (4.9 in) built-up guns 5 × 3.7 cm (1.5 in) revolver guns

SMS Adler was a gunboat of the Imperial German Navy. She was launched 3 November 1883 in the Imperial shipyard in Kiel. On September 5, 1888, she shelled Manono Island and Apolima, Samoa, which were strongholds of Malietoa’s forces. She was wrecked together with SMS Eber on 16 March 1889 in a storm at Apia, Samoa during the Samoan crisis. 20 crew members lost their lives.

Propulsion

• 4-cylinder double-expansion steam engine
• Coal-fired boilers
• Speed: 11.0 knots

Armament

• 5 × 12.5 cm (4.9 in) built-up guns
• 5 × 3.7 cm (1.5 in) revolver guns

• Wreck of SMS ''Adler''
• 

  The wrecked ship

• 

  Rigging

• 

  The wreck about 1938

References

• Erich Gröner, Panzerschiffe, Linienschiffe, Schlachtschiffe, Flugzeugträger, Kreuzer, Kanonenboote = Die deutschen Kriegsschiffe, 1815-1945 Vol.I, Bernard & Graefe, 1982, ISBN 3-7637-4800-8, pp. 166–7

See also

• 1889 Apia cyclone