OLGA SMS 1881

[aukepalmhof]

Built as an iron flush-decked corvette under yard No 88 by AG Vulcan at Stettin for the Imperial German Navy.
1879 Keel laid down.
11 December 1880 launched as SMS OLGA, named after the Grand Duchess Olga Nikolajewna Romanowa (1822-1892), daughter of the Russian Tsar Nikolaus I.
Displacement 2,147 ton, maximum 2,424 ton. Dim. 76.35 x 14 x 5.80m. (draught), length wl. 70.6m.
Powered by 1 horizontal 3-cyl expansion steam engine, 2,367 ihp., one shaft, speed 12 knots.
Range by a speed of 10 knots, 3,240 mile. Bunker capacity 218 ton coal.
Armament: 2 – 8.8 cm, 12 – 3.7cm guns.
Crew 296.
10 September 1881 completed.

She was one of the Carola class, three sisters the CAROLA, MARIE and SOPHIE.
1884 Was the OLGA a unit of the new formed West African Cruiser Squadron under Rear Admiral Eduard von Knorr. Together with SMS BISMARCK, SMS MÖWE, SMS GNEISENAU and SMS ARIADNE, she sailed from Wilhelmshaven, Germany on 30 October 1884 for West Africa.
The squadron as part of a gunboat diplomacy in Western Africa would give protection to German residents living in the operational area between the Niger delta and Gabon.
For the area (today Cameroun) in 1884 the first protection treaty was closed.

18 September 1884 a rebellion started initiated by Great Britain against the pro-German King Bell.
German landing forces from the SMS BISMARCK and SMS OLGA stormed the Josplatte where the insurgents had holed up.
22 September the mariners put down the uprising.
Thereafter more treaties between France, Great Britain and Germany were closed in which Cameroun became a colony of Germany.
The SMS OLGA went thereafter back to Germany and arrived 25 May 1885 at Kiel.

Four years later she got orders to proceed to Samoa, where in 1888 a rebellion arose by the natives, supported by the U.S.A against the German merchants and plantations.
A landing force of the OLGA with the EBER got on 18 December in a heavy fight with the natives, in which two officers and 14 men were killed and 1 officer and 38 men wounded.

13 March 1888, seven warships of Germany, U.S.A. and Great Britain were at anchor on the road of Apia when a cyclone hit the island, all seven ships were steaming full ahead to keep the ships hove to and reduce the force on the anchor-chains. The next morning the force of the wind was so powerful that the ADLER, EBER and NISPIC even with full ahead of the engines started to drift. The EBER her anchor chains broke and first came in collision with the OLGA and then with the NIPSIC before she drifted on the coral reef and capsized.
Then the USS NISPIC drifted against the OLGA before they drifted on the reef. The ADLER drifted on the beach and remained on her side at the beach, 20 men lost their life.
Next it was the turn of the USS VANDALIA who was smashed on the reef.
The HMS CALLIOPE got stronger engines and she managed to reach open water.
Then only the USS TRENTON and SMS OLGA were still afloat in the bay. When the wind shifted a little hope did arise on board the OLGA that she could be saved, but when the USS TRENTON started to drift in the direction of the OLGA, Commander von Ehrhardt of the OLGA decided to move so quick as possible from his position, not possible to reach open water, he decided to beach his vessel.
It was possible to steam free of the USS TRENTON only the bowsprit of the American ship pulled his lower yards away, and he beached the OLGA on the sand off Matautu, ship and crew was saved.

She was refloated after the storm and under her own power she reached Sydney for temporary repair.
Then she returned via the Suez Canal to Germany, in the Suez Canal she collided with a merchant ship.
After her return in Germany she was repaired and converted in a training vessel.

During the summer of 1898 she made an expedition to Bear Island and West Spitsbergen on behalf of the German Sea Fisheries Society.

1906 Sold for scrap and scrapped in 1908.

Samoa 1989 65s sg823, scott755b.

Source: http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/SMS_Olga Conway’s All the World’s Fighting Ships 1860-1905.

[rageena]

I want to send international SMS. Is there any site that provide free international sms? There are so many websites that provide free local sms. Is there any website that provide international sms for free? At least one sms per day like talksms and all? Please let me know. Thanks.
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