The Königsberg class of light cruisers was a group of four ships commissioned into Germany's Kaiserliche Marine (Imperial Navy) shortly before the end of World War I.

The class comprised Königsberg, Karlsruhe, Emden, and Nürnberg, all of which were named after light cruisers lost earlier in the war.

The ships were an incremental improvement over the preceding Wiesbaden-class cruisers, and were armed with a main battery of eight 15 cm (5.9 in) SK L/45 guns and had a designed speed of 27.5 knots (50.9 km/h; 31.6 mph).

The design was an incremental improvement over the previous Wiesbaden class, with a larger hull and greater displacement, but with the same armament, speed, and armor protection.

Karlsruhe was ordered as Ersatz Niobe and laid down in 1915 at the Kaiserliche Werft (Imperial Dockyard) in Kiel.

The hulls were divided into eighteen watertight compartments and incorporated a double bottom that extended for forty-five percent of the length of the keel.

They carried several smaller vessels, including one picket boat, one barge, one cutter, two yawls, and two dinghies.

At a cruising speed of 12 knots (22 km/h; 14 mph), the ships could steam for approximately 4,850 nautical miles (8,980 km; 5,580 mi).

At a higher speed of 27 knots (50 km/h; 31 mph), the range fell considerably, to 1,200 nmi (2,200 km; 1,400 mi).

[4] The ship was armed with a main battery of eight 15 cm (5.9 in) SK L/45 guns in single pedestal mounts.

[7] Along with two other cruisers from II Scouting Group and the dreadnought battleships Kaiser and Kaiserin, Königsberg and Nürnberg escorted minesweepers clearing paths in minefields laid by the British.

During the engagement, the battlecruiser HMS Repulse scored a hit on Königsberg, which did minimal damage but started a serious fire.

Emden served as the flagship for the Leader of Torpedoboats, while the other three ships were assigned to II Scouting Group.

[9] In October 1918, three of the ships and the rest of II Scouting Group were to lead a final attack on the British navy.

Königsberg Cöln, Dresden, and Pillau were to attack merchant shipping in the Thames estuary while Karlsruhe, Nürnberg, and Graudenz were to bombard targets in Flanders, to draw out the British Grand Fleet.

[13] Most of the High Seas Fleet's ships, including Karlsruhe, Emden, and Nürnberg, were interned in the British naval base in Scapa Flow, under the command of Rear Admiral Ludwig von Reuter.

Reuter believed that the British intended to seize the German ships on 21 June 1919, which was the deadline for Germany to have signed the peace treaty.

On the morning of 21 June, the British fleet left Scapa Flow to conduct training maneuvers, and at 11:20 Reuter transmitted the order to his ships.