Russian light cruiser Maraviev Amurskyy 1913-1914 German cruiser Pillau 1914-1920 Italian cruiser Bari 1920-1948

Ordered by Russia in 1913 to be built at the shipyard Schichau-Werke, Danzig was she launched on 11 April a year later. As a result of the outbreak of the First World War on 28 July was she in August seized by Germany and on 14 December commissioned in the German navy as the SMS Pillau. On 5 November 1919 stricken was she on 20 July ceded to Italy under the name ‘U’ and commissioned in Italian naval service as the Bari on 21 January 1924. During her Italian career was she several times modified until in 1943 was she to be converted into an anti aircraft defence ship but sunk on 30 the June as the result of an American air attack in Livorno on the 28th. A year later was she partially broken up by the German forces but after being salvaged on 13 January four years later was she broken up. Her sister ship was the Elbing.

The newspaper Rotterdamsch Nieuwsblad dated 5 November 1920 reported that the Dutch seagoing tug Witte Zee owned by Smit&Co.’s Sleepdienst arrived on Monday the 1st in Taranto while towing the Pillau to her new destination.

The newspaper De Indische courant dated 28 August 1925 published an item dated Eilvese 26 Augustus which referred to tidings received from Paris that the Italian training ship Bari the former German Pillau was sunk in the bend of Castelle Mare during the laying of a minefield. What caused the disaster was still unknown. This item was confirmed by the newspaper Het Vaderland dated 27 August. The edition of the latter newspaper dated 23 September published an item dated Berlin the 22nd reported that she was stranded on the Sicilian coast during the last naval manoeuvres. She was now refloated and towed towards Palermo.

As the SMS Pillau was her displacement 4.390 tons/4.320 long/4.840 short tons (design)-5.252 tons/5.169 long tons/5.789 short tons (full load) with as dimensions 135,3 x 13,6 x 5,98 metres or 444 x 45 x 19,6 feet.

The two steam turbines, six coal and four oiled boilers supplied via two shafts 30,000 shop allowing a speed of 27,5 knots while with a speed of 12 knots and a coal bunker capacity of 620 tonnes and an oil bunker capacity of 580 tonnes she had a range of 4.300 nautical miles. In Italian service were the six coal fired boilers removed to increase the oil bunker capacity. The negative result was a reduced horsepower of 21.000 ship and a speed of 3 knots less. The range however was intensively changed to 4.000 nautical miles with a higher speed of 16 knots. Her crew numbered 398(Italian)-442 (German service)men. The armour consisted of a 8cm thick deck while the conning tower was protected by 7,5cm thick armour.

Her designed armament in Russian service was to be 8-13cm guns and 4-6,3cm guns. Her armament in German service consisted of 8x1-15cm guns, 2x8,8cm anti aircraft guns (original 4x6.2cm guns) , 2-50cm surfaced torpedo tubes on deck and 120 mines. The 8.8cm guns were after 1924 replaced by 7,6cm/3.0” guns. In 1939 was her armament again changed by adding 6x2cm guns and 6-1,32cm machine guns. In 1943 was decided to convert her into a anti aircraft defence ship and was she to be armed with 6-9cm/3,5” guns, 8-3,7cm/1.5” and 8-2cm machine guns.