 SMS Cöln ( " His Majesty 's Ship Cologne " ) was a Kolberg @-@ class light cruiser of the German Kaiserliche Marine ( Imperial Navy ) during the First World War . She had three sister ships , SMS Kolberg , Mainz , and Augsburg . She was built by the Germaniawerft ; her hull was laid down in 1908 and she was launched in June 1909 . Cöln was commissioned into the High Seas Fleet in June 1911 . She was armed with a main battery of twelve 10 @.@ 5 cm SK L / 45 guns and had a top speed of 25 @.@ 5 kn ( 47 @.@ 2 km / h ; 29 @.@ 3 mph ) . After her commissioning , she served with the II Scouting Group , part of the reconnaissance forces of the High Seas Fleet . 
