Mine warfare was an important part of German Naval Strategy and to prosecute this strategy the Germanic States Navy sourced purpose built minelayers for offensive minelaying. The previous Bremse type were too slow for the offensive minelaying that the Germanic States Navy wanted to undertake.
The Germanic States designers wanted fast. They took a cruiser sized vessel, stuffed it full of boilers and engines and pushed the go switch to see what happened. What happened was that in light condition the ships made 44 knots with 110% full load power. With full load conditions they could still make 39-40 knots. No armour was fitted anywhere. Oversized destroyers.
These were the most modern ships in the Germanic States Navy and reflected that in having a few firsts. First Air search radar. First 37mm twin Bofors fitted from new. First radar predictors for the 37mm. It would be another six months before the 5" would receive their radar units. The mine deck ran from just behind the fore funnel to the stern, the mines being released from cutouts in the stern.
