German Iltis-class colonial gunboat SMS Luchs-side
Just 213 feet overall, the 750-ton Iltis-class gunboats, such as SMS Luchs and Tiger, above, were constructed at the turn of the century largely for overseas colonial service and were both slow and lightly armed, with two SK 10.5 cm L/40s and six revolving 37mm Hotchkiss guns each. The bulk of these gunboats’ crews and guns were rushed aboard Prinz Eitel Friedrich.