SMS Albatross (1907)

SMS Albatross was a German minelaying cruiser of the Nautilus class, built for the Imperial German Navy (Kaiserliche Marine). She was the second and final member of her class, following Nautilus. Albatross was laid down in October 1906 at the AG Weser shipyard in Bremen, launched in October 1907, and commissioned into the fleet in May 1908.

The ship was designed for laying naval mines and reconnaissance work. She was equipped with two 10.5 cm (4.1 in) SK L/40 guns and could carry up to 180 naval mines. She displaced 2,146 metric tons (2,112 long tons) at full load and had a top speed of 20 knots (37 km/h; 23 mph).

Albatross primarily served in the reconnaissance forces of the German High Seas Fleet. In July 1915, during World War I, Albatross, along with several other German warships, engaged in a minelaying operation in the Baltic Sea, near the Swedish coast. On 2 July 1915, she was intercepted by a Russian armored cruiser squadron. In the ensuing Battle of Åland Islands, Albatross was heavily damaged by gunfire from the Russian cruisers. Unable to escape, she sought refuge in neutral Swedish waters and was beached near Herrvik on Gotland.

Following the battle, Albatross was interned by the Swedish authorities. After repairs, she was placed in Swedish service as the minelayer Minläggaren Nr. 4. She served in the Swedish Navy until 1944, when she was decommissioned and subsequently scrapped.