The first large newbuilt ships of the young German Navy were the frigates and destroyers. In addition to the destroyers of the HAMBURG class, which are dealt with in the Schiff Profile 21, the German Navy issued from March 1957 the order for the construction of six ships of the COLOGNE class, or F-120 class, as it was later renamed.
This booklet accompanies the varied history of the frigates KÖLN, EMDEN, AUGSBURG, KALRSRUHE, LÜBECK and BRAUNSCHWEIG from the keel laying, through their mission trips to the end of their service.