High Quality Content by WIKIPEDIA articles! The Pillau class of light cruisers was a pair of ships built in Germany just before the start of World War I. The ships were initially ordered for the Russian Navy, but after the outbreak of war, Germany confiscated the ships before they were transferred to Russia. The ships were similar in design to other German light cruisers, except that they lacked an armored belt. They were the first German light cruisers to be equipped with 150mm (5.9 in) guns.