German World War II destroyers

At the outbreak of the Second World War, the German Navy, the Kriegsmarine, had 21 destroyers (Ger: "Zerstörer"). These had all been built in the 1930s, making them modern vessels. A further 19 were brought into service during the war.

German destroyer classes were generally known by the year of their design. Because of their size, use and weaponry, some vessels classified as "fleet torpedo boats", "Flottentorpedoboot", are also described.

Class general characteristics are taken from the first of each class, and may differ slightly for individual ships, particularly when they were refitted. Post-war, some surviving ships had significant changes to armament.

Zerstörer 1934

Twelve destroyers laid down between July and November, 1935. They were only slightly modified from the design of the preceding 1934 class and continued their predecessors' limited endurance and magazine capacity - factors which contributed to the heavy German losses at the Second Battle of Narvik. Five survived the war.

Zerstörer 1936A "Narvik"

When war broke out in 1939, new destroyer classes were cancelled and 12 additional 1936A vessels were ordered with slight modifications to speed construction and save materials. The 150 mm twin turrets were taken from planned, but never built, "O" class battlecruisers. In war service, the engines were more reliable than in earlier ships but at the end of the war, heavy corrosion was discovered.

Seven of this sub-class were built: one was sunk, another two were severely damaged and not repaired. The remaining four were war booty allocated to the Allies.

Zerstörer 1936C

Six ships of this class were ordered in 1942 and 1943; none were launched, just two were started. They were a response to the vulnerability to air attack of early German destroyers and would have used six new 128 mm Flak 40 guns (originally designed for the Luftwaffe) as dual purpose weapons in twin mountings. Number of smaller caliber anti-aircraft guns would have also been increased.

Zerstörer 1938A/Ac

In order to provide support for larger German warships operating far from their bases, the development of large ocean going destroyers started in the late 1930s. They would have had dual power systems to enable long endurance cruises. Twenty-four of these were planned under Plan Z but the three actually ordered were cancelled. The concept was developed further into the "Spähkreuzer".

Zerstörer 1938B

Ships of this class would have been small destroyers designed to patrol and operate in Baltic and coastal waters, but would have had quite big operational range for such purpose, and could have also been used in high seas. Twelve ships were ordered in the summer of 1939, but after the start of World War Two, all were cancelled

Captured Ships

Several destroyers were captured and used by the Germans [ [http://members.aol.com/matzi558/zerstoerer12.html in German Language] ]

ZH1

The Dutch Hr.Ms. "Gerard Callenburgh" was built by RDM Rotterdam and launched 12 October 1939. The Dutch attempted to scuttle this ship during the German invasion but the destroyer was salvaged and completed under German control with technical guidance from Blohm & Voss. Commissioned as the ZH1 on 11 October 1942. The Germans retained most of the Dutch armament and equipment. The ZH1 spent most of its life on trials in the Baltic but transferred to Western France via the English Channel in November 1943. When the western allies invaded Normandy (see Operation Neptune) the German destroyers based in western France attempted to interdict the invasion armada. The German squadron was intercepted by Allied destroyers (HMS "Tartar", "Ashanti", "Eskimo", "Javelin", HMCS "Haida", "Huron" and ORP "Błyskawica"). ZH1 was torpedoed and sunk by "Ashanti" on 9 June 1944, 33 men were lost. (see Gerard Callenburgh class destroyer)

ZF2

The Hull of the French Le Hardi class destroyer "L'Opiniatre" was captured intact and 16% complete in Bordeaux and the Kriegsmarine intended to complete her for service. Since French armament was not available and for standardisation with the rest of the German Navy, 12.7mm guns and German pattern torpedo tubes were ordered. Work proceeded tardily until all progress was abandoned in July 1943. The hull was eventually broken up on the slip [ [http://www.german-navy.de/kriegsmarine/captured/destroyer/zf2/index.html ZF2 ] ]

ZG3 (Hermes)

The Greek destroyer "Vasilefs Georgios" was captured in a damaged condition after the fall of Greece, repaired in Greece with assistance from Germaniawerft and commissioned by the Kriegsmarine as the ZG3 or "Hermes". She was the only major surface unit in the Mediterranean and was involved in convoys to North Africa and the Aegean. She sank the British submarine HMS "Splendid" off Capri on 21 April 1943. She was damaged by air attacks off Tunisia and was scuttled in La Goulette, Tunis on 7 May 1943.

Torpedoboot Ausland

Several destroyer sized ships were captured by the Germans and put into service. Please see article for details

Destroyer sized craft

The German Navy had several torpedo boat classes with displacements between 1,000 and 1,300 tons ( for example the Mowe class Fleet Torpedo boats and Torpedo boat type 35). They sat between torpedo-equipped fast attack boats, known to the Allies as E-boats and the destroyers. In 1939, the Germans started work on new designs that were a response to the weaknesses of earlier designs. These "Fleet Torpedo Boats" ("Flottentorpedoboot") were large, 1,755 tons, and more able as escorts and for anti-aircraft defence as well as torpedo attacks and they were comparable in most respects to some of the British destroyer classes. They were all laid down during the war.

=Flottentorpedoboot 1939 ("Elbing" class)=

The first of the fleet vessels, they were comparable in most respects to standard British destroyer types. Fifteen were laid down between 1940 and 1942, in the Schichau shipyard in Elbing (now Elbląg).

The last was commissioned at the end of 1944; three survived the war and served in Allied navies. The ships were numbered T22 to T36.

Flottentorpedoboot 1940

Following the capitualation of the Netherlands, Dutch shipyards were contracted to build 24 boats based on a Dutch design. Only three of these 2,600 ton vessels were launched. The three that were launched were moved to the Baltic in 1944 for work but none were completed.

Flottentorpedoboot 1941

This was a development of the 1939 class, with bigger engines and more anti-aircraft weapons. Fifteen were laid down or launched from 1942 but by the end of the war none had been completed.

Flottentorpedoboot 1944

These were to have been ocean-going vessels, as opposed to North Sea or coastal vessels, capable of operating with the fleet, with greater range and an emphasis on anti-aircraft weaponry. Nine were ordered in March 1944, the order was subsequently cancelled without any building having started.

External links

Reflist
* [http://www.german-navy.de/kriegsmarine/ships/destroyer/index.html Kriegsmarine destroyers]