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German World War II destroyers

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At the outbreak of the World War II Second World War, the Nazi Germany German Navy, the Kriegsmarine, had 21 destroyers (German language 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
This class of four ships was the first German destroyer class built since World War I, laid down between October 1934 and January 1935. They were not very good ships. Built rapidly, they were too wet in heavy seas, which could make their forward guns unusable, there were structural weaknesses and machinery problems. The engines were newly designed high pressure Turbine turbines that promised much but disappointed once installed: maintenance was difficult and they caused excessive vibration. In addition, the class' range was limited. Only one ship survived the war. {| align="right" border="2" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="0" style="margin-left:1em; background: #f9f9f9; border: 1px #aaa solid; border-collapse: collapse; font-size: 95%;" width="300" |- !style="color: white; height: 30px; background: #000080;"| Zerstörer 1934 !style="color: white; height: 30px; background: #000080;"| Image:Germany-Jack-1933.svg 50px|Kriegsmarine Jack |- !colspan="2" style="color: white; height: 30px; background: #000080;"|General Characteristics |- |Type: | Destroyer |- | Displacement: | 3,155 tons (maximum) |- | Length: | 119 metres (overall); 114 m (waterline) |- | Beam: | 11.3 m |- | Draught: | 4.23 m |- |valign="top"|Propulsion: | 2 Wagner geared turbines driving 2 shafts, 70,000 shp |- | Speed: | 36 knots |- | Range: | 1,900 sea miles at 19 knots |- | Complement: | 325 |- |valign="top"|Armament: |5x127 mm
4x37 mm
6x20 mm
8x533 mm torpedo tubes
60 mines |- |valign="top"|Armour: | |} The ships were: {| |- | valign="top"|Z1 '''Leberecht Maas'''||Laid down: Deutsche Werke Kiel, 15 October1934
Launched: 18 August 1935
Commissioned: 14 January 1937
Fate: sunk after friendly fire bomb hits on 22 February 1940, during Operation Wikinger Operation ''Wikinger''
|- | valign="top"|Z2 '''Georg Thiele'''||Laid down: Deutsche Werke Kiel, 25 October 1934
Launched: 18 August 1935
Commissioned: 27 February 1937
Fate: sunk on 13 April 1940 |- | valign="top"|Z3 '''Max Schulz'''||Laid down: Deutsche Werke Kiel, [2 January]] 1935
Launched: 30 November 1935
Commissioned: 8 April 1937
Fate: sunk as a result of friendly fire bomb hits and striking mines on 22 February 1940, during Operation ''Wikinger''
|- | valign="top"|Z4 '''Richard Beitzen'''||Laid down: Deutsche Werke Kiel, 7 January 1935
Launched: 30 November 1935
Commissioned: 13 May 1937
Fate: scrapped 1947
|}

Zerstörer 1934A
Twelve destroyers laid down between July and November, 1935. They were only slightly modified from the design of the preceding 1934 class. {| align="right" border="2" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="0" style="margin-left:1em; background: #f9f9f9; border: 1px #aaa solid; border-collapse: collapse; font-size: 95%;" width="300" |- !style="color: white; height: 30px; background: #000080;"| Zerstörer 1934A !style="color: white; height: 30px; background: #000080;"| Image:Germany-Jack-1933.svg 50px|Kriegsmarine Jack |- !colspan="2" style="color: white; height: 30px; background: #000080;"|General Characteristics |- |Type: | Destroyer |- | Displacement: | 3,110 tons (maximum) |- | Length: | 119 metres (overall); 114 metres (waterline) |- | Beam: | 11.3 metres |- | Draught: | 4.23 metres |- |valign="top"|Propulsion: | 2 Wagner geared turbines driving 2 shafts, 72,100 shp |- | Speed: | 36.5 knots |- | Range: | 2,040 nautical miles at 19 knots |- | Complement: | 325 |- |valign="top"|Armament: |5x127 mm
4x37 mm (later 14)
6x2 mm (later 10)
8x533 mm torpedo tubes
60 mines |- |valign="top"|Armour: | |- |} Five survived the war. {| | valign="top"|Z5 '''Paul Jakobi'''|| Laid down: Deschimag Bremen, 15 July 1935 Launched: 24 March 1936
Commissioned: 29 June 1937
Fate: scrapped 1958
|- | valign="top"|Z6 '''Theodor Riedel'''||Laid down: Deschimag Bremen, 18 July 1935 Launched: 22 April 1936
Commissioned: 2 July 1937
Fate: scrapped 1958
|- | valign="top"|Z7 '''Hermann Schoemann'''||Laid down: Deschimag Bremen, 7 September 1935
Launched: 16 July 1936
Commissioned: 9 September 1937
Fate: sunk 2 May 1942
|- | valign="top"|Z8 '''Bruno Heinemann'''||Laid down: Deschimag Bremen, 14 January 1936 Launched: 15 September 1936
Commissioned: 8 January 1938
Fate: sunk 25 January 1942
|- | valign="top"|Z9 '''Wolfgang Zenker'''||Laid down: Friedrich Krupp Germaniawerft Germaniawerft Kiel, 23 March 1935
Launched: 27 March 1936
Commissioned: 2 July 1938
Fate: scuttled on [13 April]] 1940
|- | valign="top"|Z10 '''Hans Lody'''||Laid down: Germaniawerft Kiel, 1 April 1935 Launched: 14 May 1936
Commissioned: 13 September 1938
Fate: scrapped 1946 - 1949
|- | valign="top"|Z11 '''Bernd von Arnim'''||Laid down: Germaniawerft Kiel, 26 April 1935
Launched: 8 July 1936
Commissioned: 6 December 1938
Fate: scuttled on 13 April 1940
|- | valign="top"|Z12 '''Erich Giese'''||Laid down: Germaniawerft Kiel, 3 May 1935 Launched: 12 March 1937
Commissioned: 4 March 1939
Fate: sunk 13 April 1940
|- | valign="top"|Z13 '''Erich Koellner'''||Laid down: Germaniawerft Kiel, 12 October 1935
Launched: 18 March 1937
Commissioned: 28 March 1939
Fate: sunk 13 April 1940
|- | valign="top"|Z14 '''Friedirch Ihn'''||Laid down: Blohm & Voß Hamburg, 30 March 1935
Launched: 5 November 1935
Commissioned: 6 April 1938
Fate: scrapped 1952
|- | valign="top"|Z15 '''Erich Steinbrinck'''||Laid down: Blohm & Voß Hamburg, 30 March 1935
Launched: 24 September 1936
Commissioned: 31 May 1938
Fate: scrapped 1958
|- | valign="top"|Z16 '''Friedrich Eckoldt'''||Laid down: Blohm & Voß Hamburg, 14.11.1935
Launched: 21 March 1937
Commissioned: 28 July 1938
Fate: sunk 31 December 1942
|}

Zerstörer 1936
These 6 ships (of 26 planned) were improved and enlarged versions of the 1934 and 1934A classes. Despite the serious faults of the earlier ships not being apparent when these were in design, they had been resolved. Engine reliablility and the structural integrity was much improved and they were much better seagoing ships, shipping much less water through an improvement in the design of the bows. {| align="right" border="2" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="0" style="margin-left:1em; background: #f9f9f9; border: 1px #aaa solid; border-collapse: collapse; font-size: 95%;" width="300" |- !style="color: white; height: 30px; background: #000080;"| Zerstörer 1936 !style="color: white; height: 30px; background: #000080;"| Image:Germany-Jack-1933.svg 50px|Kriegsmarine Jack |- !colspan="2" style="color: white; height: 30px; background: #000080;"|General Characteristics |- |Type: | Destroyer |- | Displacement: | 3,415 tons (maximum) |- | Length: | 123.4 metres (overall); 120 metres (waterline) |- | Beam: | 11.75 metres |- | Draught: | 4.50 metres |- |valign="top"|Propulsion: | 2 Wagner geared turbines driving 2 shafts, 74,500 shp |- | Speed: | 40.45 knots |- | Range: | 2,050 nautical miles at 19 knots |- | Complement: | 325 |- |valign="top"|Armament: |5x127 mm
4x37 mm
4x2 mm
8x533 mm torpedo tubes
60 mines
4xdepth charge launchers |- |valign="top"|Armour: | |} None of the class survived the war: all but one ship was sunk during the battles of Narvik. {| |- | valign="top"|Z17 '''Diether von Roeder'''||Laid down: Deschimag Bremen, 09 September 1936
Launched: 19 August 1937
Commissioned: 29 August 1938
Fate: sunk 13 April 1941 (Narvik)
|- | valign="top"|Z18 '''Hans Lüdemann'''||Laid down: Deschimag Bremen, 09 September 1936
Launched: 1 December 1937
Commissioned: 08 October 1938
Fate: scuttled on 13 April 1940
|- | valign="top"|Z19 '''Hermann Künne'''||Laid down: Deschimag Bremen, 05.10.1936
Launched: 22.12.1937
Commissioned: 12.01.1939
Fate: beached on 13 April 1940
|- | valign="top"|Z20 '''Karl Galster'''||Laid down: Deschimag Bremen, 14 September 1937
Launched: 15.06.1938
Commissioned: 21.03.1939
Fate: scrapped 1956
|- | valign="top"|Z21 '''Wilhelm Heidkamp'''||Laid down: Deschimag Bremen, 15 December 1937
Launched: 20 August 1938
Commissioned: 10.06.1939
Fate: sunk on 11 April 1940
|- | valign="top"|Z22 '''Anton Schmitt'''||Laid down: Deschimag Bremen, 03.01.1938
Launched: 20 September 1938
Commissioned: 24 September 1939
Fate: sunk on 10 April 1940
|}

Zerstörer 1936A "''Narvik''"
{{main|Narvik class destroyer}} Eight destroyers intended to carry new 150 mm (5.9") guns in single turrets with a twin turret at the bow. The twin mountings were not ready in time and so singles were first used, and the twins fitted later. Anti-aircraft armament was substantially improved. Despite reusing earlier ship designs as a basis, with modifications to improve seaworthiness, the ships were wet in heavy seas. After much effort, the problem was traced to a newly designed stern. However, this problem was somewhat offset by the fact that the twin mount was fully enclosed and had a high maximum elevation, allowing limited use against aircraft. {| align="right" border="2" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="0" style="margin-left:1em; background: #f9f9f9; border: 1px #aaa solid; border-collapse: collapse; font-size: 95%;" width="300" |- !style="color: white; height: 30px; background: #000080;"| Zerstörer 1936A !style="color: white; height: 30px; background: #000080;"| Image:Germany-Jack-1933.svg 50px|Kriegsmarine Jack |- !colspan="2" style="color: white; height: 30px; background: #000080;"|General Characteristics |- |Type: | Destroyer |- | Displacement: | 3605 tons (maximum) |- | Length: | 127 metres (overall); 121.9 metres (waterline) |- | Beam: | 12 metres |- | Draught: | 4.65 metres |- |valign="top"|Propulsion: | 2 Wagner geared turbines driving 2 shafts, 70,000 shp |- | Speed: | 37.50 knots |- | Range: | 2180 sea miles at 19 knots |- | Complement: | 330 |- |valign="top"|Armament: |5x150 mm
4x37 mm (later 10)
8x20 mm (later 20)
8x533 mm torpedo tubes
60 mines
4xdepth charge launchers |- |valign="top"|Armour: | |- |} Four survived the war. {| |- | valign="top"|'''Z23'''||Laid down: Deschimag Bremen, 15 November 1938
Launched: 15 December 1939
Commissioned: 15 September 1940
Fate: scrapped after 1951
|- | valign="top"|'''Z24'''||Laid down: Deschimag Bremen, 02 January 1939
Launched: 7 March 1940
Commissioned: 26 October 1940
Fate: sunk 25 August 1944
|- | valign="top"|'''Z25'''||Laid down: Deschimag Bremen, 15.02.1939
Launched: 16 March 1940
Commissioned: 30 November1940
Fate: scrapped 1958
|- | valign="top"|'''Z26'''||Laid down: Deschimag Bremen, 01 April 1939
Launched: 02 April 1940
Commissioned: 11 January 1940
Fate: sunk 29.03.1942
|- | valign="top"|'''Z27'''||Laid down: Deschimag Bremen, 27 December 1939
Launched: 1 August 1940
Commissioned: 26 February 1941
Fate: sunk 28 December 1943
|- | valign="top"|'''Z28'''||Laid down: Deschimag Bremen, 30 November 1939
Launched: 20 August 1940
Commissioned: 9 August 1941
Fate: sunk 6 March 1945
|- | valign="top"|'''Z29'''||Laid down: Deschimag Bremen, 21 March 1940
Launched: 15 October 1940
Commissioned: 25 June 1941
Fate: scuttled 16 December 1946
|- | valign="top"|'''Z30'''||Laid down: Deschimag Bremen, 15 April 1940
Launched: 8 December 1940
Commissioned: 15 November 1941
Fate: scrapped 1949
|}

Zerstörer 1936A (Mob)
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 Plan Z planned, but never build "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. {| align="right" border="2" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="0" style="margin-left:1em; background: #f9f9f9; border: 1px #aaa solid; border-collapse: collapse; font-size: 95%;" width="300" |- !style="color: white; height: 30px; background: #000080;"| Zerstörer 1936A (Mob) !style="color: white; height: 30px; background: #000080;"| Image:Germany-Jack-1933.svg 50px|Kriegsmarine Jack |- !colspan="2" style="color: white; height: 30px; background: #000080;"|General Characteristics |- |Type: | Destroyer |- | Displacement: | 3700 tons (maximum) |- | Length: | 127 metres (overall); 121.9 metres (waterline) |- | Beam: | 12 metres |- | Draught: | 4.62 metres |- |valign="top"|Propulsion: | 2 Wagner geared turbines driving 2 shafts, 70,000 shp |- | Speed: | 37.5 knots |- | Range: | 2240 sea miles at 19 knots |- | Complement: | 330 |- |valign="top"|Armament: |5x150 mm (5.9")
4x37 mm (later 14)
12x20 mm (later 18)
8x533 mm torpedo tubes
60 mines
4xdepth charge launchers |- |valign="top"|Armour: | |} 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. {| |- | valign="top"|'''Z31'''||Laid down: Deschimag Bremen, 1 September 1940
Launched: 15 April 1941
Commissioned: 11 April 1942
Fate: scrapped 1958
|- | valign="top"|'''Z32'''||Laid down: Deschimag Bremen, 1 November 1940
Launched: 15 August 1941
Commissioned: 15 September 1942
Fate: sunk 09 June 1944
|- | valign="top"|'''Z33'''||Laid down: Deschimag Bremen, 22 December 1940
Launched: 15 September 1941
Commissioned: 6 February 1943
Fate: scrapped 1961
|- | valign="top"|'''Z34'''||Laid down: Deschimag Bremen, 14 January 1941
Launched: 5 May 1942
Commissioned: 5 June 1943
Fate: scuttled 26 March 1946
|- | valign="top"|'''Z37'''||Laid down: Germaniawerft Kiel, 1940
Launched: 24 February 1941
Commissioned: 16 July 1942
Fate: scrapped 1949
|- | valign="top"|'''Z38'''||Laid down: Germaniawerft Kiel, 1940
Launched: 5 August 1941
Commissioned: 20 March 1943
Fate: scrapped 1949
|- | valign="top"|'''Z39'''||Laid down: Germaniawerft Kiel, 1940
Launched: 5 August 1941
Commissioned: 21 August 1943
Fate: scrapped February 1964
|}

Zerstörer 1936B
The main armament of this class reduced back to single mounted 127 mm guns and the anti-aircraft armament was increased. The efficacy of this change was not proven in high seas as this sub-class only operated in the Baltic and coastal waters. {| align="right" border="2" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="0" style="margin-left:1em; background: #f9f9f9; border: 1px #aaa solid; border-collapse: collapse; font-size: 95%;" width="300" |- !style="color: white; height: 30px; background: #000080;"| Zerstörer 1936B !style="color: white; height: 30px; background: #000080;"| Image:Germany-Jack-1933.svg 50px|Kriegsmarine Jack |- !colspan="2" style="color: white; height: 30px; background: #000080;"|General Characteristics |- |Type: | Destroyer |- | Displacement: | 3540 tons (maximum) |- | Length: | 127 metres (overall); 121.5 metres (waterline) |- | Beam: | 12 metres |- | Draught: | 4.21 metres |- |valign="top"|Propulsion: | 2 Wagner geared turbines driving 2 shafts, 70,000 shp |- | Speed: | 36.5 knots |- | Range: | 2600 sea miles at 19 knots |- | Complement: | 330 |- |valign="top"|Armament: |5x127 mm
4x37 mm (later 10)
16x20 mm
8x533 mm torpedo tubes
76 mines
4xdepth charge launchers |- |valign="top"|Armour: | |} Two ships were never completed, being scrapped after the war. The three that were commissioned were all lost. {| |- | valign="top"|'''Z35'''||Laid down: Deschimag Bremen, 6 June 1941
Launched: 2 October 1942
Commissioned: 22 September 1943
Fate: sunk 12 December 1944
|- | valign="top"|'''Z36'''||Laid down: Deschimag Bremen, 15 September 1941
Launched: 15 May 1943
Commissioned: 19 February 1944
Fate: sunk 12 December 1944
|- | valign="top"|'''Z43'''||Laid down: Deschimag Bremen, 1 May 1942
Launched: 22 September 1943
Commissioned: 24 March 1944
Fate: scuttled 3 May 1945
|- | valign="top"|'''Z44'''||Laid down: Deschimag Bremen, 1942
Launched: 20 January 1944
Commissioned:
Fate: scrapped 1948-1949
|- | valign="top"|'''Z45'''||Laid down: Deschimag Bremen, 1942
Launched: 15 April 1944
Commissioned:
Fate: scrapped in shipyard in 1946
|}

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

Destroyer sized craft
The German Navy had a several torpedo boats that had displacement between 1,000 and 1,300 tons. They sat between torpedo-equipped fast attack boats, known to the Allies as E-boats and the destroyers. In 1939 the Germans started 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
{| align="right" border="2" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="0" style="margin-left:1em; background: #f9f9f9; border: 1px #aaa solid; border-collapse: collapse; font-size: 95%;" width="300" |- !style="color: white; height: 30px; background: #000080;"| Flottentorpedoboot 1939 !style="color: white; height: 30px; background: #000080;"| Image:Germany-Jack-1933.svg 50px|Kriegsmarine Jack |- !colspan="2" style="color: white; height: 30px; background: #000080;"|General Characteristics |- |Type: | Fleet Torpedo Boat |- | Displacement: | 1755 tons (maximum) |- | Length: | 102.50 metres (overall); 97 metres (waterline) |- | Beam: | 10 metres |- | Draught: | 3.22 metres |- |valign="top"|Propulsion: | 2 Wagner geared turbines driving 2 shafts, 32,560 shp |- | Speed: | 32.5 knots |- | Range: | 2400 sea miles at 19 knots |- | Complement: | 205 |- |valign="top"|Armament: |4x105 mm
4x37 mm
9x20 mm
6x533 mm torpedo tubes
50 mines |- |valign="top"|Armour: | |} 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, 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

- Kriegsmarine destroyers {{WWIIGermanShips}} Category:German Navy German World War II destroyers Category:Destroyers of Germany German World War II destroyers

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