German ocean-going torpedo boats and destroyers of World War I
The German large, or ocean-going, torpedo boats and destroyers of World War I were built by the Imperial German Navy between 1899 and 1918 as part of its quest for a “High Seas” or ocean-going fleet. At the start of the First World War Germany had 132 such ships, and ordered a further 216 during the conflict, 112 of which were actually completed. Of these, 55 were lost during the war, 50 were interned on 23 November 1918 under the terms of the Armistice, and subsequently scuttled at Scapa Flow on 21 June 1919. Of the survivors, 32 were included in the post-war Germany navy (some surviving to see service as auxiliaries in the Second World War), 36 were surrendered to Allied powers in 1920, and the remainder were scrapped in 1921.
Designation
Officially they were called "large torpedo-boats" (Große Torpedoboote) or "ocean-going torpedo-boats" (Hochseetorpedoboote), they were in many ways the equivalent of the contemporary destroyers in other navies (and were often referred to as such by their crews).[1] The Imperial German Navy also had a number of vessels officially designated "destroyers" (Zerstörer), but numbered sequentially in the same series as the torpedo-boats. These were, primarily, vessels under construction for foreign navies and taken over at the outbreak of the First World War.
Background
The first German Naval Law of 1898 legislated the construction of an ocean-going battle fleet by Imperial Germany. To accompany the squadrons of battleships and cruisers, the law called for the construction of flotillas of considerably larger, better armed and more seaworthy than the previous torpedo boats built by Germany.
Although they were initially given numbers in the same series as the smaller torpedo-boats, they were separated in 1911, with the large torpedo boats numbered from SMS V1, and the older vessels re-numbered with a 'T-'prefix. During the next 20 years a total of 336 such vessels were ordered for the German navy; these vessels are listed in this article.
General remarks
Programs
The German Navy's strength during the years prior to the outbreak of the First World War was mandated by a series of acts of the Reichstag, which prescribed the numbers of ships constituting the fleet, as well as age at which these ships should be replaced.
The original 1898 Naval Law called for a force 19 Battleships (in two battle squadrons), 8 Armored Coastal Defense Vessels (forming a third battle squadron), 12 large and 30 small cruisers, supported by six flotillas of Ocean-going torpedo boats (two flotillas each for the three battle squadrons). Each flotilla consisted of 12 vessels, or 72 in total. Admiral Tirpitz, the originator of this law, called for these vessels to be large enough to cope with rough seas, but small enough to be commanded by a single officer (due to the man-power constraints of the German Navy at that time).
The 1900 Naval Law, which provided for a major expansion of the German Navy (in reaction to the growing antipathy towards Great Britain provoked by the outbreak of the Boer War) expanded the torpedo-boat force to 144 vessels, half in commission, half in reserve with 60% nucleus crews. From 1898 until 1905, torpedo boats were ordered at a rate of 6 per year.
The total number of torpedo boats remained the same under the 1906 Law, although the number in commission increased to 99, with 45 in material reserve. Older vessels were to be replaced after 12 years of service, so that the annual rate of construction increased to 12 vessels in 1906 and subsequent years.
Following the outbreak of war in August 1914, 48 new vessels of the latest design were quickly ordered. This was augmented in the following weeks by seizures of vessels and machinery under manufacture in Germany for foreign powers, resulting in the addition of 4 small and 12 extra-large torpedo boats (the later group officially being designated destroyers). More orders were placed in 1916 and later years, although the deteriorating war situation of Germany meant that only a portion of these vessels were ever completed.
Designations and builders
As was common with other naval powers, the Germany Admiralty gave broad specifications for the vessels they ordered but allowed shipbuilders considerable latitude in the detail designs, with the result that there were various minor differences between vessels, even between vessels ordered in the same year. German torpedo-boats were not given names, but were numbered in a sequential series[a], with an initial letter to denote the builder:
Germany's main naval adversary of this period was Great Britain. Generally speaking, German large torpedo-boats tended to be slightly smaller than contemporary British destroyers, with lighter gun armament but heavier torpedo armament. Germany favored a well-deck forward of the bridge, mounting torpedo tubes, with a short fo'c'sle mounting a single gun; the freeboard was kept small in order to reduce the silhouette (so that the vessel would be more difficult for an adversary to spot); these features made fighting in rough weather difficult, and in later designs the well-deck was deleted and the fo'c'sle extended. Germany was slower than Britain in adopting new propulsion technologies such as steam turbines, oil fuel and geared turbines[e].
Weapons: three 5 cm SK L/40 (2") guns in single mountings; three 45 cm (18 in) torpedo tubes, single center-line mountings (one in well-deck forward of the bridge, two others amidships).
served overseas 1900–02; renamed T 91 (4 Sep 1914); served as a coastal defense vessel, and then as a tender (from 1915); stricken from list, 22 Mar 1921; sold 26 May 1921 and scrapped, Düsseldorf.
served overseas 1900–02; renamed T 92 (4 Sep 1914); mine-sweeping and escort vessel, 1914–18; stricken from list, 22 Mar 1921; sold 26 May 1921 and scrapped, Düsseldorf.
renamed T 94 (4 Sep 1914); coastal defense and tender, 1914–18 ; sunk, 13 Mar 1920 at Wilhelmshaven during the Kapp Putsch; raised, stricken 26 Oct 1920; sold 13 May 1921 and scrapped, Wilhelmshaven.
on completion she served as the disarmed dispatch vessel Sleipner for service with Royal yacht; following the outbreak of war, she was re-armed and renamed T 97 (4 Sep 1914); Sold 22 Mar 1921 and scrapped, Düsseldorf, 1921.
sunk in collision with SMS Undine, 17 Nov 1905 (33 killed); raised 1906 and returned to service, 1908; renamed T 126 (27 Sep 1916); Sold 22 Mar 1920 and scrapped, Kiel, 1921.
renamed T 139 (24 Sep 1917); to Reichsmarine, 1919; removed from active service 3 Aug 1927; converted to remote control vessel Pfeil, 1927; still in use, 1944; ultimate fate unknown, presumably scrapped post-1945.
renamed T 141 (24 Sep 1917); to Reichsmarine, 1919; removed from active service 3 Aug 1927; converted to target vessel Blitz, 1927; sold for scrap, 1933.
sunk 1700 hrs 3 Aug 1914 following a boiler explosion, c. 30 miles north of Rostock, Baltic (54°30′N12°06′E / 54.500°N 12.100°E / 54.500; 12.100 (SMS S143)) (24 killed); raised and repaired; renamed T 143 (24 Sep 1917); to Reichsmarine, 1919; stricken from Navy list, 10 May 1927; sold 25 Mar 30 and scrapped, Hamburg.
renamed T 153 (24 Sep 1917); to Reichsmarine, 1919; training ship Eduard Jungmann, 1938; transferred to USA, 22 Dec 1945; Mine clearance service until 1947; scrapped, 1949.
training vessel; renamed T 156 (24 Sep 1917); to Reichsmarine, 1919; escort vessel, 1936; renamed Bremse, in Norway, 1944; sunk, 3 May 1945, Kiel; later scrapped.
temporarily renamed Sleipner for two months in 1912 while serving as a despatch boat; renamed T 175 (24 Sep 1917); to Reichsmarine, 1919; deleted from list and sold (for 63 000 ℛℳ), 23 Sep 1926; scrapped, Hamburg.
sunk in collision with SMS Yorck, 4 Mar 1913 (69 killed); wreck raised in two parts and repaired, 1915; renamed T 178 (22 Feb 1918); to UK, 5 Aug 1920; scrapped, Dordrecht, 1922.
renamed T 196 (22 Feb 1918); to Reichsmarine, 1919; training vessel; minesweeper HQ vessel, 1939; to USSR, 27 Dec 1945; renamed Pronzitelnyj in Soviet service; later scrapped.
to Reichsmarine, 1919; collided with battleship Hannover off Rugen, 23 May 1922 (10 killed); repaired; stricken from Fleet list, 1929; sold 31 Mar 1931 and scrapped, Kiel, 1935.
to Reichsmarine, 1919; renumbered T 123 16 Mar 1932; renamed Komet, 23 Apr 1939; control vessel for radio-controlled target vessel Hessen; the fate since November 1944 is unknown.
Sold to Greece Apr 1914, but seized 10 Aug 1914; Interned, Scapa Flow, 22 Nov 1918; scuttled 21 Jun 1919; raised 18 Apr 1925 and scrapped.
1914 Program (VI Flotilla)
The last pre-war Flotilla, ordered 22 Apr 1914. On completion, most of these vessels joined the VI Torpedo Boat Flotilla of the High Seas Fleet, (replacing V 151-V 161).
Interned, Scapa Flow, 22 Nov 1918; attempted scuttling on 21 Jun 1919 failed and ship recovered; to USA, 1920;[2] sunk as air bombing target off Cape Henry, 15 Jul 1921.
Interned, Scapa Flow, 22 Nov 1918; attempted scuttling on 21 Jun 1919 failed and ship recovered; to UK, 1920; after use as gunnery target, beached off Whale Island, Portsmouth Harbour 50°48′49″N1°05′43″W / 50.81361°N 1.09528°W / 50.81361; -1.09528 (SMS V44), and partially scrapped, c. 1922 (remains still visible in Portsmouth harbour at low tide, 2016).[3]
48 vessels ordered 6 Aug 1914 as part of the mobilization of the German armed forces for the First World War. The first two, S 49 and S 50 had been originally projected as replacements for S35 and S 36, which were sold to Greece in April 1914.
Interned, Scapa Flow, 22 Nov 1918; beached while attempting to scuttle, 21 Jun 1919; to UK, 1920; after use as gunnery target, beached off Whale Island, Portsmouth Harbour 50°48′49″N1°05′41″W / 50.81361°N 1.09472°W / 50.81361; -1.09472 (SMS V82), and partially scrapped, c. 1922 (remains still visible in Portsmouth harbour at low tide, 2016) [3]
Four vessels ordered on 7 Aug 1914 and 10 Aug 1914 to make use of machinery sets constructed in Germany for the Russian Orfey-class destroyers Leitenant Ilin, Kapitan Konon-Zotov, Gavriil and Michail.
Interned, Scapa Flow, 22 Nov 1918; beached while attempting to scuttle, 21 Jun 1919; to France, 1920; scrapped, 1921 (boilers used to refit destroyer Aventurier).
ex San Luis; Interned, Scapa Flow, 22 Nov 1918; beached while attempting to scuttle, 21 Jun 1919; to USA, 1920; sunk as aircraft target, 13 Jul 1921 off Cape Henry.
to Brazil, 20 Aug 1920; sold to Britain, and exchanged with A 69 with Poland; commissioned as Polish Mazur; sunk by German aircraft 1 Sep 39 at Gdynia; later raised and scrapped.
removed from service 5 Nov 1919; delivered to France, 23 May 1920 at Cherbourg; commissioned as Amiral Sénès(FR); decommissioned, 1936; sunk as target, 1938.
Interned, Scapa Flow, 22 Nov 1918; beached while attempting to scuttle, 21 Jun 1919; to France, 1920; scrapped, (boilers used to refit destroyer Intrepide).
Interned, Scapa Flow, 22 Nov 1918; beached while attempting to scuttle, 21 Jun 1919; to USA, 1920;[4] sunk as gunnery target by USS Delaware (BB-28) and destroyer USS Herbert (DD-160) off Cape Henry, 15 Jul 1921.
c. 40%-50% finished at time of armistice; stricken 3 Nov 1919; incomplete hull sold for scrap, c. 1920; stranded off Neukrug while transferring to Kiel for demolition; later raised and scrapped.
c. 40%-50% finished at time of armistice; stricken 3 Nov 1919; incomplete hull sold for scrap, c. 1920; stranded off Neukrug while transferring to Kiel for demolition; later raised and scrapped.
c. 55%-60% finished; stricken 3 Nov 1919, sold 1920 and scrapped Kiel.
1918 Mobilization Type
The final First World War-era German torpedo boat design were large (1,268 tons) vessels with geared turbines and a heavy armament (4 × 105 mm guns and 6 × 50 cm torpedo tubes).
Jan 1918 ProgramV 170-V 177, S 178-S 185 and H 186-H 193 (24 vessels in total; none completed). None had been launched by the time of the armistice, after which all contracts were cancelled.[f]
Jun 1918 ProgramH 194-H 202, V 203-V 210 and S 211-S 223 (30 vessels in total, none completed). None of these proceeded further than a very preliminary stage of construction; all were cancelled after the armistice.
Tactical organization
As an indication of the employment of the Imperial German Navy's large torpedo boats, the following provide skeleton orders of battle for these vessels at various dates during the First World War. The basic tactical unit was the Torpedo-Boat Flotilla, consisting of two half-flotillas (typically five vessels each) plus one vessel for the flotilla commander.[g]
Mid-October 1914
This list shows the dispositions early in the war, after mobilization was complete [5] High Seas Fleet I. TBF: V 191 (leader); 1. hf: V 186, V 190, V 188, G 197, V 189; 2. hf: G 196, G 193, G 195, G 192, G 194 II. TBF: S 149 (leader); 3. hf: S 138, S 139, S 141, S 140, S 142; 4. hf: S 144, S 145, S 147, S 146, S 148 III. TBF: S 167 (leader); 5. hf: V 162, V 163, V 164, S 165, S 166; 6. hf: G 173, G 169, G 172, G 170, S 168 IV. TBF: T 113 (leader); 7. hf: S 119, S 122, S 117, S 118, S 115; 8. hf: S 128, T 111, S 129, S 126, T 110 V. TBF: G 12 (leader); 9. hf: V 6, V 1, V 3, V 4, V 5; 10. hf: G 11, G 9, G 7, G 8, G 10 VI. TBF: V 150 (leader); 11. hf: V 151, V 153, V 154, V 152, V 155; 12. hf: V 156, V 157, V 159, V 158, V 160 VII. TBF: S 24 (leader); 13. hf: S 14, S 15, S 13, S 16, S 18; 14. hf: S 19, S 21, S 23, S 20, S 22 VIII. TBF: G 174 (leader); 15. hf: V 181, V 183, V 182, S 130, S 131; 16. hf: S 176, S 177, S 179, V 180, G 175 IX. TBF: S 28 (leader); 17. hf: V 25, V 26, V 27, S 31, S 32; 18. hf: V 30, V 29, S 33, S 34, S 35, S 36
tenders to U-Boat Flotillas: T 109, T 99, T 100, T 101
fleet tenders (attached to fleet flagship, battle Squadrons etc.): T 98, T 96
Other areas Baltic: 19. hf: S 120, G 134, S 124, S 127, T 97; 20. hf: G 133, G 132, G 135, G 136 Coastal Defense: Jade/Weser Division : T 91, T 93, T 94, T 95, T 107; Elbe Division: S 114 East Asia: S 90
May 1916
The following list of front line torpedo boats reflects the situation immediately prior to the Battle of Jutland.[5] High Seas Fleet I. TBF: S 32 (leader); 1. hf: G 39, G 40, G 38, V 190, G 197; 2. hf: G 192, G 195, G 196, G 193 II. TBF: B 98 (leader); 3. hf: G 101, G 102, B 112, B 97; 4. hf: B 109, B 110, B 111, G 103, G 104 III. TBF: S 53 (leader); 5. hf: V 71, V 73, V 74, G 88, G 85; 6. hf: V 48, V 70, S 55, S 54, G 42 V. TBF: G 11 (leader); 9. hf: V 6, V 2, V 3, V 1, V 4; 10. hf: G 8, G 7, V 5, G 9, G 10 VI. TBF: G 41 (leader); 11. hf: V 44, S 49, V 43, G 87, G 86; 12. hf: V 69, S 50, V 46, V 45, G 37 VII. TBF: S 24 (leader); 13. hf: S 15, S 17, S 20, S 16, S 18; 14. hf: S 19, S 23, V 186, V 189 IX. TBF: V 28 (leader); 17. hf: V 27, V 26, S 36, S51, S 52; 18. hf: V 30, S 34, S 33, V 29, S 35
Baltic VI. Scouting Group: V 100 IV. TBF: V 160 (leader); 7. hf: V 154, G 133, S 140, S 143, S 145, V 151, V 152, V 155, V 157, V 158, V 161 VIII. TBF: S 178 (leader); 15. hf: V 183, V 182, V 181, V 185, V 184; 16. hf: S 176, V 180, G 174, S 179, G 175 X. TBF: S 56 (leader); 19. hf: V 78, S 143, S 148, S 147, S 139; 20. hf: V 72, V 75, S 57, G 89, V 77
attached: T 107, S 146; 21. hf: S 167, G 169, G 170, S 168, G 137.
Flanders Destroyer Flotilla: hf Cleve: V 67, V 68, V 47
Auxiliary service
Minesweeper flotillas: T 103, S 149, G 136, T 104
North Sea patrol flotillas: S 127, S 128; coastal defence: T 93, S 131, T 110, T 106, T 97, T 105, G 135, T 112, T 113, S 114, S 120, S 138
Tenders to U-Boat flotillas: T 159, T 99, G 137, T 101, G 132; fleet tenders: T 96, T 98
Training: G 134, S 126, S 122, S 121, S 131, V106, V 108, T 102, T 108, V 105, S 130, S 125
April 1918
The following is the situation in the North Sea at the end of April 1918, at the time of the last offensive sortie of the High Seas Fleet.[6]
High Seas Fleet I. TBF: V 129 (leader); 1. hf: G 39, G 38, G 40, G 86, S 32; 2. hf: V 130, S 135, S 133, S 134, S 139 II. TBF: B 97 (leader); 3. hf: G 101, G 103, V 100, G 104, G 102; 4. hf: B 109, B 110, B 112, B 98, B 111 V. TBF: G 11 (leader); 9. hf: V 6, S 23, V 3, V 2, V 1, T 196, T 197; 10. hf: G 8, V 5, G 10, G 7, G 9, T 183, T 181 VI. TBF: V 128 (leader); 11. hf: V 127, V 126, S 131, V 125, S 132; 12. hf: V 43, V 45, S 50, S 49, V 46, V 44 VII. TBF: S 62 (leader); 13. hf: V 78, S 65, S 66, V 83, S 56; 14. hf: T 182, G 92, G 89 (G 87, G 93, G 94 were all sunk 30 Mar 1918) VIII. TBF: T 180 (leader) ; 15. hf: T 193, T 195, T 192, T 189, T 190; 16. hf: T 176, T 178, T 174, T 179, T 186 IX. TBF: V 78 (leader); 17. hf: V 80, S 52, S 51, S 60, S 36; 18. hf: V 30, V 26, V 28, S 34, S 33
Serving with Mine-sweeping Flotillas: T 103, T 184, T 149, T 132 I. GF; 1. hf: T 127, T 114, T 109, T 101, T 125, T 112, T 99, T 106, T 102, T 105, T 93; 2. hf: T 185, S 19, S 24, T 122, T 148, S 18, T 135, T 147, T 131, T 196, T 197; 3. hf: T 136, T 92, T 104, T 128, T 138, T 97 II. GF: T 128; 5. hf: T 99; 6. hf: T 97; 7. hf: T 125; 8. hf: T 114; 9. hf: T 102; 10. hf: T 92, T 128; (T 103 repairing)
September 1918
The following is the disposition of all of Germany's ocean-going torpedo boats shortly before the end of the war.[7]
High Seas Fleet I. TBF: 1. hf: V 129, S 32, G 38, G 39, G 40, G 86; 2. hf: V 130, S 134, S 133, S 135, S 139 II. TBF: 3. hf: B 98, G 101, G 102, G 103, G 104, V 100; 4. hf: B 97, B 109, B 110, B 111, B 112 V. TBF: 9. hf: G 11, V 1, V 2, V 3, V 6, S 23; 10. hf: V 5, G 7, G 8, G 10 VI. TBF: 11. hf: V 128, V 125, V 126, V 127, S 131, S 132; 12. hf: V 43, V 44, V 45, V 46, S 49, S 50 VII. TBF: (V 116 to join); 13. hf: V 83, V 78, S 65, S 56 (S 138 to join); 14. hf: G 92, G 89 (S 136, S 137, H145 to join) VIII. TBF: 15. hf: T 180, T 189, T 190, T 193, T 195; 16. hf: T 174, T 176, T 178, T 179, T 186 IX. TBF: 17. hf: V 79, S 36, S 51, S 52, S 60, V 80; 18. hf: V 26, V 28, V 30, S 33, S 34 I. GF: 1. hf: T 127, T 109, T 112, T 93, T 170, T 165, T 182, T 183, T 181; 2. hf: T 185, S 19, S 24, T 122, T 148, T 113, S 18, T 135, T 147, T 131, T 197, T 196; 3. hf: T 136, T 169 (plus twelve "A" Boats) II. GF: 5. hf: T 99; 6. hf: T 97; 7. hf: T 125; 8. hf: T 114; 9. hf: T 102; 10. hf: T 92, T 128; (T 103 repairing)
Serving with Mine-sweeping Flotillas: T 184, T 132, T 96, T 98
Baltic IV. TBF: 7. hf: T 160, T 133, T 139, T 140, T 143, T 145, T 151, T 152, T 154; 19. hf: T 155, T 157, T 158, T 104, T 106, T 175, T 101, T 105
Flanders III. TBF: 5. hf: V 71, S 53, V 73, V 81, G 41, V 77; 6. hf: S 54, S 55, V 70, G 91 Flanders Destroyer Flotilla: 1. hf: V 47, V 67, G 95, S 61; 2. hf: S 63, V 69, V 82
out of service: S 15, V 74
Auxiliary service Baltic Training Flotilla: 1. hf: T 173, T 166, T 134, V 108, T 107; 2. hf: T 167, T 163, T 142, T 126
Gunnery training: T 144, T 146, T 168, V 105
Mine warfare vessels: V 106, T 110, T 120
Tenders to U-boat flotillas: T 130, T 137, T 153, T 159, T 161, T 164, T 108, T 121
Fleet tenders, etc.: T 91, T 94, T 95, T 111, T 156, T 141.
^ In 1911 there was a radical departure from previous practice, when a smaller, more nimble design of torpedo-boat was introduced (the Type 1911). Because of this change, it was decided to re-start the number series; to avoid duplication of designations, the older vessels were progressively re-designated with the initial letter T.
^ Including cancelled vessels and vessels ordered by the German navy but sold to foreign powers before completion.
^ Nearly all of the A.G. Vulcan vessels were built at Stettin; the exceptions were V 67, V 68, V 70, V 75, V76, V77, V79, V 83, V 84 V 140 and V 141, which were constructed at Hamburg.
^ Steam turbines and oil fuel were introduced in British destroyers with the Tribal Class of 1905; geared turbines in the R Class of 1915. Excluding experimental vessels, turbines became standard in German torpedo-boats with the 1908 program; coal fuel did not disappear until the Type 1913; geared turbines were to be introduced in the projected vessels of 1918.
^ Four incomplete hulls were completed as mercantile vessels in 1920-21: S 178 and S 179 were completed as the four-masted schooners Franziska Kimme and Georg Kimme for the Bremerhaven Line (Bremerhavener Reederei AG) in 1920; and in November 1919, the incomplete hulls of ex-H 186 and ex-H 187 were purchased by the Baltic Shipping Company (Baltischen Reederei), Hamburg and completed as the cargo ships Hansdorf and Hoisdorf, entering service in spring 1921.
^ The following abbreviations are used for brevity: TBF: Torpedo-Boat Flotilla (Torpedoboots Flottille in German); hf: Half-Flotilla (halbsflottille) (despite the name, a flotilla could consist of more than two half-flotillas); GF: Escort Flotilla (Geleit Flottille).
^ abKontreadmiral a.D. Stoelzel, Ehrenrangliste der Kaiserlich Deutschen Marine 1914-18 (Thormannn and Goetsch, Berlin, 1930), pp 11-86.
^Walter Gladisch, Der Krieg zur See, 1914-18: Der krieg in der Nordsee v. 7, (Frankfurt, E.S. Mittler & Sohn, 1965), pp. 175-178.
^Paul Köppen, Der Krieg zur See, 1914-18: Entworfen and Die Überwasserstreitkräfte und ihre Technik, (Berlin, E.S. Mittler & Sohn, 1930.) pp. 291-292.
Bibliography
Dodson, Aidan (2019). "Beyond the Kaiser: The IGN's Destroyers and Torpedo Boats After 1918". In Jordan, John (ed.). Warship 2019. Oxford, UK: Osprey Publishing. pp. 129–144. ISBN978-1-4728-3595-6.
Robert Gardiner, editor, Conway's All The World's Fighting Ships 1906–1921. (London: Conway Maritime Press, 1985). ISBN0-85177-245-5
Erich Gröner, German Warships 1815–1945, Volume 1: Major Surface Vessels (London: Conway Maritime Press, 1990). ISBN0-85177-533-0
John C. Taylor, German Warships of World War I (London: Ian Allan Ltd., 1969). ISBN0-71100-099-9
