Type 1936-class destroyer

The Type 1936-class destroyers were a group of six destroyers built for Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine, during the late 1930s. They all participated in World War II although all but one were sunk or scuttled during the naval Battles of Narvik in 1940.

Design and description

These six ships were improved and enlarged versions of the Type 1934- and Type 1934A-classes. Despite the serious faults of the earlier ships that were not apparent when they were being designed, their problems had been resolved by the time the Type 36 class was designed. Engine reliability 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.

The ships had an overall length of 123.4 or 125.1 meters (404 ft 10 in or 410 ft 5 in) and were 120 meters (393 ft 8 in) long at the waterline. They had a beam of 11.8 meters (38 ft 9 in), and a maximum draft of 4.5 meters (14 ft 9 in). The Type 36 displaced 2,411 long tons (2,450 t) at standard load and 3,415 long tons (3,470 t) at deep load. The two Wagner geared steam turbine sets, each driving one propeller shaft, were designed to produce 70,000 PS (51,000 kW; 69,000 shp) using steam provided by six high-pressure Wagner boilers with superheaters for a designed speed of 36 knots (67 km/h; 41 mph). The ships carried a maximum of 739 metric tons (727 long tons) of fuel oil which gave a range of 2,050 nautical miles (3,800 km; 2,360 mi) at 19 knots (35 km/h; 22 mph). Their crew consisted of 10 officers and 313 sailors.^[1]

The Type 36-class ships carried five 12.7 cm SK C/34 guns in single mounts with gun shields, two each superimposed, fore and aft. The fifth mount was positioned on top of the rear deckhouse. Their anti-aircraft armament consisted of four 3.7 cm SK C/30 guns in two twin mounts abreast the rear funnel and six 2 cm C/30 guns in single mounts. The ships carried eight above-water 53.3-centimeter (21.0 in) torpedo tubes in two power-operated mounts.^[1] Four depth charge throwers were mounted on the sides of the rear deckhouse and they were supplemented by six racks for individual depth charges on the sides of the stern. Sufficient depth charges were carried for either two or four patterns of sixteen charges each.^[2] Mine rails could be fitted on the rear deck that had a maximum capacity of sixty mines.^[1] 'GHG' (Gruppenhorchgerät) passive hydrophones were fitted to detect submarines and an active sonar system was installed by the end of 1939.^[3]

Ships

Notes

References

• Gröner, Erich (1990). German Warships: 1815–1945. Volume 1: Major Surface Warships. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 0-87021-790-9. 
• Haarr, Geirr H. (2009). The German Invasion of Norway, April 1940. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 978-1-59114-310-9. 
• Koop, Gerhard; Schmolke, Klaus-Peter (2003). German Destroyers of World War II. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 1-59114-307-1. 
• Rohwer, Jürgen (2005). Chronology of the War at Sea 1939-1945: The Naval History of World War Two (Third Revised ed.). Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 1-59114-119-2. 
• Whitley, M. J. (1991). German Destroyers of World War Two. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 1-55750-302-8. 

External links

• Kriegsmarine destroyers

Type 1936 destroyers
Kriegsmarine	Type 1936 Z17 Diether von Roeder Z18 Hans Lüdemann Z19 Hermann Künne Z20 Karl Galster Z21 Wilhelm Heidkamp Z22 Anton Schmitt Type 1936A "Narvik" Z23 Z24 Z25 Z26 Z27 Z28 Z29 Z30 Type 1936A "Mob" Z31 Z32 Z33 Z34 Z37 Z38 Z39 Type 1936B Z35 Z36 Z40 Z41 Z42 Z43 Z44 Z45 Type 1936C Z46 Z47 Z48 Z49 Z50
French Navy	Léopard (ex-Z23) Hoche (ex-Z25) Marceau (ex-Z31) (ex-DD-939)
Soviet Navy	Prochny (ex-Z20 Karl Galster) Provorniy (ex-Z33)
Royal Navy	(ex-Z30) HMS Nonsuch (ex-Z38)
United States Navy	DD-939 (ex-Z39)
Preceded by: Type 1934 Followed by: Type 1938A
List of destroyers of the Kriegsmarine