german destroyer type class destroyer built nazi_germany kriegsmarine mid-1930s ship named world war german naval officer beginning world war september ship initially deployed blockade polish coast quickly transferred north_sea lay defensive minefields late ship laid multiple offensive minefields english coast claimed merchant ships destroyer repair early transferred france later year lengthy refit germany returned france early escorted returning warships commerce raiders supply ships months refit completed transferred participated minor operations damaged running aground forced return germany repairs ship returned norway escorted german capital ships moved norway germany participated german attack norwegian island north ordered home november begin lengthy refit badly damaged allied bombs rest war turned soviet_union war war served years converted training ship barracks ship sold scrap design description overall length meters meters long waterline ship beam meters maximum draft meters displaced long tons standard long tons deep load wagner geared steam turbines designed produce metric horsepower shp propel ship knots mph steam provided turbines high pressure boilers carried maximum metric tons long tons fuel oil intended range nautical miles knots mph ship proved heavy service fuel retained ballast low ship effective range proved nmi knots mph ship crew consisted officers sailors carried guns single mounts gun shields superimposed fore aft fifth gun carried rear anti aircraft armament consisted guns twin mounts abreast rear funnel guns single mounts ship carried water centimeter torpedo tubes power operated mounts pair torpedoes provided mount depth charge throwers mounted sides rear supplemented racks individual depth charges sides stern sufficient depth charges carried patterns sixteen charges rails fitted rear deck maximum capacity mines passive fitted detect submarines active system installed end war ship light anti aircraft armament augmented times improved guns replaced original guns additional guns added guns aft shelter deck replaced point single quadruple mount probably received barbara anti aircraft refit existing guns replaced retained mount remainder anti aircraft armament consisted seven twin mounts twin mounts forecastle bridge construction career named commander torpedo boat sms killed ordered january laid shipyard hamburg yard number launched september completed commissioned command later promoted commanded january ship participated august participated spring fleet exercise western mediterranean visits spanish ports april world war began initially deployed baltic operate enforce blockade poland soon transferred german bight joined sister ships laying defensive minefields patrolled inspect neutral shipping goods october night november commander flagship offensive mission british coast led sister ships claimed seven ships gross register tons grt including polish ocean liner night december german destroyers sortied lay minefields british coast command commodore flagship laid mines mouth navigation lights lit british unaware minefield existence lost ships totaling grt destroyers later ordered escort crippled light cruisers leipzig torpedoed submarine hms salmon covering destroyers withdrawal machinery problems route forced return port reached cruisers sisters sortied night december british turned navigation lights german forced abandon attempt locate precisely lay minefield proper position minefield magnetic mines laid night january thames estuary destroyer merchant ships totalling grt lost minefield ship damaged ship repairs april leave dockyard began working 5th destroyer flotilla work cut short escort battleships heavy cruiser admiral hipper participating operation planned attack norway relieve pressure german garrison ships sortied june sank troop transport oil tanker route german commander admiral ordered admiral hipper destroyers trondheim heavy weather arrived morning june battleships continued sortie sank aircraft carrier glorious escorting destroyers badly damaged torpedo destroyer engagement battleship escorted home destroyers repairs returned trondheim escort home torpedoed british submarine flotilla laid defensive minefields north_sea august early september transferred france mid september based brest flotilla laid minefield night september ships totalling grt sunk minefield led captain destroyers sortied october intercepted british force light cruisers destroyers british opened fire extreme range forced face long range torpedo attacks luftwaffe bombers having hit german ships returned home november refit stettin refit completed late january trapped thick ice reach work mid february returned france april based primarily occupied escorting returning commerce raiders warships supply ships bases france included april supply ship fleet late heavy cruiser escorted brest early june separating battleship operation late summer refit suffering boiler problems refit postponed allow escort august departure delayed ran aground beginning month depart germany september briefly operated northern norway participated august sisters escorted pocket battleship admiral beginning end mission attack soviet shipping escorted departed lay minefield mid august ran aground beginning september sent home temporary repairs trondheim ship returned norway january slightly damaged practice torpedo fired submarine early march escorted trondheim heavy weather washed men overboard mid month flagship captain commander 5th destroyer flotilla september ship participated troops regiment destroy norwegian facilities island battleships escorted destroyers unloading troops bombarded targets island fire main broke shock shooting partially flooded compartments successful operation primarily intended boost morale ships stationed arctic fuel shortages limited activities allies bases weeks later destroyers escorted pocket battleship germany september returned november ordered return germany overhaul accidentally collided small norwegian steamer route later night collision severely damaged bow sail slowly trondheim emergency repairs forward bulkhead collapse ship received temporary repairs oslo departing germany december refit completed january sister spent half year laying minefields entrance escorting convoys norway ship passed route hamburg lengthy refit dockyard struck bomb diesel generator room june despite extent damage dockyard reported refit completed scheduled november november bomb detonated alongside caused extensive flooding shock damage explosion ship towed thorough repairs completion seriously delayed april single engine kriegsmarine decision strip crew combat duties ashore moved germans surrendered post war ship moved wilhelmshaven summer british control division surviving warships decided victorious allies argued ships overhauled small maintenance crew aboard preserve value allocated soviet_union end sailed january commissioned russian assigned soviet 4th fleet based served barracks ship february struck list april sold scrap broken
German destroyer Z15 Erich Steinbrinck