german destroyer german destroyer type class destroyer built kriegsmarine mid-1930s beginning world war september ship laid defensive minefields north_sea covered sister ships months laid offensive minefields english waters late early participated early stages transporting troops trondheim area early april transferred france later year ship covered sortie engine problems caused return germany november repairs badly damaged ran aground days repairs completed action ship transferred norway ran aground prepared attack convoys russia july repairs completed december participated end year german attack lengthy refit ship began escorting ships denmark norway continued trips rescue refugees end war spent rest year british control allies decided dispose captured german ships ultimately allotted france early renamed operational later year reconstructed modernized completion ship assigned years placed reserve late condemned scrapped year design description overall length meters meters long waterline point september stem lengthened increased overall length meters ship beam meters maximum draft meters displaced long tons standard load long tons deep load wagner geared steam turbine sets driving propeller shaft designed produce shp steam provided high pressure wagner boilers ship designed speed knots mph reached maximum speed knots shaft horsepower sea trials carried maximum metric tons long tons fuel oil intended range nautical miles speed knots mph ship proved heavy service fuel retained ballast low ship effective range proved nmi knots crew numbered officers enlisted men plus additional officers enlisted men serving flotilla flagship ship carried centimeter guns single mounts gun shields superimposed fore aft fifth gun carried aft superstructure anti aircraft armament consisted centimeter guns twin mounts abreast rear funnel centimeter guns single mounts 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 depth charges carried patterns charges rails fitted rear deck maximum capacity mines system passive designated fitted detect submarines active system installed august war ship light anti aircraft armament augmented times improved guns replaced original guns additional guns added guns aft shelter deck replaced single quadruple mount probably certain improved gun replaced original guns quadruple twin single mounts guns end war career named lieutenant ordered january laid bremen july yard number launched april completed july ship participated late naval maneuvers training 2nd ran aground june near island impact badly damaged propellers knocked port turbine alignment towed wilhelmshaven repairs dockyard unable fully repair turbine foundations problems thrust new turbine fitted participated august 2nd following fleet exercise division accompanied heavy cruiser admiral voyage mediterranean october visited returning home destroyer lengthy refit wilhelmshaven february august world war began ship began laying defensive minefields german bight sister ships patrolled inspect neutral shipping goods october ship attempted lay minefield british coast night november sisters turn suffered machinery covered operation night february february destroyers sailed intercept british fishing vessels operation route flotilla erroneously attacked bomber hit bomb lost steering broke half sinking loss crew rescue effort hit sank loss entire crew hitler ordered convened investigate cause losses concluded ships sunk bombs kriegsmarine failed destroyers luftwaffe making anti shipping patrols time failed inform luftwaffe destroyers sea postwar evidence revealed ships struck british minefield laid destroyers allocated norwegian portion group task transport regiment seize trondheim heavy cruiser admiral hipper ships began loading troops april set sail day sisters carried company mountain troops tasked seize forts defending entrance passing surprised forts ships able land troops capture forts little difficulty destroyers suffered storm damage route low fuel oil arrived defend port admiral hipper departed beached april stationary artillery torpedo battery following day attacked torpedo bombers squadron aircraft carrier surprised torpedoes detonate short ship struck sandy rocks refloated days later towed trondheim repairs german destroyer receive radar system set torpedo tubes removed land near improve local defenses june work finished went wilhelmshaven overhaul transferred france departing september based brest ship covered laying minefield night september ultimately sank ships totaling gross register tons grt plagued problems port engine sailed wilhelmshaven november repairs having hit practice torpedo damaged boiler room fire repairs took august departed norway days later struck reef ripped open seven compartments caused propeller shafts seize ship towed bergen temporary repairs kiel repairs lasted departed norway june destroyers assigned escort battleship knight attack russia bound convoy ships sailed trondheim july stage operation destroyers including assigned escort ran aground dark heavy fog forced return port repairs coupled damage suffered heavy cruiser ran aground day operation canceled shortly temporarily repaired trondheim towed germany permanent repairs july days later attacked effect british torpedo bombers battle sea ship operational december returned norway time participate attempt intercept sailing soviet_union late december convoy spotted morning december destroyers tasked engage convoy admiral hipper destroyers attempted occupy attention convoy escort germans failed press home attack sank destroyer damage losing destroyers escorted early february laid minefield near following month ship sister destroyer sailed island march rendezvous blockade runner searched days increasingly heavy weather forced return port storm damage unbeknownst germans intercepted sunk british cruiser march sailed trondheim repairs nearly lost route april water contamination fuel caused lose power timely arrival prevented drifting ashore september ship participated troops regiment regiment destroy norwegian facilities island battleship escorted destroyers successful operation primarily intended boost morale ships stationed arctic fuel shortages limited activities allies bases weeks later escorted convoys returned germany early december overhaul overhaul completed june ship resumed duties repairs required boiler room fire august necessitated lengthy repairs oslo damaged mole denmark november operational january remained denmark ships ordered baltic assist evacuation unloading refugees copenhagen voyage returned copenhagen crew surrendered kiel days later post war service ship british command german board overhauled wilhelmshaven june fate determined initially allocated great_britain end sailed mid january meantime france protested given destroyers ships formally handed february renamed general given brief refit august september training cruise october december voyage rescued crew october ship assigned 1st received pennant number late year escorted submarine returned british november returning november reconstructed bridge enlarged original light weapons replaced single millimeter guns fifth gun removed american radars fitted sailed new base toulon december assigned mediterranean_fleet ship numerous port visits french north_africa years transferred october reduced reserve december condition evaluated hull found poor condition condemned april day broken following year
German destroyer Z6 Theodor Riedel