german destroyer type class destroyer built nazi_germany kriegsmarine mid-1930s ship plagued machinery problems life repair world war began september covered sister ships months laid offensive minefields english waters late early played minor role engine problems limited availability transferred france early escort battleships heavy cruiser home germany channel dash ship transferred norway participated unsuccessful attempt intercept convoy returning russia unsuccessful intercept early april germans successful convoy end month convoy escorts conducted defense prevented destroyers sinking single soviet freighter german commander broke action hopes locating crippled light cruiser found cruiser escorting destroyers edinburgh disabled fire torpedoes captain forced shortly destroyer men killed wounded engagement design description overall length meters meters long waterline 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 shp testing propellers 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 scheduled installed march construction career named lieutenant ordered january laid bremen september yard number launched july completed september command lieutenant commander ship participated late naval maneuvers 2nd hosted adolf_hitler short cruise kiel july participated following fleet exercise relieved october division accompanied heavy cruiser admiral voyage mediterranean october visited returning home destroyer lengthy refit wilhelmshaven february october patrolled inspect neutral shipping goods october ship attempted lay minefield british coast night november sisters turn suffered machinery attempt night december estuary destroyers german ships abandon sortie location required degree precision patrolling jade estuary december collided sister heavy fog covered sorties january february spent march repair machinery problems ship allocated norwegian portion group task transport seize trondheim admiral hipper machinery broke troops loaded replaced post reorganization kriegsmarine destroyer forces assigned 6th destroyer flotilla june flotilla tasked escort battleships heavy cruiser admiral hipper 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 june began lengthy refit lasted february machinery continued problematic declared operational june transferred norway following month continued machinery problems forced return germany august repairs lasted january assigned sailed kiel january france preparations evening january struck mines laid hms belgian coast sank survivors ashore flotilla reached brest 26th german ships departed evening february nighttime morning portion transit uneventful afternoon twice drove sister friedrich british aircraft began presence know repeated attacks german ships undamaged british aircraft repeatedly struck stern cannon shells defending german fighters later afternoon vice admiral commander battleship flotilla transferred ship temporary flagship destroyer disabled premature guns sent machinery spaces shortly joined destroyers escorting heavy cruisers admiral trondheim heavy weather forced destroyers return port reaching trondheim torpedoed badly damaged submarine hms february separation march battleship escorted destroyers sortied trondheim attack returning convoy russia bound following morning ordered destroyers search independently allied ships gross register ton grt soviet freighter later afternoon sank rejoined shortly continued search allied shipping sailed 9th april ship transferred destroyers sortied intercept convoy days later failed locate allied ships heavy snow low visibility trio sortied april intercept westbound convoy crippled light cruiser torpedoed earlier german submarine found convoy day managed sink soviet grt freighter convoy escorting destroyers repeatedly rebuffed attempts reach convoy ships despite significant firepower advantage germans moderately damaged day engagements captain commander flotilla broke battle late afternoon decided search cruiser original objective found edinburgh escorts morning closed attack torpedoes cruiser opened fire disabled second hits engine rooms destroyer turned away dropped smoke create smoke screen hide damage severe return base crew prepared abandon ship attacked british destroyers hit times took survivors ship scuttled crew coordinates men rescued german destroyers broke engagement battle men killed wounded
German destroyer Z7 Hermann Schoemann