german destroyer german destroyer type destroyer built kriegsmarine 1930s ship named rear admiral commanded german forces bight august days start world war unsuccessfully attacked destroyer polish ships anchored naval base lightly damaged action mid february proceeding north_sea search british fishing ship bombed patrolling german bomber damaged steering drifted newly laid british minefield hit bombs broke half loss bulk crew 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 maximum speed knots mph 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 ship carried guns single mounts gun shields superimposed fore aft fifth gun carried aft superstructure 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 depth charges carried patterns charges rails fitted rear deck maximum capacity mines system passive designated fitted detect submarines crew numbered officers enlisted men plus additional officers enlisted men serving flotilla flagship service history destroyer built germany world war ship ordered july laid kiel october yard number launched august completed january flagship der chief commissioning spent year training port visit april return taken hand bow rebuilt reduce water came bow head seas ship participated august fleet review following fleet exercise december sisters sailed area iceland evaluate north_atlantic winter new bow march ship destroyers escorted adolf hitler aboard pocket battleship occupy participated spring fleet exercise western mediterranean flagship visits spanish ports april september took attack polish ships harbour poles replied effectively forced german destroyers maneuvers lay smoke screen throw aim polish gunners hit superstructure millimeter shell coast defense battery killed crewmen wounded men ordered action broken minutes later german fire ineffective following day sailed damage repaired process took september completion helped lay defensive minefields north_sea ship began scheduled refit september transferred flag attached 2nd destroyer flotilla december february destroyers sailed intercept british fishing vessels operation route flotilla erroneously attacked bomber hit bomb lost steering broke half sinking loss crew ship commanding officer men saved 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
German destroyer Z1 Leberecht Maass