 German torpedo boats in US after World War I. First ship on left isV43 of theGroßes Torpedoboot 1913 class | |
| Class overview | |
|---|---|
| Operators |  Imperial German Navy |
| Planned | 71 |
| Completed | 71 |
| Lost | 62 |
| Scrapped | 6 |
| General characteristics | |
| Type | Torpedo boat |
| Displacement | 975 tonnes (960 long tons) |
| Length | 84.65 m (277 ft 9 in) |
| Beam | 8.33 m (27 ft 4 in) |
| Draught | 3.40 m (11 ft 2 in) |
| Complement | 87 |
| Armament |
|
| Aircraft carried | 1 × floatplane (onV25 briefly) |
TheV25 class (also known as the Type 1913) was a class oftorpedo boat built for theImperial German Navy (Kaiserliche Marine). It was numerically the largest class ever built for theHigh Seas Fleet, consisting of 71 ships.[1] Of the class, 32 were sunk duringWorld War I, several tomines in the North Sea and Baltic Sea.Of those that survived the war 29 werescuttled with the German fleet atScapa Flow, one was destroyed by a mine on the way there, four were given to Britain and were not scuttled while one was given to Italy and France.[2]
The boats of theV25 class varied in dimensions, and they gradually increased in size as more vessels were built. The boats were 77.80 to 82.50 meters (255 ft 3 in to 270 ft 8 in)long at the waterline and 78.50 to 83.10 m (257 ft 7 in to 272 ft 8 in)long overall. They hadbeam of 8.32 to 8.36 m (27 ft 4 in to 27 ft 5 in) and adraft of 2.80 to 3.90 m (9 ft 2 in to 12 ft 10 in). Displacement ranged from 812 to 960 metric tons (799 to 945 long tons) as designed and from 971 to 1,188 t (956 to 1,169 long tons) at full load.[3] They had a crew of three officers and eighty enlisted, though some of the boats had an additional two to four sailors. When serving as half-flotillaflagships, the boats would have a flotilla leader's staff of three officers and thirteen to fifteen enlisted men in addition to the standard crew.[4]
TheV25-class boats were propelled by a pair ofsteam turbines manufactured by the shipyard that built each boat. Steam was provided by three oil-firedwater-tube boilers. These were the first German torpedo boats to be fueled only by oil, with no provision forcoal. The boats' engines were rated at 33.5 to 34.5knots (62.0 to 63.9 km/h; 38.6 to 39.7 mph) from 24,000shaft horsepower (18,000 kW), though most of the ships significantly exceeded these figures, in some cases by almost three knots. The boats had storage capacity for 220 to 338 t (217 to 333 long tons; 243 to 373 short tons) offuel oil. As a result, cruising radius varied significantly, from 1,080 to 1,810 nautical miles (2,000 to 3,350 km; 1,240 to 2,080 mi) at 20 knots (37 km/h; 23 mph), with the first dozen boats having the least endurance. Each vessel was equipped with a pair of 28 kilowatts (38 hp) 110-Volt turbo-generators for electrical power. Steering was controlled with a pair ofrudders; the primary at the stern, and a secondary, retractable rudder located in the bow.[5]
Each boat initially carried three8.8 cm (3.5 in) SK L/45 guns in single mounts, one forward and two aft, all on the centerline. Each gun was supplied with 100 rounds of ammunition. Most of the boats later had these guns replaced with three much more powerful10.5 cm (4.1 in) SK L/45 guns, with 70 shells per gun. All of the boats carried six 50 cm (20 in)torpedo tubes with eighttorpedoes as their primary offensive armament. They were also equipped to laynaval mines, and each carried twenty-four mines. DuringWorld War I,V25 briefly had her center gun removed to make room for aFriedrichshafen FF.33seaplane.[4]
The ships were numbered according to the yard which built them. There were minor differences between each yard series, so some references list each such series as a separate type.[6] Strictly speaking, the 1913 series consisted only ofV25 toV30 andS31 toS36 ships, but the later ones listed here were quite similar, though increasing in displacement. The German practice in peacetime was to build oneflotilla of similar ships per fiscal year, hence the name 1913 series. Later ships belonged to the 1914 series (G37 toV84) and 1915 series (G85 toG95). During the war the armament of most of these ships was upgraded, with 8.8 cm guns replaced with10.5 cm guns.[6]
Despite the Britishnaval blockade of Germany, many of the ships saw service in the English Channel, the North Sea and especially the Baltic. Some participated in theBattle of Jutland.[2] A total of 32 were lost before the Armistice, including many lost to mines in the Baltic.V43 was scuttled atScapa Flow but later raised and repaired. She was taken over by theUS Navy and commissioned for a brief period in 1920, then sunk as target on 15 July 1921.[7]
Two ships of the class,V44 andV82, were turned over to the Royal Navy following World War I. They were towed toPortsmouth Harbour where they were used for target practice. Subsequently, they were intentionally beached on the southern tip ofWhale Island. Their remains are still there today.[8]
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 French Navy |
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 Italian Navy |
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