Zerstörer 4
Class overview
Name	Zerstörer 1
Builders	Bath Iron Works Consolidated Steel Corporation Federal Shipbuilding and Drydock Company
Operators	German Navy
Succeeded by	Hamburg class
Built	1941–1943
In commission	1958–1982
Planned	6
Completed	6
Retired	6
General characteristics
Type	Destroyer
Displacement	2,050 long tons (2,083 t) standard 2,500 long tons (2,540 t) full
Length	376.5 ft (114.8 m)
Beam	39.5 ft (12.0 m)
Draft	17.5 ft (5.3 m)
Propulsion	4 × GM Mod. 16-278Adiesel engines with electric drive, 60,000 shp (45,000 kW) 2 ×screws
Speed	36.5knots (67.6 km/h; 42.0 mph)
Range	5,500 nmi (10,200 km) at 15 kn (28 km/h; 17 mph)
Complement	329
Sensors & processing systems	1 ×AN/SPS-6air search radar 1 ×AN/SPS-10surface-search radar 1 ×Mark 37director
Armament	4 × single5 in/38 cal guns 3 × twinMark 33 3 in/50 cal guns 2 × single533 mmtorpedo tubes 2 ×Mark 10 Hedgehog mortars 1 ×depth charge track

TheType 119Zerstörer 1 class was a class of sixdestroyers of theWest German Navy. They entered service in 1958, with the last one being decommissioned in 1982.^[1]

Since time for planning, building and testing its own larger ships was not available, theFederal Republic of Germany received six destroyers of theFletcher class for the German Navy from the United States from 1958 to 1960 as part of theMutual Defense Assistant Act. An option for the surrender of five more destroyers was not taken. After the loan period was extended, the four units that were still available at that time were purchased in 1976 for the equivalent of an estimated €191,500 each.

They were not given any names when they were commissioned; they were only numbered from1 to6. It was not until 1960 that they were given the namesZerstörer 1 toZerstörer 6. In common parlance, the destroyers continued to be called Z-1, Z-2, Z-3, Z-4, Z-5 and Z-6.^[2]

After their commissioning, the first three destroyers were assigned to the 1st Destroyer Squadron, and the other three to the 3rd Destroyer Squadron. The homeport for all units wasKiel. The Zerstörer 3 was subordinated to the Fleet Service Squadron atFlensburg from 1 April 1974. From 1 October 1971, the remaining destroyers were combined in the 3rd Destroyer Squadron. After the dissolution of the 3rd Destroyer Squadron on 30 June 1981, the two remaining destroyers,Zerstörer 2 andZerstörer 5, were placed under the 1st Destroyer Squadron until they were decommissioned.

After their decommissioning,Zerstörer 1 andZerstörer 6 were cannibalized as spare parts reserves for the other destroyers.Zerstörer 6 was canceled andZerstörer 1 was then used up as atarget ship for naval aviation in the Mediterranean. On 16 May 1979, the destroyerZerstörer 1 by theGerman submarine U-29 with atorpedo. The other destroyers were handed over to theGreek Navy as part of defense aid.

The tasks of the destroyers of theZerstörer 1 class were taken over by the frigates of theBremen class.^[3]

Before the takeover, the ships were modernized to a considerable extent. All20 mm Oerlikon cannons were removed and the40 mm Bofors guns were replaced by three76.2 mm twin flak guns. In order to gain the deck space required for these guns and the fire control equipment connected to them, the third127 mm gun and the front quintuplet torpedo tube set had to be removed. The electronics were modernized and the mast was replaced by atripod mast.

When the six destroyers were later in dock, the initially openbridges of the six destroyers were converted into an enclosed bridge while at the same time being enlarged. Three destroyers (Zerstörer 2,Zerstörer 3, andZerstörer 4) were each provided with a small hut on the back of the bridge. Furthermore, all six ships were retrofitted with two U-defense torpedo tubes (single533 mm). Later the second quintuplet torpedo tube set was also removed.

From the beginning of the 1960s to 1962,Zerstörer 4 had two 40 mm Bofors flak MELs in the positions of the 76.2 mm flak on the port and starboard side. For testing purposes, a containerized76 mm OTO Melara gun was carried from 1974 to early 1975 instead of the eighth 76.2 mm anti-aircraft twin.

• 
  Zerstörer 1
• 
  Zerstörer 2
• 
  Zerstörer 3
• 
  Zerstörer 4
• 
  Zerstörer 5
• 
  Zerstörer 6

• Fletcher-class destroyers of the German Navy
• Destroyer classes

• Articles with short description
• Short description is different from Wikidata
• Use dmy dates from April 2025