The German torpedo boat T21 was one of nine Type 37 torpedo boats built for the Kriegsmarine (German Navy) during World War II. Completed in mid-1942, she was transferred to Norway in March 1943 for escort duties. The ship returned to Germany in October and was assigned to the Torpedo School. T21 returned to active duty in May 1944 and supported German forces operating in the Baltic Sea. The boat began a major refit in December which had not been completed when the war ended in May 1945. She was allocated to the United States after the war, but was only used to dispose of gas munitions by scuttling her in deep water in 1946.
T21 at sea, 2 July 1946, en route to be scuttled with her load of poison gas
The Type 37 torpedo boat was a slightly improved version of the preceding Type 35 with better range.[1] The boats had an overall length of 85.2 meters (279 ft 6 in) and were 82 meters (269 ft) long at the waterline.[2] The ships had a beam of 8.87 meters (29 ft 1 in), and a mean draft of 2.8 meters (9 ft 2 in) at deep load. They displaced 888 metric tons (874 long tons) at standard load and 1,139 metric tons (1,121 long tons) at deep load.[3] Their crew numbered 119 officers and sailors.[4] Their pair of geared steam turbine sets, each driving one propeller shaft, were designed to produce 31,000 shaft horsepower (23,000 kW) using steam from four high-pressure water-tube boilers[2] which was intended to give the boats a maximum speed of 35 knots (65 km/h; 40 mph). They carried enough fuel oil to give them a range of 1,600 nautical miles (3,000 km; 1,800 mi) at 19 knots (35 km/h; 22 mph).[3]
Early-war modifications were limited to the conversion of the foremast into a tripod mast, installation of a FuMO 28[Note 1]radar with fixed antennas angled 45° to each side. Quadruple 2 cm gun mounts began slowly replacing the 3.7 cm gun beginning in May 1942 as the ships were refitted. Another quadruple 2 cm mount had been fitted on the searchlight platform amidships in T21 by 1944. In September, installation of a single 3.7 cm gun was ordered, either the Flak M42 or the Flak M43, in lieu of the aft torpedo tubes, in all surviving boats, but it is uncertain if this was actually carried out. Some ships did receive additional 4 cm (1.6 in) Bofors guns. They all received twin 2 cm gun mounts that replaced the single mounts in the bridge wings. Before the end of the war, all of the surviving boats probably had at least two 3.7 cm or 4 cm guns aboard.[6]
The ship returned to Germany in October and was assigned to the Torpedo School until April 1944 when she returned to active duty supporting German forces in the Baltic. T21 began a refit at the Oderwerke shipyard in Stettin in August that lasted until September. During 10–15 October, the 3rd Torpedo Boat Flotilla, with T21, T16, T20 and T13, screened Lützow and the heavy cruiserPrinz Eugen as they bombarded advancing Soviet troops near Memel, Lithuania. Screened by the 2nd and 3rd Torpedo Boat Flotillas with (T5, T9, T12, T13, T16, T19 and T21), Prinz Eugen and the heavy cruiser Admiral Scheer shelled Soviet positions during the evacuation of Sworbe, on the Estonian island of Saaremaa, between 20 and 24 November. In December T21 began a major refit in Elbing, but the shipyard was threatened by advancing Soviet forces in February 1945 and she was towed to the Deschimag shipyard in Bremen on the 4th. The ship was decommissioned on 22 April. T21 was allocated to the United States when the Allies divided the surviving ships of the Kriegsmarine amongst themselves in late 1945. She was cannibalized for spare parts, loaded up with poison gas ammunition and scuttled in the Skaggerak on 10 June 1946.[Note 2][10]
Notesedit
^German: Funkmess-Ortung (Radio-direction finder, active ranging)
^Sources differ on the date that she was sunk; Gröner and Gardiner and Chesneau give 16 December 1946.[4][9] The date of the photograph in the infobox supports a different date entirely.
^Rohwer, pp. 361, 363, 373–374; Whitley, pp. 168, 171, 173, 188, 194, 211
Referencesedit
Gröner, Erich (1990). German Warships 1815–1945. Vol. 1: Major Surface Warships. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN0-87021-790-9.
Rohwer, Jürgen (2005). Chronology of the War at Sea 1939–1945: The Naval History of World War Two (Third Revised ed.). Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN1-59114-119-2.
Sieche, Erwin (1980). "Germany". In Chesneau, Roger (ed.). Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1922–1946. London: Conway Maritime Press. ISBN0-85177-146-7.
Whitley, M. J. (1991). German Destroyers of World War Two. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN1-55750-302-8.
December 20, 2023
german, torpedo, boat, nine, type, torpedo, boats, built, kriegsmarine, german, navy, during, world, completed, 1942, transferred, norway, march, 1943, escort, duties, ship, returned, germany, october, assigned, torpedo, school, returned, active, duty, 1944, s. The German torpedo boat T21 was one of nine Type 37 torpedo boats built for the Kriegsmarine German Navy during World War II Completed in mid 1942 she was transferred to Norway in March 1943 for escort duties The ship returned to Germany in October and was assigned to the Torpedo School T21 returned to active duty in May 1944 and supported German forces operating in the Baltic Sea The boat began a major refit in December which had not been completed when the war ended in May 1945 She was allocated to the United States after the war but was only used to dispose of gas munitions by scuttling her in deep water in 1946 T21 at sea 2 July 1946 en route to be scuttled with her load of poison gasHistoryNazi GermanyNameT21Ordered5 October 1938BuilderSchichau Elbing East PrussiaYard number1448Laid down27 March 1939Launched2 November 1940Completed11 July 1942General characteristics as built Class and typeType 37 torpedo boatDisplacement888 t 874 long tons standard 1 139 t 1 121 long tons deep load Length85 2 m 279 ft 6 in o aBeam8 87 m 29 ft 1 in Draft2 8 m 9 ft 2 in Installed power4 water tube boilers 31 000 shp 23 000 kW Propulsion2 shafts 2 geared steam turbine setsSpeed35 knots 65 km h 40 mph Range1 600 nmi 3 000 km 1 800 mi at 19 knots 35 km h 22 mph Complement119Armament1 single 10 5 cm 4 1 in gun 1 single 3 7 cm 1 5 in AA gun 2 single 2 cm 0 8 in AA guns 2 triple 533 mm 21 in torpedo tubes 30 60 mines Contents 1 Design and description 1 1 Modifications 2 Construction and career 3 Notes 4 Citations 5 ReferencesDesign and description editThe Type 37 torpedo boat was a slightly improved version of the preceding Type 35 with better range 1 The boats had an overall length of 85 2 meters 279 ft 6 in and were 82 meters 269 ft long at the waterline 2 The ships had a beam of 8 87 meters 29 ft 1 in and a mean draft of 2 8 meters 9 ft 2 in at deep load They displaced 888 metric tons 874 long tons at standard load and 1 139 metric tons 1 121 long tons at deep load 3 Their crew numbered 119 officers and sailors 4 Their pair of geared steam turbine sets each driving one propeller shaft were designed to produce 31 000 shaft horsepower 23 000 kW using steam from four high pressure water tube boilers 2 which was intended to give the boats a maximum speed of 35 knots 65 km h 40 mph They carried enough fuel oil to give them a range of 1 600 nautical miles 3 000 km 1 800 mi at 19 knots 35 km h 22 mph 3 As built the Type 37s mounted a single 10 5 cm 4 1 in SK C 32 gun on the stern Anti aircraft defense was provided by a single 3 7 cm 1 5 in SK C 30 anti aircraft gun superfiring over the 10 5 cm gun and a pair of 2 cm 0 8 in C 30 guns on the bridge wings They carried six above water 533 mm 21 in torpedo tubes in two triple mounts amidships and could also carry 30 mines or 60 if the weather was good 5 Modifications edit Early war modifications were limited to the conversion of the foremast into a tripod mast installation of a FuMO 28 Note 1 radar with fixed antennas angled 45 to each side Quadruple 2 cm gun mounts began slowly replacing the 3 7 cm gun beginning in May 1942 as the ships were refitted Another quadruple 2 cm mount had been fitted on the searchlight platform amidships in T21 by 1944 In September installation of a single 3 7 cm gun was ordered either the Flak M42 or the Flak M43 in lieu of the aft torpedo tubes in all surviving boats but it is uncertain if this was actually carried out Some ships did receive additional 4 cm 1 6 in Bofors guns They all received twin 2 cm gun mounts that replaced the single mounts in the bridge wings Before the end of the war all of the surviving boats probably had at least two 3 7 cm or 4 cm guns aboard 6 Construction and career editT21 was ordered on 5 October 1938 from Schichau laid down at their Elbing East Prussia shipyard on 27 March 1939 7 as yard number 1448 2 launched on 2 November 1940 and commissioned on 11 July 1942 On 1 3 October the ship conducted exercises in the Baltic with the battleship Scharnhorst the light cruisers Leipzig and Nurnberg the destroyers Z25 Z31 and Z37 her sisters T13 T17 T20 and the torpedo boats T22 Falke and Kondor On 7 March 1943 T21 T16 T20 and the torpedo boats Greif and Jaguar joined the escorts for Scharnhorst on her voyage to the Arctic in the Skaggerak although bad weather forced them to put into Bergen Norway T21 and T20 were then part of the escort force for the battleships Tirpitz and Scharnhorst and the heavy cruiser Lutzow as they sailed from Narvik Norway to the Altafjord on 22 24 March 8 The ship returned to Germany in October and was assigned to the Torpedo School until April 1944 when she returned to active duty supporting German forces in the Baltic T21 began a refit at the Oderwerke shipyard in Stettin in August that lasted until September During 10 15 October the 3rd Torpedo Boat Flotilla with T21 T16 T20 and T13 screened Lutzow and the heavy cruiser Prinz Eugen as they bombarded advancing Soviet troops near Memel Lithuania Screened by the 2nd and 3rd Torpedo Boat Flotillas with T5 T9 T12 T13 T16 T19 and T21 Prinz Eugen and the heavy cruiser Admiral Scheer shelled Soviet positions during the evacuation of Sworbe on the Estonian island of Saaremaa between 20 and 24 November In December T21 began a major refit in Elbing but the shipyard was threatened by advancing Soviet forces in February 1945 and she was towed to the Deschimag shipyard in Bremen on the 4th The ship was decommissioned on 22 April T21 was allocated to the United States when the Allies divided the surviving ships of the Kriegsmarine amongst themselves in late 1945 She was cannibalized for spare parts loaded up with poison gas ammunition and scuttled in the Skaggerak on 10 June 1946 Note 2 10 Notes edit German Funkmess Ortung Radio direction finder active ranging Sources differ on the date that she was sunk Groner and Gardiner and Chesneau give 16 December 1946 4 9 The date of the photograph in the infobox supports a different date entirely Citations edit Whitley 1991 p 50 a b c Groner p 193 a b Whitley 1991 p 202 a b Sieche p 238 Whitley 1991 pp 50 51 Whitley 2000 p 71 Whitley 2000 pp 72 73 Whitley 1991 p 211 Rohwer pp 199 236 240 Whitley pp 164 165 211 Groner p 194 Rohwer pp 361 363 373 374 Whitley pp 168 171 173 188 194 211References editGroner Erich 1990 German Warships 1815 1945 Vol 1 Major Surface Warships Annapolis Maryland Naval Institute Press ISBN 0 87021 790 9 Rohwer Jurgen 2005 Chronology of the War at Sea 1939 1945 The Naval History of World War Two Third Revised ed Annapolis Maryland Naval Institute Press ISBN 1 59114 119 2 Sieche Erwin 1980 Germany In Chesneau Roger ed Conway s All the World s Fighting Ships 1922 1946 London Conway Maritime Press ISBN 0 85177 146 7 Whitley M J 2000 Destroyers of World War Two An International Encyclopedia London Cassell amp Co ISBN 1 85409 521 8 Whitley M J 1991 German Destroyers of World War Two Annapolis Maryland Naval Institute Press ISBN 1 55750 302 8 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title German torpedo boat T21 amp oldid 1122094861, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
