The German torpedo boat T29 was one of fifteen Type 39 torpedo boats built for the Kriegsmarine (German Navy) during World War II. Completed in mid-1943, the boat was transferred to France in January 1944. She fought in the Action of 26 April off the coast of Brittany, and was sunk by four Allied destroyers with the loss of 137 crewmen.
The Type 39 torpedo boat was conceived as a general-purpose design, much larger than preceding German torpedo boats.[1] The boats had an overall length of 102.5 meters (336 ft 3 in) and were 97 meters (318 ft 3 in) long at the waterline. They had a beam of 10 meters (32 ft 10 in), a draft of 3.22 meters (10 ft 7 in) at deep load and displaced 1,294 metric tons (1,274 long tons) at standard load and 1,754 metric tons (1,726 long tons) at deep load.[2] Their crew numbered 206 officers and sailors.[3] The Type 39s were fitted with a pair of geared steam turbine sets, each driving one propeller, using steam from four high-pressure water-tube boilers. The turbines were designed to produce 32,000 shaft horsepower (24,000 kW) which was intended give the ships a maximum speed of 33.5 knots (62.0 km/h; 38.6 mph). They carried enough fuel oil to give them a range of 2,400 nautical miles (4,400 km; 2,800 mi) at 19 knots (35 km/h; 22 mph).[4]
As built, the Type 39 ships mounted four 10.5 cm (4.1 in) SK C/32 guns in single mounts protected by gun shields; one forward of the superstructure, one between the funnels, and two aft, one superfiring over the other. Anti-aircraft defense was provided by four 3.7 cm (1.5 in) SK C/30AA guns in two twin-gun mounts on platforms abaft the rear funnel, six 2 cm (0.8 in) C/38 guns in one quadruple mount on the aft superstructure and a pair of single mounts 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; the full complement of 60 mines made the ships top-heavy which could be dangerous in bad weather. For anti-submarine work the boats were fitted with a S-Gerätsonar and four depth charge launchers. The Type 39s were equipped with a FuMO 21[Note 1]radar and various FumB[Note 2]radar detectors were installed late in the war.[5]
On the night of 21/22 April 1944, the 4th Torpedo Boat Flotilla, now consisting of T29 and her sisters T24 and T27, transferred from Cherbourg to Saint-Malo. After laying a minefield off the Sept-Îles on the north coast of Brittany on the night of 25/26 April, the flotilla was engaged by an Allied force that consisted of the light cruiserHMS Black Prince and the destroyers HMS Ashanti, HMCS Athabaskan, HMCS Haida and HMCS Huron off the Île de Batz. The Allied ships were engaged by German coastal artillery without effect and Korvettenkapitän Franz Kohlauf headed west in search of the Allied ships, but the Germans were spotted first by Black Prince's radar at a range of 21,000 yards (19,000 m) at 02:07. They detected the Allied ships shortly afterwards and reversed course. The Allied ships were faster than the torpedo boats and had closed the range to 13,000 yards (12,000 m) by 02:20 when Black Prince began firing star shells. The destroyers began firing at T24 and T27 at a range of 9,000 yards (8,200 m) as Black Prince hung back in support until one of her forward turrets jammed. The Allied fire was accurate and one shell struck T27 at 02:31 and reduced her speed to 12 knots (22 km/h; 14 mph); Kohlauf ordered her into Morlaix Bay and the Allies lost her radar reflection among the rocks of the bay. T24 had fruitlessly fired her aft torpedo tubes at her pursuers and was then hit by two shells in her superstructure that started fires that were quickly doused. She fired her remaining torpedoes to no effect at 02:54 and, about that same time, a shell disabled T29's rudder. Ashanti and Huron concentrated on T29, initially hitting her stern which caused her to veer off-course, while Haida and Athabaskan continued their pursuit of T24.[7]
Ashanti and Huron hit their target repeatedly at close range; these hits set T29 on fire, caused an explosion and blew the forward torpedo mount overboard. Haida and Athabaskan were unable to catch T24 and returned to help sink T29, but were initially unable to do so despite firing 15 torpedoes. The destroyers paused to allow the surviving crew to abandon ship around 04:00. When they moved in to recover survivors, a single 2 cm gun opened fire and damaged Huron and Haida. The Allied ships returned fire and sank T29 at 04:20 at 48°53′N03°33′W / 48.883°N 3.550°W / 48.883; -3.550 with the loss of 137 crewmen. A patrol boat later rescued 73 men.[8]
Notesedit
^Funkmess-Ortung (Radio-direction finder, active ranging)
Gröner, Erich (1990). German Warships 1815–1945. Vol. 1: Major Surface Warships. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN0-87021-790-9.
Hervieux, Pierre (1986). "The Elbing Class Torpedo Boats at War". In Lambert, Andrew (ed.). Warship X. London: Conway Maritime Press. pp. 95–102. ISBN978-0-85177-449-7.
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.
Further readingedit
Whitby, Michael (2022). "The Challenges of Operation 'Tunnel', September 1943 — April 1944". In Jordan, John (ed.). Warship 2022. Oxford: Osprey Publishing. pp. 29–46. ISBN978-1-4728-4781-2.
External linksedit
T29 at german navy.de
January 01, 1970
german, torpedo, boat, fifteen, type, torpedo, boats, built, kriegsmarine, german, navy, during, world, completed, 1943, boat, transferred, france, january, 1944, fought, action, april, coast, brittany, sunk, four, allied, destroyers, with, loss, crewmen, sist. The German torpedo boat T29 was one of fifteen Type 39 torpedo boats built for the Kriegsmarine German Navy during World War II Completed in mid 1943 the boat was transferred to France in January 1944 She fought in the Action of 26 April off the coast of Brittany and was sunk by four Allied destroyers with the loss of 137 crewmen Sister ship T35 in US service August 1945History Nazi Germany NameT29 Ordered10 November 1939 BuilderSchichau Elbing East Prussia Yard number1488 Completed21 August 1943 FateSunk by gunfire 26 April 1944 General characteristics as built Class and typeType 39 torpedo boat Displacement1 294 t 1 274 long tons standard 1 754 t 1 726 long tons deep load Length102 5 m 336 ft 3 in o a Beam10 m 32 ft 10 in Draft3 22 m 10 ft 7 in Installed power4 water tube boilers 32 000 shp 24 000 kW Propulsion2 shafts 2 geared steam turbine sets Speed33 5 knots 62 0 km h 38 6 mph Range2 400 nmi 4 400 km 2 800 mi at 19 knots 35 km h 22 mph Complement206 Sensors and processing systemsS Gerat sonar FuMO 21 radar Armament4 single 10 5 cm 4 1 in guns 2 twin 3 7 cm 1 5 in AA guns 1 quadruple 2 single 2 cm 0 8 in AA guns 2 triple 533 mm 21 in torpedo tubes 30 60 mines 4 depth charge launchers Contents 1 Design and description 2 Construction and career 2 1 Action of 26 April 1944 3 Notes 4 Citations 5 References 6 Further reading 7 External linksDesign and description editThe Type 39 torpedo boat was conceived as a general purpose design much larger than preceding German torpedo boats 1 The boats had an overall length of 102 5 meters 336 ft 3 in and were 97 meters 318 ft 3 in long at the waterline They had a beam of 10 meters 32 ft 10 in a draft of 3 22 meters 10 ft 7 in at deep load and displaced 1 294 metric tons 1 274 long tons at standard load and 1 754 metric tons 1 726 long tons at deep load 2 Their crew numbered 206 officers and sailors 3 The Type 39s were fitted with a pair of geared steam turbine sets each driving one propeller using steam from four high pressure water tube boilers The turbines were designed to produce 32 000 shaft horsepower 24 000 kW which was intended give the ships a maximum speed of 33 5 knots 62 0 km h 38 6 mph They carried enough fuel oil to give them a range of 2 400 nautical miles 4 400 km 2 800 mi at 19 knots 35 km h 22 mph 4 As built the Type 39 ships mounted four 10 5 cm 4 1 in SK C 32 guns in single mounts protected by gun shields one forward of the superstructure one between the funnels and two aft one superfiring over the other Anti aircraft defense was provided by four 3 7 cm 1 5 in SK C 30 AA guns in two twin gun mounts on platforms abaft the rear funnel six 2 cm 0 8 in C 38 guns in one quadruple mount on the aft superstructure and a pair of single mounts 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 the full complement of 60 mines made the ships top heavy which could be dangerous in bad weather For anti submarine work the boats were fitted with a S Gerat sonar and four depth charge launchers The Type 39s were equipped with a FuMO 21 Note 1 radar and various FumB Note 2 radar detectors were installed late in the war 5 Construction and career editOriginally ordered as a Type 37 torpedo boat on 30 March 1939 T29 was reordered on 10 November 1939 from Schichau She was laid down at their Elbing East Prussia shipyard as yard number 1488 and commissioned on 21 August 1943 After working up T29 and her sister T28 arrived in Western France during late January 1944 En route the two torpedo boats were shelled by British coastal artillery and attacked by a pair of British Fairey Albacore torpedo bombers that caused some minor damage to T28 6 Action of 26 April 1944 edit Main article Action of 26 April 1944 On the night of 21 22 April 1944 the 4th Torpedo Boat Flotilla now consisting of T29 and her sisters T24 and T27 transferred from Cherbourg to Saint Malo After laying a minefield off the Sept Iles on the north coast of Brittany on the night of 25 26 April the flotilla was engaged by an Allied force that consisted of the light cruiser HMS Black Prince and the destroyers HMS Ashanti HMCS Athabaskan HMCS Haida and HMCS Huron off the Ile de Batz The Allied ships were engaged by German coastal artillery without effect and Korvettenkapitan Franz Kohlauf headed west in search of the Allied ships but the Germans were spotted first by Black Prince s radar at a range of 21 000 yards 19 000 m at 02 07 They detected the Allied ships shortly afterwards and reversed course The Allied ships were faster than the torpedo boats and had closed the range to 13 000 yards 12 000 m by 02 20 when Black Prince began firing star shells The destroyers began firing at T24 and T27 at a range of 9 000 yards 8 200 m as Black Prince hung back in support until one of her forward turrets jammed The Allied fire was accurate and one shell struck T27 at 02 31 and reduced her speed to 12 knots 22 km h 14 mph Kohlauf ordered her into Morlaix Bay and the Allies lost her radar reflection among the rocks of the bay T24 had fruitlessly fired her aft torpedo tubes at her pursuers and was then hit by two shells in her superstructure that started fires that were quickly doused She fired her remaining torpedoes to no effect at 02 54 and about that same time a shell disabled T29 s rudder Ashanti and Huron concentrated on T29 initially hitting her stern which caused her to veer off course while Haida and Athabaskan continued their pursuit of T24 7 Ashanti and Huron hit their target repeatedly at close range these hits set T29 on fire caused an explosion and blew the forward torpedo mount overboard Haida and Athabaskan were unable to catch T24 and returned to help sink T29 but were initially unable to do so despite firing 15 torpedoes The destroyers paused to allow the surviving crew to abandon ship around 04 00 When they moved in to recover survivors a single 2 cm gun opened fire and damaged Huron and Haida The Allied ships returned fire and sank T29 at 04 20 at 48 53 N 03 33 W 48 883 N 3 550 W 48 883 3 550 with the loss of 137 crewmen A patrol boat later rescued 73 men 8 Notes edit Funkmess Ortung Radio direction finder active ranging Funkmess Beobachtung Passive radar detector Citations edit Whitley 1991 p 52 Groner p 195 Sieche p 239 Whitley 1991 pp 54 203 Friedman p 205 Whitley 1991 pp 52 55 Whitley 2000 p 73 Whitley 1991 pp 156 212 Hervieux p 99 Rohwer pp 317 318 Whitley pp 156 157 Groner p 195 Hervieux p 99 Rohwer p 318 Whitley p 157References editFriedman Norman 1981 Naval Radar London Conway Maritime Press ISBN 0 85177 238 2 Groner Erich 1990 German Warships 1815 1945 Vol 1 Major Surface Warships Annapolis Maryland Naval Institute Press ISBN 0 87021 790 9 Hervieux Pierre 1986 The Elbing Class Torpedo Boats at War In Lambert Andrew ed Warship X London Conway Maritime Press pp 95 102 ISBN 978 0 85177 449 7 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 Further reading editWhitby Michael 2022 The Challenges of Operation Tunnel September 1943 April 1944 In Jordan John ed Warship 2022 Oxford Osprey Publishing pp 29 46 ISBN 978 1 4728 4781 2 External links editT29 at german navy de Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title German torpedo boat T29 amp oldid 1122808213, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
