The German torpedo boat T36 was the last of 15 Type 39 torpedo boats built for the Kriegsmarine (German Navy) during World War II. Completed in late 1944, T36 was assigned to convoy escort duties and supporting German forces in the Baltic. At the end of January 1945, she rescued survivors from the torpedoed ocean linerMV Wilhelm Gustloff. The boat screened German warships as they bombarded advancing Soviet troops and escorted convoys over the next several months. In May, T36 began to ferry refugees; she struck a mine on 4 May and was sunk by Soviet aircraft the following day.
The Type 39 torpedo boat was conceived as a general-purpose design, much larger than preceding German torpedo boats.[1] The ships 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 shaft, 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, and a dozen 2 cm (0.8 in) C/38 guns. One quadruple mount of the latter was positioned on the aft superstructure and two more were fitted 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 radar[Note 1] and various FumB[Note 2]radar detectors were installed late in the war.[5]
Construction and careeredit
T36 was ordered on 20 January 1941 from Schichau, laid down at their Elbing, East Prussia, shipyard on 10 June 1943 as yard number 1518, launched on 5 February 1944 and commissioned on 9 December 1944. After working up for the next several months,[6] the boat was escorting the heavy cruiserAdmiral Hipper on the night of 30 January 1945. They were supposed to rendezvous with an evacuation convoy that included Wilhelm Gustloff transporting refugees and troops from East Prussia in the face of the advancing Red Army (Operation Hannibal), but the liner was torpedoed by the Soviet submarine S-13. After depth-charging the submarine, T36 was able to pick up 564 survivors from the disaster and landed them at Sassnitz. A few days later the boat escorted the heavy cruiser Admiral Scheer, together with her sisters T23 and T35 off the East Prussian coast on 2–5 February. In early March T36 screened Admiral Scheer as they bombarded Soviet forces opposite Wollin Island. The boat screened evacuation convoys from Hela, East Prussia, to friendly territory in early April. She ferried 150 people from Hela to the West on 3 May. T36 returned to Hela and, laden with refugees, sailed for Copenhagen, Denmark, the following day. She struck a mine off Swinemünde later that day and was sunk the following day by Soviet aircraft.[6][7]
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.
Grooss, Poul (2017). The Naval War in the Baltic 1939–1945. Barnsley, UK: Seaforth. ISBN978-1-5267-0000-1.
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.
External linksedit
T36 at german navy.de
January 01, 1970
german, torpedo, boat, last, type, torpedo, boats, built, kriegsmarine, german, navy, during, world, completed, late, 1944, assigned, convoy, escort, duties, supporting, german, forces, baltic, january, 1945, rescued, survivors, from, torpedoed, ocean, liner, . The German torpedo boat T36 was the last of 15 Type 39 torpedo boats built for the Kriegsmarine German Navy during World War II Completed in late 1944 T36 was assigned to convoy escort duties and supporting German forces in the Baltic At the end of January 1945 she rescued survivors from the torpedoed ocean liner MV Wilhelm Gustloff The boat screened German warships as they bombarded advancing Soviet troops and escorted convoys over the next several months In May T36 began to ferry refugees she struck a mine on 4 May and was sunk by Soviet aircraft the following day Sister ship T35 in US service August 1945History Nazi Germany NameT36 Ordered20 January 1941 BuilderSchichau Elbing East Prussia Yard number1518 Laid down10 June 1943 Launched5 February 1944 Completed9 December 1944 FateSunk by aircraft 4 May 1945 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 3 quadruple 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 3 Notes 4 Citations 5 References 6 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 ships 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 shaft 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 and a dozen 2 cm 0 8 in C 38 guns One quadruple mount of the latter was positioned on the aft superstructure and two more were fitted 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 radar Note 1 and various FumB Note 2 radar detectors were installed late in the war 5 Construction and career editT36 was ordered on 20 January 1941 from Schichau laid down at their Elbing East Prussia shipyard on 10 June 1943 as yard number 1518 launched on 5 February 1944 and commissioned on 9 December 1944 After working up for the next several months 6 the boat was escorting the heavy cruiser Admiral Hipper on the night of 30 January 1945 They were supposed to rendezvous with an evacuation convoy that included Wilhelm Gustloff transporting refugees and troops from East Prussia in the face of the advancing Red Army Operation Hannibal but the liner was torpedoed by the Soviet submarine S 13 After depth charging the submarine T36 was able to pick up 564 survivors from the disaster and landed them at Sassnitz A few days later the boat escorted the heavy cruiser Admiral Scheer together with her sisters T23 and T35 off the East Prussian coast on 2 5 February In early March T36 screened Admiral Scheer as they bombarded Soviet forces opposite Wollin Island The boat screened evacuation convoys from Hela East Prussia to friendly territory in early April She ferried 150 people from Hela to the West on 3 May T36 returned to Hela and laden with refugees sailed for Copenhagen Denmark the following day She struck a mine off Swinemunde later that day and was sunk the following day by Soviet aircraft 6 7 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 a b Whitley 1991 p 213 Grooss pp 292 319 Rohwer p 374 390 395 398 410 414References 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 Grooss Poul 2017 The Naval War in the Baltic 1939 1945 Barnsley UK Seaforth ISBN 978 1 5267 0000 1 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 External links editT36 at german navy de Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title German torpedo boat T36 amp oldid 1122103020, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
