German destroyer Z39
 Z39 underway under American control, 1945 | |
| History | |
|---|---|
.svg.png){kind=small} Nazi Germany | |
| Name: | Z39 |
| Ordered: | 19 September 1939 |
| Builder: | Germaniawerft, Kiel |
| Yard number: | G629 |
| Laid down: | 15 August 1940 |
| Launched: | 2 December 1941 |
| Completed: | 21 August 1943 |
| Captured: | 6 May 1945 |
| Fate: | Transferred to the United States Navy in 1945 |
| History | |
 United States | |
| Name: | DD-939 |
| Commissioned: | 14 September 1945 |
| Fate: | Transferred to the French Navy. |
| History | |
 France | |
| Name: | Q-128 |
| Commissioned: | January 1948 |
| Fate: | Broken up in 1964. |
| General characteristics (as built) | |
| Class and type: | Type 1936A (Mob) destroyer |
| Displacement: | |
| Length: | 108 m (354 ft 4 in) o/a |
| Beam: | 11.3 m (37 ft 1 in) |
| Draught: | 4 m (13 ft 1 in) |
| Installed power: |
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| Propulsion: |
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| Speed: | 38.5 knots (71.3 km/h; 44.3 mph) |
| Range: | 2,239 nmi (4,147 km; 2,577 mi) at 19 knots (35 km/h; 22 mph) |
| Complement: | 332 |
| Armament: |
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Z39 was a Type 1936A (Mob) destroyer built for Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II. She was laid down in August 1940 and completed three years later. Z39 spent most of her life escorting transports in the Baltic Sea, laying mines, and bombarding land forces. She served with three different countries: from 1943 to 1945 with the Kriegsmarine, from 1945 to 1947 with the US Navy as DD-939, and from 1948 to 1964 with the French Navy as Q-128. She was damaged several times during her service with Nazi Germany, mostly from air bombing.
Design and armament
Z39 was 108 metres (354 ft) long at the waterline and 112 metres (367 ft) long overall, had a beam of 11.3 metres (37 ft), and a draught of 4 metres (13 ft). She had a standard displacement of 2,600 tonnes (2,600 long tons; 2,900 short tons), and 3,597 tonnes (3,540 long tons; 3,965 short tons) at full load. She had a complement of 332.[1][2]
She was armed with seven 2 cm (0.8 in) anti-aircraft guns, two twin 3.7 cm (1.5 in) anti-aircraft guns, a twin 15-centimetre (5.9 in) gun, two quadruple 53.3 cm (21 in) torpedo tubes, and carried 60 mines.[1][2] She had the Greek coat of arms on either side of her 15-centimetre (6 in) twin turret.[2]
Her propulsion system consisted of six Wagner boilers feeding high-pressure superheated steam (at 70 atm (1,029 psi; 7,093 kPa) and 450 °C (842 °F)) to two sets of Wagner geared steam turbines.[3][4] These gave the ship a rated power of 70,000 shaft horsepower (52,000 kW), and a top speed of 38.5 knots (71.3 km/h; 44.3 mph). She had a range of 2,239 nautical miles (4,147 km; 2,577 mi), at her cruising speed of 19 knots (35 km/h; 22 mph).[5][1]
Z39's sensor suite included a FuMO 21 radar, which was placed on the ship's bridge, and four FuMB4 Sumatra aerials on the foremast searchlights. She also had several other radars, including a FuMB 3 Bali and FuMO 81 Berlin-S on her masthead, and a FuMO 63 Hohentwei.[6] She also had a degaussing cable which wrapped around the entire ship, but was covered by her spray deflector.[7]
Service history
Z39 was laid down by Germaniawerft in Kiel on 15 August 1940, launched on 2 December 1941, and was commissioned on 21 August 1943.[8] Her commissioning had been delayed by lengthy construction times, and Z39 was not fully operational until 7 January 1944. At some point during this time, she was modified under Project Barbara with the addition of 2 cm (0.8 in) anti-aircraft guns and 3.7 cm (1.5 in) anti-aircraft guns.[9] After this she began minelaying operations in the Skagerrak, and the Kattegat, until March, when she was transferred to Reval, off the Gulf of Finland.[10]
After this move, she served in the 6th Destroyer Flotilla, alongside German destroyers Z25, Z28, and Z35.[11] From 12–13 February German destroyers Z15 Erich Steinbrinck, Z28, Z39, and German minelayers Brummer, Linz, and Roland laid mines in the "Dorothea A" barrage.[12] On 10 March, she took part in minelaying operations, alongside the her fellow destroyers Z25 and Z35.[13] On 11–12 March she bombarded Soviet forces near Narva-Jõesuu.[10][14] From 13 March to 22 April she took part in six different minelaying operations.[10] One such operation lasted from 13–14 April, in which German destroyers Z28, Z35, Z39, German minelayers Brummer, Linz, Roland, T30, M14, and M22 laid the "Seeigel 6b" mine barrage, south of Suur Tyärsaari. From 16–17 April, Z28, Z35, Z39, Brummer, Linz, Roland, T30, German minelayers R69, and R73 laid the "Seeigel 3b" barrage off of Vigrund island, in Narva Bay. A smokescreen was laid during the operation in order to prevent the ships from being shelled by Soviet coastal artillery. An operation from 21–22 April, involving Z28, Z35, Z39, Brummer, Linz, Roland, T30, German minelayers M20, and M37, was cancelled midway due to Roland hitting a mine and sinking. From 23–24 April, Z28, Z35, Z39, Brummer, Linz, T30, German minelayers M204, R69, R70, R72, and R127 laid the "Seeigel 7b/3" barrage, in Narva Bay. From 25–26 April Z28, Z35, Z39, Brummer, Linz, M20, M204, T30, R70, R72, German minelayers R119, and R127 laid the "Seeigel 8b" barrage, southwest of Suur Tyärsaari. During the operations between 13–26 April, a total of 2,831 mines and 1,174 sweep detonators were laid.[15]
On 23 June of the same year, she was damaged by Soviet bombers while moored off of Paldiski, and was escorted to Libau by Z28.[16][13] After reaching Libau on 29 June, Z39 made her way to Kiel for repairs, by way of the Piast Canal, near Swinemünde. While at port in Kiel, on 24 July she was hit by a bomb when the British Air Force bombed Kiel Harbor, which caused damage to her quarterdeck, leading to her having to be towed back to Swinemünde.[13][17] Z39 had been repaired enough to be seaworthy on 28 February 1945, and was ordered to sail to Copenhagen for more extensive repairs, but due to Nazi Germany's lack of fuel, she sailed to Sassnitz instead. On 25 March, Z39 finished repairs, while in Swinemünde, and resumed operations on 1 April. From 5 April to 7 April, she escorted transports and parts of Task Force Thiele around the Bay of Danzig.[13] From 8 April to 9 April, she provided naval gunfire support for the German army.[18] On 10 April she and T33 escorted the German destroyer Z43, which had sustained damage from both mines and bombs,[19][20] to Warnemünde and Swinemünde, and she sustained light damage along the way, from an air raid.
On 15 April German destroyers Z5 Z34, and Z39, German minelayers T23, T28, T33, and T36 escort German steamships Matthias Stinnes, Eberhart Essberger, Pretoria and Askari to Copenhagen, with a total of 20,000 refugees.[19] On 2 May she shelled Soviet Army forces from the Oder estuary. On 3 May she, alongside the battleship Schlesien, moved to protect the bridge across the Peene river at Wolgast. After Schlesien hit a mine near Greifswalder Oie on the same day, Z39 towed her to Swinemünde, where Schlesien was deliberately grounded her. The ship was placed so that her guns could fire on and defend roads leading into the city. One day later, Z34, Z38, Z39, Z43, T33, T36, ship tender Jagd, German auxiliary cruiser Orion, anti-aircraft ship Hummel, and five steamer ships, sailed for Copenhagen, taking 35,000 wounded soldiers and refugees with them.[21][20] On 8 May, Z6, Z10, Z14, Z20, Z25, Z38, Z39, T17, T19, T23, T28, and T33 set sail with 20,000 soldiers and civilians, from Hela to Glücksburg, and arrive on May 9.[20][22] She was decommissioned on 10 May 1945 at Kiel.[20]
At some point after the war had ended, Z39 was sailed by a mixed German and British crew to Wilhelmshaven, and then, on 6 July 1945, to Plymouth.[20] The US claimed her as a prize ship on 12 July.[23] She left England on 30 July, and arrived in Boston on 7 August, where, on 14 September, after extensive trials, she was commissioned into the US Navy as DD-939.[20] She was used by the US Navy in order to test her equipment, namely her high-pressure steam propulsion plant.[24] In late 1947, the US Navy deemed her obsolete, and transferred her to the French Navy. After arriving in Casablanca in January 1948, she sailed to Toulon, redesignated Q-128, and was cannibalized for her parts, which were used to repair the French destroyers Kléber (ex-Z6 Theodor Riedel), Hoche (ex-Z25), and Marceau (ex-Z31).[20] She served as a pontoon for minesweepers near Brest, until she was broken up in 1964.[25]
References
Citations
- 1 2 3 Showell 2009, p. 165.
- 1 2 3 Koop & Schmolke 2003, p. 75.
- ↑ Koop & Schmolke 2003, pp. 42–42.
- ↑ Lenton 1975, p. 75.
- ↑ Koop & Schmolke 2003, pp. 27 & 75.
- ↑ Koop & Schmolke 2003, p. 40.
- ↑ Koop & Schmolke 2003, p. 33.
- ↑ Whitley 1983, p. 278.
- ↑ Chesneau 1980, p. 234.
- 1 2 3 Both 1999, p. 135.
- ↑ Jackson 2001, p. 150.
- ↑ Rohwer 2005, p. 306.
- 1 2 3 4 Koop & Schmolke 2003, p. 118.
- ↑ Rohwer 2005, p. 311.
- ↑ Rohwer 2005, p. 318.
- ↑ Rohwer 2005, p. 337.
- ↑ Rohwer 2005, p. 344.
- ↑ Koop & Schmolke 2003, pp. 118–119.
- 1 2 Rohwer 2005, p. 398.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Koop & Schmolke 2003, p. 119.
- ↑ Rohwer 2005, p. 410.
- ↑ Rohwer 2005, p. 414.
- ↑ Silverstone 2012, p. 89.
- ↑ Bauer & Roberts 1991, p. 207.
- ↑ Jourdan & Moulin 2015, p. 284.
Books
- Bauer, K. Jack; Roberts, Stephen S. (1991). Register of Ships of the US Navy: 1775–1990: Major Combatants. New York: Greenwood Press. ISBN 9780313262029.
- Both, Gerhard (1999). Without Hindsight: Reminiscences of a German Naval Ensign. London: Janus. ISBN 978-1-85756-416-7.
- Chesneau, Roger (1980). Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships, 1922–1946. London: Conway Maritime Press. ISBN 9780851771465.
- Jackson, Robert (2001). Kriegsmarine: The Illustrated History of the German Navy in World War II. London: Aurum. ISBN 9781854107466.
- Jourdan, John; Moulin, Jean (2015). French Destroyers: Torpilleurs d'Escadre and Contre-Torpilleurs,1922–1956 [French Destroyers: Squadron Torpedo Boats and Destroyers]. Barnsley: Seaforth. ISBN 978-1-84832-198-4.
- Koop, Gerhard & Schmolke, Klaus-Peter (2003). German Destroyers of World War II. Annapolis, MD: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 978-1-59114-307-9.
- Lenton, H. T. (1975). German Warships of the Second World War. London: Macdonald and Jane's. ISBN 0356-04661-3.
- Rohwer, Jürgen (2005). Chronology of the War at Sea 1939–1945: The Naval History of World War Two (3rd rev. ed.). Annapolis, MD: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 978-1-59114-119-8.
- Showell, Jak Mallmann (2009). Hitler's Navy: A Reference Guide to the Kriegsmarine 1935–1945. Annapolis, MD: Seaforth. ISBN 978-1-78346-451-7.
- Silverstone, Paul (2012). The Navy of World War II, 1922–1947. New York: Routledge. ISBN 9781135864729.
- Whitley, M.J. (1983). Destroyer!: German Destroyers in World War II. London: Arms and Armour. ISBN 9780853682585.
Further reading
- Gröner, Erich (1990). German Warships: 1815–1945, Major Surface Warships. I. Annapolis, MD: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 978-0-87021-790-6.
- Whitley, M. J. (1991). German Destroyers of World War Two. Annapolis, MD: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 978-1-55750-302-2.
External links
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