SMS V1

In 1911, the Imperial German Navy placed orders for a flotilla of 12 torpedo boats as part of its shipbuilding programme for that year, with one half flotilla of six ordered from AG Vulcan, and six from Germaniawerft.{{#tag:ref|The Imperial German Navy's practice was to split a year's orders into half-flotillas of six torpedo boats from different builders, to differing detailed design.{{Harvnb|Gardiner|Gray|1985|p=164}}|group=lower-alpha}} The 1911 torpedo boats were smaller than those ordered in recent years in order to be more manoeuvrable and so work better with the fleet, which resulted in the numbering series for torpedo boats being restarted. The reduction in size resulted in the ships' seaworthiness being adversely affected.{{Harvnb|Gardiner|Gray|1985|p=167}}

File:SMS V 2.jpg

V1{{#tag:ref|The "V" in V1 denotes the shipyard at which she was built.|group=lower-alpha}} was launched from Vulcan's Stettin, Prussia (now Szczecin in Poland) shipyard on 11 September 1911 and commissioned on 12 January 1912.{{Harvnb|Gröner|1983|p=51}}

The ship was {{convert|71.1|m|ftin}} long overall and {{convert|70.2|m|ftin}} at the waterline, with a beam of {{convert|7.6|m|ftin}} and a draught of {{convert|3.11|m|ftin}}. Displacement was {{convert|569|t|LT}} normal and {{convert|697|t|LT}} deep load. Three coal-fired and one oil-fired water-tube boilers fed steam to two direct-drive steam turbines rated at {{convert|17000|PS|shp kW}}, giving a design speed of {{convert|32|kn}}. {{convert|107|t|LT}} of coal and {{convert|78|t|LT}} of oil were carried, giving a range of {{convert|1190|nmi}} at {{convert|17|kn}} or {{convert|490|nmi}} at {{convert|29|kn}}.

Armament consisted of two 8.8 cm SK L/30 naval gun naval guns{{#tag:ref|In Imperial German Navy gun nomenclature, the L/30 denotes the length of the gun. In this case, the L/30 gun is 30 caliber, meaning that the gun is 30 times as long as it is in diameter.|group=lower-alpha}} in single mounts fore and aft, together with four 50 cm (19.7 in) torpedo tubes with one reload torpedo carried. Up to 18 mines could be carried. In 1916 the L/30 guns were replaced by more powerful 8.8 cm SK L/45 naval gun guns. In 1921 she was rearmed with two 10.5 cm SK L/45 naval guns and two 50 cm torpedo tubes, and was fitted with new boilers, while her forecastle was extended rearwards, eliminating the exposed well-deck forward of the ship's bridge.{{Harvnb|Dodson|2019|pp=140–141}} The ship had a crew of 74 officers and other ranks.

In May 1913 V1 was the leader of the 9th Half-Flotilla, 5th Torpedo Boat Flotilla.{{Harvnb|Rangeliste der Kaiserlisch-Deutschen Marine|1913|p=62}} On 28 August 1914, a British force of destroyers and cruisers supported by battlecruisers made a sortie into the Heligoland Bight in order to ambush German torpedo boats on patrol, which caused the Battle of Heligoland Bight. The 5th Torpedo Boat Flotilla, including V1, were sent out from Heligoland to investigate sightings of British submarines (which were deployed as bait to draw out German ships), and ran into several British destroyers. The Flotilla then turned away to try and escape the trap, but V1 and the torpedo boat {{SMS|S13|1911|2}} could not make full speed and lagged behind the rest of the flotilla. V1 was hit twice by British shells, killing 1 and wounding two, before the arrival of the German cruiser {{SMS|Stettin||2}} allowed the 5th Flotilla to escape.{{Harvnb|Massie|2007|pp=98–99, 102–104}}{{Harvnb|Naval Staff Monograph No. 11|1921|pp=122–123, 162}} In total, however, three German light cruisers ({{SMS|Ariadne||2}}, {{SMS|Cöln|1909|2}} and {{SMS|Mainz||2}}) and one torpedo boat of the German outer screen ({{SMS|V187||2}}) had been sunk.{{Harvnb|Massie|2007|pp=111–115}}

On 23 January 1915, a German force of Battlecruisers and light cruisers, escorted by torpedo boats, and commanded by Admiral Franz von Hipper, made a sortie to attack British fishing boats on the Dogger Bank.{{Harvnb|Massie|2007|p=377}} V1, part of the 9th Torpedo Boat Half-Flotilla of the 5th Torpedo Boat Flotilla, formed part of the escort for Hipper's force.{{Harvnb|Groos|1923|pp=193, 214}} British Naval Intelligence was warned of the raid by radio messages decoded by Room 40, and sent out the Battlecruiser Force from Rosyth, commanded by Admiral Beatty aboard {{HMS|Lion|1910|2}} and the Harwich Force of light cruisers and destroyers, to intercept the German force.{{Harvnb|Massie|2007|pp=377–380}} The British and German Forces met on the morning of 24 January in the Battle of Dogger Bank. On sighting the British, Hipper ordered his ships to head south-east to escape the British, who set off in pursuit.{{Harvnb|Massie|2007|p=385}} The armoured cruiser {{SMS|Blücher||2}} was disabled by British shells and was sunk, but the rest of the German force escaped, with the German battlecruiser {{SMS|Seydlitz||2}} and the British battlecruiser {{HMS|Lion|1910|2}} badly damaged.{{Harvnb|Massie|2007|p=413}}

On 8 September 1915, V1 was involved in a collision with the torpedo boat {{SMS|G12||2}} which sank after a torpedo exploded.{{Harvnb|Gröner|1983|p=52}} 35 of V1{{'}}s crew were killed with a further 14 wounded,{{Harvnb|Groos|1924|p=283}} while 47 were killed aboard G12. At the Battle of Jutland on 31 May–1 June 1916, V1 was part of the 9th Half-Flotilla, 5th Torpedo Boat Flotilla, operating in support of the main German battle fleet.{{Harvnb|Campbell|1998|pp=14, 25}} During the night, V1 together with {{SMS|V3||2}} and {{SMS|G11||2}} was fired on by a German cruiser, but escaped unharmed.{{Harvnb|Campbell|1998|p=284}} On 18 August 1916, the High Seas Fleet sailed on a sortie to bombard Sunderland in order to draw out units of the British Fleet and destroy them. V1 took part with the rest of the 5th Torpedo Boat Flotilla, but no general fleet engagement took place, despite both the High Seas Fleet and the British Grand Fleet being at sea at the same time.{{harvnb|Massie|2007|pp=682–684}}{{harvnb|Naval Staff Monograph No. 33|1927|pp=260–261}}

By late April 1917, the torpedo boats of the 5th Torpedo Boat Flotilla had been fitted for minesweeping and their crews trained in that task, and became increasingly dedicated to minesweeping.{{Harvnb|Fock|1989|p=361}} On 2 May 1917, the 9th half-flotilla was searching for mines off the mouth of the Ems when V1 struck a mine, damaging her stern. She was towed back to Wilhelmshaven.{{harvnb|Gladisch|1937|pp=273, 279}} V1 remained part of the 9th half-flotilla of the 5th Torpedo Boat Flotilla at the end of the war.{{harvnb|Fock|1989|p=348}}

V1 survived the war, and was one of the limited number of destroyers that the Reichsmarine was allowed to retain under the Treaty of Versailles.{{Harvnb|Gardiner|Chesneau|1980|p=223}}{{#tag:ref|Germany was allowed to retain twelve destroyers and twelve torpedo boats in commission, plus a further four ships of each type in reserve.{{Harvnb|Dodson|2019|p=138}}|group=lower-alpha}}{{#tag:ref|Although treated as destroyers under the treaty, V1 and other ships of her class were always referred to as torpedo boats by the Germans.|group=lower-alpha}} By 1923, V1 was attached to the North Sea station. Between 1926 and 1929, the Reichsmarine took delivery of twelve torpedo boats of the Type 23 and Type 24 classes, replacing those old destroyers and torpedo boats in poorest condition. She was stricken on 27 March 1929 and was broken up at Wilhelmshaven.

{{reflist|group=lower-alpha}}

{{reflist|30em}}

• {{cite book|last=Campbell|first=John|title=Jutland: An Analysis of the Fighting|year=1998|publisher=Conway Maritime Press|location=London|isbn=0-85177-750-3}}
• {{cite book |last1=Dodson |first1=Aidan |title=Warship 2019 |date=2019 |publisher=Osprey Publishing |location=Oxford, UK |isbn=978-1-4728-3595-6 |pages=129–144 |editor1-last=Jordan |editor1-first=John |chapter=Beyond the Kaiser: The IGN's Destroyers and Torpedo Boats After 1918}}
• {{cite book |last=Fock |first=Harald |title=Z-Vor! Internationale Entwicklung und Kriegseinsätze von Zerstörern und Torpedobooten 1914 bis 1939 |year=1989 |location=Herford, Germany |publisher=Koehlers Verlagsgesellschaft mBH |isbn=3-7822-0207-4 |language=de}}
• {{cite book|editor-last1=Gardiner |editor-first1=Robert |editor-last2=Chesneau |editor-first2=Roger |title=Conway's All The World's Fighting Ships 1922–1946 |year=1980 |publisher=Conway Maritime Press |location=London|isbn=0-85177-146-7}}
• {{cite book|editor-last1=Gardiner|editor-first1=Robert|editor-last2=Gray|editor-first2=Randal|title=Conway's All The World's Fighting Ships 1906–1921|year=1985|publisher=Conway Maritime Press|location=London|isbn=0-85177-245-5}}
• {{cite book |last=Gladisch |first=Walter |title=Der Krieg in der Nordsee: Sechster Band: Von Juni 1916 bis Frühjahr 1917 |series=Der Krieg zur See: 1914–1918 |year=1937 |location=Berlin |publisher=Verlag von E. S. Mittler und Sohn |language=de}}
• {{cite book|last=Gröner|first=Erich|title=Die deutschen Kriegsschiffe 1815–1945: Band 2: Torpedoboote, Zerstörer, Schnelleboote, Minensuchboote, Minenräumboote|year=1983|publisher=Bernard & Graefe Verlag|location=Koblenz, Germany|isbn=3-7637-4801-6|language=German}}
• {{cite book |last=Groos |first=O. |title=Der Krieg in der Nordsee: Dritter Band: Von Ende November 1914 bis Unfang Februar 1915 |series=Der Krieg zur See: 1914–1918 |year=1923 |location=Berlin |publisher=Verlag von E. S. Mittler und Sohn |language=de|url=https://www.digar.ee/arhiiv/et/raamatud/17105 |via=National Library of Estonia}}
• {{cite book |last=Groos |first=O. |title=Der Krieg in der Nordsee: Vierter Band: Von Unfang Februar bis Dezember 1915 |series=Der Krieg zur See: 1914–1918 |year=1924 |location=Berlin |publisher=Verlag von E. S. Mittler und Sohn |language=de|url=https://www.digar.ee/arhiiv/nlib-digar:134741 |via=National Library of Estonia}}
• {{cite book |last=Massie|first=Robert K. |title=Castles of Steel: Britain, Germany and the Winning of the Great War at Sea |year=2007 |publisher=Vintage Books |location=London |isbn=978-0-099-52378-9}}
• {{cite book|title=Monograph No. 11: Heligoland Bight—The Action of August 28, 1914|series=Naval Staff Monographs (Historical)|volume=III|year=1921|publisher=The Naval Staff, Training and Staff Duties Division|pages=110–166|url=http://www.navy.gov.au/sites/default/files/documents/Naval-Staff-Monographs-Vol.III_opt.pdf#67|oclc=220734221|ref={{harvid|Naval Staff Monograph No. 11|1921}}}}
• {{cite book|title=Monograph No. 33: Home Waters—Part VII.: From June 1916 to November 1916|series=Naval Staff Monographs (Historical)|volume=XVII|year=1927|publisher=The Naval Staff, Training and Staff Duties Division|url=https://seapower.navy.gov.au/sites/default/files/documents/Naval-Staff-Monographs-Vol.XVII_opt.pdf|ref={{Harvid|Naval Staff Monograph No. 33|1927}} }}
• {{cite book|title=Rangeliste der Kaiserlisch-Deutschen Marine für das Jahr 1913 |year=1913|publisher=Ernst Siegfried Mittler und Sohn|language=German |location=Berlin |url=http://digital.ub.uni-duesseldorf.de/ihd/periodical/pageview/8154959|ref={{harvid|Rangeliste der Kaiserlisch-Deutschen Marine|1913}}}}

{{V1 class destroyer}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:V1}}

Category:Torpedo boats of the Imperial German Navy

Category:Ships built in Stettin

Category:1911 ships

Category:World War I torpedo boats of Germany

Category:V1-class destroyers