Type 1936B destroyer

The Type 1936B design retained the hull design of the preceding Type 1936A, but reverted to the lighter main armament of the Type 1936 to reduce topweight and improve seakeeping. They were also given a stronger anti-aircraft armament than the older ships.Whitley 1988, p. 69

The ships had an overall length of {{convert|127|m|ftin}} and were {{convert|121.9|m|ftin}} long at the waterline. They had a beam of {{convert|12|m|ftin}}, and a maximum draught of {{convert|4.32|m|ftin}}. They displaced {{convert|2519|LT|t}} at standard load and {{convert|3542|LT|t}} at deep load. The ship's hulls were divided into 16 watertight compartments and they were fitted with a double bottom that covered 47% of their length amidships.Gröner, pp. 203–04 Their crew consisted of 11–15 officers and 305–20 sailors.Koop & Schmolke, p. 27

The Type 1936Bs were powered by two Wagner geared steam turbine sets, each driving a single three-bladed {{convert|3.35|m|ftin|adj=on}} propeller, using steam provided by six high-pressure Wagner water-tube boilers with superheaters that operated at a pressure of {{convert|70|atm|kPa psi|0|abbr=on|lk=on}} and a temperature of {{convert|426|°C}}. The turbines were designed to produce {{convert|70000|PS|kW shp|lk=on}} for a speed of {{convert|36|kn|lk=on}}.Koop & Schmolke, p. 41 The ships carried a maximum of {{convert|835|t|LT|0}} of fuel oil which gave a range of {{convert|2600|nmi|lk=in}} at {{convert|19|kn}}.Gröner, p. 204

The Type 1936B ships carried five 45-calibre 12.7 cm SK C/34 naval gun in single mounts with gun shields, two each superimposed, fore and aft of the superstructure. The fifth mount was positioned on top of the rear superstructure. The guns were designated No. 1 to 5 from front to rear.Whitley 1991, pp. 63, 201 The mounts had a range of elevation from -10° to +30°, which gave them a range of {{convert|17400|m|yd}} at maximum elevation. They fired {{convert|28|kg|lb|adj=on}} projectiles at a muzzle velocity of {{convert|830|m/s|ft/s|abbr=on}}Campbell, p. 246 at a rate of 15–18 rounds per minute. The ships carried a total of 600 shells for the guns.Whitley 1991, p. 63

Their anti-aircraft armament consisted of four 80-calibre 3.7 cm SK C/30 guns in two twin mounts abreast the aft funnel.Whitley 1991, p. 201 The power operated mounts had a maximum elevation of 85° which gave the guns a ceiling of {{convert|6800|m|ft}}; horizontal range was {{convert|8500|m|yd}} at an elevation of 35.7°. The single-shot SK C/30 fired {{convert|0.748|kg|lb|adj=on}} projectiles at a muzzle velocity of {{convert|1000|m/s|ft/s|abbr=on}} at a rate of 30 rounds per minute.Campbell, p. 256 The mounts were stabilized, but their gyroscopes were undersized and could not cope with sharp turns or heavy rolling.Whitley 1991, p. 67 They were also fitted with fifteen fully automatic 65-calibre 2 cm FlaK 30/38/Flakvierling guns in three quadruple and three single mounts. The gun had an effective rate of fire of about 120 rounds per minute. Its {{convert|0.134|kg|lb|adj=on}} projectiles were fired at a muzzle velocity of {{convert|835|m/s|ft/s|abbr=on}}Koop & Schmolke, p. 37 which gave it a ceiling of {{convert|3700|m|ft}} and a maximum horizontal range of {{convert|4800|m|yd}}.Campbell, p. 258

The ships carried eight above-water {{convert|53.3|cm|in|adj=on|0}} torpedo tubes in two power-operated mounts. Two reloads were provided for each mount. The standard torpedo for the Type 36B destroyers was the G7a torpedo.Whitley 1991, p. 68 It had a {{convert|300|kg|adj=on}} warhead and three speed/range settings: {{convert|14000|m|yd}} at {{convert|30|kn}}; {{convert|8000|m|yd}} at {{convert|40|kn}} and {{convert|6000|m|yd}} at {{convert|44|kn}}.Campbell, p. 263 They had four depth charge launchers and mine rails could be fitted on the rear deck that had a maximum capacity of 74–76 mines. 'GHG' (Gruppenhorchgerät) passive hydrophones were fitted to detect submarines and an S-Gerät sonar was also probably fitted. The ships were equipped with a FuMO 24/25 radar set above the bridge.Gröner, pp. 203–04; Whitley 1991, pp. 68, 71–73, 201

All three of the completed ships were assigned to the 6. Zerstörerflotille (6th Destroyer Flotilla) in the Baltic in 1944 as they completed working up. The flotilla was tasked to support minelaying efforts in the Baltic and the Gulf of Finland in February 1944, but initially escorted convoys before laying its first minefield in mid-March. Its primary activity remained minelaying through July, including reinforcing the existing minefields in the Gulf of Finland in April. Reinforced by the arrival of Z36 in late June, the flotilla began bombarding Soviet positions at the end of July, both by themselves and while escorting heavy cruisers on the same mission and intermittently continued to do so almost up until the end of the war. In September it covered the convoys evacuating German forces from Finland and then Estonia before Z43 was assigned to the flotilla the following month.Koop & Schmolke, pp. 115–16, 119; Rohwer, pp. 311, 318, 351, 359, 361, 363, 373–74; Whitley 1991, p. 173–75, 180

In mid-December the flotilla was ordered to lay a new minefield between the Estonian coast and an existing minefield slightly further out to sea. In bad weather on the night of 11/12 December, Z35 and Z36 blundered into that minefield and struck one or more mines each around 02:00. Z36 sank very quickly with the loss of all hands and Z35 lasted a bit longer before sinking. The crew abandoned ship before she sank, but only about 70 men were rescued by the Soviets. The only operational ship of the class remaining, Z43, escorted convoys at the beginning of 1945 before resuming her previous task of shore bombardment in mid-February. She continued to do so until early April when she struck a mine on 10 April that crippled her. After emergency repairs, Z43 then steamed into Warnemünde harbour where she provided gunfire support for German troops ashore. The ship departed Warnemünde on 2 May for Kiel after exhausting all of her ammunition. Z43 was scuttled the following day.Koop & Schmolke, pp. 116, 120; Whitley 1991, pp. 180–89

Construction of Z44 and Z45 was slowed by their lack of priority and only Z44 was launched before the end of the war. Work on both ships was ordered halted for at least three months on 24 July 1944, although it was rendered moot five days later when Z44 was sunk while fitting-out during an air raid by the Royal Air Force on Bremen. Both ships were already being cannibalized for parts to repair the destroyer {{ship|German destroyer|Z39||2}} by then and salvaging Z44 became impractical when her stern broke off in early September. Her wreck was scrapped in place in 1948–1949. Z45 was never finished and was broken up on the slipway in 1946.Sieche, p. 235; Whitley 1991, pp. 35, 37

{{reflist|30em}}

• {{cite book|last=Campbell|first=John|title=Naval Weapons of World War II|year=1985|publisher=Naval Institute Press|location=Annapolis, Maryland|isbn=0-87021-459-4}}
• {{Cite book |last=Gröner|first=Erich|title=German Warships 1815–1945|year=1990 |location=Annapolis, Maryland|volume=1: Major Surface Warships|publisher=Naval Institute Press |isbn=0-87021-790-9|author-link=Erich Gröner}}
• {{cite book |last1=Koop |first1=Gerhard|last2=Schmolke |first2=Klaus-Peter|title=German Destroyers of World War II |year=2003 |publisher=Naval Institute Press |location=Annapolis, Maryland |isbn=1-59114-307-1|name-list-style=amp}}
• {{cite book|last=Rohwer|first=Jürgen|title=Chronology of the War at Sea 1939–1945: The Naval History of World War Two |publisher=Naval Institute Press|location=Annapolis, Maryland|year=2005 |edition=Third Revised |isbn=1-59114-119-2|author-link=Jürgen Rohwer}}
• {{cite book|author1-last=Sieche|author1-first=Erwin|editor1-last=Chesneau|editor1-first=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|name-list-style=amp|chapter=Germany|pages=218–254}}
• {{cite book|last=Whitley|first=M. J.|title=Destroyers of World War Two|publisher=Naval Institute Press|year=1988|isbn=0-87021-326-1|location=Annapolis, Maryland|author-link=Michael J. Whitley}}
• {{cite book|last=Whitley|first=M. J.|title=German Destroyers of World War Two|publisher=Naval Institute Press|date=1991|isbn=1-55750-302-8|location=Annapolis, Maryland}}

• [http://www.german-navy.de/kriegsmarine/ships/destroyer/zerstorer1936b/index.html Type 1936B on german-navy.de]
• [http://www.battleships-cruisers.co.uk/german_destroyers.htm German Destroyers on Battleships-Cruisers.co.uk]

{{Type 1936 destroyers}}

{{WWII German ships}}