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German destroyer Z24

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History
Nazi Germany
NameZ24
Ordered23 April 1938
BuilderAG Weser (Deschimag), Bremen
Yard numberW958
Laid down2 January 1939
Launched7 March 1940
Completed23 October 1940
FateSunk by air attack, 25 August 1944
General characteristics (as built)
Class and typeTemplate:Sclass2-
Displacement
Length127 m (416 ft 8 in) o/a
Beam12 m (39 ft 4 in)
Draft4.65 m (15 ft 3 in)
Installed power
Propulsion
Speed36 knots (67 km/h; 41 mph)
Range2,500 nmi (4,600 km; 2,900 mi) at 19 knots (35 km/h; 22 mph)
Complement332
Armament
Service record
Commanders:

Z24 was a Type 1936A-class destroyer built for the Kriegsmarine in the late 1930s.

Design and description

Z24 had an overall length of 127 meters (416 ft 8 in) and was 121.90 meters (399 ft 11 in) long at the waterline. The ship had a beam of 12 meters (39 ft 4 in), and a maximum draft of 4.65 meters (15 ft 3 in). She displaced 2,603 long tons (2,645 t) at standard load and 3,605 long tons (3,663 t) at deep load. The two Wagner geared steam turbine sets, each driving one propeller shaft, were designed to produce 70,000 PS (51,000 kW; 69,000 shp) using steam provided by six high-pressure Wagner boilers with superheaters for a designed speed of 36 knots (67 km/h; 41 mph). Z24 carried a maximum of 791 metric tons (779 long tons) of fuel oil which gave a range of 2,500 nautical miles (4,600 km; 2,900 mi) at 19 knots (35 km/h; 22 mph). Her crew consisted of 11 officers and 321 sailors.[1]

The ship carried four 15 cm TbtsK C/36 guns, two superimposed in single mounts with gun shields aft, and one twin-gun turret forward of the superstructure. Her anti-aircraft armament consisted of four 3.7 cm SK C/30 guns in two twin mounts abreast the rear funnel and five 2 cm C/30 guns in single mounts. The ship carried eight above-water 53.3-centimeter (21.0 in) torpedo tubes in two power-operated mounts.[1] Four depth charge throwers were mounted on the sides of the rear deckhouse and they were supplemented by six racks for individual depth charges on the sides of the stern. Sufficient depth charges were carried for either two or four patterns of sixteen charges each.[2] Mine rails could be fitted on the rear deck that had a maximum capacity of sixty mines.[1] 'GHG' (Gruppenhorchgerät) passive hydrophones were fitted to detect submarines and an active sonar system was installed by the end of 1939.[3]

Service history

On 23 October 1941, Z24 was assigned to the 8th Destroyer Flotilla in northern Norway.[4] On 17 December 1941, Z24, along with Z23, Z25, and Z27, encountered the British minesweepers HMS Hazard and HMS Speedy north of Cape Gorodetski. In the short engagement that followed, Speedy was hit four times.[5] Z24 was also part of the attack on Convoy PQ 13 in early April 1942, along with Z26 and Z25. The three destroyers encountered HMS Trinidad and HMS Fury ahead of the convoy. Z26 was sunk, and the other two ships jointly rescued 88 men from her as she sank.[6] With Z24 and Z7 Hermann Schoemann, Z25 participated in the attack on Convoy QP 11 in April 1942. The three destroyers first attacked the convoy, but were driven off by the convoy's escorting destroyers after sinking one small freighter. The destroyers later engaged the light cruiser HMS Edinburgh and the destroyers HMS Forester and HMS Foresight. Edinburgh had been earlier damaged by the submarine U-456. In the battle, Hermann Schoemann was sunk, but Edinburgh was damaged to the point where she was abandoned and sunk after the battle, and both British destroyers were badly damaged.[7] On the night of 9–10 April 1943 Z24 was part of a force trying to break the Italian blockade runner Himalaya out of Gironde. The force was attacked by British Beaufort bombers. Z24 suffered five dead and 31 wounded.[8] On 25 August 1944, Z24 was attacked and destroyed by British bombers off Le Verdon.[9]

Notes

  1. ^ a b c Gröner 1990, p. 202–03
  2. ^ Whitley, p. 215
  3. ^ Whitley, pp. 71–72
  4. ^ Rohwer 2005, p. 110.
  5. ^ Rohwer 2005, p. 127.
  6. ^ Rohwer 2005, p. 153.
  7. ^ Rohwer 2005, p. 162.
  8. ^ Rohwer 2005, p. 241.
  9. ^ Rohwer 2005, p. 347

References

  • Gröner, Erich (1990). German Warships: 1815–1945. Vol. Volume 1: Major Surface Warships. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 0-87021-790-9. {{cite book}}: |volume= has extra text (help)
  • Koop, Gerhard; Schmolke, Klaus-Peter (2003). German Destroyers of World War II. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 1-59114-307-1.
  • 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. ISBN 1-59114-119-2.
  • Whitley, M. J. (1991). German Destroyers of World War Two. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 1-55750-302-8.
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