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S90-class torpedo boat

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
S90 in Kiel, c. 1901
Class overview
BuildersSchichau (S), Germaniawerft (G)
Operators Imperial German Navy
Preceded bySMS D10
Succeeded byS138 class
Built1899–1907
In commission1899–1921
Completed48
General characteristics
Class and typeS90 class
Displacement
  • 412 tonnes (405 long tons) designed
  • 544 tonnes (535 long tons) full load
Length65.70 m (215 ft 7 in) o/a
Beam7 m (23 ft)
Draft2.63 m (8 ft 8 in)
Propulsion
Speed28 kn (52 km/h; 32 mph)
Range2,000 nmi (3,700 km; 2,300 mi) at 12 knots (22 km/h; 14 mph)
Complement2 officers, 67 enlisted
Armament

The S90 class of torpedo boats was a group of large torpedo boats built for the German Imperial Navy (Kaiserliche Marine) in the early 20th century. They were Hochsee-Torpedoboot ("High seas torpedo boat") built to varying designs by Schichau at Elbing (36 vessels) and Germaniawerft at Kiel (12 vessels). German torpedo boats were designated by shipbuilder, with the first letter of their designation reflecting their builder.[1]

Design

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General characteristics and machinery

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1902 lithograph of G108 and S102

These 48 vessels were built to ten different designs over the period 1898 to 1907. Thus they varied in dimensions, and they gradually increased in size as more vessels were built. The boats were 62.70 to 68.50 meters (205 ft 9 in to 224 ft 9 in) long at the waterline and 63 to 71.50 m (206 ft 8 in to 234 ft 7 in) long overall. They had beam (nautical) of 7 to 7.65 m (23 ft 0 in to 25 ft 1 in) and a draft of 2.03 to 3.22 m (6 ft 8 in to 10 ft 7 in).[2] The hull for each boat was divided into eleven watertight compartments, though after G132, a twelfth compartment was added. They had a crew of two officers and fifty-five enlisted men, though some of the boats had larger crews; S120 had four more sailors, while G132 had twelve more men, and G131 had a crew of three officers and 78 enlisted. When serving as half-flotilla flagships, the boats would have a flotilla leader's staff of four officers and eleven enlisted men in addition to the standard crew. The vessels carried a yawl and a dinghy apiece.[3]

The S90-class boats were propelled by a pair of vertical, 3-cylinder triple expansion steam engines that drove a pair of three-bladed screw propellers. Steam was provided by three coal-fired water-tube boilers. Two boats, S125 and G137, were fitted with Parsons steam turbines instead of the older reciprocating engines; G137 also received an additional boiler. The reciprocating engine-powered boats were rated at 27 to 30 knots (50 to 56 km/h; 31 to 35 mph) from 5,900 to 7,000 indicated horsepower (4,400 to 5,200 kW). Meanwhile, S125 and G137 were rated at 6,600 shaft horsepower (4,900 kW) and 28 knots (52 km/h; 32 mph), and 10,800 shp (8,100 kW) and 30 knots (56 km/h; 35 mph), respectively. The boats had storage capacity for 93 to 168 t (92 to 165 long tons; 103 to 185 short tons) of coal. As a result, cruising radius varied significantly, from 830 to 1,500 nautical miles (1,540 to 2,780 km; 960 to 1,730 mi) at 17 knots (31 km/h; 20 mph). Each vessel was equipped with one or two 4 to 8 kilowatts (5.4 to 10.7 hp) 110-Volt generators for electrical power. Steering was controlled with a pair of rudders, one at the stern and the other in the bow.[4]

Armament

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Most of the ships of the class were armed with a main battery of three 5 cm (2.0 in) SK L/40[5] guns in single pivot mounts. They were supplied with a total of 252 shells that weighed 1.75 kg (3 lb 14 oz). The guns had a muzzle velocity of 656 m/s (2,150 ft/s) and a maximum range of 6,200 yd (5,700 m) at their highest elevation of 20 degrees. G132, G133, G134, and G136 were equipped with four 5.2 cm (2 in) SK L/55 guns in single gun mounts. These guns fired a similar 1.75 kg shell at a muzzle velocity of 850 m/s (2,800 ft/s). The guns could elevate up to 20 degrees, at a maximum range of 7,100 m (7,800 yd). G135 was equipped with two of the 5.2 cm guns and one 8.8 cm (3.5 in) gun, while G137 had three 5.2 cm guns and one 8.8 cm gun. The 8.8 cm gun fired a shell weighing 7 kg (15 lb) at a muzzle velocity of 690 m/s (2,300 ft/s). The gun could be elevated to 25 degrees, for a maximum range of 8,790 m (9,610 yd). Many of the boats were rearmed throughout their time in service, trading their 5 cm or 5.2 cm guns for the more powerful 8.8 cm guns. All ships of the class carried three 45 cm (17.7 in) deck-mounted single torpedo tubes with five torpedoes.[3][6]

Ships in class[7]

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S95 in Kiel, c. 1900–09
S125 in Kiel
G137 on trials in 1907
Boat[8] Laid down Launched Commissioned Fate
S90 26 July 1899 24 October 1899 Scuttled 17 October 1914
S91 25 September 1899 24 April 1900 Stricken 22 March 1921;
sold 26 May 1921 for scrap
S92 15 May 1900 27 June 1900 Stricken 22 March 1921;
sold 26 May 1921 for scrap
S93 24 March 1900 14 July 1900 Stricken 22 March 1921;
sold 26 May 1921 for scrap
S94 23 April 1900 27 July 1900 Stricken 26 October 1920;
sold 13 May 1921 for scrap
S95 20 February 1900 29 August 1900 Stricken 22 March 1921;
sold 13 May 1921 for scrap
S96 31 January 1900 27 September 1900 Stricken 22 March 1921;
sold 26 May 1921 for scrap
S97 16 December 1899 28 May 1900 Stricken 22 March 1921;
sold 26 May 1921 for scrap
S98 28 July 1900 4 November 1900 Stricken 22 March 1921;
sold 26 May 1921 for scrap
S99 4 September 1900 13 December 1900 Stricken 22 March 1921;
sold 26 May 1921 for scrap
S100 13 November 1900 18 April 1901 Sunk in collision in the Baltic with ferry Preussen on 15 October 1915
S101 22 December 1900 30 May 1901 Stricken 22 March 1921;
sold 13 May 1921 for scrap
S102 18 April 1901 18 July 1901 Stricken 22 March 1921;
sold 13 May 1921 for scrap
S103 15 May 1901 17 September 1901 Stricken 22 March 1921;
sold 26 May 1921 for scrap
S104 22 June 1901 7 October 1901 Stricken 22 March 1921;
sold 26 May 1921 for scrap
S105 7 August 1901 17 November 1901 Stricken 22 March 1921;
sold 26 May 1921 for scrap
S106 7 September 1901 9 December 1901 Stricken 22 March 1921;
sold 26 May 1921 for scrap
S107 17 October 1901 27 January 1902 Stricken 22 March 1921;
sold 13 May 1921 for scrap
G108 7 September 1901 26 March 1902 Stricken 22 March 1921;
broken up at Hamburg
G109 9 November 1901 19 June 1902 Stricken 22 March 1921;
sold 13 May 1921 for scrap
G110 9 September 1902 21 January 1903 Stricken 22 March 1921;
broken up at Hamburg
G111 2 April 1902 21 July 1902 Stricken 22 March 1921;
sold 13 June 1921 for scrap
G112 19 June 1902 6 September 1902 Stricken 22 March 1920;
sold 13 June 1921 for scrap
G113 9 August 1902 16 October 1902 Stricken 22 March 1921;
sold 8 June 1921 for scrap
S114 9 August 1902 25 October 1902 Stricken 9 November 1920;
sold 7 July 1921 for scrap
S115 10 September 1902 22 February 1903 Sunk by gunfire from HMS Undaunted and four destroyers in the Battle off Texel on 17 October 1914
S116 14 October 1902 28 March 1903 Sunk by torpedo from HM submarine E.9 in North Sea on 6 October 1914
S117 4 February 1903 21 May 1903 Sunk by gunfire from HMS Undaunted and four destroyers in the Battle off Texel on 17 October 1914
S118 21 March 1903 9 July 1903 Sunk by gunfire from HMS Undaunted and four destroyers in the Battle off Texel on 17 October 1914
S119 8 July 1903 6 September 1903 Sunk by gunfire from HMS Undaunted and four destroyers in the Battle off Texel on 17 October 1914
S120 10 February 1904 7 May 1904 Stricken 22 March 1921;
sold 28 May 1921 for scrap
S121 3 March 1904 17 June 1904 Stricken 22 March 1920;
sold 13 June 1921 for scrap
S122 23 April 1904 5 August 1904 Sunk by mine in the North Sea on 5 October 1918
S123 25 June 1904 23 August 1904 Sunk by mine in the North Sea on 1 May 1916
S124 3 August 1904 8 October 1904 Sunk in the Baltic by collision with Danish ss Anglodane on 30 November 1914
S125 19 May 1904 4 April 1905 Stricken 26 October 1920;
sold 13 May 1921 for scrap
S126 26 November 1904 30 April 1905 Stricken[9] 22 March 1920;
sold 13 June 1921 for scrap
S127 12 January 1905 7 June 1905 Stricken 22 March 1921;
sold 28 May 1921 for scrap
S128 25 February 1905 8 July 1905 Stricken 22 March 1920;
sold 13 June 1921 for scrap
S129 4 March 1905 10 August 1905 Wrecked in the North Sea on 5 November 1915
S130 27 April 1905 17 September 1905 Stricken 22 March 1921;
sold 28 May 1921 for scrap
S131 25 May 1905 6 October 1905 Stricken 22 March 1921;
sold 28 May 1921 for scrap
G132 12 May 1906 22 August 1906 Stricken 22 March 1921;
sold 28 May 1921 for scrap
G133 30 June 1906 10 December 1906 Stricken 22 March 1921;
sold 28 May 1921 for scrap
G134 23 July 1906 6 March 1907 Stricken 9 November 1920;
sold 13 May 1921 for scrap
G135 7 September 1906 24 January 1907 Stricken 25 May 1921;
10 October 1921 for scrap
G136 25 August 1906 16 March 1907 Stricken 21 July 1921;
20 August 1921 for scrap
G137 24 January 1907 24 July 1907 Stricken 22 March 1921,
sold 28 May 1921 for scrap

Service history

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Most of the ships served into World War I. S90 sank the Japanese cruiser Takachiho on 17 October 1914, and was scuttled at Tsingtao later that day. Four of these boats took part in the Battle off Texel on the exact same day, in which a British light cruiser and four destroyers destroyed the Seventh Half-Flotilla consisting of S119, S115, S117 and S118.

S126 in Kiel, c. 1910

Footnotes

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  1. ^ Gardiner and Gray, p. 164
  2. ^ Gröner, p. 170
  3. ^ a b Gröner, p. 169
  4. ^ Gröner, pp. 169–170
  5. ^ Regarding German naval gun nomenclature, SK stands for "Schnelladekanone" (quick-loading gun) and L refers to the "Länge" (length) of the gun in terms of calibers. In the case of these guns, they were 40 calibers in length, or 40 times long as they were in diameter.
  6. ^ Gardiner and Gray, p. 140
  7. ^ Erich Groner, German Warships 1815–1945, (Conway Maritime, 1990) Vol.1, pp.169
  8. ^ Original initial letter (which identifies builder) is shown; this was changed on 4 September 1914 from 'S' to 'T' for Nos. 90 to 113, and on 27 September 1916 from 'S' (or 'G') to 'T' for subsequent Nos. 113 to 137.
  9. ^ S126 had previously been cut in two and sunk by collision with cruiser Undine in the Baltic Sea on 17 November 1905; however the two halves were raised in May 1906, the ship was repaired in 1908 and restored to service.

References

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  • Gardiner, Robert, ed. (1979). Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1860–1905. London: Conway Maritime Press. ISBN 0-85177-133-5.
  • Gardiner, Robert; Gray, Randal, eds. (1985). Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1906–1921. Annapolis: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 0-87021-907-3.
  • Gröner, Erich (1990). German Warships: 1815–1945. Annapolis: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 0-87021-790-9.
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