Background German destroyer Z39

1 background

1.1 destroyer function
1.2 interbellum
1.3 plan z
1.4 submarine prioritization
1.5 project barbara

background
destroyer function

during world war two, destroyers served 3 basic functions: first, act screening ships defend fleets enemy fleets, second, attack screening ships of enemy fleets, , third, defend fleet submarines. how destroyers used varied upon country. germany abandoned third function entirely, showed in german destroyers lack of strong anti-submarine armament, preferring rely upon massive fleet of trawlers had been requisitioned , re-fitted minelayers. role of destroyer began vary more heavily ww2 progressed; british destroyers built escorting fleets, defending them enemy planes, , sinking submarines, germans had destroyers built escort fleets, or act torpedo boats.

interbellum

after end of world war one, germany signed treaty of versailles, put heavy limits both upon size , displacement of warships germany possess. during interbellum, period between first , second world wars, warship categories experienced large growth in average size of ships, , size of armaments. result of treaty, germany not possibly hope compete ships of allied navies. germany therefore began ignore treaties, @ first covertly, later openly after hitler publicly denounced them. german ships of time had displacements purposefully understated, have official sizes comply treaty. @ first, these changes made goal of being able match or exceed french , polish destroyers, later on, required these destroyers able match british destroyers, harder goal. due comparatively small number of german shipyards, compared british or french, germany forced adopt policy of overcoming destroyers, bore similar armament light cruisers, compensate low numbers. several negative effects came however, such making them slower, overweight, , less seaworthy. problem resulted that, although german heavy destroyers matched british light cruisers in armament, less seaworthy, , had far worse facilities control , use of guns.

plan z

plan z german naval re-armament plan, started in 1939, involving building ten battleships, 4 aircraft carriers, twelve battlecruisers, 3 pocket battleships, 5 heavy cruisers, forty-four light cruisers, sixty-eight destroyers, , 249 submarines. these ships split 2 battle fleets: home fleet , tie down british war fleet in north sea, , raiding fleet , wage war upon british convoys. erich raeder, grand admiral of kriegsmarine, assured hitler war not start until @ least 1945. raeder had wanted deadline plan z finished 1948, hitler lowered 1945. world war 2 started in 1939, meaning few of germany s heavy ships finished in time start of war. germany s main naval opponents, france , england, had (compared number germany had upon entry, in parentheses): 22 battleships (0), 7 carriers (0), 22 heavy cruisers (1), 61 light cruisers (6), 255 destroyers (34), 135 submarines (57, of less half serve in atlantic or north sea). due severe advantage enemies had, raeder remarked kriegsmarine not hope win, , course them die valiantly .

submarine prioritization

upon entry war, head of submarine operations, karl dönitz, estimated in order use submarine fleet cut off england s trade, germany need 300 submarines. however, had 56 total submarines, 10 of not suitable action, , 30 of not serve in atlantic conditions. throughout war, raeder, , dönitz, went on succeed raeder grand admiral of kriegsmarine, increasingly canceled further work on plan z, focused on building surface fleet, , prioritized work on u-boats, in order give balance navy was. in august 1942, after string of embarrassing losses surface fleet—the sinking of german battleship bismarck, , severe damaging of german battleship scharnhorst—hitler declared believed [naval] resources should go u-boat programme. led disagreements between raeder , hitler, ending in raeder s forced resignation in december of year. replaced donitz, who, former head of u-boat operations, in favor of hitler s submarine-centric strategy. in april 1943, doenitz released new construction programme, totally replaced of old one, had focused on auxiliary ships , light surface forces. new plan focused on submarines, ideal output of 360 submarines per year.

project barbara

during world war two, became woefully clear german destroyers had severely insufficient anti-aircraft capabilities, , project, codenamed barbara , undertaken improve them. during project, numerous 20 millimetres (0.79 in) anti-aircraft guns added of surface ships, including destroyers. in 1944 subproject set up, give small ships, including destroyers, 37 mm (1.5 in) flak m42 anti-aircraft guns. in mid–1941, decision made upgrade existing 37mm guns either 40 mm (1.6 in) or 50 mm (2.0 in) guns. decision made use 55 mm (2.2 in) gerät 58 anti-aircraft guns, in development, , able fire 2 kilograms (4.4 lb) @ rate of either 120 or 150 rounds per minute, , capable of single shot fire. gas operated , able work on triaxial or quad-axial mount. project never reached fruition, , no guns of type ever mounted. later on, decision made replace 20mm guns 30 mm (1.2 in) guns, not completed.