Transferred back to France in early 1943 where she resumed her former role of escorting ships through the Bay of Biscay, which were threatened by Allied aircraft and cruisers attempting to prevent
her after the war and used her as a source of spare parts for the ex-German destroyers that they had in service. The ship was condemned in 1951 and later broken up.
Design and description
Wartime Allied recognition manual drawing of the Type 36A destroyer
The Type 1936A destroyers were slightly larger than the preceding
kW; 69,000 shp) using steam provided by six Wagner water-tube boilers for a designed speed of 36 knots (67 km/h; 41 mph). Z23 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
2-centimeter (0.8 in) C/30 guns in single mounts. Z23 carried eight above-water 53.3-centimeter (21 in) torpedo tubes in two power-operated mounts.[1] Two reloads were provided for each mount. She had four depth charge launchers and mine rails could be fitted on the rear deck that had a maximum capacity of 60 mines. 'GHG' (Gruppenhorchgerät) passive hydrophones were fitted to detect submarines and an S-Gerätsonar was also probably fitted. The ship was equipped with either a FuMO 21 or FuMO 24/25 radar set above the bridge.[2]
Modifications
Z23's single forward 15 cm gun was exchanged for a 15 cm LC/38 twin-gun turret during her early-1942 refit. This exacerbated the Type 36A's tendency to take water over the bow and reduced their speed to 32.8 knots (60.7 km/h; 37.7 mph). By 1944, the ship's anti-aircraft suite had been augmented by a pair of quadruple 2 cm mounts that may have been added during her early-1942 refit.[3]
Service history
Z23 was ordered from
Atlantic. Several Bristol Beaufort aircraft spotted Lützow and her escorts off the Norwegian coast and one managed to surprise them and torpedo the cruiser early on the morning of 13 June, forcing her to return to Germany for repairs. Z23 was transferred to Brest, France, on the 16th, together with her sister Z24, and they helped to escort the battleship Scharnhorst through the Bay of Biscay on 20–24 July and covered the passage of the merchant raiderOrion through the bay on 21–28 August. They were ordered to northern Norway on 23 October.[4]
At the end of November the sisters reached
Wesermünde and the former to sail to Trondheim for repairs and a lengthy refit that lasted until August.[5]
After escorting the minelayerUlm [de] to Narvik, she participated in Operation Zarin, a minelaying mission off the island of Novaya Zemlya from 24 to 28 September, together with Admiral Hipper, and her sisters Z28, Z29, and Z30. On 23–24 October, the ship escorted the battleship Tirpitz and Admiral Scheer from Bogen Bay to Trondheim and continued to Copenhagen, Denmark, with Admiral Scheer, before returning to the Altafjord with the light cruiserNürnberg. Engine problems prevented her from participating in Operation Regenbogen, an attack on Convoy JW 51B, at the end of the year.[6]
On 5 March 1943, the 8. Zerstörerflottile (Z23, Z24,
Straits of Dover unscathed, but Z37 ran aground at Le Havre en route. The flotilla provided distant cover for an attempt by the Italian blockade runner Himalaya to sail for the Far East on 28 March, but the ship had to return to Bordeaux after it was spotted by a British reconnaissance aircraft. Two days later, the flotilla escorted the Italian blockade runner Pietro Orseolo through the Bay of Biscay despite the ship being torpedoed by an American submarine and under heavy attack by Bristol Beaufighter fighter-bombers and Beaufort torpedo bombers; the German destroyers shot down five of the attacking aircraft. Himalaya made another attempt to break out on 9 April, but the ships were spotted by a Short Sunderlandflying boat. After reversing course, they were attacked by Vickers Wellington bombers and Handley Page Hampden torpedo bombers. Five of the attackers were shot down, but Z23 suffered 5 dead and 31 wounded during the battle. The flotilla escorted submarines through the bay for the rest of the summer. On 24–26 December, the ship was one of the escorts for the 6,951 GRT blockade runner MV Osorno through the Bay of Biscay. During the mission, heavy seas flooded her forecastle and she lost four men overboard before returning to Bordeaux.[7]
No. 311 Squadron RAF sank Alsterufer later that afternoon.[8]
The German ships were unaware of the sinking until the following afternoon and continued onward to the rendezvous point. They had been spotted by an American Liberator bomber on the morning of the 28th and the British light cruisers
rangefinders and sights for the guns and torpedoes. Using her radar, Glasgow was the first to open fire at the closest German ships, Z23 and Z27, at 13:46 at a range of 19,600 meters (21,400 yd) with Enterprise following a few minutes later. Z23 fired six torpedoes once the range closed to 17,000 meters (19,000 yd), but they all missed. About that time, the destroyers began firing back. At 14:18 Erdmenger decided to split his forces and ordered Z23, Z27, and three torpedo boats to reverse course to the north. Z23 fired another torpedo, which also missed, five minutes later. The cruisers pursued the northern group and a hit in Z27's forward boiler room disabled one of her turbines and gradually reduced her speed. Glasgow and Enterprise concentrated their fire on the three torpedo boats after they turned south again at 14:39, sinking two of the torpedo boats. Z23 attempted to come to the drifting Z27's aid, but was ordered to disengage when Enterprise appeared. The torpedo boat T22 joined up with Z23 and the two ships reached Saint-Jean-de-Luz, close to the Spanish border, later that day.[9]
On 30 January 1944, Z23 was carrying out exercises in the south of the Bay of Biscay with Z32 and Z37 when the former collided with Z37. The impact detonated a torpedo
decommissioned on 20 August with all of her equipment destroyed that could not be salvaged. The French Navy refloated the ship in 1945 and towed the ship to Cherbourg two years later to use her for spares. She was condemned on 7 October 1951 and subsequently scrapped.[10]
^Koop & Schmolke, p. 103; Rohwer, p. 295; Whitley, pp. 149–153
^Gröner, p. 204; Koop & Schmolke, p. 103; Rohwer, pp. 311–12; Whitley, pp. 163, 206
References
Admiralty Historical Section (2007). The Royal Navy and the Arctic Convoys. Naval Staff Histories. Abingdon, UK: Whitehall History in association with Routledge.
Nazi Germany
French Navy
Soviet Navy
Royal Navy
United States Navy
