German torpedo boat T34

	Sister ship T35 in US service, August 1945
History
Nazi Germany
Name	T34
Ordered	20 January 1941
Builder	Elbing, East Prussia
Yard number	1516
Laid down	5 March 1943
Launched	23 October 1943
Completed	12 August 1944
Fate	Sunk by mine, 20 November 1944
General characteristics (as built)
Class and type	Type 39 torpedo boat
Displacement	1,294 t (1,274 long tons) (standard); 1,754 t (1,726 long tons) ( deep load);
Length	102.5 m (336 ft 3 in) o/a
Beam	10 m (32 ft 10 in)
Draft	3.22 m (10 ft 7 in)
Installed power	4 × water-tube boilers; 32,000 kW);
Propulsion	2 × shafts; 2 × geared steam turbine sets;
Speed	33.5 knots (62.0 km/h; 38.6 mph)
Range	2,400 nmi (4,400 km; 2,800 mi) at 19 knots (35 km/h; 22 mph)
Complement	206
Sensors and ; processing systems	S-Gerät sonar; FuMO 21 radar;
Armament	4 × single 10.5 cm (4.1 in) guns; 2 × twin AA guns; 3 × quadruple 2 cm (0.8 in) AA guns; 2 × triple 533 mm (21 in) torpedo tubes; 30–60 mines; 4 × depth charge launchers;

The German torpedo boat T34 was one of fifteen

working up in the Baltic when she struck a mine

in November and sank.

Design and description

The Type 39 torpedo boat was conceived as a general-purpose design, much larger than preceding German torpedo boats.

kW) which was intended give the ships a maximum speed of 33.5 knots (62.0 km/h; 38.6 mph). They carried enough fuel oil to give them a range of 2,400 nautical miles (4,400 km; 2,800 mi) at 19 knots (35 km/h; 22 mph).^[4]

As built, the Type 39 ships mounted four

amidships and could also carry 30 mines; the full complement of 60 mines made the ships top-heavy which could be dangerous in bad weather. For anti-submarine work the boats were fitted with a S-Gerät sonar and four depth charge launchers. The Type 39s were equipped with a FuMO 21 radar^{[Note 1]} and various FumB^{[Note 2]} radar detectors were installed late in the war.^[5]

Construction and career

T34 was ordered on 20 January 1941 from

yard number 1516, launched on 23 October 1943 and commissioned on 12 August 1944. Kapitänleutnant Freiherr von Lüttitz was appointed in command. As part of her lengthy working up, she conducted gunnery practice with the radio-controlled target ship Hessen in the Baltic on 20 November, the boat struck a mine laid by Soviet submarine L-3 and sank off Cape Arkona at 54°40′N 13°29′E / 54.667°N 13.483°E with the loss of 62 crewmen.^[6]

Notes

^ Funkmess-Ortung (Radio-direction finder, active ranging)
^ Funkmess-Beobachtung (Passive radar detector).

Citations

^ Whitley 1991, p. 52
^ Gröner, p. 195
^ Sieche, p. 239
^ Whitley 1991, pp. 54, 203
^ Friedman, p. 205; Whitley 1991, pp. 52–55; Whitley 2000, p. 73
^ Gröner, p. 196; Rohwer, p. 361; Whitley 1991, pp. 180, 212

References

External links

T34 at german navy.de

[5] Funkmess-Ortung (Radio-direction finder, active ranging)

[6] Funkmess-Beobachtung (Passive radar detector).

[1] Whitley 1991, p. 52

[g3-2] Gröner, p. 195

[3] Sieche, p. 239

[w2-4] Whitley 1991, pp. 54, 203

[7] Friedman, p. 205; Whitley 1991, pp. 52–55; Whitley 2000, p. 73

[8] Gröner, p. 196; Rohwer, p. 361; Whitley 1991, pp. 180, 212

[4]

[Note 1]

[Note 2]

[5]

[6]

v t e Type 39 torpedo boats
Kriegsmarine	T22 T23 T24 T25 T26 T27 T28 T29 T30 T31 T32 T33 T34 T35 T36
French Navy	L'Alsacien (ex-T23) Le Lorrain (ex-T28) (ex-DD-935)
Soviet Navy	Primerny (ex-T33)
United States Navy	DD-935 (ex-T35)
Preceded by: Type 37 Followed by: Type 40
German torpedo boats of World War II