Z 31
 The armed Marceau
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Z 31 was a 1936A (mob) destroyer ofthe German Navy . The first major mission of the destroyer, which was ordered after the start of the war, was participation in the Battle of the Barents Sea at the end of 1942 in the North Sea. The destroyer was used in Norway until 1944. When attempting to move to the Baltic Sea, Z 31 was caught by British cruiserson January 28, 1945 with Z 34 and Z 38 at the level of the Sognefjord and received several hits. The front 15 cm double tower burned out and 55 men fell on Z 31 . After an emergency repair in Oslo, the destroyer was still used in the Baltic Sea and survived the World War.
In February 1946 the destroyer was handed over to France and put into service by the French Navy as Marceau . In 1958 the former Z 31 was separated and sold for demolition.
Building history
The destroyer Z 31 was the first 1936A (mob) boat. Of the seven boats ordered the class four originated in the work of the Weser the Deschimag in Bremen and three on the Germania shipyard in Kiel . These destroyers were ordered after the start of the war as a somewhat simplified variant of the 1936A type, which was still under construction . The type 1936A (mob) was therefore not a new development and largely corresponded to its predecessors.
Because of the high level of construction work at Deschimag / Weser u. a. with the last pre-war destroyer order, the keel of Z 31 was not laid until September 1940, after the three Germania buildings had been laid. When the Z 31 was launched on April 15, 1941, the Z 37 had already been launched at Germania for three months in Kiel. When completed in April 1942, the Z 31 was the first finished destroyer on the war mission. At the same time, it was the last destroyer of the 1936A and 1936A (mob) types that was not completed with the 15 cm double turret developed for this type.
Mission history
Z 31 entered service on April 11, 1942. Its first in command was Korvettenkapitän Hermann Alberts, who had commanded the destroyer Bruno Heinemann from April 1940 to January 25, 1942 . During the training period, the destroyer wanted to take part in the rescue of sailors from the torpedoed small steamer Elbing IX (ex Themis ) on November 6, 1942 , but collided with an engine schooner and had to go to the shipyard for repairs for three weeks.
From December 8th, the destroyer, which was ready for action again, moved from Gotenhafen to the Altafjord in northern Norway with the heavy cruiser Lützow and the destroyers Theodor Riedel and Karl Galster . On the afternoon of December 30th, Z 31 went with the two heavy cruisers Admiral Hipper and Lützow under Vice Admiral Oskar Kummetz and the 5th destroyer flotilla under Captain Alfred Schemmel and the destroyers Friedrich Eckoldt , Z 29 , Richard Beitzen , Theodor Riedel and Z 30 against the British Northern Convoy JW 51B at sea (Operation Rainbow ). The British destroyer group under Captain Robert Sherbrooke on the convoy defended itself skillfully against the superior Germans. Sherbrooke was badly wounded and was awarded the Victoria Cross for his defense of the convoy . In poor visibility and artificial fog, Sherbrookes Onslow and Obedient were damaged and the agates sunk, but the German attackers were successfully kept away from the cargo ships in the convoy. After the attackers were turned off, the British local security - consisting of the light cruisers Sheffield and Jamaica - succeeded in getting to the Germans and scoring at least three hits on the flagship Admiral Hipper, one of which reduced the cruiser's speed. The Sheffield sank the Friedrich Eckoldt , which recognized the cruiser too late as an enemy. Because of the unexplained situation, poor visibility and a radio message from the naval war command: ("Contrary to operational orders, conduct on the enemy: exercise restraint even when the enemy is equally strong, since taking greater risks for cruisers is undesirable"), Vice Admiral Kummetz broke off the engagement. The Germans lost the Friedrich Eckoldt , the British, besides Achates, also lost the mine sweeper Bramble ; The destroyer Obdurate was also badly damaged by the Lützow . The unsatisfactory outcome of the battle for the German side led to the resignation of Grand Admiral Erich Raeder a few days later .
On the night of February 6, 1943, the mining ship led Brummer (ex Norwegian Olav Tryggvason ) under Lieutenant Commander of the Reserve Karl-Friedrich Brill (1898-1943) and the destroyers Z 31 and Theodor Riedel unnoticed the mining companies Bantos B against the Bay of Kildin by . On the march back, the Soviet submarine K-22 launched an unsuccessful attack against the unit with two three-torpedo fan shots.
On March 10th and 11th, Z 31 moved with the Lützow and Theodor Riedel from the Kaafjord to the bow bay near Narvik , where on the 12th the battleships Scharnhorst and Tirpitz with the destroyers Z 28 , Paul Jacobi , Karl Galster and the torpedo boats Jaguar and Griffin ran in . From March 22nd to 24th, the heavy German units moved to the Altafjord. This massing of German ships in Northern Norway and the requirements of the Battle of the Atlantic (establishment of support groups) forced the British Admiralty to suspend the Murmansk convoys for the summer of 1943.
From September 6 to 9, the German combat group under Admiral Kummetz attacked allied bases on Svalbard with the battleships Tirpitz and Scharnhorst and nine destroyers ( Operation Sicily ). The German units attacked the various bases, Tirpitz continued to Barentsburg with the 4th Destroyer Flotilla ( Z 33 , Z 29 and Z 31 ) under Captain Rolf Johannesson . Z 31 came under fire from the defenders when entering Barentsburg and received eight hits on the upper deck and the outer skin (one dead, one wounded). The German attackers succeeded in destroying coal and storage depots and blew up water and electricity works before they returned to the Altafjord.
The mining company Katharina of the 4th Destroyer Flotilla planned at the end of November with the destroyers Z 30 , Z 31 and Z 33 against the Soviet North Sea coast was canceled because the British were again forming convoys of the North Sea , which were also to be attacked by the German surface ships.
When air reconnaissance found British evacuation units in the sea area of the Große Fischerbank in mid-November 1943 , the German mine ships Ostmark , Brummer and Alsace renewed them in the eastern North Sea from December 4 to 6, 1943, with the destroyers Z 31 , Theodor Riedel and Hans Lody secured Mine locks to further block access to Denmark and the Skagerrak. The Z 31 then moved to Wesermünde for the routine shipyard layover, during which the 15 cm twin tower was also installed on the foredeck.
Second mission in Norway
From April 29 to May 4, 1944, Z 31 moved under the new commandant Korvettenkapitän Karl Paul with material for the Tirpitz from Kiel to Alta. On June 30th / July 1st, the destroyer was involved in the advance of the 4th destroyer flotilla under Johannesson with destroyers Z 29 , Z 33 , Z 34 and Z 38 to Bear Island . During the air raids by British carrier aircraft on the Tirpitz at its berth from August 22nd to 29th, the destroyer succeeded in shooting down at least one machine; During the last attack, the Z 31 was slightly damaged by gunfire from the attackers.
From October 21, the five destroyers of the 4th Destroyer Flotilla supported the withdrawal movement of the XIX. Mountain Corps on the Murmansk Front and from Finland. In November, the Z 31 and the sister ships Z 33 , Z 34 and Z 38 covered the further retreat from the Tanafjord . On December 16, Z 31 and Z 29 threw a mine barrier off Honningsvaag , which was extended by Z 31 and Z 33 on the 27th . On January 3, 1945, the two destroyers put another mine barrier in front of Hammerfest . On January 22, 1945, the Z 31 , Z 34 and Z 38 mined further fjords in Northern Norway and then tried to move them from Norwegian waters to the Baltic Sea under the flotilla chief, Captain Hubert von Wangenheim .
On January 25, 1945, the three destroyers of the 4th Flotilla left Tromsø on their march south. By deciphering the German radio, the British were aware of the relocation. They expected a relocation in the Norwegian coastal waters and planned an air strike from Scotland on the German ships. For this purpose, a British association with three escort carriers, a heavy cruiser and six destroyers was at sea. Von Wangenheim, however, opted for a quick transfer march outside of the coastal waters. In this unexpected event, the Home Fleet had the light cruisers Diadem and Mauritius under Vice Admiral Frederick Dalrymple-Hamilton without destroyer support north of Bergen.
On the evening of the 27th, British planes spotted the German destroyers west of the Sognefjord and attacked them unsuccessfully. The Germans continued towards Bergen and were intercepted by the British cruisers shortly after midnight. When visibility was good due to the full moon, the British also fired flares and Wangenheim's command destroyer Z 31 received a total of seven hits from the Mauritius . The twin turret at the bow was out of action and burned out, Z 31 could no longer use its torpedoes either, but its engine was not impaired. 55 men died on board the destroyer and another 24 were seriously injured. The destroyer Z 34 under frigate captain Karl Hetz , taking the lead, attempted to change course with the Z 38 by torpedo attacks, which did not succeed. Z 34 suffered a hit on the fuselage, Z 38 suffered a chimney fire from damage to a heating pipe. Hetz broke off the march south and ran back with the three destroyers and into the shelter of the coast. On the chasing Mauritius, the Germans scored a hit in the exhibition deck without a victim and a hit on the boat deck on a diadem , killing one man and injuring three. In the calm seas, the destroyers were able to reach their maximum speed and ran away from the British cruisers and came under the protection of coastal batteries. When they opened fire, Diadem and Mauritius broke off the chase and returned to Scapa Flow . The German destroyers ran through the coastal waters to Bergen, from where the Z 34 and Z 38 went to sea again in the evening and reached Kiel on February 1, despite British air raids over Stavanger .
After the first emergency repairs, the Z 31 left Bergen on February 8, 1945 and reached Horten on February 9 . The boat then went to the Akers shipyard in Oslo . Since no replacement twin turret was available, the destroyer received a 10.5 cm anti-aircraft gun behind a protective shield on the forecastle. From March 15 to 17, Z 31 moved to Copenhagen and from March 19 to 20 on to Gdynia (then Gotenhafen).
Last missions in the Baltic Sea
On March 23, 1945, the destroyer towed the battleship Gneisenau, which had not been operational since 1942, into the port entrance of Gotenhafen, where it was sunk as a block ship. As early as March 22nd, the Z 31 and Z 38 were used to bombard Russian positions near Gotenhafen. In the following days, too, Z 31 shot at Russian positions. The cruiser Lützow , Z 34 and from the 25th also the makeshift cruiser Leipzig, which was made ready to go , were also involved in the shooting on land . Z 31 also fended off several Russian air attacks. On the 27th, defective ammunition resulted in a bolt crack on board that killed four men and wounded 18. On March 29, 1945, the Z 31 and other destroyers secured the cruisers Lützow and Prinz Eugen as well as several transporters and suppliers at Gotenhafen. On March 30, Z 31 and Z 34 set the anti-aircraft security for the supply ship Franken, which was damaged in an air raid the day before . From March 31, 1945, the Z 31 was used again for land target fire and to secure the cruisers at Gotenhafen.
On April 8, Z 31 accompanied the flotilla chief from Wangenheim on board together with Z 38 the cruisers Prinz Eugen and Lützow, which were moving west from the Danzig Bay . During the frequent Soviet air raids, the destroyer received two bomb hits and ran to Swinoujscie for repair work, where Z 31 was shut down on April 14 because of the tense fuel situation. On April 18, the destroyer moved to Kiel, then returned to Swinoujscie. Z 31 and Z 33 left Swinoujscie on April 27, taking the newly established replacement department for naval forces with them, and marched to Kiel, where they arrived on the 28th. A Soviet air raid resulted in splinter damage and three wounded. On April 29-30, the two destroyers marched through the Kaiser Wilhelm Canal to Brunsbüttel . The only partially operational destroyer Z 31 remained here until the end of the war, while Z 33 was still moving to the other bank of the Elbe to Cuxhaven on May 7th .
Commanders
| April 11, 1942 to December 1943 | Corvette / frigate captain Hermann Alberts | 1905– | last sea captain (German Navy) |
| December 1943 to May 8, 1945 | Corvette Captain Karl Paul | 1908– |
Post-war use
On May 16, the German crew was taken to a prison camp and Z 31 and a small remaining German command were taken over by the Royal Navy. At the end of May 1945 the destroyer was moved to Wilhelmshaven, where repairs were carried out on the destroyer in October and November. In January 1946, Z 31 moved to the Firth of Forth off Rosyth . The destroyer was ceded to the French Navy and moved to Cherbourg in February 1946. On February 4, 1946, the Z 31 was put into service there as Marceau with the formerly German destroyers Z 25 / Hoche , Paul Jacobi / Desaix and Theodor Riedel / Kleber under the Tricolore . Only now did the remaining German crew, which was repeatedly reduced in size, finally disembark and were brought back to Germany. The four destroyers formed the 1st DCT (division de contre torpilleurs).
Torpilleurs of the French Navy from the holdings of the Kriegsmarine
| Surname | ex | Identifier | finished | Type | painted |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Marceau | Z 31 | T01, D 601 | 04/11/1942 | Destroyer 1936 A (mob) | January 1958 |
| Hoche | Z 25 | T02, D 602 | 11/30/1940 | Destroyer 1936A | January 1958 |
| Glue | Z 6 | T03, D 603 | 07/02/1937 | Destroyer 1934 A | April 1957 |
| Desaix | Z 5 | T04, | 06/29/1937 | Destroyer 1934A | February 1954 |
| Z 39 | USN: DD-939 | 08/21/1943 | Destroyer 1936A (mob) | 1947 to France, material reserve, 1961 demolition | |
| L'Alsacien | T 23 | T07, D 604 | 06/14/1942 | Fleet torpedo boat 1939 | June 1954 |
| Lorraine | T 28 | T08, D 605 | 06/19/1943 | Fleet torpedo boat 1939 | October 1955 |
| T 35 | USN: DD-935 | October 7, 1944 | Fleet torpedo boat 1939 | 1948 to France, material reserve, 1952 demolition | |
| Dompaire | T 14 | T09 | 06/14/1941 | Torpedo boat 1937 | October 1951, not used |
| Bir Hakeim | T 11 | T10 | May 24, 1940 | Torpedo boat 1935 | October 1951, not used |
| Baccarat | T 20 | T11 | June 5, 1942 | Torpedo boat 1937 | October 1951, not used |
The names of the four formerly German destroyers after generals of the Revolutionary Wars, who had distinguished themselves against the Austrians and Bavaria, were also intended for the last order of four (large) destroyers of the Mogador class before the war in April 1939 , which had already been placed in the Was canceled in autumn 1939. The Z 31 was named after François Séverin Marceau . The French revolutionary general, who died in 1796 after an injury in Altenkirchen (Westerwald) , had distinguished himself in the revolutionary wars on the Rhine and was also highly regarded on the German side.
In the autumn of 1947, the Marceau was relocated to the Mediterranean, where the destroyer was modernized from 1948. In 1950 it came back into service under the registration number D 601 . As a bow gun , the Marceau again carried a 15 cm cannon and the light German anti- aircraft guns were replaced by eight individual 40 mm Bofors guns , four of which were placed behind the bow gun and the others around the rear funnel. In 1953 the boat was overhauled again in Cherbourg, but was decommissioned in 1954. In 1958 the boat was sold for demolition and broken up in 1962/63.
literature
- Erich Gröner , Dieter Jung [arr.]: The ships of the German Navy and Air Force 1939–1945 and their whereabouts. Bernard & Graefe, Bonn 2001 (9th, revised and expanded edition), ISBN 978-3-7637-6215-6 .
- Hans H. Hildebrand, Albert Röhr, Hans-Otto Steinmetz: The German warships: Biographies - a mirror of naval history from 1815 to the present , Koehlers Verlagsgesellschaft, Herford.
- Wolfgang Harnack: Destroyers under the German flag: 1934 to 1945. Koehler, Hamburg 1997 (3rd, revised edition), ISBN 3-7822-0698-3 .
- John Jourdan, Jean Moulin: French Destroyers: Torpilleurs d'Escadre and Contre-Torpilleurs, 1922–1956 , Seaforth Publishing 2015.
- Volkmar Kühn: Torpedo boats and destroyers in action 1939–1945. The fight and destruction of a weapon. Flechsig, Würzburg 2006 (6th, ext. A. special edition), ISBN 978-3-88189-637-5 .
- Anthony Preston: Superdestroyers - the German Narvik type 1936 , Warship special2, Conway maritime press, Greenwich 1978, ISBN 0-85177-131-9 .
- Jürgen Rohwer , Gerhard Hümmelchen : Chronicle of the naval war 1939-1945 , Manfred Pawlak VerlagsGmbH, Herrsching 1968, ISBN 3-88199-0097 .
- Mike J. Whitley: Destroyers in World War II: Technique - Class - Types. Motorbuchverlag, Stuttgart 1991, ISBN 978-3-613-01426-8 .
Web links
- Germany 15 cm / 48 (5.9 ") Tbts KC / 36 and KC / 36T at navweaps.com (English, accessed October 9, 2015)
- Germany 3.7 cm / L83 (1.5 ") SK C / 30 on navweaps.com (accessed April 29, 2014)
- Germany 2 cm / 65 (0.79 ") C / 30 and C / 38 on navweaps.com (English, accessed April 29, 2014)
- "1936A (Mob)" type destroyers 1942/43 (English, accessed October 24, 2015)
- Marceau destroyer (accessed October 24, 2015)
Footnotes
- ^ Preston: Superdestroyers , p. 72.
- ↑ sinking of the Elbing IX
- ↑ a b c d e f g h i j k Hildebrand u. a .: The German warships, vol. 6, p. 79.
- ↑ Hildebrand et al. a .: The German warships, vol. 1, p. 76.
- ↑ a b Hildebrand u. a., Vol. 6, p. 80.
- ↑ Jourdan, Moulin: French Destroyers: Torpilleurs d'Escadre and Contre-Torpilleurs, 1922-1956 , pp. 283f.
- ↑ Jourdan, Moulin, p. 179.
Destroyer 1936: Z 17 Diether von Roeder | Z 18 Hans Lüdemann | Z 19 Hermann Künne | Z 20 Karl Galster | Z 21 Wilhelm Heidkamp | Z 22 Anton Schmitt
Destroyer 1936 A: Z 23 | Z 24 | Z 25 | Z 26 | Z 27 | Z 28 | Z 29 | Z 30
Destroyer 1936 A (Mob): Z 31 | Z 32 | Z 33 | Z 34 | Z 37 | Z 38 | Z 39