Sable class

Coat of arms of the 7th SG
Technical specifications
Type:	Torpedo speedboat
Class:	142
Units:	10 for the German Navy (others for export)
Displacement:	206 tons
Length:	42.62 meters
Width:	7.1 meters
Draft:	2.3 meters
Speed:	42 kn (≈78 km / h)
Crew:	39 total 4 officers , 17 NCOs , 18 teams
Range:	(at 35 kn) 900  nm
Power:	8,225 kW total
Drive:	4 screws each over a 20-cylinder V-engine (MB-518C)
Sensors:	Fire control radar HSA M20
Armament: (originally)	4 533 mm torpedo tubes (max. 7 torpedoes) 2 rapid fire cannon 40 mm ( Bofors ) Up to 23 mines, throwing rails optionally convertible for rear torpedo tubes

The Zobel class (officially: class 142 ) was the last German development in torpedo speedboat construction . After a conversion from 1970 to 1972 to wire-guided torpedoes, the boats were classified as class 142 mod. designated. The ten German units were built by the Lürssen shipyard in Bremen and the Kröger shipyard in Schacht-Audorf and were in service from 1961 to 1984. Other boats were built for foreign navies. In Turkey, it was manufactured under license as a Kartal class . These received a different armament with eight Penguin anti -ship missiles instead of the rear gun and the rear torpedo tubes.

During the Cold War , it was the task of the boats to block access to the Baltic Sea and to protect the coasts from landing forces. The Zobel-class boats formed the 7th Schnellbootgeschwader and were based in Kiel for most of the time .

construction

The sable class was a further development of the Jaguar class and agreed with this in the essential parameters. Like this, the hull was built in composite construction from three-layer wood planking on light metal frames. The superstructures were made of light metal. Only the bridge and gun posts were lightly armored.

Modified and expanded deck superstructures with a closed bridge structure made it possible to sail under NBC protection , for which a corresponding filter and ventilation system was installed. In addition, the larger bridge house offered space for extended electronics. The most noticeable distinguishing feature was the equipment with an improved radar system , externally visible through a spherical radome . In addition,  a slightly different engine type was used with the Mercedes-Benz MB518 C.

Armament

The armament initially consisted of four torpedo tubes for unguided torpedoes with a diameter of 533 mm, for which three replacement torpedoes could be carried. Usually four British Mark VIII torpedoes were carried. These were unguided torpedoes powered by steam gas. Instead of the two rear torpedo tubes, rails for laying mines could be installed.

In addition, there were two 40-mm - anti-aircraft guns mounted in open stands on the bow and aft, which also has an artillery control station could be directed centrally behind the bridge.

From 1970, the four forward- facing torpedo tubes were exchanged for two rear- mounted tubes for wire-guided torpedoes. Now only two DM2A torpedoes were carried and no more mines could be laid.

Whereabouts

At the beginning of the 1980s, the sable class was replaced by the missile speedboats of the Gepard class .
Seven boats were handed over to the Turkish Navy after their general overhaul . There they were not put back into service, but gradually demolished as a spare part carrier for the boats built under license in Turkey from 1971 for personal use.

Boat list

NATO - ID	German identifier	Surname	Callsign	Shipyard	Commissioning	Decommissioning	Whereabouts
P6092	S31	sable	DBUQ	Lürssen	December 12, 1961	September 7, 1982	back to the Lürssen shipyard (?)
P6093	S32	Weasel	DBUS	Lürssen	June 25, 1962	March 6, 1984	delivered to the Turkish Navy
P6094	S33	Badger	DBUU	Lürssen	September 25, 1962	December 6, 1984	delivered to the Turkish Navy
P6096	S34	mink	DBUX	Lürssen	January 11, 1963	July 8, 1982	Training hulk in Olpenitz (?)
P6098	S35	cheetah	DBVA	Lürssen	April 18, 1963	November 9, 1982	delivered to the Turkish Navy
P6100	S36	Ferrets	DBVC	Lürssen	June 26, 1963	August 9, 1983	delivered to the Turkish Navy
P6101	S37	ocelot	DBXE	Lürssen	October 25, 1963	January 10, 1984	delivered to the Turkish Navy
P6095	S38	ermine	DBUW	Kroger	November 28, 1962	January 12, 1983	Target ship (?)
P6097	S39	puma	DBUY	Kroger	December 21, 1962	17th December 1981	April 1984 in the Technical Naval School Brake as a training boat for fire and leak protection, today in Liberia under the number L3222585
P6099	S40	hyena	DBVB	Kroger	May 10, 1963	5th June 1984	delivered to the Turkish Navy

Individual evidence

1. ^ Unofficial Homepage of the Turkish Navy. ( Memento from September 14, 2009 in the Internet Archive ) turkishnavy.net (Picture gallery)
2. ↑ bundesarchiv.de ( Memento of the original dated February 4, 2015 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. 
3. ↑ ^{a b c} P 6092 Zobel (1980-84 / Type 142). In: DB2000 Encyclopedia. Harpoon HeadQuarters, archived from the original on September 21, 2008 ; accessed on February 4, 2015 . 
4. ↑ bmpt.org.uk