The
Schnellboot design evolved over time. The first groups had a pair of torpedo tubes fitted on the foredeck, but from
S26 onwards the forecastle had been raised so that the torpedo tubes were built into the structure.
S1 The first post-WW1 torpedo boat was ordered in November 1929 to be built by
Lürssen at
Vegesack, near
Bremen, in 1930 as their Yard No. 12120, using mahogany and light metal composite. Originally numbered as
UZ(S)16, it was commissioned into the Reichmarine on 7 August 1930. It was renamed
W1 on 31 March 1931, and then as
S1 on 16 March 1932. It measured 26.8 x 4.2 x 1.06 metres (87 ft x 13 ft 9in x 3 ft 6in) and had a displacement of 39 tons standard (50 tons full load). Powered by three Daimler-Benz BF2 12-cylinder 900 hp petrol engines on three shafts, with a rating of 2,700 bhp, it had a sustained speed of 34.2 knots (maximum 39.8 knots). It carried two 500mm (19.685 inch) torpedo tubes and one 20mm flak gun. It had a complement of 12 (later 18) men. Along with the next five boats (
S2 to
S6), it was stricken on 10 December 1936 and sold to Spain as
Badajoz (renamed
LT15 in 1939). The number
S1 was re-used in 1939. Five boats had been ordered by Bulgaria from Lürssen, Vegesack, of which the first four were delivered as
F1 to
F4. The fifth boat was retained in Germany and given the number
S1. These were petrol-engined boats, similar to the
S2 class built for the Kriegsmarine. Although commissioned in 1939, its petrol engines gave frequent problems, and on 10 September 1940 its stern was rammed (by
S13) in Vlissingen, and was later removed from active service.
S2 class The first production of the E-boat in 1931, a lengthened version of the prototype
S1. The first two were ordered from Lürssen on 28 April 1931 and the other two on 16 July 1931. Each measured 27.95 x 4.2 x 1.06 metres (91 ft 8in x 13 ft 9in x 3 ft 6in) and had a displacement of 46.5 tons standard (58 tons full load). Powered by Daimler-Benz petrol engines on three shafts, with a rating of 3,300 bhp, they had a speed of 33.8 knots. Armament and men as in
S1. They formed a "Half Flotilla" and were used for training crews for later E-boats; all were stricken on 10 December 1936 (along with
S1) for transfer to Spain. The numbers
S2 to
S5 were re-used in 1943. Eight petrol-engined boats similar to the original
S2 class had been ordered from Lürssen, Vegesack, and completed in 1937-39 for that navy as
Orjen,
Durmitor,
Suvobor,
Kajmakcalan,
Velebit,
Dinaira,
Rudnik and
Triglav. When Italy occupied Yugoslavia in April 1941, two of them (
Durmitor and
Kajmakcalan) escaped to Alexandria and served with the Allied forces, while the other six were commissioned into the Italian Navy as
Ms41 to
Ms46. In September 1943
Ms41 (ex
Orjen) at
Monfalcone and
Ms45 (ex
Suvobor) at
Cattolica were scuttled, while the other four were captured by the Germans on 9 September and renamed
S2 (ex
Velebit),
S3 (ex
Dinara),
S4 (ex
Triglav) and
S5 (ex
Rudnik); all four were scuttled by the Germans at
Salonika in October 1944.
S6 The first diesel-powered boat was also ordered from Lürssen, Vegesack on 28 August 1932. Its dimensions and other details were the same as for
S7 to
S9. It was stricken and sold to Spain on 10 December 1936 (together with the preceding petrol-engined boats) and renamed
Toledo (renamed
LT14 in 1939 and stricken in 1942).
S7 class Built from 1933 onwards. Similar to
S6, but with an improved hull form, these were the first operational diesel boats. The first three, ordered (together with
S6) on 26 August 1932, were fitted with MAN L7 19/30 diesels on three shafts giving a speed of 36.5 knots and measured 75.8 tonnes standard (95 tonnes full load), while the last four - ordered on 20 July 1932 - were equipped with the more reliable Daimler-Benz MB502 diesels of 3,960 hp to produce 35 knots, and were 78 tonnes standard (92 tonnes full load). They had a fuel capacity of 10.5 tonnes, giving them a radius of 600 miles @ 30 knots. All measured 32.36 x 5.06 x 1.36 m (106 ft 2in x 16 ft 6in x 4 ft 6in) except that
S10 to
S13 had a draught of 1.42m (4 ft 8in). These carried the larger 533mm (21-inch) torpedoes rather than the 500mm of the petrol-driven boats; two torpedo tubes were mounted on the forecastle, and the boats also carried a single 20mm MgC/30 gun, with a crew of 18 (later 21) men.
S14 class Improved
S7 type, ordered on 16 July 1934 (first two) and 5 November 1935 (last two) with new MAN L11 (11-cylinder) engines producing 6,150 hp, which proved unsatisfactory. Enlarged hull, measuring 34.62 x 5.26 x 1.67 m (113 ft 7in x 17 ft 3in x 5 ft 6in) and displacing 92.5 tonnes standard (105.4 tonnes full load). After
S17 was broken up, the surviving three boats were transferred to the Fast A/S Group in 1940.
S18 class Built from 1937 onwards. Two new boats were ordered on 21 December 1936 (
S18 and
S19) and six more boats (
S20 to
S25) on 29 December 1937. Almost identical to the
S14 class, but with 3 Mercedes Benz MB501 engines (of total 6,000 hp) instead of MAN engines. The bridge, which had been in front of the wheelhouse on earlier designs, was raised to the wheelhouse roof to increase all-round visibility.
1938 orders In May 1938 it was planned to order six additional boats every year until 1943 (thus providing a projected
S26 to
S61). However, a speeding-up of production was decided on. Twelve additional boats were ordered - all from Lürssen - in August 1938. These were of two different models, due to accommodating different Daimler-Benz diesels.
S26 class }} The larger type (
S26 to
S29), were ordered on 2 August, and entered service in 1940. Beginning with this model, the two torpedo tubes on the foredeck were encased within a high forecastle deck. This type were slightly lengthened from the
S18 design so that the engine compartments could accommodate the larger 20-cylinder diesels, they measured 34.94 x 5.28 x 1.67 m (114 ft 8in x 17 ft 4in x 5 ft 6in), giving a displacement of 92.5 tons (112 tons full load). These dimensions would be retained for all subsequent boats (except for the somewhat smaller
S30 class), as the basic design and layout would remain unchanged. The three Daimler Benz engines each produced 2,000 hp for a total rating of 6,000 hp, providing 39 knots.
S30 class }} The other eight boats (
S30 to
S37) were 2.18 m (7 ft 2in) shorter than the
S26 type and 22 cm (8.66 in) narrower. This is because their engines were the 16-cylinder (2,000 hp) Daimler-Benz MB502 diesels. They were originally ordered on 9 August (a week after
S26 to
S29) for the Chinese (Nationalist) Navy (the last two initially from Naglo, Berlin, but the contract was later switched to Lürssen), and were sequestered for use by the Kriegsmarine. As they were already under construction at the outbreak of war, they were mostly completed before the
S26 type boats.
1939 orders 24 more boats were ordered - all from Lürssen (
S44 and
S45 were first scheduled to be built by Stettiner Oderwerk, but in the event all of this batch were contracted to Lürssen - on 24 September 1939. The pre-war Mobilisation New Construction Programme had called for 48 new boats per year, but this target was raised to 60 boats in September 1939 by the Naval War Staff. They called for a fleet level of 40 to 50 operational boats, with 16 being built annually as replacements. Sixteen were virtually identical with the
S26 type (measuring 34.94 m in length and with 20-cylinder MB501 diesels), other than simplified ventilators and other minor changes. This design was to provide almost all of the
Schnellboote built in Germany for the rest of the war. While until this date all boats had been procured from Lürssen, but the German Navy had been seeking a second yard to add to its construction capacity, and on 25 September a contract for eight boats (numbered from
S101 to
S108) to the standard
S26 design was awarded to Schlichting-Werfk at Travemünde. This second builder was assigned a new series of numbers in the "101 range to distinguish them from the Lürssen boats. Following the outbreak of war, another eight boats were ordered from Lürssen on 14 November 1939 to the same
Schnellboot 1939 design as the
S30 group (measuring 32.76 m in length and with 16-cylinder MB502 diesels),
1940 orders On 4 June 1940 a further batch of boats to the
S26 design was ordered. This comprised 8 boats from Lürssen (
S62 to
S69) and 9 boats from Schlichting (
S109 to
S117).
S67 introduced an improved design with a partially armour-plated cupola (the
Kalotte or
skull cap) over the bridge, providing protection from weather as well as small arms fire, with a lower profile. From 1943 orders onwards, this armoured bridge became standard, and was also retro-fitted to many of the earlier boats. Various armaments were carried including 40 mm Bofors or 20 mm Flak aft, MG34
Zwillingsockel midships. (Note the designation '38b' sometimes seen is not Kriegsmarine nomenclature and originated in a postwar American hobby publication). Following the German occupation of France in June 1940, the Naval War Staff decided that 160 E-boats were now needed (comprising 26 flotillas), with 8 flotillas based in France and 6 each in Norway, the Baltic and the North Sea. Eight further vessels had been intended by the Dutch Navy as
TM62 to
TM70, and material had been collected for their construction at Schiedam. They were cancelled with the German occupation in May 1940; they were re-ordered (as
S159 to
S166) from Gusto Werf on 11 July 1941, but construction of these stopped in April 1942. Continuation of
S139 batch All these were part of the order placed on 24 February 1942, and the first three were identical to
S139 batch. However the final boat,
S170, was the prototype (along with
S228 at Travemünde) for the final series of boats ordered in December 1943 (few of which were completed) with the first MB518 engines of 3,000 hp for evaluation; her details were the same as for that final series of orders.
1943 orders Needing to increase production, orders for two batches of vessels were placed during the first half of 1943, totalling sixty boats. An order for sixteen boats was placed with Lürssen's yard on 15 January 1943 (
S171 to
S186), and another order for eight boats with Schlichting at Travemünde on the same day (
S187 to
S194). On 7 May another batch was ordered from the same builders - twenty-four from Lürssen (
S195 to
S218) and twelve from Schlichting (
S219 to
S230), although the final two from the Schlichting order were seemingly deferred, to be re-included in the much larger order placed in December. Like the
S139 batch, almost all of these were a metre longer than the original
S26 class in order to have room to fit the new supercharged MB511 engines. The sole exception was
S228 - the final boat from this batch to be completed at Travemünde, which was that yard's prototype for the final mass series which were ordered in December 1943, built to carry the new MB518 diesels, and was thus the equivalent test-bed at that yard to
S170 from Lürssen. All the other 57 boats completed from this batch had MB 511 diesels fitted. The final batch ordered on 4 December 1943 comprised a massive total of 282 units -
S229 to
S260 (32 boats) from Schlichting;
S301 to
S425 (125 boats) from Lürssen; and
S701 to
S825 (125 boats) from Danziger Waggon at
Danzig. The first four of the Schlichting boats (
S229 to
S230) were completed by April 1945 but not placed into service; these were presumably broken up in the shipyard following the cessation of hostilities. Of the projected numbers from the other two builders only the first five from Lürssen and 9 from Danzig were completed. Another seven were launched but not completed; these were scuttled in the North Sea, while fourteen more were scrapped in the Lürssen shipyard (
S308 to
S328) and others at Travemünde and Danzig. The remainder were all cancelled.
S501 class These small ex-Italian Navy boats of the Baglietto fast type (or
MAS526 type) were taken over by the Germans in the Black Sea on 20 May 1943. The first seven of these measured 18.7 x 4.7 x 1.5 m (61 ft 4in x 15 ft 5in x 4 ft 11in) and displaced 25.2 tons (29.4 tons full load). These 2-shaft boats were driven by 2 Isotta-Fraschini petrol engines of 2,000 hp to reach 42 knots. They carried two 450mm torpedoes plus one MG or 20mm gun, and 6 depth charges, with a crew of 10. All 7 were transferred to the Romania in August 1943, but seized by the USSR on 5 September 1943.
S601 class Further small ex-Italian Navy boats of the Baglietto fast type (of various classes) were taken over by the Germans.
S700 class Late war design proposal with stern torpedo tubes and 30 mm gun turret forward. These were intended to be slightly larger, of prefabricated construction, and to be propelled by the supercharged MB518 engines. They were to have carried two stern-firing torpedo tubes in addition to the usual two bow tubes, with a special 30mm gun in a bow turret. These were ordered from Danziger Waggonfabrik at Danzig on 4 December 1943 as
S701 to
S825 (125 boats), but only the first nine boats were built, and these were completed to
S100 design specification with MB511 diesel engines after the production of the MB518 engine was cancelled due to Allied bombing. The other boats were cancelled or scrapped unfinished in the shipyard. In the 1944 Programme it was intended to increase production of E-boats to deliver 150 boats per annum, but this level was never achieved. In November 1944 there were 292 boats on order, of which 138 were under construction, usually awaiting delivery of the new MB518 engines, while the other 154 boats were unstarted. Eventually, as the ability to provide engines increased, only 19 of the 138 boats were actually completed.
KS-boats (Kleinst Schnellboote), originally KM-series (Küstenminenleger) A class of small fast attack craft designed as offensive mine-layers (rated
Küstenminenleger), able to carry up to 4 mines, and to operate close to enemy shores. They measured 15.95 x 3.50 x 1.10 m (52 ft 4in x 11 ft 6in x 3 ft 7in); 15/16 tonnes standard (18/19 tonnes full load). Powered by 2 BMW MB507 12-cylinder aero engines producing 1,650 hp (32 knots), although four boats (nos. 1, 2, 5 and 6) had two Junkers 4-cylinder diesels of 1,500 hp to produce speeds of 30/40.9 knots; radius 225 miles at 25 knots. A total of 36 were ordered (most on 29 and 31 July 1940, but
KM1 to
KM4 were ordered on 26 August, and
KM25 and
KM26 on 11 October 1940), but as their engines proved unreliable, they were not used in their intended role and instead most were employed in lakes and rivers, being attached to the
Peipusee Flotilla (
KM3 to the
Ladogasee Flotilla). As minelayers they carried four TMB mines and a single Mg39 gun, plus a crew of 6. 21 boats were equipped with 2 x 450mm fixed stern torpedo tubes replacing the mines, and were reclassed as
KS-boats (
Kleinst Schnellboote), retaining their original numbers but replacing the "KM" prefix by "KS". Of the unreclassified boats,
KM27 to
KM30 were all sunk by Soviet aircraft in the Gulf of Bothnia during 1943.
LS-boats (Leichte Schnellboote) Another class of even smaller fast attack boat, not intended to operate independently, but to be based on auxiliary cruisers or other vessels operating in overseas areas. They measured 12.50 x 3.46 x 1.02 m (41 ft x 11 ft 4in x 3 ft 4in). These 2-shaft boats weighed 11.5 - 13 tons. The first six were powered by two Junkers 6-cyl JuMo205 aircraft engines, they reached 38 knots. Later boats had two Daimler-Benz MB507 12-cyl diesels of 2,000 hp reaching 40.9 knots, and with an endurance of 300 miles at 30 knots. They carried two 450mm torpedo tubes (instead of up to 4 mines), but had depth charges and a single 20mm MG (in an enclosed turret), plus 7 men. A total of 34 of these boats were ordered, the prototype from Naglo Werft, Berlin, and all the others from Dornier Werft,
Friedrichshafen, but the prototype was not completed and only the next eleven were completed; another six (
LS13 to
LS18) were taken over by France incomplete following the war's end, and completed for them; the final 16 (
LS19 to
LS34) were cancelled in 1944. Source: https://www.german-navy.de/kriegsmarine/ships/index.html == See also ==