Volume 9 Issue l0?

Published by
Orbis Publishino Ltd
@ Aerospace P"ublishing Ltd 1 985
Editorial Offices
War Machine
Aerospace Publishinq Ltd
i79 Dallino Road
London Wb oES

Managing Editor: Stan Morse

Editorial: Trisha Palmer
Chris Bishop
Chris Chant
lan Drury

Design: Rod Teasdale

Colour Origination : lmago Publishing _rd,
Thame, Oxon
Typesetting: SX Composing Ltd
Film work: Precise Lhho Ltd

Artists: Consultant Editor: Major General Sir

Tony Gibbons Jeremy Moore KCB OBE MC, Comman-
Dave Etchell der of British Land Forces during the
Falklands campaign.
Picture aclcrowledgements
1 9859
Cover photogEph: lmpenal War Musem. 2l2I: Imperial War Mseum/Robert Hut Librcry. ZlZ2:
Distribution and marketing offices: Imperial War Mwew'lmperial Wd M*eum. 2123: Imperiat War Mmeum/lmperial Wil M6eum 2124;
Orbis Publishinq Ltd lmperral Wa M6em.2125: Roben Hunt Lrbrary/lmpeilal War MNem.2126: (fou) Imperial Wd
Orbis House
-
Mmeum. 212?;Japiles Deparhnentof Defence/lmperialWdMusem. 2129: ImperialWilM6em. 2l3O:
20-22 Bedfordbury Robert Hmt Library. 2l3l; US Navy. 2l3Z: Imperial War Museum,/lmperial Wil M6eun 4mpeilal Wd
Prrnted in Great Britain London WC2N 4BT MNem zI33:lmperialwdMseu&RobertHuntLibrary.2I3s:RobertHutlibnry,4lobertHutLibrary.
by The Artisan Press Ltd Telephone: 01-379 6711 2136: Imperial Wd M*eunr,{mperial Wu Museum 2132: Orbis publishlng LtMmperiat War M*eurr,/
Robert Hmt Lrbrary. 2t38: Irnperjal Wd Museun/lmperial War Mwem. 2139: imperial Wil MNeum,/
Subscription Manager: Christine Allen Circulation Director: David Breed Imperial wa Mmem{mperial wa Muem. zl4o: Impeiar \4iar Mueum/Robert Hut Library. (iit);
0488 72666 Marketing Director: Michael Joyce MARS, LnCM\4ARS. Lins. (iv): MARS, Lincs.

HOWTO OBTAIN ISSUESAND BINDERS FORWARMACHINE

lssues can be obtained by placing an order with your newsagent or direct from oursubscriptlon AUSTRAL A please write ro: Gordon and Gotch (Aus) Ltd. 'l '14 Wiiliam Street. pO Box 767G. N.4elbourne.
Department. lfyou have difficulty obtaining any back issues from your newsagent, please write to us victoria 3001 . MALTA. N EW zEALAN D. stNGApoRE & sourH AFRtcA: Back numbers are avaitableat
stating the issue(s) required and enclosing a cheque for the cover price of the issue(s). cover price from your newsageni. ln case ci difficult\.. wri:e tc ihe address given forbinders.

UVEIRE EUROPE MIDDLEEAST AMEBICAS/ASIrA/AFBICA AUSTMLASIA/FAR EAST

SSUE PRICE: 90p/1Ri1.15 ISSUE PRICE:90p ISSUE PRICE:90p iSSUE PRICET USS1.9a gOc ISSUE PRICE:90p
SJBSCRIPTION: SUBSCBIPT]ON: SUBSCRiPTION: SUBSCRIPTiO\: SUBSCBIPTION:
6Months: f26.00
-
olvlonths ai: f44.72 6Months air: 150 18 6 Months ei-: ?59 2L 6Months atr: f64.22
Year: f52.00 surface: f36.14 surface; f36.14 su-ace: i36 i4 surface: 136.'1 4
3 \DER: Please send f3.95 1 Year air: f89.44 '1
Year alr: f 100.36 1 Year a:: l- -9.C8
1 Year air: f128.44
.€: binder, or take advantage sutlace. f12.28 swf ace: f72.28 s!-ace. ff2.2t swlace: t72.28
:'cur specia offer in eariy BINDER: {inc. Postage) BINDER: (inc. Postage) BINDER: iinc Pcsiagei
:sJes air: f5.50 air: fB25 ej:: e9 50 AUSTRALIA
surface: f5 00 surface: f5.50 su-ace: e5.50 ISSUE PRICE: AUS $2.15
Obtain BINDERS f rom
MALTA SOUTHAFRICA First Post Pty Ltd.
Obrain BlNDERSfrom ISSUEPRICE:SAR2.45 23 Chandos Street
yournewsagentor Obtain BINDERS from St Leonards.
N4iller(N/lafta) Ltd, any branch of Centrai NSW 2065
MAVassalli Street. NewsAgencyor
Valetta, Malta lntermag, PO Box NEWZEALAND
Price: €3.95 57394. Sp.ingfie d 2137 ISSUE PRICE: NZ$2 65
Obtain BlNDERSfrom
SINGAPORE your newsagent or
ISSUE PRICE: Sing$4.50 Gordon & Gotch (NZ)
Obrain BtNDERSfrom Ltd, PO Box 1 595,
MPH Distributors Wellington
601 Sims Drive
03-07-21
Singapore 1 438

NOTE ADDRESS FOR SUBSCRIPTIONS

l-+;-es ::s:: C-cersshouldbemadepayabletoOrbis PublishingLimited.
i r :--- :- :as -: JJe rcstage and packing and prices are in sterling.
i,::r ::::::-:- :a'iiiecoverprice. andwedonotchargecarriageintheUK.
Binders and back issues are obtainable subjectto Orbis Publishing Limited
availabilityof stocks. Whilst every attempt is made to Hurst Farm
keep the price of the issues and binders constant, the Baydon Road
publishers reserve the right to increase the stated Lambourne Woodlands
prices at any time when circumstances dictate. Binders Newbury
depicted in this publication are those produced forthe Berks
UK and Australian markets onJy. Binders and lssues RG1 6 7TW
may be subjectto import duty and/or local taxes, which Telephone: 04BB-72666
are not included in the above prices unless stated.
All cheques/Postal Orders should be made payable to Orbis
Publishing Limited. Postage and packaging is included in
subscription rates, and prices are glven in Sterling.
 of \IUorld\|/arll
Destroyerswere the most active surfaceunits of theAxis
Ileets, The Japanese possessed the furest destroyerc in the
world; these won a sertes of dramatic victories actoss the
Pacifrc. In European watets, German destroyers preyed on
the Souiet convoys while in the Meditertanean the ltalians
revealed, a talent for anti'submarine watfare,
All three of the major Axis fleets started World War ll with not incon-
siderable destroyer forces but found, trke the British, that the attrition
rate was high, particularly when the ships were used for duties other
']ran those for which they had been designed This occurred most of the
:ime,
German ships tended to be overambitlous, as the result ol the twin
requirements of meeting (officially at least) treaty limitations on dis-
placement, whlle not appearing inferior on paper to the French shlps
seen as the tnevitable enemy, Brttrsh equivalents may always have
appeared more modest, but they could always fight their armament in a
seaway, something that none of the larger German ships couid boast
iollowing their losses in Norway, the German destroyer forces made
l:itle iurther impact on the naval war,
The Japanese used their many ships both tn their designed fleet
context and in other independent roles, largely in support of the army'
Their supreme achlevement was in the vicious six-month dispute for
Guadalcanal, Not only did the destroyers make contention possible at all
cut, in doing so, made the island a catalyst, enabling them to take the war
:c the American fleet, That the pollcy of attrition against so powerful and
la
. :,r..l:rl€ii
! :r::SSiii.g:{tI
'iF.*l
ts,.
t
German torpedo boats are seen
during a foray into the Channel.
Germany built43 destroyers and48
torpedo boats before May 1945, but
Hitler never appreciated the
potential of the Kriegsmarine surface
fleet, preferring to rely on the
U-boats.
numerous an enemy was flawed from the outset was a top-level strategic
blunder and in no way detracted from the toughness and resource of the
Japanese destroyer skippers.
Thouqh never sacrificing their main weapon, the 610-mm (24-tn)
torpedo, the Japanese ships shed much of their main battery flrepower
in order to accommodate extra AA armament and to gtve space for
troops, equipment and supplies, A srmilar roie fell to many Italian
destroyers, which also could just make the return trip to their be-
leagnrered comrades in North Afnca within the hours of darkness, Their
contrlbution was usefui but, again, losses were high because (as ihe
British invoived in the Tobruk slege discovered) ships were of necessity
predictable in therr timetable. Nevertheless it was preferable to sharlng
the big ships' usual routine of swinqing around the buoy. Most successful
of the Italians were the 'torpedo boats', which proved adept at anti-
submarine warfare,
Two of the 1 3 torpedo boats that escorted the pockefbaltleships Scharnhorst
and Gneisenau and the heavy cruiser Prinz Eug en during their dramatic dash
through the Channel in February I 942. Unable to remain in Brest because of
the RAF, the German squadron made for Norway.
.rtPr;g
iilli.ty
]lllltel: .,irl:ilii;l
r.,3ril
"il;&
:.:::t!
d
 "APAN
T he' K atrtikaze' clas s de stroyers,
'Minekaze' class follow-ons to the' M inekazes',
represented something of a
dep arturd for the J apanese navy,
which had hitherto followed Royal
Navy designs, although the choice o!
1 20-mm (4.72-in)
wns as main
armament reflected B ritish policy.

r+^
I'

-:-:
-:,= ::i of World War I the
Japanese
--.:i --:,: soncept of first, and second-
:-=ss :esiroyers the one being a
.:.-:i-;c version of the other. Before
::--s ::-e Japanese navy had either
::-;:-: Brrtish ships or copied them
:-:s:i_; but with the 2l 'Momi' class
-,: -5 'Minekaze' class second- and
:::.-:iass destroyers they produced
:.:::.ning a little more original follow-
:-; re earlier German lead rn provid-
-:;::-riell belween the short forecastle
--i :he bridge structure Destroyers of
.:-= -lrne were quite short overall and,
=-- .'.rtl-or-rl rhe benefit of a supenm-
::.s:d qun on a deckhouse forward,
were prone to bury their noses rn a
shoft head sea At best this made hfe
difficult for the brrdge personnel, and
at worst there was danger of the struc-
ture bernq flattened or swept ciean,
The forward well acted as a natural
break and as ir moved things aft. also
provrded space for one set of torpedo
tubes, The 'Minekazes', all launched
between 1919 and 1922, were theA.kr-
kaze, Hakaze, Hokaze, Minekaze,
Namikaze, Nokaze, Numakaze, Oki-
kaze, Sawakaze, Shiokaze, Tachi-
kaze, Yakaze and Yukaze.
The classes introduced the 533-mm
(21-in) torpedo tube to Japanese des-
troyers, twins rn the 'Momis' and triples
in the 'Minekazes' (and rn lhe nine simr-
lar'Kamikaze' class follow-ons), Both
types carried their 120-mm (4,72-tn)
gmns (the cahbre itself reflectrng ear-
lier Bntish influence) high on deck-
houses and forecastle, enablinq them
to be fought in poor conditions when
the weather deck was likely to be
swept by loose water.
By World War 1l standards the
'Minekazes' were both small and old
and, wrth the shortage ofescorts being
qurckly and dramaticalJy exploited by
American submarines' mosl of th6
class shed half their main-calibre gLrns
minesweeprng gear and all but a pair
of torpedo tubes to mount depth-
charqle throwers and ammunitron.
together with an ever-increasing rum-
ber of [ght AA gmns.
Four units, after the fashion of some
older British destroyers, had a very
thorough converslon to convoy escons
with some boiler capacity sacrificed
for extra bunker space. One, the Sawa-
fraze, was reportedly fitted with an
ahead-firing nine-barrelled AS rocket-
launcher, Nine of the class themselves
fell victim to submarine attack, the
nameship being sunk by the USSPoETy
in the East China Sea early in 1944 at a
time when destroyers were made
priority torpedo targets,

Specification
'Minekaze'class
Displacement: 1,2 15 tons standard and
1,650 tons full load
Dimensions:length 102,5 m (336.3 ft);
beam 9,0 m (29.5 ft); draught 2.89 m
(e5ft)
Propulsion: two sets ofgeared steam
twbines dehverlng 28709 kW
(38,500 shp) to two shafts
Speed:39 kts
Endurance:6670 km (4,145 miles) at
14 kts
Armament: four slngle 120-mm (4,72-
rn)guls, hvo machrne-gnrns, two triple
533-mm (21-rn) torpedo tube
mourtmgs and up to 20 mines
Complement: 148

ibove: The venerable 'Minekazes' Below: This is a 'Minekaze' as she

i,;ere launched between 1919 and appeared in late I 944 after being
t 922 but sertted throughout the war. converted to carry Kaiten suicide
:4any had their original weapon fit torpedo craft. This desperate
attered to include depth-charge expedient failed to achieve success
':rowers and light anti-aircratt guns,: on a scale to rival that ofthe
as the enemy was no \onger likely to : kamikaze aircraft, which had begun
be another destroyer. to launch their attacks earlier in the
year.

o :itoun' ctass
-:, --: --:i€ cf their construction, the 20
f.:-cuki' class destroyers (launched in
- :.- -: -' ere among the trend-setters
-,-.
weight. The awkward forward well
was discontinued in favour of a more
conventional continuous forecastle

-, --,= ::s:oyer world. They had been the freeboard ofwhich was increased,
::=::::i by the 12 'Mutsuki' class and the bridgework was both strengT-
r--=:-.---:s .;hrch had further refined thened and raised to reduce water im-
.:-= :-:::--kazes' with their strong pact damage, In the preceding class
-::,;:-,-3e:r-ar mjluences Only then
-:--.: -::,:-ese desLcrners go fully T h e' F ubu ki' cias s rev olu tioni zed
'.';a-,.
and produce a type of destroyer desigm by substantially
- =-r --,'.:
r:-::,-.-:r :: ad','anced that it was still increasing the size of the vessel. This
.::-.-:----
'.'.--:-: -.',-- -: 'besrdes
,ears la-er at tne end of reduced thevulnerability to heavy
-- influencing all seas and enab led them to catry a
:.= :,:-.s:s .:ai iollowed 1t. Frrstly a formidable armamentof six 127-mm
=.:.---:::--: -:-C::aSe tn SiZe WaS (!-in) guns and nine 610-mm (24-in)
: - :: I -:l .:
':--: n:nodate more IOp- torpedo tubes.
'Fubuki' class (continued) Axis Destroyers of World War II
From 1943 the X tufietwas removed
from suwiving' F ubu ki' cl as s
destroyers in favour otmore lightAA
gruns . The original AA armament of
two I 3 - mm m achine- guns was
changed to four I 3-mm and 14 25-
mm weapons as US aircraft were
recognized as a major threat.

the 6iO-mm (24-in) torpedo had been this was bought at the expense of hull only one unit suwiving the war, The (10 5 ft)
introduced and the 'Fubukrs' carried strength, and a degree oftenderness, ships were the Akebono, Amagiri, Propulsion: two sets ofgeared steam
three tnple mountings, with stowage Service during the 1930s highliqhted Asagiri, Ayanami, Fubuki, H atsuyuki, turbines delivering 37285 kW
for nine spare torpedoes. This early lhese larlings and the shtps were Isonami, Miyuki, Murakumo, Oboro, (50,000 shp) to two shafts
commitment to the torcedo was ob- heavily strengthened and given extra Sagiri, Sazanami, Shikinami, Shino- Speed:37 kts
vious, yet Allied forces were constant- ballast, This added another 400 tons to nome, Shirakumo, Shirayuki, Urana- Endurance:8700 km (5,406 miles) at
1y surpnsed by the bold and ready the displacement, slowing them by mi, Ushio, Usugumo and Yugiri. 15 kts
manner in which the Japanese were 4 kts, Further topweight was saved Ia- Armament:three hvin 127-mm (5-in)
prepared to use them in World War I1, ter by not carrying spare torpedoes Specification gnrns, two machine-guns, three triple
A further innovation was the uprat- and landrng the superflring after 'Fubuki' class (as built) 610-mm (24-in) torpedo tube
ing of the main cahbre gnrns to 127 mm mountinqs in favour of a very neces- Displacement: 2,090 tons standard mountings with nine reloads, and up to
(5 in) and mounting these in fully en- sary enhancement to the AA defences. Dimensions: length i 18,35 m (388,3 ft); lB mines
closed twin gunhouses, one forward The class served widely in all theatres, beam 10,36 m(34.0 ft); draught3.2 m Complement: 197
and two aft to lower their combined
centre of gravity, In those units laun-
ched from 1929 the elevatron oi the
main battery was increased to 70', an
angle unmatched rn therr day ro give a
dual-purpose capacity that was little
short of visionary,
This splendid class was also of high
power, the 37285kW (50,000shp)
being good for 38 kts, Unfortunately,

Ushio was lfte only oneof the 20

'Fubuki' class to suntive the war.
Seen lrerejusl a fter her 1936 retit, she
was the last'Fubuki' to be launched,
and her I 27-mm (i-in) guns had their
elevation increased from 40 to 75
degrees: a remarkably innovative
feature.

!l
JAPAN

'TomodztJra' and 'Ootori' classes

',',hrle ly qood AS ships though both the Sagj
it may demonstrate the ingenui- larged their slender proportions hard- (19 000 shp) to two shafts
ly changed, the lenqth:beam ratio still and Hiyodori were sunk separately by Speed:30 kts
-.' cf the naval architect, warship de-
:-;n rarely profits from attempting an berng nearly l1:l As a comparson the American submarine USS Gunnel Endurance:7400 km (4,598 miles) at
.::lbrtious fit on a limited displace- the 'Ootorrs'were longer than either a on the same patrol. The nameship was 14 kts
:-::it, yet thts is just what the interwar British Type II'Hunt; (BO I m/282.5 ft) or sunk off Saipan in June 1944 with no less Armament: three sinqle I20-mm (4. 72-
::a:res brought about. The Japanese an American DE (BB, I m/28g ft) yet the than 13 other ships when a convoy was rn) and one 40-mm AA gnrns, and one
:,=: operated a class of first-class tor- beams of the latter were 9,6 m (31.5 ft) totally overwhelmed by American car- triple 533-mm (21-in) torpedo tube
::jc boat (or coastal destroyer) up to and 10,7 m (35 ft) respectively. At the rierborne arrcraft, mounting
,= mid-1920s, but had not repeated same time the Japanese had eventually Complement: 112
'.= -,pe until the four-ship'Tomodzura' to accept a greatly reduced armament Specification
:-:ss ordered in 1931 to top-up the of two 120-mm (4.72-tn) Enrns and only 'Ootori' class (as built)
:,:=ese tonnaqe entitled under the one pair of tubes. The prrce of a des- Displacement: 840 tons standard and Chitori, second ship of the
- :,::a T?eaty, The value of suchsmall troyers speed was, indeed, hiqh, i,050 tons fu]Iload 'Tomodzura' clast js seen here o/f
. evident when it is remembered Although eight of the 16 units pro- Dimensions: length 88,35 m (289,9 ft); Maizuru in 1934, theyear the
-.
:
':.- rpanese interests looked not only jected were cancelled, those com- beam B 2 m (26 9 ft); draught 2.84 m namesiip capsizedwhile on runnng
_
pleted (the Halo, H ayabusa, H iyodori, (e3ft) trials due to the designers' attempt to
=- ,'.-::C over the Pacific but also at
; :-r-:.land Orient across the shallow Kari, Kasasagi, Kiji, Ootori and Sagi, Propulsion: two sets ofgeared steam cram an excessive amament on to a
-::: -::estricted ofjapan. At 650-
Sea all launched in 1935-7) were reported- turbrnesde[vering 14168 kW vesse/ of modes t displ acem e n t.
.:::Card displacement, these
: --:. :a:red a very ambitious arma-
-=: :- a single and a twin 127-mm
: :. ;:rhouse and two parrs of 533-
--:- - ---:) torpedo tubes, all on a flne
: -:-: :c achieve 30 kts on a modest
:,-- :'.-,',-.i I 000 shp), Theweaknessof
--: :,::-:Lme conjuring was made
..-:-,.- :.,-rdent when the nameship
:::.
'- :. :i.: i:d
r healry weather in 1943. As
not founder it was reco-
..=: ::a-,-lly-hemodified (as were the
,.' :=: :: class.; and recommis-
' --:

were en-
Axis versus Allied
Desfroger Design
TheJapanese devotedfar more thought to destroyer tactics
than did any of their enemies and, firing extravagant salvoes
of their deadly'Long Lance' torpedoes, they rapidly achieved
fiastery over Allied light forces in the Pacific. Bycontrast,
Italtan vessels were placed in an unenviable strategic
positton, and the potential of the German flotilla was never
re al ly app r eci ated in B erlin.

'.':. - :' .^e ma n warring f leets possessed goodly numbers of destroyers, and
:--:- s -liv many were of flawed design, largely the result of overambition on
.':':.- red displacements. The Allies were probably better off in this respect,
:-. :-e- Americans having to wage continual war against a naval staff that
:::::':. io want to sink its ships under the sheer weight of torpedo tubes,
"".:::.1s whrch for long they seemed loath to use freely. The British had
:-::::,;
* -:: :-sgot the balance about correct, with their cruisers acknowledging
io get the large number of hulls seen as necessary for world-wide
:-: :: 1 both types the temptation was avoided (exceptwith the'Tribals') to
::: :'-ament to the limit simply to match a foreign precedent. This was
:=--:trs'ortunate as the rather modest and austere results proved to have
::rr-:ie all-round ability; while not being exceptional in any one dlrection, they
::-: .. relied upon to be usable in any condition.
l:.,',een the world wars the French exerted great influence through the
- - ' cent series of big ships they could afford to build as they were not tied to
:=:
:::: - ag the greatest number of hulls on their allocated total displacement
':--: The UK did not respond as she could not afford to devote so much
,: - -:-.e ro comparatively iew ships and, in any case, did not view the French as
==- : -s :andidates for a maritime war.
,', ^ re ine big Frenchmen were not totally devoid of topweight problems, they
-=. , :c<ed the part and encouraged both the ltalians and Germans to build in a
.: -age. Of these, the former approached the 'problem' more logically,
:-::-:.rg the'Capitani Romani', which were more scout cruisers than des-
,-: ":-s out had both the speed and firepower to challenge any of their French
-:--::'oarts. Had they only been built in time they could have posed a major
:--::: l. those British Mediterranean convoys which lacked air cover. The
.: :-s '.iere also producing a true large destroyer class in the so-called 'Medag-
: : l'c', but again these ships never materialized in time. As in the usual
-: i' r r;S ways of war, the French ships that had inspired them were no longer
-.--.2-. after the end of 1942, while the ltalians found themselves instead
=
'=---9
-=^.
rne Bntish, a situation which in the 1930s would have appeared a Below: The British Ensign flies above the swastika on a German destroyer
::e ccssibility after the latter's craven era of general appeasement at almost after the surrender atKiel in 1945. The later Geman destroyerswere large
:-.
--:::S-.:: ,an fleet destroyer was an endangered species from the outset, the vesse/s and overgnr nned, which made them poor sea.boats. German yesse,ls
were also burdenedwith a complex, unreliable propulsion system.
-:-'^:: rvaters of the Mediterranean sea exposing it to every sort of attack
-.'-:- and land-based air, surface ship and submarine) without sufficient ing havoc in the central Mediterranean. Like the'r'iarger compatriots, however,
:::--:- n which to lose itself . they were little disposed to create situations tnat r,vbuid allow them to exploit
. ':',.v were actually sunk while engaged in f leet action, many fell victim to their principal weapon, the torpedo. One reason 'ci- thrs was the insistehce,
^: =-.
:-r ess requrrements of the North Afrlcan supply run but, for the greater probably the result of topweight problems, on ;irt ng rne small 450-mm (11 .12-
::-. : "',as sheer attrition from all causes. To be fair, the British suffered the in) torpedoes. These had half the range and cons;d-erably less speed than the
::-::-: :-.:c ems and also took many losses in these waters. 533 mm 12'1-in) weapons, necessitatihg a closer approach to the target. This
- -^c ooint of view of damage inf licted upon the enemy, the ltalian small was an unhealthy habit by daylight but, where'i couid have been possible by
::::": .::s cr torpedo boats, were far more effective than the larger f leet units, darkness, the ltalians found themselves up against radar-laid gunnery, to which
:--. -: :^:rselves adept at countering the British submarines thatwere play- they had no answer.

Erich Ste i n b ri n k (2151 class destroyer cutaway d rawi n g key

:-:': 28 Searchllghtplatform 59 Shellroom Erich Steinbrink (Z I 5) is shown here
-,.:_,:-a.eiocm 29 Searchllght 60 Ammunition hoist
-:::::' 30 Wireless aerial 61 Crewquarters as she appeared in I 940. Penultimate
31 Superheater 62 Breakwater vessel of the I 934A class of destroyers
32 Funnel cap 63 Capstan she was modified to 'Barbara'
I -:: 33 Funnel casing 64 Capstanenglne
34 Twin 2-cm Mguns 65 Auxiliary engine/machine standard, theGerman namefor an
35 Launch shop increase in anti-aircraft capability, in
'-- -- :-- :atelibre 36 Derrick 66 Foredeck 1944-5. This involved the removal of
37 Funnel uptake 67 Anchorroom
38 No.1 boi erroom 68 Paintstore the gun in the Q position and its
---- ::_^3St 39 No.2boierroom 69 Waterline replacement by additional sponsons
40 No.3boierroom
4T No. 4 boiler room
70 Extending paravane gear
7'1 Magazine
for lightAAweapons.
t3
-.. 42 Keel 72 Ventllators
43 Engineroom 73 Feedtanktoboiiers
' ::_::-:-:e.s 44 Main engine 74 Doublebottom lFr
45 Freshwatertank
46 Tripodforemast
41 laCdet
48 Lookoutposition
49 Foretop
50 Surfacewarningand
gunnery radar
51 Radarroom
52 Badlodlrection finder
53 Target bearing transmitter
54 Brdge
55 Wlreless room
56 Control room/chadroom
57 Companionway
58 Crew's mess
Above: The innovative 'Fubuki' class destroyers. By the outbreak ofwar the
Japanese led the world both in the design and use of destroyers; thek ^ ^
emplrasis on a powertd brpedo amament paid dividends in 1942 and 1943
as they consistently outmatched Allied destroyers.
Italian losses in destroyers were very hlgh. As wirh the French, they ref lected
a war of varying tortunes and allegiances, iignting botn lor and aga,inst the AIlies
while taking ca-sualties in boLn cases. While, :n tne f leel contexi, lhev appeared
ooorlv led 5nd motivated, achievinq litlle, theyworked well and gave valuable
iervice when ndividually tasked. TFis reflected tne ltalian character in general,
best given to opportunliy to work alone rather than subordinating highly indi-
viduai personality to qroup discipline.
So liitle does ohe hdar of German destroyer activity that one cou ld be excused
for assuming that they built few. This was not so, 43 destroyers and 48 torpedo
boats beinglompleteld before May 1945. The German high command never
appreciated the potential of its surface fleet and the destroyers, as c:1 , :-
spent the war heavily underutilized.
'5-'==-
Recommencing destroyer construction in the early 1930s after a
break, the Germans produced in the 'Maass' type a very conventional sr :
:: :
waswellarmed,of adequatesizeandeffective. ltcouldoutperformthec.-::^--
porary British destroyer but, like it, appeared perhaps nondescrrpt. i:- :-=
British this was adequate, but the Germans looked for more dash, feei'^::-=
need to respond to French practice. The resultwas large and overgunnei s- :-
that were poor seaboats, suffering not only from excessive topwe 9i-: :--
unreliable guns and, worse, unreliable machinery.
The latter resulted from the other beguiling principle that high steam c':s:-
ures mean compact machinery; in practice it means endless technical proc e- s
(a path along which the Americans were still toiling in the 1960s) anc:^=
stlmulant to develop plans for destroyers unlque in having combined stean :-:
diesel propulsion and, finally, diesel propulsion alone, The lack of pr:-.'
accorded to surface ship production (correctly, for the submarine war was ';-
more cost-effective) prevented these shlps ever gettlng beyond the protoi\ 3:
stage.
The Japanese probably had the clearest ideas on what they wanted of tr: -
destroyers. Like those produced on both sides, their designs tended to a:
initially deficient in both M and AS potential but, as ship-killers, they w'e-:
excellent. From the'Fubukis'of the late 1920s they standardized on the 12--
mm (5-in) gun and the 610-mm (24-in) torpedo. Though stability ranges \!e-.
sometimes inadequate. a whole series of derived classes were so aTn ..
without any essays into larger guns (probably because the average Japanes:
loader could not handle heavier rounds) while the 610-mm Type 93 or'Lc'-:
Lance'torpedo proved to be devastating, long-ranged, reliable and, unLlsua 1,

complete with a fuil kit of reloads. Unlike the ltalians, the Japanese operai.:
bestingroups,thequalityoftheshipsbeingmatchedbythatoftheirtraining -c
to the special-purpose 'Akitsukis'there had been great consistency of des:-c-
the main failing of which was that it adhered to pre-war standards, produc rg
high-quality shrps but in wholly inadequate numbers, Onlywith the'Matsus'c :
the Japanese produce a utility series, too late to have any real impact.
An interesting design feature common to the majority of Axis destroyers o: a .

three navles was a preference for twin-gun mountings and an avoidance c-

Abov e : H M S Siktr, seen /eavingr superimposed guns
suoerimoosed six-qun armament was thus achleved by
ouns forward. A six-gun bV supe:
supe:-
GrandHarbour inMalta,was one of imoosino the afier mountings.
imposing mountinos. Compared destrovers this allowed 5i
Comoared with British destroyers 5i
the'Tribal' class of destroyers which per centhore
cent more barrels on a shorter axial length, onlv small penalty in topwerg n:
lenqth, at only
the Royal Navy ordered in direct and associated capsizing moment. A good armament facing aft was often ai'
response to the threat posed by the asset to a type of ship frequently pursued (and, if this sounds a mite defensrr e
heavily armed'Fubukis'. U nlike their there existed the Eritish precedent of shipping aft-facing 1 52.4-mm/6-in guns c^
prospe ctive J apanese opponen fs, 101.6-mm/4-in armed light cruisers during World War l), Only with the Type
they relied on guns rather than 'Hunts' did the British adbpt the layout, HMS Savage being a further specia{ case
torpedoes. with a prototype twin 'Battle' class gunhouse forward and two single '1 14.3m':
(4.5-in) guns aft.
While, later in the war, all Axis destroyers had thelr AA armament enhancec -
greater or lesser degrees, they proved equally poor AA platforms a_nd iust as
vulnerable as Allied ships to air attack. Ultimately, in over five years of attritiona
war,themainfailingof theAxiswasitslnabilitytoreplaceitslosseshavrngfa lec
to foresee the consequence of a prolonged conflict with traditional seapowe:s

24 35

67
 o 'Akatsuki' and'Kagero' classes
- . ',';cr1hy of note that rn the 'Fubukis'
--,: _-ap3lese had destroyers of a spe-
:'=:a-ron superior to that of the British
_ :-ass yet a full decade earlier. This
.:i:er leap in capability was bound to
:::,; problems, as succeedinq clas-
:-. ieronstrated. The four'Akatsuki'
:-ass slps of 1931-3 kept the same
=rl=:-jement on a slightly shoder hull
: -: ::iuced the forward funnel to a
::--:< prpe to save topweiqrht, with
-;::-..',-:-ghr masting and a reduction tn
r=:-:::arges. TheHibrkr of this group
,';=. .:e lrst all-welded japanese des-
::';:: in ihe sx'Hatsuhara' class shrps
-,-:. :cl}owed, lenglh was again cut,
.'::- j'tr..1th one 127-mm (S-in) gnrn and a
::. li torpedo tubes with reloads; rn-
s::tjed power and speed were also
::d:ced
-
as desrgners wrestled with
lr-don Treaty restrictions, They were
-argely repeated with the 10 'Shirat-
suyu' class shrps, which agatn experi-
:::ed a reduction rn length, yet suc-
::eCed rn increasing the torpedo
to eight 610-mm (24-in) tor- Above.' Shiranuki le aves the U r ag a
=ament
!=ioes with the usual set of reload shipyard inTokyo alter her
',',-:aoons, The j0'Asashio' class shrps commissioning ceremony in I 9 39.
:: -937 were late enough to bypass lip Very similar to the 'Asashio' class, the
:3:.-rce to treaties and returned to a 'K ageros' we re exce llen t fl eet
.:: and armament almost identical
-.',---: the 'Fubukis'
destroyers. One of their number, the
of nearly a decade Hamakaze, beca me the tfustJapanese
:=:rre. That this basic design was still destroyer to receive radar in I 943.
:=reTant was underscored by recogt-
:--.-rqr it as the basis of the necessary .Rlgif ; Shiranuki in /ess fi appier
:-'palsion destroyers on the lead-up
rn circums tance s, ber thed in M aizur u
.: -,','ar. Thus iB more destroyers, near- dock after narrowly suwiving a
.dentical, but proportionately
--"' torpedo hit from a US submarine off
::amrer and known as the 'Kagero' the AIeu tia ns. T he J apanes e
class were put into the water between des trcyet flee t w a s des igned for
-:i3 and 1941. surface action and had to be hastily
l:ieir main characteristics were lrt- modifiedforAAandASW
'-: :rierent from those of the 'Fubukis', operations.
-.';-: superimposed twin gmnhouses aft
--j cne forward, the latter separated ing the war, TheiValsusftjo was one of Kuroshio, Maikaze, Nowake, Propulsion: two sets ofgeared steam
l:::- ihe blockhouse of a bridge by a the very early losses when sunk by the Oyashio, Shiranuki, Tanikaze, Tokit- turbines delivering 38776 kW
rj:-:rctlve gap, which allowed very veteran American submarine USS S37 sukaze, Urakaze and Yukikaze. (52,000 shp) to hvo shafts
',';ie arcs. Both sets of torpedo tubes during the operation to take Makassar. Speed:35 kts
:::,j be reloaded rapidly from low TVro more, the.Arasfij and Hagikaze, Specification Endurance:9250 km (5,748 miles) at
:::r;ages flanking the forward funnel were sunk by a total of five torpedo hits 'Kagero' class (as built) 15 kts
--: Ln the after deckhouse, A 20-ship
::p=at class, the 'Yugumo' class, fol-
when the 'Tokyo Express' had the
tables turned on it at Vella Lavella in
Displacement: 2,035 tons standard and
2,490 tons full load
Armament: three twin 127-mm (S-in)
and two twin 25-mm AA gn:ns, and two
,:,';:d rn l94l-3, August 1943, The other'Kageros' were Dimensions:length 118,45 m (388.6 ft); quadruple 610-mm (24-in) torpedo
l:e Kagreros' themselves were the Amatsukaze, Hamakaze, Hatsu- beam l0,B m(35,4 ft); draught3.76 m tube mountings
:.=:'.:ly rnvolved, only one ship surviv- kaze, Hayashio, Isokaze, Kagero, (12,3 fr) Complement:240

i-bove;Arashicrealesanr'mpressivewakeatnearly35 kts.Justaftermidnight
on 7 August I 943, she and three other destroyers were intercepted by six US
sestoyers while on a resupply mission, and in a furious action lasting just 30
:iii.nufes sfte an d twoof her companionswere torpedoed and sunk.

.Abore.' Kiyoshimo cruises peacefully

ie,'op; Hibiki was Japan's first off UragainMay 1944, sevenmonths
'.+'eided warship, and was the only before meeting her end at the hands
.:-<a fs u,kz' ciass destroyer to suwive of US PT boats and aircraft. Similar to
!.e war. Her X turretwas replaced the'Kageros', the'Yugumo' class
w=i more lightAAweaponsin 1942, featured an improved bridge and
ard she ended the war carrying 28 I increased rnain battery elevation.
2i-mmcannon.
The Tokgo Express
As the battle for the Solomon Islands developed theJapanese were faced with the
problem of how to supply their troops in Guadalcanal in the face of US air
lupremacy; their solition was to use destroyers and fast transports which could get
in and outunder cover of darkness. These missions became so regular thatthey
were dubbed 'The Tol<yo Express'.
May 1942 saw the Japanese consolidating their
hold on the Solomons, lrom which they could
ihreaten not only the New Hebrides and Fiji but
also Australia itseif, Encouraged by their great
success of Midway, the Americans resolved
that the Solomons would be the point at which
the seemingly inexorable enemy tide wouid
be stemmed. A battle of wills thus developed,
with its centre on the strategically unimportant
island of Guadalcanal, and the contest flnally
cost both sides dearly,
By early July the Americans were qetting
ready to mount their very first amphrbious op-
eration of the war, an operation urqently
brought forward when aerial reconnaissance
showed that the Japanese were preparing an
airstrip on Guadalcanal and a seaplane base on
neighbowing Tulaqi. The landing, virtually un-
opposed, took place on 7 August and by 9
August apparently only mopping-up opera-
tions remained for the Americans,
Any complacency was rudely shattered on
the night of 9 August when Vice-Admiral
Gunichi Mikawa's cruisers bore in to inflict a
bloody defeat off Savo Island on the naval
forces covering the landing, Thls tactical de-
feat was, however, a strateglc success for the
enemy did not molest what should have been
their prlme target, the transports offshore,
Even so, these felt obliged to withdraw 1br
safety, leaving 16 000 US Marines unsupported
ashore. Working feverishly in the damp, ener-
vating heat, their engineers had the incom-
plete Japanese airstrip open for business by 15
August, and named it Henderson Field; it was
to play a crucial role in the campaign. A trickle
of supplles began to be flown in,reinforced by
raprd trips from destroyer/transports,
On the night of l7l18 August nearly 1,000
Japanese troops were landed by high-speed
transports escorted by seven fleet destroyers.
Their speed was just sufficient to be in and out
again within the hours ol darkness, and their
nocturnal activities were to become so regular
as to be named the 'TokYo ExPress',
For a week the enemy ran in small parcels of
troops to burld up the strength to take the is-
land, but even at this early stage they had to
work by night as American air cover by day
was too great a threat. In the early hours of 22
Augnrst the destroyer USSBlue (one of the pick-
ets so ineffective a fortnight prevtously at Savo)
was one of two radar-equipped ships sent to
rnterdict the Japanese, Again they were sur-
prised and the ship was heavily damaged by
torpedoes from the Kawakaze. She was later
scuttted and the enemy had claimed first
blood,
On 24 Auenrst the enemy tried direct assault
Whlle the inconclusive Battle of the Eastern
Solomons was being fouQtht between the main
fleets to engage the American presence, a
bombardment force of four destroyers under
the redoubtable Rear-Admiral Raizo Tanaka
ran a group ol transports down 'The Slot', the
long channel dividing the doubie chain ol the
Solomons. The destroyers duly 'softened up'
Henderson Field but had a transport set afire
and the destroyer Mutsuki disabled because
she dalhed too long and was caught by day-
light, The landing was called off and the Mulsu-
ki scuttled.
AJapanese destroyer lies off Floridaisland, the
northern perimeter of 'lronbottom' Sound. In the
almost nightly engagements off Guadalcanal, the
Japanese demonstrated a mastery of flotilla tactics
which proved very difficult for the Americans to
overcome.
By working out of the Shortlands, Tanaka was
just beyond the rangle ofthe Henderson-based
Douglas SBD bombers yet just able to com-
plete a smart return trip in the dark hours. Thus
three destroyers landed 350 men on the night
of 26127 Augn:st and I30 more on the following
night. Overconfident, the Japanese then lefl too
early on the next trip and were caughi at dusk,
iosing the Asagii, her embarked troops and
their supplies,
US air superiority after Midway forced the
Japanese to resupply their island garrisons under
cover of darl<ness, often using destroyers
converted to a transport role, such as this'Mutsuki'
cJass vesseJseen here caught at dawn stillwithin
range of US aircraft from Guadalcanal.
-+'
€
 It became the custom for the enemy des-
troyers, once thelr supercargo had been rapid-
ly offloaded, to spend a few minutes lobbing a
valedictory salvo or tvrro into the airfietd peri-
On 5/6 September the American des-
.ransports USS Gregory and USS trjlt1e
to interfere and were both sunk

By'mid-September the situation ashore was

mated, neither side having the strength to
isplace the other. The Japanese high com-
mand then made Guadalcanal a top-priority
goal, withdrawing the all-important destroyers
in rotation for modification. Stowage and AA
weapons were increased for the loss of some
main battery gnrns. Torpedoes were retained.
Supplemented by pottering Daihatsu
barges, the destroyers built up the Japanese
strength for an offensive. With the Americans in
greater strength than anticipated, this was de-
feated, the destroyers having to run urgently
needed replacements. Meanwhile, the Amer-
icans landed 4,000 more marines, but at the
cost of the carrier USS 77asp and a destroyer
from the covering force.

.+,
,:t- I

':
;l'
:'

:,i
:,.
.t

l_: #
==i.
5=i...fl*

"".'f
 Axis Destroyers of World War XI

During October Tanaka's destroyers work-

ed miracles, the nightly runs of the 'Tokyo Ex-
press' delivering 20,000 men with equlpment.
Henderson-based aircraft were a continuing
aggravation and heavy cruisers came down on
the nigrht of IIII2 October to bombard the
airfield, They ran straight into a superlor Amer-
ican force that had been covering one of their
own landings. In what became called the Battle
of Cape Esperance the unsuspecting Japanese
had their 'T' crossed and lost a cruiser and a
destroyer. TVro destroyers from the 'Express'
were also sunk by aircraft at f,rst light.
Determined to reduce Henderson, the
japanese bombed rt heavily twice in daylight
on 13 October, interfered with repairs to cra-
tered airstrlps by artillery fire and then, after
dark, brouqht down two battle-cruisers. In a
90-mrnute bombardment the airfleld was plas-
tered with over 900 rounds of 356-mm (I4-1n)
ammunition. Aviation spirit stocks and 48 alr-
craft were lost. More bombing on the followlng
day was foilowed by 750 rounds of 203-mm
(8-in) fire during the night from two heavy
cruisers, Simultaneously, the'Express' brought
in heavy reinforcements in transports, gamb-
ling on the parlous state of Henderson's defen-
ders to 1ie offshore during the day. Fieldlng
everything that remained, the Americans des-
troyed three transports and forced Tanaka to
withdraw. He returned with heary cruisers on
Dazed and battleweary, the defenders then A lapanese troop transport offGuadalcanal
the night of I5/i6 October, laying 900 rounds of r6ceives attention from a Boeing B- 17. Unusualiy.
203-mm and 300 ol ]27-mm (S-in) flre within the had to beat back the Japanese who, from 22 to
the bomberc have hittheir target and landing
shattered pertmeter, 26 October, committed everything to what was
barges scurry away from the stricken vessel
intended as a final assault, They fatled by a
narrow margin and Tanaka's destroyers were
given a very damaging reception irom arttllery
when they unwisely assumed from the lack of
Henderson cover that it was safe to support the
army by day.

.1\
,ir

.at\
3t r,, i::,,,

h.ours ofI4 November I iils lte-t-=-

an
i=::isaad desrrq-=r
Fieff ryitfts*elJEre.
the US N avy-w efea*y ior ri e:r .-:: c
Was:lingfo:
hpaaese juSt kfore'=:c:--3i: :
took only 7 minutes lc pi:;.;reti.ae
Kirlshirna :aith rap,ie
gqns- ?ieJaparese

Aflotilla of Japanese destroyers cruise towards
Guadalcanal, which they will resupply under
aver of darkness and hopefully be out of range of
US akcratt by dawn. Setting out too early was as
great adanger as beingcaughtoutin the morning,
as Asaqiiri d$coveted to her cost.
lmpatient for a decision, the Japanese
brought therr maln fleet south and engaged the
:ew American commander, Vice-Admiral
,',-lham F, Halsey, off Santa Cruz on 26 Octo-
i:er. Though suflering a prohlbitively expen-
si;e toll in aircraft and pilots, the Japanese
s:cceeded in adding the carrler USSHornet to
-:1e cost of Guadalcanal,
Dunng the first 10 days of November alone
-a:raka ran 65 destroyer sorties, his achieve-
:r=!t being to see hrs side outnumber the
-:-iericans ashore by 30,000 to 29,000, The cost
',';:s three destroyers damaqed.
ln 12 November the Japanese brought
::;.r 11,000 men in transports, covered by a
:::ce ihat included two battleships, American
:-:eJigence was good and they were ready but
-:= i:attle, early on 13 November, degenerated
-:-: a conirsed mel6e, the Americans losing
destroyers and two cruisers for one
Japanese battleship and two destroyers. Unde-
terred, the Japanese returned during the fo1-
Iowing night, the airfield again being swept by
1,400 assorted cruiser and destroyer rounds in
the space of 37 minutes. With daylight Hender-
son-based aircraft caught the culprits, sinking a
heavy cruiser, but they had diverted attention
from the 'Express', which had run in no less than
I0 transports. Six were lost to frantic air attack
and the remalnder beached to gmarantee their
deliveries. The enemy certainly did not lack
resolve, A heavy covering force also came
down 'The Slot' and was met by a similar Amer-
ican force near Savo island.
The battle-cruiser Kirishr'ma was over-
whelmed by gnrnfire from the battleship USS
Washtngton, and together with two American
and one Japanese destroyer lald her bones
alongside the remainder already littering what
1
was now known as Ironbottom Sound.
The cost had iesulted in only 2,000 of 7 000
Japanese troops actually being landed. The
Americans now outnumbered their foe by
40 000 to 25,000 and only Tanaka could prevent
disaster. His overworked destroyers were re-
Tfi e Yukikaze as sfi e appeared in I 94 5. H er X turret
was removed in I 944 in favour of more light AA
gans. Thus augnented, her AA armament
consisted of 24 25-mm and four I 3-mm weapons.
Her main armatnent remained two four-tube
mountings for the 610-mm (24-in) 'Long Lance'
torpedoes, four I 27 -m m ( 5 - in) gruns, and I 6 depth
charges.
 In eafly February I 943 the J apanese resolved to
abandon Guada,lcana,l and Tanaka's destroyer s
returned again, this time to evacuate the troops
they had suppfied so diligently. US forces did little
to intedere with a well-disgruised withdrawal, and
by 7 February all that remained of the J apanese
presence was wreckage, like this rusting
transport.

duced to delivering supplies by rubberized

containers, pushed overboard.
During the night of 30 November eight of his
destroyers, cluttered with supplies and per-
sonnel, were surprised by an American force
of five cruisers and six destroyers off Tassafar-
onga. The seasonedJapanese reacted instinc-
trvely and lreely with torpedoes, while the less-
experienced Americans betrayed their posi-
tions by reliance on radar-laid grunfire. Four
cruiserswere torpedoed, one was lost. Tanaka
lost one destroyer but had turned a potentiai
defeat into victory and still delivered the
goods.
Early December saw a spate of runs by up to
10 destroyers at a time, that on 12 December appreciate the position or were just relieved to
losing the destroyer Teruzuki to a PT boat's see the back of the Japanese, the only loss
torpedoes. Mechanicaliy unsound and bereft being a mined destroyer.
of air cover, the Japanese called a hait until the. The island had cost the Americans about
next moonless phase in earlyJanuary 1943 By 1,600 troops, and many more sailors; the enemy
now the Japanese high command had resolved had lost over 23,000. Both sides had lost 24 shlps
on Guadalcanal being evacuated as untakable apiece of destroyer size and above in numer-
and, on 14 January 1943 Tanaka ran in 600 crack ous skirmishes and seven major actions. The
troops to act as reargnrard, The evacuation itself Japanese fleet, experienced but outnumbered,
was, unbelievably, not opposed, In three op- acquitted itself admirabiy; while the Amer-
erations between 2 and 7 February, Tanaka icans, starting as 'rookies', stuck to their task,
used a cruiser and 20 destroyers to remove eventually emerging not only victorious but
every last soldier: the Americans either did not much the wiser.

,f{.'''-.
/.lt t'- -

&
 'Akitsuki' class

B-,. rar the larqest destroyers built in be installed where the after stack Speed:33 kts Above :'Akitsuki' class destroyers
ser-s by the Japanese, the 'Akitsuki' would normally have been, Endurance: 14825 km (9,212 miles) at were built as fast AA escorts to
class ships were conceived orignnally A feature of preceding classes had 18 kts operate with the carrier groups, #te
.i AA escorts comparable with the been their extremely light masts, but Affnament: four twin I 00-mm (3, 94-in) choice of eight I 00-mm (3.94-in) gruns
.r:--h 'Dido' and US 'Atlanta' cruiser the 'Akitsukis' were arnong the first to and two hvin 25-mm AA gmns, and one being more appropfiate to the task
:-.q<es ald, by companson, offered a have their masts strengTthened for the quadruple 61O-mm (24-in) torpedo than the bigger weapons fitted to US
:r-eap€r solution to the problem, The support ofthe considerable bulk ofthe tubemounting or R oy al N avy AA yessels.
:-=":-:e of a 100-mm (3.94-in) qun was T\pe 22 surveillance radar antenna, Complement:285
:::-:ably better than that of the 133,4- The size of the hull, combined wrth a
:-::: .5.25-in) and 127-mm (5-in) comparatively liqht gnrn armament and
r,-:apcns of the Western ships, whose few torpedoes, allowed more gener-
::-e :f fue was considerably lower, ous topweight margins than was cus-
::':Crl the lively hull of a destroyer tomary with Japanese destroyers, one
:::r; have made them less effective result beins a large depth-charge
':a: cruisers when firinq at aircraft, capacrty. Nearly 40 more hulls to two
-:ey were the only eight-gmn des- improved designs were planned but
::yers rn the fleet, and it never completed.
';culd seem thatJapanese
the quadruple torpe-
jr iube mounting was somethinq of a Specification
-aie addition, Though they had the 'Akitsuki' class (as built)
:asis of an effective design, the Displacement: 2,700 tons standard and
--apanese too had underestimated the 3,700 tons tul1]oad
ievastating effect of a determrned air Dimensions: lenqth 134. 12 m (440,0 ft);
a:tack and only four light automatic beam I 1,6 m (38, I ft); draught 4, 1 I m
1rs of the standard 25-mm calibre
',','ere ongrnally shipped. War experi-
(13 s ft) Carrying only alightgun armament andfour torpedo tubes, the'Akitsukis'
Propulsion: two sets ofgeared steam could accommodate a substantial depth-charge capacity. Their large hulls
:rce encouraQled the addition of more turbines delivering 38776 kW soonbristledwithlightAAweapons,40 to 50 25-mm guns beingfitted to the
-rirtually any opportunity, so that, by (52,000 shp) to hvo shafts units that were still operational in I 945 .
=:
-:e end of the war, those still aIloat (six
-r;=re sunk) could dispose of up to 50
s:ch weapons. Launched between
-:11 and 1944, the shrps of the class
;;ere the Akjtsuki, Fuyutsuki, Hanat-
su ki, H arutsuki, flatsulsukr, iVatsusu-
ki. Niitsuki, Sftimotsukr, Suzutsuki,
Terutsuki, Wakatsuki and Ioitsul<r,
The most drstinctive feature of the
:rass was the complex casing of the
sr::gle stack; extensive trunktnq en-
-::led the funnel to be sited far enouqh
.lai the bridge both to cut the smoke
p:cblem and greatly improve visibll-
--.' ,vhile placing it sufficiently far for-
-r;arC to permit extra AA platforms to

'AJo'tsu.[r' c/ass destroyers could

exily be distingaished by their
single funnel. Sitedwell abaft the
bridge, it allowed greater vkibility
a-n d iess smoke difficulty while
alJowing more AA weapons to be
shipped in the spacewhere their
contemporaries ftad a second sfack

I iiii"rr,r' ctass

Japanese destroyer losses rapidly

ou tpaced s hipy ar d pr oduction, and
in common with her enemies J apan
resorted to the construction of a
utility class ofescort destroyer.
Nevertfi ejess, the'Matsu' class were
better armed andmore comfortable
vesse/s tftan their AIIied equivalents.

2r32
Matsu' class (continued) Axis Destroyers of World War II
::iry desiem had rapidly to be de-
',':-oped, In profile this, the 'Matsu
class, looked large by virtue of the tvuo
+rndly and widely spaced funnels,
:'it it was the smallest both in terms of
=e ald displacement to be built since
,Torid War L The correct scale was
;rven by the qun mountings, which
.opeared overlarge, These were sim-
ple in the extreme, a single handwork-
ed 127-mm (5-in) weapon in a shield
:orward and a hvin in a open structure
ai. Installed power was little more
than one-third that of the fleet des-
ftoyers, but the 'Matsus' could still
manage about 28 kts, more than
adequate for convoy work. A respect-
able hvo dozen 25-mm automatic AA
weaons were carrled, though manY of
these were single-barrelled mount-
rngs, sited in very exposed positions
along the edges of the hull. Right
amidships was a quadruple 610-mm tendency to 'gro soft'. Specification. D esigned for r apid pr odu ction, th e
(24-in) torpedo tube bank; a new- Only 17 of the planned 28 'Matsus' 'Matsu'class 'M atsu' class's tur bines provided
pattern sextuple unlt had been pian- were so completed in 1944-5, by which Displacement: 1,260 tons standard and only about a third of the power of a
ned but not completed, In a ship of this time the design had been even further 1,530 tons full load tleet destroyer's machinery, but they
capacity and speed the hrbes were simplified into the 'Tachibana' class Dimensions:lenqth 100.0 m (328, I ft); were capable of a respectable 2 kts I
mainiy of defemive value but still had variant, of were laid down but
which 23 beam9,35 m (30.7 ft); draught 3.27 m The'Matsu' class fi ad ther fwo sets
the splinter-proof hou"^ from which many were not completed. NinetY (10.7 ft) of machinery arr ange d in sep at at e
this important weapon could be work- fi4ther units never proceeded beyond Propr:lsion: tvro sets ofgeared steam units for better damage control.
ed in some comfort. This, and the en- the planrung stage. By virtue of their turbines delivering 14 168 kW
closed bridge, contrasted with the being completed late in the war and (19,000 shp) to two shafts 127-mm (S-in) plus four triple and ,2
spartan appointments on British ships engaged on second-line duties. an un- Speed:27.5 kts single 25-mm AA gmns, and one
where, at the time, it seemed little usual number survived, losses amount- Endurance: 8350 km (5, IBB miles) at quadruple 61O-mm (24-in) torpedo
appreciated that a comicrtable crew ing to il. l6 kts tubemountingT
actually performed better, without the Armament: one twin and one single Complement:not known

'Generale' class
Lrke the Germans, the Italians oper- C antore, Generale Antonio C ascino, ro1, These mines, off western Sicily, Speed:30 kts
ated a large force of light destroyers Generale Antonio Chinotte, Gener' also claimed tvvo merchantmen, while Armament: three slngle 102-mm (4--:-.
alongside their main fleet uilts. Both ale Carlo Montanari, Generale Achil- the submarine also sank another and and hvo 76-mm (3-in) AA quns, tlvc
navies referred to these as torpedo Ie Papa and Genera,le Marcello Pre- an ltalian submarine by torpedo twin 450-mm ( i7, 72-in) torpedo tube
boats, a term which sometimes con- stlhari, Of similar size to the earlier mountings and up to iB mines
fuses the British reader, who may think ships, they carrred only tl-tree gmns, a Specification Complement: 105
of them in terms of MTBs. The nearest complement to which most were even- 'Generale' class (as built)
thrng to such ships in the Royal Navy tually reduced by wartime demands, Displacement: 635 tons standard and T he I talian n avy, like the G erman
were the 'Hunt' classes which were None of these small and elderly ships 890 tons full load navy, classified its Wht destroyers as
was employed in front-llne operations, Dimensions: lenqth 73.5 m (241.I ft); ' torpedo boats'. Eight-hundred- tbn
more robust but slower; equivalent to
the older enemy boats were the few but all nevertheless became war beam 7.33 m (24.0 ft); draught 2.5 m vesse/s moun fin g three I 0 2 - mm ( 4-
Admiralty 'S' class units still serving, casualties, Three were mined, one of (8.2 ft) in) gans, a pair of 450-mm ( I 7.7 -in)
The six'Generale'class ships were them the Chinotto, sinking in a field Propulsion: hvo sets ofsteam turbines torpedoes andup to 18 mines, the
the last of four very srmilar 73-m (239.5- laid by the British submarine HMSRoT- dehvering I I lBO kW (15,000 shp) to versatile'Generale' class were built
ft) classes which commenced with the gual during a particularly fruitfii pat- two shafts intheearly 1920s.
eight-stronqr'Pilo' class of i9l4-5.
These were narrow-gutted three-
slackers, typical destroyers of their
ime, which were dovrngrraded to tor-
:edo boat status betvveen the wars as
-:rger ships commrssioned. For their
:rze they were quite ambitiousiy
.med, with five single102-mm (4-in)
!:jns and twin440-mm (17.3-in) tor-
tvvo
;eCo tube mountings. The Qn;n layout
;ras hardly satisfactory, with one
::::'.[rting on the raised forecastle, two
--:ed amidships and two on the quar-
:::Ceck, no more than three being
=i:ctive on either beam. The four'Sir-
:cri' class ships squeezed in an extra
_---: on an already tight topweight re-
.e:-,-e. These dated from 1916-7 and
r:le followed by the eight 'La Masa'
rass shrps of I9l7-9, which had their
-.1::lament reduced to only four guns.
'- -gl9-20 came four'Palestro' class
.:-os sllghtly larger at 82 m (269 ft) to
:::]:mmodate a near 50 per cent in-
::=,-e rn power. Though these were to
:,:;: a follow-on in the 'Curtatone'
-r.as ti lg22-3, these two groups were
:-:r-aied by one last 73-m (239.5-ft)
:-:is 3e 'Generali', all six of which
n-=:: -a'lrched n I92I-2 by the single
::: :: Odero, at Sestn Ponente. The
-:,:: ?;ere the Genera/e Antonio
 ITALY
'Turbine' class
-::-::q foom 1927-8, the eight'Turbine'
class destroyers (Aquilone, Borea,
Espero, Euro, Nembo, Ostro, Turbine
=-:-t Zeffiro') were nearly identical with
--:e quartet of 'Sauro' class units that
::::edrately preceded them, the ma-
_:: dilference being an extra 3m
.i :4 ft) or so in lenQrth to accommodate
::. 3pDroxrnale I I per cent rncrease in
p,:-r,'er. A feature of both types was the
::-assive armoured 'plllbox' of a con-
:-:g tower that topped-off the en-
:::sed bridge, They were the last lta-
-a: destroyers to have the low velocity
l:-calrbre 120-mm (4.72-in) gnrns, all
-::cse following having a SO-calibre
-,r€apon, They were, however, the first
:: ::rcunt a second director for the a-fter
;::s thrs was srted between the torpe-
Gl w"uig"tore'class
iira"to' class
-:= :--r::---s-',: Soldato' class was the
-:::: 1:;elcpment of a sequence
--r: :E;-J -,.;ur the fow-ship'Dardo'
c.ass,-,::,-2 They used deck space
;=:; =i=:-;:.::;
: .': -:r by successfirlly trunk-
-:I ip:akes rnto one $ilf,stan-
-= :-::,:- :as-:g. Fow 120 mm (4.72-
do tube groups but was probably set
too low to be of very much use.
The four 'Sauro' class shtps were
destroyed as part ofthe hopelessly iso-
lated Red Sea squadron, while no less
than six of the 'Turblne' class were
sunk rn 1940. Each of the class, in com-
mon with most ltalian destroyers,
could carry over 50 mines, and four of
them thoroughly mined the waters off
Tobruk, The Axis garrison there \lras to
prove as much a problem to support as
later it did for the British, and the
Espero became the flrst casualty as
early as 28 June 1940 when cauqht by
the Australian cruiser HMAS Sydney,
the ship that went on to sink the crulser
Bartolomeo Colleoni off Cape Spada
only three weeks later, 'Stringbagrs'
and displacement was equalled by
those of the second grroup of 'Soldati' a
decade later, The 'Navigatori' were
produced at a time when high speed
was an obsession with the ltalians, Pa-
rallel with theu construction was that of
the first qroup of 'Condottiere' class
cruisers; often running without arma-
ment and stores, these were forced to
the point where they produced trial
speeds of better Ihan 42 kts. Only the
'Navigatori' were large enough to have
a hope of matchingr such performance
in a seaway and to prove this possible,
at least theoretically, their machinery
was overrun briefly on trials to return
better than 44 kts. They were exteme-
Iy lightly built and their seakeeping left
something to be desrred, though it was
improved later by increasinq their
freeboard. Another futile gestwe to-
ward weight-savinq was the original
in) guns were carried but, unlike the
British drsposition, these were sited in
two twin mountinqs, one on the fore-
castle deck and one on the same level
atop a house set well aft, savrng both
deckspace and topweiqht, Slightly
smaller than their British counterparts,
I Trrrbine jn thescfiemeslre adopted
,, -,:, $.
irF
,j,E
from the carrier HMS Eagle dsposed
ot lhe Zeffiro and a freighter, and
heavrly damaged the Eurtin Tobruk
harbour dunng early July, repeating
the exercise barely a fortnight larer
when they sank the Ostro and ly'embo
together with a freighter in the adja-
cent Gulf of Bomba, It was these same
aircraft, workrng from a shore base
near Port Sudan, that were to sink two
of the 'Sawos' in the Red Sea in the
followrng Aprrl. Carrier-based air
attack accounted for another pair on
the night of 16/17 Septembei when
HMS llluskjous blitzed Benqhazr, The
Euro was sunk by German bombers
after the ]talian capitulation, while the
Turbine hersell captwed by the Ger-
mans, was finally sunk by Amencan
provrsion of torpedo tubes of only 440-
mm (17.3-in) calibre,
Their fates were a reflection of the
confusron of loyaltres suffered by the
italians during the war, Eleven of the
12 were sunk: six of these losses were
from direct action by the British and
another by mine; two were sunk in ac-
tion wrth the Germans; one was scut-
tled; and the last was sunk in error by
an ltalian submarine. The Pancaldo
was an early loss, sunk by aircraft from
HMS EagJe outside Augusta after re-
tuming from the Battle of Calabria, She
was later salvaged and recommis
sioned, only to be sunk again (and
finally) by aircraft off Cape Bon in April
1943 while running supplies to the
remnants of the army in North Africa,
Another, the Pigafetta, was also sunk
twice, beingr scuttled at Fiume at the
Italian surrender, but refloated and put
the ltalian ships were more highly po-
wered, beinq deficrent only in their
torpedo complement, weapons that
the ltalians never valued very highly.
Their distinctive profile became very
much associated with the ltalian fleet
and was repeated in the largely similar
at Piraeus in I 942, was taken over by
the Germans after the ltalian
surrender andwas destroyed by
American aircraft off S alamis in I 944.
Turbine frerse/f topped 39 kts on
trials, butthe besfsea speedoffie
classwasnearer33 kts.
aircraft in September 1944,
Specification
'Turbine'class
Displacement: 1,090 tons standard and
1,700 tons frrll load
Dimensions: lengrth 92.65 m (304.0 ft);
beam 9,2 m (30,2 ft); draught 2.9 m
(9 5 ft)
Propulsion: two sets ofgeared steam
turbines delivering 29828 kW
(40,000 shp)
Speed:36 kts
Armament: two twin 120-mm (4.72-in)
andtwo single 40-mmAAgnrns, tlvo
triple 533-mm (2l-in) torpedo hrbe
mountings and up to 52 mrnes
Complemenl:180
The 'Navigatore' class were
designed above all to achieve high
speed, and sacrificed both
armament and seakeeping for this
end. They were constructed to
counter the threatposed by the
French'J aguar' and'Gu6pard' class
destroyers, but found themse]ves
fighting a very different war.
back into sewice by the Germans, only
to be destroyed by British air attack on
Trieste in February 1945.
Specification
'Navigatore'class
Displacement: 1,945 tons standard and
2,580 tons full load
Dimensions:lenarth 107,75 m (353.5 ft);
beam 10.2 m (33.5 ft); draught 3.5 m
(11 5ft)
Propulsion: two sets ofQleared steam
turbines deliverinq 37285 kW
(50,000 shp) to hvo shafts
Speed:38 kts
Armament: three twin I 20-mm (4, 72-
in) andthree singrle 37-mmAA guns,
hvo twin or triple 533-mm (2i-in)
torpedo tube mountingrs and up to 54
mlnes
Complement:225
'Folgore' class quartet built in parallel,
A feature was a separate director for
each pair of guns, allowrng hvo targets
to be engaqed effectively and srmul-
taneously.
It was to rmprove seaworthiness and
fighting qualitres that the four 'Maes-
Soldato' class (continued) Axis Destroyers of World War II
The most numerous class ever
ordered by the Italian navy, the
'Soldato'class trunked all their biier
uptakes into a single large funnel
casing, which created a very
distinctive silhouette. Once ag ain
they were highly pow e r e d an d
capableof upto39 kts.

Right: Like many Italian destroyers,

the'S old ato' cl ass emph asize d
speed at the expense of armament
and strength, and ffte Lanciere, seen
here, foundered in the storm after
the battle ofSirte, not because of
British action but simply because fter
Wht design betrayed her.
trale' class ships of 1934 were leng-
thened by nearly 10 m (32,8 ft), with a
proportionate increase in beam; in
other respects they and the four
'Oriani'class ships of 1936 were essen-
tially repeats, the latter having slightly
increased power,
With war in Europe looming the lta-
l-tan navy expanded, a l2-ship repeat
'Oriani' order being shared betvreen
fow yards. All were launched 1937-8
as the first gnoup of 'Soldati', and were
ihe Alpino, Artigliere, Ascari, Aviere,
Bersagliere, Camicia Nera, Carabi-
niere, Corazziere, Fuciliere, Geniere,
Granatiere and .Lanciere, Four of
:hese introduced the first major
:hange by taking a fifth l20-mm gmn rn
a single mounting between the torpe-
Jo tube groups. The arrangement was
kept in all but one of a further series of
seven, only five of which were com-
pieted,
The Lanciere, of the first grroup, and
iie 'Maestrale' class Sci?occo found-
:red in the qale through which the 2nd
3attle of Sirte was fought; they had suf-
::red no action damage and their loss
'.1-as
a reflection on the qenerally over-
-3ht scantlings used in Italian design,
::ur of the first gnoup and three of the
-.econd suwived the war, Of these the
-::ee were ceded to France and hvo of
:e others to the Soviet Umon.
Specification
Soldato' class (first senes)
):splacement: 1,830 tons standard and
- l-:itonsfullload
J:nersions: length 106.75 m (350.2 ft);
:-,-n 10, 15 m (33,3 ft); draught 3,6 m
,-:ft)
?:cpuJsion: two sets ofgeared steam
--_:res delivering 35794 kW in) and one 37-mm AA gn-rns, two triple Scirocco, fourtfi ship of the similar'Maestrale'class, alsowent down in the
-: -';0 shp) to two shafts) 533-mm (21-in) torpedo tube storm that overwhelmed Lanciere. Despite this terrihlevulnerability to heary
Speed:39 kts mountings and up to 48 mines seaS flre 'Maes trales' were judged an adequate desigm and were the basis {or
-r::rament: four or five 120-mm (4, 72- Complement:219 the'Soldato' class.

ITALY

'Ariete' class
--
*--
-ie 32 'Spica' class torpedo boats latter, necessary because of extensive their category, they adhered to only more rnstalled power bu: a'':'r;=l
'n
.
-:::ed in 1936-8, the ]talians were trunking from two separate boiler four of the small 450-mm (17.72-tn) greater topweight. Thrs r.a: -: I : .

.- -= :: adopt a sinqle-funnel arrange-
:=-- :he more efficient hull being
:i-:::- at the same speed as the pre-
:::-:g Curtatoni' for less power, Their
::::-: was remarkably similar to that
-
-:=
- J3ntemporary 'Oriani' class fleet
:;=:-,'ers, the major difference being
'-:= :--:h bulkier funnel casing of the
spaces, They also lacked the funnel
cap of the torpedo boats. With the 'Spi-
cas' the I00-mm (3,94-in) gun was intro-
duced; only three were carried and
they were essentially for use aQlatnst
ships, having an elevation of only 45'
and a rate of fire of about eiqht rounds
per minute, Surprisingly, considering
tubes and these were larqely wasted
by initially siding them as srngles, only
two tubes thus bearing on erther
broadsrde. Centreline twrn mountings
were later substituted.
The 'Ariete' class design was only
that of an improved 'Spica', whose ex-
tra beam demanded about 15 per cent
two extra torpedo tubes i::es= -ri=:=
never uprated Io the far I:-:l: -=:
533-mm/21-in). an Increa:+ :. :-:-
capacity from 20 to 28. ol d. =-i:, 1 =:.-
lncrease in depth chalgre :.ap::- ;
The ltahans used theu ic:!=:- :::--r
exlensively and effecu.'e:'; :: : :-:=-
laying,
'Anete' class (continued) F'.H.

Ariete was fle on lyvessel of the class to servewith the Italian navy, the others
being seized by the Germans in September 1943. The'Arietes'were improved l

'Spica' class boats intended primarily to protect convoys from a surface ,ji i:1
threat. The'Spicas' themselves became very active minelayers during the
war.

\ot wrtil i942-3 were the'Arieti'laid
::-.,.,n the fleet having by then the be-
:-eii of combat experience. Over 40
'-:-.s were planned in an extended
p:lgiramme but, though spread among
-:ee yards, oniy 16 (namely the AJa-
barda, Ariete, Arturo, Auriga, Bales-
tra, Daga, Dragone, Eridano, Fionda,
Gladio, Lancia, Pugnale, Rigel, Spa-
da, Spica and Ste//a Polare) were
actually laid down. Of these only the
nameship was actually dellered to
the ltalian fleet, a month before the
armrstice. The remainder, in vanous
stages of completion, fell rnto German
hands, only 13 of them actually seeing
service at sea, Only two (lrieie and
Balestra) survived to serve post-war,
both under the Yugoslav flag.
Specification
'Ariete'class
Displacement: 800 tons standard and
l, 125 tons full load
Dimensions: len gth 82.25 m (269, B ft);
beam 8.6 m (28.2 ft); draught 2.8 m
(9,2 ft)
Propulsion: two sets ofgeared steam
turbines deliverlng 16405 kW
(22,000 shp) to two shafts
Speed:31 kts
Armament: two single 100-mm (3. 94-
in) and two single 37-mm AA gmns, two
triple 450-mm (17,72-rn) torpedo tube
mountings and up to 28 mines
Complement:155

E :ff;" 34' or'Maass' class

The'Tlpe 34' or'Maass' class were
the first German destroyers to be
built since World War I . Of
conventional layout, their only major
problem w as lack of fre e bo ard,
which had disagreeable
conseguences in heavy seas.

Below: The'Type 34A' class were

again armed with new I 27 -mm ( 5 - in)
guns rather than the trusted I 05-mm
(4 . I -in) weapons in order to match
the broad s ide of con te m por ary
Frenchvessels. Some of the later
unitswere lengthened to improve
stability.

!
1i
I Leberecht Maass is seen rh a
f
*r disruptive camouflage pattern which
included a false bow wave and wash.
H Soon after completion she had her
tf hull strengthened by additional
* plating and her bow extended
i*
g slightly. The ship had the misfortune
rli.i to run into a minefield laid by Heinkel
He 1 1 I bombers in the North Sea.

'Y
l;T
'l1pe 34' or'Maass' class (continued) Axis Destroyers of World War II
:, ler cent bunker capacity. Karl Galstersfiows off her clipper
-:
-,rras the mrsfortune of the
eroup to bow, which was fitted to all
,-:: l0 of its number at Narvik, mainly subseguent Germ an destroyers. Her
:::ugh poor leadership. Another five machinery was theoretically capable
','.-:re lost later in the war, Durinqr the of 40 kts, but wartime shortages of
::.: couple of months of the war these m aterial m ad e m aintenance
.:--cs had contdbuted greatly to the incr e as ingly ditfi cult.
:,:rrig campaign offthe east coast that
::st the British dear. The ships in the
:-ass were lhe Leberecht Maass (Zi),
Georg Thiele (22), Max Schultz (23),
Richard Beitzen (24), Paul Jacobi (25),
Theodor Riedel (26), Hermann Sch6-
mann (ZZ), Bruno Heinemann (ZB),
Wolfgang Zenker (ZS), Hans Lody
(Zl0), Bernd von Arnim (ZlI), Erich Below:KarIGalsier was the Iourth of
Giese (Zl2), Erich Killner (213), six units ofthe'Type 36' destroyers,
Friedrich lhn (Zl4), Erich Steinbrinck which were slightly modified 'Type
(Zl5), Friedrich Eckoldt (216), Dieth- 34s'. All five of her sister ships were
er von Roder (217), Hans Lildemann sunk atNarvik, but 220 survived the
(ZlB), Hermann Kiine (219), KarI war and ended her days in Soviet
Galster (220), Wilhelm Heidkamp service in the Baltic, renamed the
(221) and Anton Schmitt (222). Protshnyi. Sfte wa s broken up in the
I 950s.
Specification
'Type 34'class (as built)
Displacement: 2,230 tors standard and
3, 160 tons full load
Dimensions:length 119.0 m (390.4 ft);
beam I 1.3 m (37, I ft); drauqht 3,8 m
.12 s ft)
Propulsion: two seats ofgreared steam
::rbines
.i0 deliverinq 52 199 kW
000 shp) to hvo shafts
Speed:38 kts
Endurance: B 150 kn (5, 064 miles) at
-9 ks
Armament: five single 127-mm (5-in),
.,';o lwin 37-mm AAand srxsingle 20-
:m AA gn:ns, two quadruple 533-mm
2 I -rn) torpedo tube mountings, and up
: 60 mrnes
Complement:315

reE :ff;" 36A' or 'zzg'classs

-.-= 'Type 364'class destroyers were
'-:'built and launched in 1940-2, and
- ,-e the fleet would have preferred a
.:-; enlarged from the 'Type 34'and
:=;:ble oflong-range operation, it re-
-=-','ed another slight stretch of the ori-
. = design with the major difference
-, = -ncrease in main battery calibre
: -:,1 mm (5,91 in). Thrs had 60 per
-- , lreater weight ofshot and a bet-
rr r::ge, but was diff,cult and slow for
--,:';crlcrng. The weight of the two
-:".'-i superimposed guns was to be
,' :-,' s-.:bstitutinq a twin turret, but this
::- = ,';hen it finally entered servrce,
, ,::-g tn development and trouble-
-' --.I --:s: ofthe class started their lives
cne sinqle mountinq forward
'-::--:,-_; ll did nothing for their frghting
-
: . =: =- certainly rmproved thetr
.: r'-=: j:J. Those that were retrofit-
r, - - :, re lwrn turret experienced
.: - - '...':a:rer.
;:3n water effects forward in
:r - A probiem with the
, ... --: :-ts-. poor manoeuvrability,
i! :.' : ledestgn of the area of
: ,-:.
- '-r ::ci ihe provrsion of twtn
The'Type 36A' class were enlarged
Type 36s, designed to carry I 50-mm
(5.9-in) guns, although the planned
double turretwas not always
available and single turrets had to
do. The larger gruns failed to live up
to expectation, the heavier shell
proving slow to hand-load.
rudders but, overall the 'Type 36A'did
not appeal to a seaman,
The initial order for the 'Type 36A'
comprized 223 lo 230, seven more,
Z3I ro 234 andZ37 to 239 (to a slightly
modifled design) were later added,
These ships, thouqh unnamed, were
popularly known as the'Narvik' ciass,
the name originatingwith the Germans
themselves, their Norweqran-based
units adopting somethinqiof the earlier
ships that had been destroyed there in
April 1940
Perhaps surprisingly, only sx ofthe
1
Laid down between N ovem ber ) 3 3 t
15 'Type 36As' were lost during the
?
.l and April 1940, the'TYpe 364'
war, Two of the survivors gave the vesse/s were essentially enlargeci
French fleet over a decade ofpost-war
!* 'Type 36'ships, more manoeuwahle
use while another, lhe 238, was actual- than their predecessors but sLtI
mediocre sea-boats. Those
destroyers that eventu ally rece:;'e:
the planned twin Wn tufiet in the .r-
position found their pertormance
further reduced.
'$pe 36A' or'223' class (continued)
self with a 'rogue' runner: the three
German ships involved had already
launched about 20 torpedoes rn a fruit-
less attempt to secure the same resultl
Specification
'Type 36A'class
Displacement: 2,600 tons standard and
225 aurses purposefully off the Norwegian coast before her conversion to
tsatbata' standard, which gave her an impressiveAA capacity of 12 37-mm
(1.45-in) and 18 20-mm (0.78-in) automaticweapons.Transferred to the
French navy, she serred as ffte Hoche unfiT J956.
EI :ff;" 368' or '235'class
the 243 was the last destroyer actually
completed for German service, This
was rn March 1944 but it was of only
academic importance as, by this stage
ofthe war, ocean operations had effec-
trvely ceased for the surface fleet,
which exrsted largely in the relative
safety of the Baitic.
The three units actually completed
(235, 236 and 243) had a main battery
disposition identrcal with that of the
earher 'Type 34s. but were given a
greatly enhanced AA outfit. By virtue
of the lower topweight of the 127-mm
armament it was possible to ship two
hvin 37-mm, and three quadruple and
three single 20-mm guns, the Qleneros-
ity of which scale reflected the aerial
threat at this stage in the war, As all
Gern'jan destroyers could lay mines,
the possible increase in capacity to 76
::IVANY
'SPl' or'240' class
reinstated early in enlarged
1941 as an
trio, which were to be followed by
another with hull number unspecified.
The design passed through several
phases before losrng favour and being
recast into the so-called'Zerstorer
i94l', construction beinqsuspended in
1942 and the incomplete hulls being
scrapped in 1943.
With range a problem in earlter des-
troyers, the SPs would have had better
endurance conferred by a three-shaft
'.i,i
*t'
3,600 tons tull load
Dimensions:length 127.0 m (416,67 ft)l
beam 12,0 m (39,4 ft); draught 3.9 m
(12,8 fl)
Propulsion: two sets ofgeared steam
turbrnes delivering 52 199 kW
(70,000 shp) to two shafts
Speed:36 kts
Z39was takenover by theRoyalNavy in 1945, buttransferred to theuSA.
Whereas many of her contemporaries ended up scuttled in the Skagerrak
loaded with poison gas shells, 239 was finally handed to France and
cannibalized for the ex-German destroyers inFrench sewice.
was rmportant,
The mrnelaying capacity of all three
was being utilized on the night of 11/12
December 1944 when, accompanied
by a pair of torpedo boats, they were
due to lay a field west of the Estontan
port of Reval, A combination of faulty
navigatron and a desire to 'press on'
despite darkness and very poor
weather conditions found the group
straying into an earlier field, Both the
235 and 236 were blown up mth their
full loads and ther complete crews,
The 243 suwived to support the north-
ern flank of the retreating German
armies in the last desperate weeks of
early 1945. Finally, damaged by
ground mines and bombing, she was
scuttled in the Geltinger Bucht,
layout, with steam turbrnes on the wingt
shafts and cruising-diesel drive on a
centreline shaft, They would have
been nearly 1O m (32.8 ft) longer than
the comparable 'Capitani Romani' of
the ltalian fleet and while lacking the
latters' speed, would have been still
more truly destroyers in concept,
Their extra srze would have made for
steadrer gmn platforms and justified the
150-mm (5,91-in) main battery, Final
innovations were the uprated torpedo
This unusual camouflage scheme
was adopted byZ37 while in the
Baltic in 1943.237 had avery active
war, finally being scuttled in
Bordeaux in August I 944 to avoid
capture by advancing Allied armies.
Her sister 238 was transferred to the
R oy al N avy in I 945 as l/MS Nonsuclr" I
i
1
Endurance: 10935 km (6,795 miies) at
19 kts
Armament:three single and one twin
150-mm (5,9-in), two twin 37-mm AA
and tve single 20-mm AA guns, two
quadruple 533-mm (21-in) torpedo
tube mountings and up to 60 mines
Complement:321
Specification
'T1pe 368'class
Displacement: 2,525 tons standard and
3,505 tons full load
Dimensions: len gth 127,0 m (4 16, 67 ft);
beam 12,0 m(39,4 ft); draught3,52 m
(i1 55ft)
Propulsion: two sets ofgeared steam
turbines delivering 52 199 kW
(70,000 shp) to two shafts
Speed:36 kts
Endurance: I I 120 km (6 9 10 miles) at
i9 kts
Armament: five single 127-mm (S-in),
two hyin37-mmAA andthree
quadruple and three single 20-mmAA
gnrns, two quadruple 533-mm (2]-in)
torpedo tube mountlngs and up to 76
mmes
Complement:321
tube battery and mrne stowage.
Beyond the SPs the Germans work-
ed on a couple of all-diesel designs,
The multidiesel layout was a popular
concept with their desigmers since the
proven reliability and economy of
those in the Panzerschiffe. Lighter dis-
tillate fuels were more readily avail-
able in Germany by synthesis than
heavy bunker oils, which had to be
tmported, The 'Type 42' class
embraced initially only one prototype,
Continuedonpaqe 2140
The Siftldng of Ht.lS Chargbdis
Despite the Royal Navy's dominance of north European watep th9 German su#ace
fteei was not t6 be underestimated. One cold October night in I 943 found British
destroyers and a light cruiser steaming to intercept a blockade runner off Brittany.
tJnobiewed, five German torpedo baats steered aconvergingcourse'
Cn the evening of 22 October 1943, a pewerful
F.oyal Nai,ry squadron left Plymouth, heading
lapidly into an overcast night, Comprlslng the
,ight crurser HMS Charybdis,
-the two fleet des'
:royers and four 'Hunts', group possessed
3ommand faciiities, together wilh a good torpe.
ic and close-range gun armament. What fol-
lowed, however, demonstrated that a force
sirongon paper can be of iittie,use if its compo-
nent parts have nol been drilled into a coheSive
.'rhole by exercise and expertence
FightingintheChannel
The planned operation was one of a series in
ine year before the tnva$ion of France' de-
signed to disrupl and drscourage enemy coas'
:a1 movements. These were usually on a small
scale, bui the brisk skirmishes that they pro-
':oked showed consistently ihat night frghting
'Jas very much a gamble, an ailey-cat extst-
ence where qulck reflexes and a measure ci
lood fortune were usuaily of greater signt-
-:arrce than fLrepower.
Blockade nrnner
Thrs particuiar nighi's attraction was the
:iockade-runner Munsterland, whicb had
::oved up from the Gironde to Brest and was,
::rrect1y, expected to be passed up-Channel,
l:on after midnlght, the Bri{ish force arrived at
. coint I1.25 km (7 miles) off lhe Brlttany coast
.:d turned westward on a planned intercept
r:jrse, Their quarry was, indeed, heading
:::ir n'ay but was close inshore with a small
i--:eslveeper escort, Farther out, however,
. .: iully expecting an encounter, were five
- cins' class torpedo boats, They were
. ::rarsed of radar contact with the British as
-.:--,' as 00,25 on 23 October, but the latter
: ,.:ably as a result of scatter from the rocl<y
..:kdrop oi the coasiline) became slowly
aware of the German plesence oniy through
overheard voice-radio transmtsslons.
The 'Elbings' were veterans of previous en-
counters and acted accordingly, moving north-
wardto distance themselves from their charge
before rounding eastward on a near reciprocal
course to the British. From the outset, ihe cruls-
B e low: An'Elbing' clas s tar pedo boal sfeams aI a
Ieisurely pace, sporting an interesting colour
scieme desjgrned to make her hull appear much
shorter than it really is. Althaugh o{ten called
'Elbings', half the class were actually built at
S chichau. Their main armament was two triple
5 33-mm ( 2 1 - in) torpedo tubes.
HMS Charybdis, w hich led th e E r : ti s i.
B elow :
squadron, was a' D ida' clas s an li - a ircr a f t c r u :. e :
mounting eight I l4-mm (4.5-in) guns ir. opet-
backedshiejds. She carried radarand oeleciec
the approachof the Germans, butfailed to tn!c:::.
her accomp any ing de s troyer s.
er exercised poor control, iailing iull" :
appreciat€ the danger and, not informri.:g ,,.=
accompanying destroyers even when ccl--:.-
ing a firm radar contact soon alter 01,3i I:...
was more surprlsrng because the shrp :-:,r
seen service in both the Malta convoys a:l :
-.'.'.-
Salerrro. (Toqether wrth HMS Scyila, she
trued wrrh eigh: 114,3 mrrv4,5 in guflS ci- ! .:
cf the non-availability of the intended la ,: j =
mmr5.25.in guns). By 01.45 the range hac cr';,-
ped Lo a bare 32km (2 miles) and i- -' -'
mans, expecting a hurricane of fire io ;:: - .
leashed on them at any mtnule, moved : -.- - , .
to rn line ahead, with 30 torpedo tubes L =,: .
.
They need ncjt have worried as ihe El.-:...
were still rn'iormation, elfectrvely rrra:-". .
each other's fire.
Torpedosalvo
In an attack ieminiscent of lapanese :a: .-'.
the Elblngs launched a total of 24 lorpe :-=.
virtually Simuitaneously, breaking c-- --:,
mediately to the southward. At this p:-:- :.-
Char.tbdishred starsheli; this disclosed :-= ,,-
pedo tracksr lhe menace of which eiie:.-'.'= '
ecvered the German's wiihdrawal. D"s:-,'=
violent avording action the cruiser was hi: :.',-- :-
on the port srde and rapidly capsized. ll' a: --:-
tioni the 'Hunt' class HMS Lirnboume los': :.::
bows to a toipedo and had to be sul,< :
chaolrc lvas the result oi thetr s;:: : '
onsiaught that the erremy were able ic j.s=:'.
gage without berng challenged or :: - ..
under fire Although Ihe Munsterlarc :,::.=- '-
escaped as a result ol the aclion sr- :-.'.
mrslortune lo be sunk in the follo* r.' . :r. :
after running aetround in the Dorrer S:r.--
Left : G e r m an torpedo bo ats af speed jn ii e i": ;:. ". .
Channei during the Channel Dash oi the
ba ttjecrursers. R AF o p e r at io ns in cr ea st.:
=-.'
festricted the Germans to nactutnai a c:: --.: : - '..
Charybdis Jearn ed to her cast the ir a b i. i :; e s .'. : : =
not to be undereslmated.
5P 1' or'240' class (continued)

ZSi a small (114-rn/374-ft) ship of only
2 -51 tons standard displacement and
a :c:r 127-mm (5-h) qun armament.
-a:k of supply caused the sx-dieseV
-:lee-shaft layout to be truncated to a
::-::-dreseVsrngle-shaft arangement.
-i=: -ra-lue was never known as she was
-n:e:ked by bombing while fltting out
-:: -345. Plans for largrer diesel des-
::l-;ers never reached the metal-
tr-::3g staQte,
Specification
'SPI'class
Displacement: 4,540 tons standard
Dimensions: lenqth 152,0 m (498.7 ft);
beam i4,6 m(47.9 ft); draught4,6 m
(15 i ft)
Propulsion: hvo sets ofQleared steam
turbines delivering 57792 kW
(77,500 shp) to the two wrng shafts and
one diesel delivering 108 13 kW
(14,500 bhp) to one centreline shaft
Speed: 36 kls on steam power
Endurance: 22250 kn (13,826 miles) al
19 kts
Armament:three twln 150-mm (5,91-
in), one twin BB-mm (3,46-in) DP, four
twin 37-mm AA and three quadruple
2O-mmAAgmns, tvrro quintuple 533-
mm (21-in) torpedo tube mountings,
andupto l40mines
Complement:not known
240 according to the final plan:240 to
242 wereTlpe 364 class destroyers,
cancelled but reinstated in 1941 as
anenlarged threesome lcnown as
'Zerstdrer l94I'. Their larger hulls
would have made a steady platform
for the I 50-mm (5.9-in) guns.
Torpedo armam ent w as also
increased.

trl Tiiil or'Etbins' ctass

both thus sunk in April 1944, though the
-: both world wars the German navy
:qerated so-called'torpedo boats' 724 levelled the score by torpedoing
:r'::.cn were diminutive destroyer{ype and sinkrng HMCS Aliabaskan, T\ryo
s::ps which, spared the need to oper- more, the 725 and 726, had already
3:. as umts of the main fleet, could be been sunk in the extraordinary day-
::-iderably smaller while beinq cap- light action of December 1943 when a
--e of carrying the same scale of tor- mrx of I I German shrps, hampered by
p,eices or mines. All wore flaq super- heavy seas, were savaged by h\to Brit-
-:: T as opposed to the 'Z' of des- rsh crursers in the Bay of Biscay,
::Iers. Despite their stature they
r::e capable ofgivingr a good account Specification
:: -:emselves. 'T22'class
);ring the i920s, among the new Displacement: 1, 295 tors standard and
3=rnan fleet's first ships, were built 1,755 tons full load Endurance: 9300 kn (5,789 miles) at Albatros was am ong the firstunits
-:-e iozen'Albatros' and'Iltis' class un- Dimensions:lenqrth 102,0 m (334.6 ft); 19 k1s built for the navy by the Weimar
-= lAese carned not only their torpe- beam 10.0 m (32.8 ft); drauqht 2.6 m Armament: four single 105-mm (4, 13- Re pu b lic, and her desigm reflected
::-; but three of the still-potent 105- (B s ft) in), two hvin 37-mm AA and sx single German experience in the I I I 4-8
(4.13-in) guns, and proved most Propulsion: two sets ofgeared steam 20-mm AA gnrns, two triple 533-mm war. Armed with six 500-mm ( I 9.6-
=:::
;=:saile il war. These were followed turbines delivering 23862 kW (21-in) torpedo tube mountings and up in) torpedoes and three 105-mm (4.1-
:r- 2r numbered ships of the'Type 35' (32,000 shp) to two shafts to 50 mines in) guns,lfie c/assserved as'maids ot
-,: Type 37 classes. Here the plan- Speed:33.5 kts Complement: 198 allwork' and all six were casualties.
:-::s had qot it unong, shrinking the
s:e of the craii and their armament
-::-l the shrps exhibited all the weak-
:-s;o,s of the smaller 'S' boats while
:-:-;-::g few oi ther virtues. The near-
r::::non desrgm was charactenzed by
: s-:gle heavily-trunked funnel that
si:,-ed iloth boiler rooms.
--:ese unpopular ships were fol-
.:tei by a very different vessel in the
'Type 39' class, in which a lS-ship
7::p iT22 to f36) was built by the
Schichau yard at Elbing,
=:;ererced
-:: ::-ca giiviag the ships their popular
-:::-e :he 'Elbing' class. They re-
=':::ed ihe two-funnelled layout and,
:rq:-:e ter lack of rarsed forecastle,
r.:r: -:::posilg enougth often to be mis-
:.:=- ::: fleet deslroyers. With an ex-
:a -l::- {S5 8 ft) of lenqth they could
=:::::-r:ciate four single 105-mm
;:--:'l:g ihe centreLine aswell as the
--1 :?;l iriple banks of torpedo
:-:e: -:e siups were launched in
---'l;,:
::::s- ci ttre torpedo boats, the
:-:'-; -re:e used widely in French
rr-=:=:s l::e;r tangled several times
;r-,--: i-,;::-:-:-based 'TYibals' of the
:r:::: ::as: l:e 727 ard ?29 were
.Snao&epoursfrom the sideof 724
fforegnound) as she reels from a
j-ockef salvo fred from RAF
Eeao-figlrters a t the mouth of the
G.rrond. Augnrst I 944. 724 sank ; her
@finparu-or. the destoyer 224,
rianagrd r€
ch her berth but
to
caps:zed sft ofiJy alte rw ar ds.

- I-
 Armed Forces of the World

Part I

TheArmy
The army of the Federal Republic of Germany, the
Bundeswehr, was formed in 1956 and was res-
iricted in size to 1 2 divisions by the 1 954 Agreement
of Paris, This restriction in size was an attempt to
prevent the worst excesses of influence and power
that the German army has generally exercised with-
in the German nation's affairs, and further to reduce
the impact of the army on society by introducing a
new concept of 'citizens in uniform'. ln reality neith-
er of these restrictions has prevented the new Bun-
deswehr from being one of the best trained, best
equipped and most powerful of the European
armies within the NATO structure.
The Bundeswehr can be divided into two main
components, the Field Army (Feldheed and the Ter-
ritorial Army (Territorialheer). The Feldheer is the
main force of the Bundeswehr, and in time of war
would take the field to become part of the NATO
'orces. The Territorialheer would remain under
iational control to defend rear areas.
The Feldheer is organized into three corps, I Corps
'':eadquartered at Mtinster, ll Corps at Ulm, and lll The Territorialheer is divided into a number of The Transportpanzer I entered service in I 979
districts under three commands; North (Nord), and is used for a wide variety of roles including
Corps at Koblenz. Between them the three corps
j,spose of six armoured divisions, four armoured South (SUd) and Schleswig-Holstein. Under these command and communications, engineering and
electronic warfare. It is fully amphibious and has
rfantry divisions. one mountain division and one districts and commands come three types of unit: anNBC system.
:'rborne division, but to these can be added a num- 12 home defence groups, 15 home defence regim-
:er of brigades and other corps troops that make up ents and 150 home defence companies. The home
: total of 66 tank battalions, 62 armoured infantry defence groups are virtually armoured infantry bri-
3attalions, 33 armoured artillery battalions, four gades, whlle the home defence regiments may be lncluded in the Bundeswehr are the Federal Bor-
'rrountain battalions and nine airborne battalions. likened to infantry regiments. The home defence der Guard (Bundesgrenzschutz or BGS), a force
-nere are also 1 1 armoured reconnaissance batta- companies cover a wide range of defence activities 20,000 strong and responsible for the security of a
cns, seven corps heavy artillery regiments, 1'1 di- and are intended mainly for locai use. To the above strip of territory 30 km (18,6 miles) deep along the
. sional artillery regiments, four heavy surface-to- can be added a fu rther 324 security platoons f ormed border with East Germany. lntended as a counter to
srrface battalions, three air-defence reg;ments from reservists, and again intended for local use. its East German equivalent, the BGS is organized
:lus one Roland alr-defence battalion) and 1 1 air- The Territorialheer also commands all other Bundes- lnto four commands, each with a number of groups
wehr units that do not come under the Feldheer, (Gruppen) containing two or three battalions. The
:efence regiments armed with 35-mm guns. ln
:Cdition there are three army aviation commands including schools, command staffs and so on. BGS is a fully militarized police force equipped with
:ach with one light helicopter regiment, one The Tenitorialheer also controls a number of units armoured vehicles, a few fixed-wing aircraft and 21
within the above-mentioned structure that do not helicopters. The BGS includes the now well-known
-edium transport helicopter regiment and one anti-
:ank guided weapon helicopter regiment. There is have exact counterparts in many other armies. They GSG9 anti-terrorist unit.
:tso a mixed aviation regiment. include reservist and conscripted local units who ln numerical terms the Bundeswehr contains ab-
I Corps has three armoured divislons each con- have a combat engineer function to create obstacles out 495.000 officers and men, of whom 230,500 are
: sting of two or three armoured brigades and one and demolitions to delay an advancing enemy. conscrlpts undergoing 15-month tours. On mobiliza-
:rmoured infantry brigade. Each armoured brigade Some o{ these units are at battalion strength, but tion thrs manpower total could be increased tc
-as two tank battalions (1 10 tanks), one armoured many are organized into purely local platoons. around 1,250.000.
lfantry battalion (46 APCs) and one artillery batta-
cn (18 self-propelled 155-mm/6.1-in howitzers).
-ne armoured infantry brigade has two or three
:rmoured infantry battalions (92 APCs), one tank
cattalion (54 tanks) and one artillery battalion (18
self-propelled 155-mm howltzers).
ll Corps has one armoured division, one armoured
nfantry division and the mountain division. The last
1as three brigades, whose infantry are carried in
'wheeled vehlcles and whose artillery battalions are
equipped wlth 1 05-mm (4.1 3-in) howitzers. ll Corps
also commands the single alrborne division but the
.three
airborne brigades which form part of this divi-
sion are distributed between the three corps. Each
airborne brigade has three parachute battalions and
sJpporting units.
lll Corps has two armoured divisions and one
:rmoured infantry division. ln addition to the three
:crps there rs in Schleswlg-Holstein one indepen-
:ent division that works with the Danish army.

I
lhe Marder MICV is operated by a four'man crew,
anries a sk-maninfantry squad, and has atwo-
turret. All Bundeswehr Marders except
=an
ammand versions are to carry Milan ATGWs'
Armed Forces of the World WestGermany G
Equipment more Marders are on order to replace some of the 'l
5 armoured infantry brigades
The basic service rifle of the Bundeswehr is the M 1 1 3s,and on the way are over 400 Transportpan- one mountain brigade
Heckler & Koch G-3, a 7.62-mm (0.3-in) assault zer 1 wheeled APCs. Numerically the most impor- three airborne brigades
weapon, The sub-machine gun is still the lsraeli tant tank is the 105-mm gunned Leopard 1 of which ln battalions terms the Feldheer has the following :

9-mm (0.312-in) Uzi, and the machine-gun is the
7.62-mm MG3, the modern version of the World
War ll MG42. Mortars are mainly lsraeli-made 120-
mm (4.72-in) Tampella or Soltam models. Personal
anti-tank protection continues to be the 44-mm
(1.73-in) Panzerfaust portable rocket-launcher,
while further up in size the Milan, TOW and HOT
guided weapons are used. Anti-aircraft defence is
given a high priority, with the Roland mlssile equip-
ping corps anti-aircraft battalions. The bulk of the
anti-aircraft regiments are equipped with 35-mm
Gepard self-propelled guns, but elsewhere the 20-
mm Rheinmetall Rh202 is widely used.
The artillery equipments cover a wide range.
Smallest in calibre are the OTO Melara 105-mm of
the mountain art;llery battalions. The FH-70 155-rnm
towed howitzer equips the divisional artillery batta-
lions, but most of the self-propelled howitzer batta-
lions assigned to brigades are the 1 55-mm lV 1 0942
from the United States. Mostof the M109A2s in use
some 2,43-l are in service, but these are now being 66 tank battalions
joined by increasing numbers of Leopard 2s with 62 armoured infantry battalions
120-mm main guns. ln time the remaining American 33 armoured artillery battalions
M4Bs in use will be entirely replaced by Leopard 2s. four mountain battalions
Other armoured vehicles include the Jagdpanzer 4-5 nine parachute battalions
tank destroyer, armed either with a 90-mm (3.54-in) To these can be added:
gun or a variety of guided missiles. A programme to '1
1 armoured reconnaissance battalions
convert all of these to carry the HOT missile is under 1 1 divisional artilleryregiments (M1 O7/LARS)
way. For reconnaissance the Luchs armoured car is seven heavy artillery battalions (M 1 1 0)
used. four Lance missile battalions
Helicopters include the French 46rospatiale three air-defence regiments
Alouette ll for observation and general light liaison 1 1 anti-aircraft regiments (Gepard)
use. For the medium transport role 107 American three army aviation commands (Alouette, BO 1 05,
Sikorsky CH-53Gs are used. Other helicopters in- cH-53)
clude the ubiquitous Bell UH-1 D and a number of one mixed aviation regiment
Alouette llls. For the anti-tank guided weapon role
the main type in use is now the PAH-1 , the MBB Territorialheer
BO105P equipped with HOT, and another B0 There are three territorial comnmnds, five military
BOlO5Ms are for general utility use. districts, 29 military region commands and B0 sub-
The equipment of the para-military BGS includes region commands overseeing :

have had some local modifications, such as a re-
vised breech mechanism to increase the rate of fire,
The Bundeswehr has two corps artillery battalions
equipped with the long-range l75-mm (6.89-in)
M107 self-propelled gun. One battery of the di-
visional artillery is equipped with the 203-mm (B-in)
M110 self-propelled howitzer. This howitzer has a
nuclear capability, but the nuclear warheads are
kept under US control, as ls the case with warheads
of the Lance surface-to-surface battalions. Also in-
cluded in the dlvisional artillery is one battalion
equipped with the 1 10-mm (4.33-in) LARS unguided
artillery rocket system. lt is expected that these will
be replaced by the American MLRS (Multlple
Launch Rocket System) in the fairly near future.
For armour the Bundeswehr has a large number
of equipments: in the APC category alone there are
3,095 American M113s and 2,136 Marder lCVs;
an indeterminate number of ex-British Saladin
armoured cars. APCs include large numbers of ex-
Swiss MOWAG SW-'1 s and SW-2s known generally
as the BGS Sonderwagen. For airborne reconnaiss-
ance use there are 21 Alouette lls and two Piaggio
P.149Ds. A single Dornier Do 2lA-3 makes up the
strength. To back up its ground strength the BGS is
armed with numbers of mortars. 20-mm cannon and
some anti-armour weapons.
Bundeswehr order of battle
There are three corps formed f rom 1 2 divisions:
six armoured divisions
lour armoured infantry divisions
one mountain division
one airborne division
These 12 divisions are formed f rom 36 brigades:
17 armoured brigades
six home defence brigades. each with two tank,
two infantry and one artillery battalions
six home defence brigades, each with one tank,
two infantry and one artillery battalions
fou r territorial service support com mands
15 home defence regiments
150 companies
324 security platoons
plus communicatlons, military police and service
units on mobilization
A Leopard 1A4 takes part in Exercise'Lionheart',
) 984. The Leopard lA3s featured a new welded
turret of spaced armour and a distinctivewedge-
shaped mantlet; the A4s were the final batch of
Leopard ls, with improved rangefinding
equipment.

tr'
rl
:1.