Profile drawing for Torpedobootzerstörer

Design and service

The class

Unlike the British Navy, the German Hochseeflotte favored small torpedo boats instead of the larger destroyers that were built in Britain. With the outbreak of the war, the German Navy wanted to test if a larger "Torpedoboot-Zerstörer" - a torpedo boat destroyer would fit into the naval construction program, therefore 8 boats of the Torpedoboot-Zerstörer class were ordered in the end of 1914.

As there was no design for such a ship available, a modified design of destroyers that were built for the Russian Navy in 1912 was used for this class of ships. The same shipyards (Blohm&Voss and Vulcan) that had built the destroyers for the Russian Navy were used to build these ships. Multiple parts that were used in the Torpedoboot-Zerstörer - like the turbines - were originally built for a class of Russian destroyers which were laid down in Russia, but because of the war, this material was not delivered to them anymore.

The boats were first completed with the usual 8,8 cm guns, but in 1916 they were refitted with the larger 10,5 cm ones. A quite remarkable feature of the V100 was the float plane which could be carried on the stern of the boat.

Only one of them was lost during the war. Most of them were scuttled in Scapa Flow in 1919 with the rest of the Hochseeflotte.

Construction records

Boats of the class

8 boats and their recorded construction details and fates.

8 boats
Construction and fate of the boats in this class
NameConstructionLaunchedCommissionedFate
B97Blohm & Voss Hamburg, 191415.12.191413.02.1915Delivered to Italy 16.09.1920, renamed Cesare Rossarol and used until 17.01.1939
B98Blohm & Voss Hamburg, 191402.01.191524.03.1915Used as a postboat for the German ships interned at Scapa Flow, taken over by Britain and scrapped.
V99Vulcan-Werke AG Stettin, 191409.02.191520.04.1915Sunk in the Baltic Sea on 17.08.1915.
V100Vulcan-Werke AG Stettin, 191408.03.191517.06.1915Interned in Scapa Flow since 22.11.1918, scutling on 21.06.1919 failed. Taken over by France, scrapped 1921.
B109Blohm & Voss Hamburg, 191411.03.191508.06.1915Interned in Scapa Flow since 22.11.1918, scuttled on 21.06.1919.
B110Blohm & Voss Hamburg, 191431.03.191526.06.1915Interned in Scapa Flow since 22.11.1918, scuttled on 21.06.1919.
B111Blohm & Voss Hamburg, 191408.06.191510.08.1915Interned in Scapa Flow since 22.11.1918, scuttled on 21.06.1919.
B112Blohm & Voss Hamburg, 191417.06.191503.09.1915Interned in Scapa Flow since 22.11.1918, scuttled on 21.06.1919.

At a glance

Technical profile

Principal dimensions, armament, machinery and performance.

Dimensions

Size (Max)
1843 t
Length (Total)
98,15 - 99,45 m
Length (Waterline)
96,00 -97,85 m
Beam
9,32 - 9,35 m
Draft
4,05 m (max)
Crew
114

Armament

10,5 cm L/45
4 (since summer 1916)
8,8 cm L/45 (3,4")
4 (until summer 1916)
45 cm torpedo tubes
6
Mines
12
Floatplane
1 (only V100 )

Machinery

Shafts
2
Turbines
2
Type
Marine geared turbines

Performance

Total Performance
36727 - 42104 shp
Speed
35,5 - 37,2 kn
Range
2250-2620 miles at 20 kn

The archive

Models

Ship models in 1/1250 scale.

Torpedobootzerstörer B97
Torpedobootzerstörer B97