Together with the cruisers Köln, Leipzig, Nürnberg and other destroyers operations in the Danzig Beight.
121,0 mOverall length
3165 tMaximum displacement
37,0 knMaximum speed
325Complement
Design and service
The story of Z 15 Erich Steinbrinck
Z15 Erich Steinbrinck was part of the 3rd Destroyer Division at the outbreak of the war, operating in the Baltic Sea near Danzig and later transferred to the North Sea after the Polnish campaign. The ship took part in two mining operations in British coastal waters. From June 1941, the ship was stationed in Norway. She took part in Operation Sizilien in September 1943. In November 1943, Z15 Erich Steinbrinck was used for escort duties between Norway and Germany and patrols at Jutland. In June of 1944 the destroyer was badly damaged during an air raid on Hamburg and decommissioned on 10.05.1945. Taken over by the British, given to Russia where it was added to soviet fleet lists on 05.11.1945. Taken over by a Russian crew on 02.01.19146 it arrived in Libau three days later and was renamed to Pylikiy on 13. 02.
1946. Between 15. 02.
1946 and 13.02.1946 it served in the North Baltic Fleet and was put into reserve after that The ship was disarmed and reclassified as floating barrack PKZ-2 in 30.04.1949 at the Kronshtadt Naval Fortress. On 24.12.1955 it was transferred to Leningrad, removed from fleet lists on 12. 02.
1958 and scrapped after that.
Operational history
Service timeline
Damages Polish submarine Wilk with waterbombs.
Erich Steinbrinck covers the mine layers Cobra, Hansestadt Danzig, and Kaiser during the operation to lay the mine field "c" MARTHA-ZWEI in the North Sea. 555 Mines are laid during this operation.
Raid to intercept Britain - Scandinavia trade together with battleship Gneisenau, CL Köln and destroyers Wilhelm Heidkamp, Diether von Roeder, Karl Galster, Max Schulz, Paul Jakobi, Bernd von Arnim, Friedrich Ihn and Friedrich Eckoldt. No results.
Mine laying operations together with the destroyers Hans Lody and Friedrich Eckold against the Humber estuary. The returning ships are escorted by the light cruiser Nürnberg and the torpedo boats Iltis, Leopard, Wolf and Seeadler.
Mine laying operation together with the destroyers Herman Künne, Bruno Heinemann, Friedrich Ihn and Richard Beitzen against Newcastle. The returning ships are escorted by the light cruisers Nürnberg, Leipzig and Köln. Nürnberg and Köln are both hit by torpedoes of the British submarine Salmon.
Mine laying operations together with the destroyers Friedrich Eckold, Friedrich Ihn, Karl Galster, Richard Beitzen and Hermann Schoemann against the Themse estuary.
Participation in "Operation Juno". Together with the destroyers Hans Lody, Hermann Schoemann and Karl Galster and the torpedo boats Falke and Jaguar, the Erich Steinbrinck escorts the battleships Scharnhorst, Gneisenau and the cruiser Admiral Hipper.
Together with the destroyers Hans Lody, Hermann Schoemann and the torpedo boats Greif and Kondor, the Erich Steinbrinck escorts the bomb damaged Scharnhorst from Drontheim to Kiel.
Mine laying operation SW3. Together with the destroyers Paul Jakobi and Karl Galster and the torpedo boats Falke, Greif, Iltis, Jaguar, T5, T6, T7 and T8 the Erich Steinbrinck escorts the mine layers Corba, Roland and Tannenberg. The mine layers carry about 600 mines.
Transferred to Brest.
Mine laying operation at Falmouth Bay together with the destroyers Friedrich Eckold, Theodor Riedel, Hans Lody, Karl Galster, Paul Jakobi and Friedrich Ihn.
Operation against the Bristol Channel together with the destroyers Friedrich Ihn, Hans Lody, Karl Galster and the torpedo boats Falke, Greif, Jaguar, Kondor, Seeadler and Wolf. Short engangement with British cruisers and destroyers.
Paul Jakobi, Theodor Riedel, Friedrich Eckold, Erich Steinbrinck and Friedrich Ihn are returned to Germany.
Erich Steinbrinck, Bruno Heinemann and Friedrich Ihn are sent to Brest.
The destroyers Erich Steinbrinck, Bruno Heinemann and Friedrich Ihn are transferred to La Pallice.
Erich Steinbrinck, Bruno Heinemann and Friedrich Ihn escort the auxiliary cruiser Thor in the Biscay.
Erich Steinbrinck, Bruno Heinemann and Friedrich Ihn are relocated to Bordeaux.
The Troßschiff Nordmark is escorted by the destroyers Erich Steinbrinck, Bruno Heinemann and Friedrich Ihn from Le Havre to Boulogne.
Operation Rheinübung: The destroyers Friedrich Eckold, Hans Lody, Friedrich Ihn, Erich Steinbrinck, Karl Galster and Z20 escort the battleship Bismarck and the heavy cruiser Prinz Eugen from the Baltic Sea to Trondheim. After that, the destroyers return to Germany.
The 5th destroyer flotilla of Erich Steinbrinck, Friedrich Ihn, Bruno Heinemann, Z23 and Z24 is sent from La Pallice to Brest. On their way back, they escort the battleship Scharnhorst on its way to La Pallice.
The 5th destroyer flotilla consisting of Erich Steinbrinck, Friedrich Ihn, Bruno Heinemann, Z23 and Z24 escort the bomb damaged battleship Scharnhorst from La Pallice to Brest.
Erich Steinbrinck, Bruno Heinemann, Z23 and Z24 meet the auxiliary cruiser Orion in the Biskay and escort it to France.
Bruno Heinemann and Erich Steinbrinck are sent back to Germany.
Operation Rösselsprung: In a major operation of the battleship Tirpitz and the heavy cruisers Admiral Scheer, Lützow and Admiral Hipper against the allied convoy PQ17, several destroyers and torpedo boats escort the capital ships: Friedrich Ihn, Hans Lody, Karl Galster, Theodor Riedel, Richard Beitzen, Friedrich Eckoldt, Erich Steinbrinck, Z24, Z27, Z28, Z29, Z30, T7 and T15. The operation is cancelled, but the convoy is heavily attacked by U-boats and the Luftwaffe.
Erich Steinbrinck is sent to Trondheim.
After training excercises, the destroyer reports ready for duty in North Norway.
Friedrich Eckold, Erich Steinbrinck and Richard Beitzen escort the heavy cruiser Admiral Scheer to the Bear Islands.
Richard Beitzen, Friedrich Ihn and Erich Steinbrinck escort the minelayer Ulm during a mine laying operation north of North Norway. After the destroyers leave the minelayer, it is sunk by the British destroyers Marne, Martin and Onslaught.
Friedrich Eckold, Erich Steinbrinck and Richard Beitzen escort the heavy cruiser Admiral Scheer from Bear Island to Norway.
Erich Steinbrinck returns to Germany.
At a glance
Technical profile
Dimensions, armament, protection and performance.
Dimensions
- Size (Max)
- 3165 t
- Length (Total)
- 121,0 m
- Length (Waterline)
- 116,0 m
- Beam
- 11,3 m
- Draft
- 4,23 m
- Crew
- 325
Armament
- 12,7 cm L/45 C/36
- 5 (4 since 1944)
- 3,7 cm L/83 C/30
- 4 (14 since 1944)
- 2 cm MG L/65 C/30
- 6
- 53,3 cm Torpedo tubes
- 8
- Mines
- 60
Machinery
- Shafts
- 2
- Turbines
- 2
- Type
- Wagner Geared Turbines
Performance
- Total Performance
- 70000 shp
- Speed
- 37,0 kn
- Range
- 2680 sm at 19 kn
Construction record
Z 15 Erich Steinbrinck
- Laid down
- Blohm & Voß Hamburg, 30.03.1935
- Launched
- 24.09.1936
- Commissioned
- 31.05.1938
- Fate
- scrapped 1958
- Cost
- 14,1 Mio Reichsmark