Together with the light cruisers Nürnberg and Köln and the torpedo boats Iltis, Seeadler and Wolf, the Leopard escorts the returning destroyers Karl Galster, Herman Künne, Hans Lüdemann and Wilhelm Heidkamp after a mine laying operation against the Themse estuary.
92,60 mOverall length
1320 tMaximum displacement
35,2 knMaximum speed
119-129Complement
Design and service
The story of Leopard
Leopard was part of the 6th Torpedoboot Flotilla at the outbreak of the war and took part in minelaying operations until spring 1940. During Operation "Weserübung", the minelayer Preussen rammed Leopard near Jutland on 30 April 1940. The torpedo boat sank at 58°N, 10°E.
Operational history
Service timeline
Together with the light cruisers Nürnberg and Leipzig and the torpedo boats Seeadler and Iltis, the Leopard escorts the returning destroyers Bernd von Arnim, Herman Künne and Wilhelm Heidkamp after a mine laying operation against the Themse estuary.
Together with the light cruiser Nürnberg and the torpedo boats Seeadler, Wolf and Iltis, the Leopard escorts the returning destroyers Erich Steinbrinck, Hans Lody and Friedrich Eckold after a mine laying operation against the Humber estuary.
Merchant warfare near Jutland together with Panzerschiff Lützow, the cruisers Köln and Leipzig and the torpedo boats Iltis and Seeadler.
Merchant warfare near Jutland together with Panzerschiff Lützow, the cruisers Köln and Leipzig and the torpedo boats Iltis, Wolf and Seeadler.
Together with the torpedo boat Wolf, the Leopard escorts the auxiliary cruiser Atlantis through the North Sea.
Operation Weserübung: Leopard joins the torpedo boat Wolf in the Bergen Attack Group.
Together with the destroyers Richard Beitzen and Bruno Heinemann and the torpedo boats Kondor, Möwe and Wolf, the Leopard escorts the mine layers Kaiser, Roland and Preussen while laying the mine field 17n. The mine layers carry over 1000 mines.
After a rudder failure, the Leopard is lost after being rammed by the mine layer Kaiser. All but one crw members - the son of the chief of fleet - are rescued.
At a glance
Technical profile
Dimensions, armament, protection and performance.
Dimensions
- Size (Max)
- 1320 t
- Length (Total)
- 92,60 m
- Length (Waterline)
- 89,00 m
- Beam
- 8,60 m
- Draft
- 2,83 m
- Crew
- 119-129
Armament
- 12,7 cm
- 3 (since 1932)
- 10,5 cm L/45 C/32
- 3 (until 1932)
- 2 cm Flak L/65 C/39
- 2
- 53,3 cm Torpedo Tubes
- 6 (since 1931)
- 50 cm Torpedo Tubes
- 6 (unitl 1931)
- Mines
- 30
Machinery
- Shafts
- 2
- Turbines
- 2
- Type
- Brown, Boveri & Cie Geared Tubrines
Performance
- Total Performance
- 25500 shp
- Speed
- 35,2 kn
- Range
- 2000 sm at 17 kn
Construction record
Leopard
- Laid down
- Marinewerft Wilhelmshaven, 04.05.1927
- Launched
- 15.03.1928
- Commissioned
- 01.06.1928
- Fate
- sunk on 30.04.1940