German destroyer Z29
Z29 was one of fifteen Type 1936A destroyers built for the Kriegsmarine (German Navy) during World War II. Completed in 1941, she took part in the Channel Dash in early 1942 as flagship of the escort force. Despite this venture to France, the ship spent most of the war in Norwegian waters, escorting German ships and laying minefields. Z29 participated in the indecisive Battle of the Barents Sea at the end of the year, during which she helped to sink a British minesweeper. The ship was damaged during the raid on the island of Spitsbergen in September 1943. Z29 was damaged by British aircraft attacking the battleship Tirpitz in July 1944. The ship escorted troop convoys from northern Norway when the Germans began evacuating the area beginning in October until she began an extensive refit in December.
Z29 in 1945 | |
History | |
---|---|
Nazi Germany | |
Name | Z29 |
Ordered | 23 April 1938 |
Builder | AG Weser (Deschimag), Bremen |
Yard number | W963 |
Laid down | 21 March 1940 |
Launched | 15 October 1940 |
Completed | 9 July 1941 |
Captured | 6 May 1945 |
Fate | Scuttled, 16 December 1946 |
General characteristics (as built) | |
Class and type | Type 1936A destroyer |
Displacement | |
Length | 127 m (416 ft 8 in) (o/a) |
Beam | 12 m (39 ft 4 in) |
Draft | 4.62 m (15 ft 2 in) |
Installed power | |
Propulsion | 2 × shafts; 2 × geared steam turbine sets |
Speed | 36 knots (67 km/h; 41 mph) |
Range | 2,950 nmi (5,460 km; 3,390 mi) at 19 knots (35 km/h; 22 mph) |
Complement | 332 |
Armament |
|
The war ended before the refit was completed and the ship was surrendered to the Allies in Germany. She was allocated to the United States when they divided up the surviving ships of the Kriegsmarine in late 1945. Still not fully seaworthy, Z29 was scuttled by the Americans in late 1946.