The S90 class of torpedo boats was a group of large torpedo boats built for the German Imperial Navy (Kaiserliche Marine) in the early 20th century. They were Hochsee-Torpedoboot ("High seas torpedo boat") built to varying designs by Schichau at Elbing (36 vessels) and Germaniawerft at Kiel (12 vessels). German torpedo boats were designated by shipbuilder, with the first letter of their designation reflecting their builder.[1]
 S90 in Kiel, c. 1901
| |
| Class overview | |
|---|---|
| Builders | Schichau (S), Germaniawerft (G) |
| Operators |  Imperial German Navy |
| Preceded by | SMS D10 |
| Succeeded by | S138 class |
| Built | 1899–1907 |
| In commission | 1899–1921 |
| Completed | 48 |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type | S90 class |
| Displacement |
|
| Length | 65.70 m (215 ft 7 in) o/a |
| Beam | 7 m (23 ft) |
| Draft | 2.63 m (8 ft 8 in) |
| Propulsion |
|
| Speed | 28 kn (52 km/h; 32 mph) |
| Range | 2,000 nmi (3,700 km; 2,300 mi) at 12 knots (22 km/h; 14 mph) |
| Complement | 2 officers, 67 enlisted |
| Armament |
|
Design
editGeneral characteristics and machinery
edit
These 48 vessels were built to ten different designs over the period 1898 to 1907. Thus they varied in dimensions, and they gradually increased in size as more vessels were built. The boats were 62.70 to 68.50 meters (205 ft 9 in to 224 ft 9 in) long at the waterline and 63 to 71.50 m (206 ft 8 in to 234 ft 7 in) long overall. They had beam (nautical) of 7 to 7.65 m (23 ft 0 in to 25 ft 1 in) and a draft of 2.03 to 3.22 m (6 ft 8 in to 10 ft 7 in).[2] The hull for each boat was divided into eleven watertight compartments, though after G132, a twelfth compartment was added. They had a crew of two officers and fifty-five enlisted men, though some of the boats had larger crews; S120 had four more sailors, while G132 had twelve more men, and G131 had a crew of three officers and 78 enlisted. When serving as half-flotilla flagships, the boats would have a flotilla leader's staff of four officers and eleven enlisted men in addition to the standard crew. The vessels carried a yawl and a dinghy apiece.[3]
The S90-class boats were propelled by a pair of vertical, 3-cylinder triple expansion steam engines that drove a pair of three-bladed screw propellers. Steam was provided by three coal-fired water-tube boilers. Two boats, S125 and G137, were fitted with Parsons steam turbines instead of the older reciprocating engines; G137 also received an additional boiler. The reciprocating engine-powered boats were rated at 27 to 30 knots (50 to 56 km/h; 31 to 35 mph) from 5,900 to 7,000 indicated horsepower (4,400 to 5,200 kW). Meanwhile, S125 and G137 were rated at 6,600 shaft horsepower (4,900 kW) and 28 knots (52 km/h; 32 mph), and 10,800 shp (8,100 kW) and 30 knots (56 km/h; 35 mph), respectively. The boats had storage capacity for 93 to 168 t (92 to 165 long tons; 103 to 185 short tons) of coal. As a result, cruising radius varied significantly, from 830 to 1,500 nautical miles (1,540 to 2,780 km; 960 to 1,730 mi) at 17 knots (31 km/h; 20 mph). Each vessel was equipped with one or two 4 to 8 kilowatts (5.4 to 10.7 hp) 110-Volt generators for electrical power. Steering was controlled with a pair of rudders, one at the stern and the other in the bow.[4]
Armament
editMost of the ships of the class were armed with a main battery of three 5 cm (2.0 in) SK L/40[5] guns in single pivot mounts. They were supplied with a total of 252 shells that weighed 1.75 kg (3 lb 14 oz). The guns had a muzzle velocity of 656 m/s (2,150 ft/s) and a maximum range of 6,200 yd (5,700 m) at their highest elevation of 20 degrees. G132, G133, G134, and G136 were equipped with four 5.2 cm (2 in) SK L/55 guns in single gun mounts. These guns fired a similar 1.75 kg shell at a muzzle velocity of 850 m/s (2,800 ft/s). The guns could elevate up to 20 degrees, at a maximum range of 7,100 m (7,800 yd). G135 was equipped with two of the 5.2 cm guns and one 8.8 cm (3.5 in) gun, while G137 had three 5.2 cm guns and one 8.8 cm gun. The 8.8 cm gun fired a shell weighing 7 kg (15 lb) at a muzzle velocity of 690 m/s (2,300 ft/s). The gun could be elevated to 25 degrees, for a maximum range of 8,790 m (9,610 yd). Many of the boats were rearmed throughout their time in service, trading their 5 cm or 5.2 cm guns for the more powerful 8.8 cm guns. All ships of the class carried three 45 cm (17.7 in) deck-mounted single torpedo tubes with five torpedoes.[3][6]
| Boat[8] | Laid down | Launched | Commissioned | Fate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| S90 | 26 July 1899 | 24 October 1899 | Scuttled 17 October 1914 | |
| S91 | 25 September 1899 | 24 April 1900 | Stricken 22 March 1921; sold 26 May 1921 for scrap | |
| S92 | 15 May 1900 | 27 June 1900 | Stricken 22 March 1921; sold 26 May 1921 for scrap | |
| S93 | 24 March 1900 | 14 July 1900 | Stricken 22 March 1921; sold 26 May 1921 for scrap | |
| S94 | 23 April 1900 | 27 July 1900 | Stricken 26 October 1920; sold 13 May 1921 for scrap | |
| S95 | 20 February 1900 | 29 August 1900 | Stricken 22 March 1921; sold 13 May 1921 for scrap | |
| S96 | 31 January 1900 | 27 September 1900 | Stricken 22 March 1921; sold 26 May 1921 for scrap | |
| S97 | 16 December 1899 | 28 May 1900 | Stricken 22 March 1921; sold 26 May 1921 for scrap | |
| S98 | 28 July 1900 | 4 November 1900 | Stricken 22 March 1921; sold 26 May 1921 for scrap | |
| S99 | 4 September 1900 | 13 December 1900 | Stricken 22 March 1921; sold 26 May 1921 for scrap | |
| S100 | 13 November 1900 | 18 April 1901 | Sunk in collision in the Baltic with ferry Preussen on 15 October 1915 | |
| S101 | 22 December 1900 | 30 May 1901 | Stricken 22 March 1921; sold 13 May 1921 for scrap | |
| S102 | 18 April 1901 | 18 July 1901 | Stricken 22 March 1921; sold 13 May 1921 for scrap | |
| S103 | 15 May 1901 | 17 September 1901 | Stricken 22 March 1921; sold 26 May 1921 for scrap | |
| S104 | 22 June 1901 | 7 October 1901 | Stricken 22 March 1921; sold 26 May 1921 for scrap | |
| S105 | 7 August 1901 | 17 November 1901 | Stricken 22 March 1921; sold 26 May 1921 for scrap | |
| S106 | 7 September 1901 | 9 December 1901 | Stricken 22 March 1921; sold 26 May 1921 for scrap | |
| S107 | 17 October 1901 | 27 January 1902 | Stricken 22 March 1921; sold 13 May 1921 for scrap | |
| G108 | 7 September 1901 | 26 March 1902 | Stricken 22 March 1921; broken up at Hamburg | |
| G109 | 9 November 1901 | 19 June 1902 | Stricken 22 March 1921; sold 13 May 1921 for scrap | |
| G110 | 9 September 1902 | 21 January 1903 | Stricken 22 March 1921; broken up at Hamburg | |
| G111 | 2 April 1902 | 21 July 1902 | Stricken 22 March 1921; sold 13 June 1921 for scrap | |
| G112 | 19 June 1902 | 6 September 1902 | Stricken 22 March 1920; sold 13 June 1921 for scrap | |
| G113 | 9 August 1902 | 16 October 1902 | Stricken 22 March 1921; sold 8 June 1921 for scrap | |
| S114 | 9 August 1902 | 25 October 1902 | Stricken 9 November 1920; sold 7 July 1921 for scrap | |
| S115 | 10 September 1902 | 22 February 1903 | Sunk by gunfire from HMS Undaunted and four destroyers in the Battle off Texel on 17 October 1914 | |
| S116 | 14 October 1902 | 28 March 1903 | Sunk by torpedo from HM submarine E.9 in North Sea on 6 October 1914 | |
| S117 | 4 February 1903 | 21 May 1903 | Sunk by gunfire from HMS Undaunted and four destroyers in the Battle off Texel on 17 October 1914 | |
| S118 | 21 March 1903 | 9 July 1903 | Sunk by gunfire from HMS Undaunted and four destroyers in the Battle off Texel on 17 October 1914 | |
| S119 | 8 July 1903 | 6 September 1903 | Sunk by gunfire from HMS Undaunted and four destroyers in the Battle off Texel on 17 October 1914 | |
| S120 | 10 February 1904 | 7 May 1904 | Stricken 22 March 1921; sold 28 May 1921 for scrap | |
| S121 | 3 March 1904 | 17 June 1904 | Stricken 22 March 1920; sold 13 June 1921 for scrap | |
| S122 | 23 April 1904 | 5 August 1904 | Sunk by mine in the North Sea on 5 October 1918 | |
| S123 | 25 June 1904 | 23 August 1904 | Sunk by mine in the North Sea on 1 May 1916 | |
| S124 | 3 August 1904 | 8 October 1904 | Sunk in the Baltic by collision with Danish ss Anglodane on 30 November 1914 | |
| S125 | 19 May 1904 | 4 April 1905 | Stricken 26 October 1920; sold 13 May 1921 for scrap | |
| S126 | 26 November 1904 | 30 April 1905 | Stricken[9] 22 March 1920; sold 13 June 1921 for scrap | |
| S127 | 12 January 1905 | 7 June 1905 | Stricken 22 March 1921; sold 28 May 1921 for scrap | |
| S128 | 25 February 1905 | 8 July 1905 | Stricken 22 March 1920; sold 13 June 1921 for scrap | |
| S129 | 4 March 1905 | 10 August 1905 | Wrecked in the North Sea on 5 November 1915 | |
| S130 | 27 April 1905 | 17 September 1905 | Stricken 22 March 1921; sold 28 May 1921 for scrap | |
| S131 | 25 May 1905 | 6 October 1905 | Stricken 22 March 1921; sold 28 May 1921 for scrap | |
| G132 | 12 May 1906 | 22 August 1906 | Stricken 22 March 1921; sold 28 May 1921 for scrap | |
| G133 | 30 June 1906 | 10 December 1906 | Stricken 22 March 1921; sold 28 May 1921 for scrap | |
| G134 | 23 July 1906 | 6 March 1907 | Stricken 9 November 1920; sold 13 May 1921 for scrap | |
| G135 | 7 September 1906 | 24 January 1907 | Stricken 25 May 1921; 10 October 1921 for scrap | |
| G136 | 25 August 1906 | 16 March 1907 | Stricken 21 July 1921; 20 August 1921 for scrap | |
| G137 | 24 January 1907 | 24 July 1907 | Stricken 22 March 1921, sold 28 May 1921 for scrap |
Service history
editMost of the ships served into World War I. S90 sank the Japanese cruiser Takachiho on 17 October 1914, and was scuttled at Tsingtao later that day. Four of these boats took part in the Battle off Texel on the exact same day, in which a British light cruiser and four destroyers destroyed the Seventh Half-Flotilla consisting of S119, S115, S117 and S118.
Footnotes
edit- ^ Gardiner and Gray, p. 164
- ^ Gröner, p. 170
- ^ a b Gröner, p. 169
- ^ Gröner, pp. 169–170
- ^ Regarding German naval gun nomenclature, SK stands for "Schnelladekanone" (quick-loading gun) and L refers to the "Länge" (length) of the gun in terms of calibers. In the case of these guns, they were 40 calibers in length, or 40 times long as they were in diameter.
- ^ Gardiner and Gray, p. 140
- ^ Erich Groner, German Warships 1815–1945, (Conway Maritime, 1990) Vol.1, pp.169
- ^ Original initial letter (which identifies builder) is shown; this was changed on 4 September 1914 from 'S' to 'T' for Nos. 90 to 113, and on 27 September 1916 from 'S' (or 'G') to 'T' for subsequent Nos. 113 to 137.
- ^ S126 had previously been cut in two and sunk by collision with cruiser Undine in the Baltic Sea on 17 November 1905; however the two halves were raised in May 1906, the ship was repaired in 1908 and restored to service.
References
edit- Gardiner, Robert, ed. (1979). Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1860–1905. London: Conway Maritime Press. ISBN 0-85177-133-5.
- Gardiner, Robert; Gray, Randal, eds. (1985). Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1906–1921. Annapolis: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 0-87021-907-3.
- Gröner, Erich (1990). German Warships: 1815–1945. Annapolis: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 0-87021-790-9.