Operation of the 1st and 2nd torpedo boat flotilla with T1, T4, T6, T7, T8, T9 and T10 against coastal shipping at the British east coast. The operation is cancelled after T6 is sunk after a mine hit near Aberdeen.
84,30 mOverall length
1088 tMaximum displacement
35,0 knMaximum speed
119Complement
Design and service
The story of Torpedoboot T4
After operations near Jutland and mining operations in the North Sea, T4 was sent to France in September 1940 for a short time. After a short visit in Germany, the 1st Torpedoboot Flotilla was relocated to Norway and disband in August 1941, T4 was transferred to the 2nd Torpedoboot Flotilla. After operations in Norway, some of those ships supported the advance of German troops during the invasion of the Soviet union and some participated in Operation Cerberus in 1942.
The remaining ships were was part of the torpedo training school in the Baltic Sea until mid 1943. From 1944, the 2nd Torpedoboot Flotilla was used for escort duties in the Baltic Sea. Handed over to the US after the war, who offered the ship to Denmark.
Planned conversion to MTB Command Ship canceled in 1950, scrapped in February 1952.
Operational history
Service timeline
On its way into the Atlantic, the heavy cruiser Admiral Hipper is escorted by the torpedo boats T1, T4, T5, T8, T9 and T12.
T2, T4, T5, T7, T8, T11 and T12 are attached to newly formed 2nd Torpedo Boat Flotilla.
T4, T7 and T12 are sent to Cherbourg.
T4, T7 and T12 escort the Auxiliary Cruiser Komet to Germany. During a British MTB attack, one boat is sunk by T4.
T2, T4, T7, T12 and T14 escort the auxiliary cruiser Thor from Wilhelmshaven to Brest. T2 and T4 also escort the ship to La Rochelle.
T2, T4, T5, T11 and T12 are transferred from St. Nazaire to Brest.
While doing trials in the Biscay, the battleship Scharnhorst is escorted by T2, T4, T5, T11 and T12.
The afterward torpedo tubes are replacd with a quadruple 2 cm anit-aircraft guns.
Torpedo boats T2, T4, T5, T11 and T12 are relocated to Le Havre.
Operation "Cerberus": On board of Z29, the "Füher der Zerstöer" and the destroyers Richard Beitzen, Paul Jakobi, Hermann Schoemann, Friedrich Ihn, Z25 and the torpedo boats T2, T4, T4, T11, T13, T15, T16, T17 Seeadler, Kondor, Jaguar, Falke and iescort the battleships Scharnhorst and Gneisenau and the heavy cruiser Prinz Eugen through the Channel from Brest ot Germany.
T4, T5 and T12 are sent to the Trondheimfjord.
Richard Beitzen and T4 are ordered back to Germany.
T4, T10, T13 and T14 are sent to Le Havre.
Mine laying operations of the 3rd torpedo boat flotilla consisting of T4, T10, T13 and T14 in the British Channel.
T4 and T10 escort the support ships Uckermarck and Ermland between Royan and Pallice.
Unsuccessfull attempt of the support ship Uckermarck to break out into the Atlantic. The ship is escorted back to La Pallice by T4, T10, T13 and T14.
T4, T10 and T14 escort the support ship Lido in the Biscay.
T4, T10, T14 and T19 escort the auxiliary cruiser Komet through the Channel. THe ships are attacked by 9 British escort vessels and 8 British MTB. Komet is sunk after a torpedo hit, the torpedo boats return to Brest.
T4, T12, T13, T21 and T22 are sent to the Biskay to meet the blockade runner Wismar. The search is abandoned as the ship cannot be found.
At a glance
Technical profile
Dimensions, armament, protection and performance.
Dimensions
- Size (Max)
- 1088 t
- Length (Total)
- 84,30 m
- Length (Waterline)
- 82,16 m
- Beam
- 8,62 m
- Draft
- 2,94 m
- Crew
- 119
Armament
- 10,5 cm L/45 C/32
- 1
- 3,7 cm MG
- 4 (since 1944)
- 2 cm MG L/65 C/39
- 5-12
- 53,3 cm Torpedo tubes
- 6 (3 since 1944)
- Mines
- 30
Machinery
- Shafts
- 2
- Turbines
- 2
- Type
- Wagner Geared Turbines
Performance
- Total Performance
- 31000 shp
- Speed
- 35,0 kn
- Range
- 1070 sm at 19 kn
Construction record
Torpedoboot T4
- Laid down
- F. Schichau Elbing, 29.12.1936
- Launched
- 15.04.1938
- Commissioned
- 27.05.1940
- Fate
- scrapped February 1952
- Cost
- 8,8 Mio Reichsmark