After the start of World War II the construction of all new destroyers were canceled. Instead 12 additional ships of the Zerstörer 1936A class were ordered.

To save material and increase the constructions time, some slight internal simplifications and engine modifications were done. The 15 cm gun turrets were taken from the already ordered O-Class battlecruisers.

The engines caused less trouble than those of the previous destroyers but at the end of the war the remaining ships showed some heavy corrosion in the boilers and tubes.