Profile drawing of Falke
87,70 mOverall length
1290 tMaximum displacement
33,6 knMaximum speed
120-129Complement

Design and service

The story of Falke

Falke was part of the 5th Torpedoboot Flotilla at the outbreak of the war and took part in the Westwall minelaying operations until 24 September 1939. She then escorted light cruisers sent to meet destroyers returning from minelaying operations in British coastal waters, followed by repairs and refits at Stettin. Transferred to France, Falke participated in defensive minelaying operations between September 1940 and spring 1941 before undergoing repairs in Rotterdam.

After operations in the Baltic Sea and off Jutland, Falke took part in Operation "Cerberus" in February 1942. She returned to France in November 1942 and attacked Allied landing forces off Normandy in 1944, including the action in which the Norwegian destroyer Svenner was sunk. British Lancaster bombers sank Falke at Le Havre on 15 June 1944.

Operational history

Service timeline

Participation in "Operation Juno". Together with the destroyers Hans Lody, Hermann Schoemann, Erich Steinbrinck and Karl Galster and the torpedo boat Jaguar, the Falke escorts the battleships Scharnhorst, Gneisenau and the cruiser Admiral Hipper.

Together with the torpedo boat Jaguar, the Falke escorts the auxiliary cruiser Thor in the North Sea.

Together with the torpedo boat Jaguar, the Falke escorts the auxiliary cruiser Pinguin in the North Sea.

Together with the torpedo boats Kondor, Jaguar, T2, T7 and T8, the Falke escorts the mine layers Cobra, Roland and Brumer while laying the mine field SW1. The mine layers carry over 600 mines.

Together with the destroyers Paul Jakobi and Karl Galster and the torpedo boats Iltis, Jaguar, Kondor, T5 and T7, the Falke escorts the mine layers Corba, Roland and Tanneberg while laying the mine field SW2. The mine layers carry 600 mines.

Mine laying operation SW3. Together with the destroyers Paul Jakobi, Karl Galster and Erich Steinbrinck and the torpedo boats Greif, Iltis, Jaguar, T5, T6, T7 and T8 the Falke escorts the mine layers Corba, Roland and Tannenberg. The mine layers carry about 600 mines.

The destroyer Karl Galster and the torpedo boats Falke, Greif, Ilits, Jaguar, Kondor, T1, T2 and T3 excecute a mine laying operation in the south western North Sea.

Mine laying operation SW0: The destroyer Karl Galster and the torpedo boat Kondor cover the mine laying operation of the mine layers Kaiser, Togo and the torpedo boats Greif, Falke and Iltis. The mine layers carry 405 mines while the torpedo boats about 1000 explosive buoys.

Mine laying operation at Dover together with the torpedo boats Greif, Kondor and Seeadler.

Operation of the 5. Torpedo boat flotilla against the Isle of Wright.

Operation of the 5. Torpedo boat flotilla against the Isle of Wright. The French submarine hunters Ch6 and Ch7 and the British armed trawlers Listrac and Warwick Deeping are sunk.

Operation against the Bristol Channel together with the destroyers Friedrich Ihn, Erick Steinbrinck, Hans Lody, Karl Galster and the torpedo boats Greif, Jaguar, Kondor, Seeadler and Wolf. Short engangement with British cruisers and destroyers.

Mine laying operation of Greif, Falke, Kondor and Seeadler near Dover.

The torpedo boats Falke, Greif and Seeadler cover the mine laying operation for the mine field "SW a WAGNER" in the North Sea.. The mine layers Corba, Roland, Kaiser and Skagerak carry a total of 982 mines, the torpedo boats Iltis and Jaguar 400 explosive buoys.

The torpedo boats Falke, Greif, Seeadler, T1, T7, T9, T10 and T12 escort the battleships Scharnhorst and Gneisenau during their attempt to break into the North Atlantic. The operation is aborted.

Falke, T5, T9 and T10 escort the battleships Scharnhorst and Gneisenau on their way into the Atlantic.

Mine laying operation "22 Rügen" of the mine layers Brummer, Königin Luise and Tannenberg. The mine layers are escorted by the torpedo boats Falke, T5, T9, T10 and T12.

The torpedo boats Greif, Falke, Jaguar and Seeadler are sent to Denmark.

Greif, Falke, Jaguar and Seeadler escort the light cruiser Nürnberg to Horten. On their way back, they escort the light cruisers Emden and Leipzig to Frederikshavn.

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, T12, 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.

Falke, Iltis, Jaguar, Kondor, Seeadler and several mine hunters escort the voyage of the auxiliary cruiser Michel thourh the Channel to La Pallice. The ships are attacked by the British destroyers Windsor and Walpole, the escort vessel Ferne and several MTB/MGB.

Operation of the torpedo boats Falke, Iltis, Jaguar, Kondor and Seeadler against British small attack boats. Two of them (MGB 314 and MTB 74) are sunk or captured.

The 5th T-flotilla consisting of Falke, Iltis, Kondor and Seeadler sail from Brest to the Hoek van Holland to escort the auxiliary cruiser Stier.

On its way through the channel, the auxiliay cruiser Stier, covered by Falke, Iltis, Kondor and Seeadler, the ships are attacked by British forces. Near Cape Griz Niez, Seeadler sinks the British MTB 200. After Iltis and Seeadler got sunk by other MTB on the 13th, the convoy departs to Bologne. Escroted by the remaining torpedo boats, the Stier continues to La Palice and Royan.

The torpedo boats Falke, T13 and T19 escort the blockade runner Templin through the Biscay. During the operation, the ships are attacked by allied aircraft.

Falke, T13, T19 and T22 escort the blockade runner Elm into the Biscay.

At a glance

Technical profile

Dimensions, armament, protection and performance.

Dimensions

Size (Max)
1290 t
Length (Total)
87,70 m
Length (Waterline)
85,70 m
Beam
8,43 m
Draft
3,65 m
Crew
120-129

Armament

10,5 cm L/45 C/32
3
2 cm Flak L/65 C/39
2 (7 since 1942)
53,3 cm Torpedo Tubes
6 (since 1931)
50 cm Torpedo Tubes
6 (unitl 1931)
Mines
30

Machinery

Shafts
2
Turbines
2
Type
Blohm & Voß geared Tubrines

Performance

Total Performance
24829shp
Speed
33,6 kn
Range
1800 sm at 17 kn

The archive

Photographs

Original postcard and photographic material from the private collection.

Torpedoboot Falke (Postcard by Verlag M. Dieterle, Kiel)
Torpedoboot Falke (Postcard by Verlag M. Dieterle, Kiel)

Construction record

Falke

Laid down
Reichsmarinewerft Wilhelmshaven, 17.11.1925
Launched
22.09.1926
Commissioned
15.08.1927
Fate
sunk on 15.06.1944