Together with the torpedo boat Seeadler, the Luchs escorts the auxiliary cruiser Orion through the North Sea.
92,60 mOverall length
1320 tMaximum displacement
35,2 knMaximum speed
119-129Complement
Design and service
The story of Luchs
Luchs was part of the 6th Torpedoboot Flotilla at the outbreak of the war and took part in minelaying operations until spring 1940. She also participated in Operation "Weserübung" in April 1940.
While escorting the damaged battlecruiser Gneisenau in the North Sea, Luchs was torpedoed on 26 July 1940. German records attributed the attack to the British submarine Swordfish, while British sources credit Thames. Luchs sank at 58°30′N, 4°30′E.
Operational history
Service timeline
Operation Weserübung: Luchs joins the torpedo boats Greif and Seeadler in the Kristiansand Attack Group.
Together with the torpedo boats Greif, T5, Iltis and Jaguar, the Luchs escorts the mine layers Cobra, Hansestadt Danzig, Kaiser Königin Louise, Preussen and Roland while laying the mine field NW2 in the North Sea.
Transfer of the damaged Gneisenau back to Germany, the battleship is escorted by light cruiser Nürnberg and the destroyers Hans Lody, Paul Jakobi, Friedrich Ihn and Karl Galster, the torpedo boats Iltis, Jaguar, Kondor, Luchs and T5.
Luchs is sunk by a torpedo of the British submarine Clyde.
At a glance
Technical profile
Dimensions, armament, protection and performance.
Dimensions
- Size (Max)
- 1320 t
- Length (Total)
- 92,60 m
- Length (Waterline)
- 89,00 m
- Beam
- 8,60 m
- Draft
- 2,83 m
- Crew
- 119-129
Armament
- 10,5 cm L/45 C/32
- 3
- 2 cm Flak L/65 C/39
- 2
- 53,3 cm Torpedo Tubes
- 6 (since 1931)
- 50 cm Torpedo Tubes
- 6 (unitl 1931)
- Mines
- 30
Machinery
- Shafts
- 2
- Turbines
- 2
- Type
- Schichau geared Tubrines
Performance
- Total Performance
- 25500 shp
- Speed
- 35,2 kn
- Range
- 2000 sm at 17 kn
The archive
Photographs
Original postcard and photographic material from the private collection.
Construction record
Luchs
- Laid down
- Marinewerft Wilhelmshaven, 02.04.1927
- Launched
- 15.03.1928
- Commissioned
- 15.04.1929
- Fate
- sunk on 26.07.1940