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Z35 file photo [30705]

Z35

CountryGermany
Ship Class1936B-class Destroyer
BuilderDeutsche Schiff- und Maschinenbau AG
Yard Number1005
Slip/Drydock NumberI
Ordered17 Feb 1941
Laid Down6 Jun 1941
Launched2 Oct 1942
Commissioned22 Sep 1943
Sunk12 Dec 1944
Displacement2,559 tons standard; 3,599 tons full
Length417 feet
Beam39 feet
Draft14 feet
MachinerySix Wagner water-tube boilers, two Wagner geared steam turbine sets, two propellers
Bunkerage835t fuel oil
Power Output69,000 shaft horsepower
Speed36 knots
Range2,600nm at 19 knots
Crew336
Armament5x12.7cm 45cal SK C/34 guns, 2x2x3.7cm 80cal SK C/30 anti-aircraft guns, 3x4x2cm 65cal C/30 guns, 3x1x2cm 65cal C/30 guns, 2x4x53.3cm torpedo tubes, 4x depth charge launchers, 74 mines

Contributor:

ww2dbaseZ35 was the lead ship of the Type 1938B destroyers. She was built by the DeSchiMAG shipyard in Bremen, Germany. She was commissioned into service in Sep 1943 under the command of Korvettenkapitän Niels Bätge. She was assigned to the German 6th Destroyer Flotilla in Feb 1944. In Mar, she laid her first minefield in Narva Bay, Estonia, while shelling Soviet positions on the eastern shore of the bay. Through Jul 1944, she continued to reinforce minefields in the Gulf of Finland, although in late Jun she performed as an escort for heavy cruiser Lützow as the cruiser sailed for Utö, Finland; the sortie would soon be canceled, however. On 30 Jul and 1 Aug 1944, she and other destroyers of the 6th Destroyer Flotilla bombarded Soviet positions in Latvia from the Gulf of Riga. On 5 Aug, the flotilla escorted heavy cruiser Prinz Eugen off the island of Saaremaa (German: Ösel) in Estonia. Between 19 and 20 Aug, the flotilla once again escorted Prinz Eugen, this time off the Latvian coast; on 20 Aug, Z35 damaged one of her propellers on a rock, leading to her being out of commission for a few days as she received repairs at Gotenhafen, Germany (occupied Gdynia, Poland). In Sep 1944, Z35 and the flotilla covered the convoys evacuating Finland and Tallinn, Estonia. Between 10 and 15 Oct, the flotilla escorted heavy cruisers Lützow and Prinz Eugen as the cruiser shelled Soviet targets in the areas of Klaipėda (German: Memel) and Liepāja (German: Libau), Latvia. On 23 Oct 1944, a shell exploded in the barrel of No. 3 gun, wounding one man and blowing the barrel and breech overboard. On the following day, she was struck by splinters during a Soviet air attack. Between 20 and 24 Nov 1944, the flotilla and heavy cruisers Admiral Scheer and Prinz Eugen shelling Soviet positions during the evacuation of the Sõrve (German: Sworbe) peninsula on the Estonian island of Saaremaa (German: Ösel). In early Dec 1944, she was made the flagship of 6th Destroyer Flotilla commanding officer Kapitän zur See Friedrich Kothe. On 11 Dec 1944, she departed with sister ships Z36 and Z43 and torpedo boats T28 to deploy a new minefield off the Estonian coast. At about 0200 hours on the following date, she and Z36 accidentally ventured into a German minefield 2.5 miles to the north and struck a mine on the port side. The port turbine was knocked out, and flood waters entered one compartment. The damage control team kept the ship afloat initially, but a resulting explosion amidships quickly led to Z35's demise. Due to the darkness and her position being in a minefield, the German decided against sending any craft to rescue survivors. 70 survivors from Z35 were picked up by the Soviets, while all hands aboard Z36 were lost. Her wreck, at the depth of 50 meters, was discovered and surveyed by the Finnish Ministry of the Environment in 1994.

ww2dbaseSource: Wikipedia

Last Major Revision: Dec 2020

Destroyer Z35 Interactive Map

Z35 Operational Timeline

17 Feb 1941 The order for the construction of Z35 was issued.
6 Jun 1941 The keel of Z35 was laid down by the DeSchiMAG shipyard in Bremen, Germany.
2 Oct 1942 Z35 was launched at the DeSchiMAG shipyard in Bremen, Germany.
22 Sep 1943 Z35 was commissioned into service, Korvettenkapitän Niels Bätge in command.
13 Feb 1944 Z35 arrived at Tallinn, Estonia.
12 Mar 1944 Z35 and the German 6th Destroyer Flotilla laid a minefield in Narva Bay, Estonia while shelling Soviet positions on the eastern shore of the bay.
28 Jun 1944 Z35 and Z36 escorted heavy cruiser Lützow for the island of Utö, Finland, but the sortie would be canceled after her departure.
30 Jul 1944 Z35 and Z36 sailed into the Gulf of Riga to bombard Soviet positions in Latvia.
1 Aug 1944 Z35 and Z36 sailed into the Gulf of Riga to bombard Soviet positions in Latvia.
5 Aug 1944 Z35 and Z36 escorted heavy cruiser Prinz Eugen off the Estonian island of Saaremaa (German: Ösel).
19 Aug 1944 Z35 and Z36 began escorting heavy cruiser Prinz Eugen off the Latvian coast.
20 Aug 1944 Z35 and Z36 completed the escorting of heavy cruiser Prinz Eugen off the Latvian coast. Z35 damaged her propellers on a rock, thus requiring her to sail to Gotenhafen, Germany (occupied Gdynia, Poland) for repairs.
10 Oct 1944 Z35 and Z36 began escorting heavy cruisers Lützow and Prinz Eugen as the cruiser shelled Soviet targets in the areas of Klaipėda (German: Memel) and Liepāja (German: Libau), Latvia.
15 Oct 1944 Z35 and Z36 completed the escorting of heavy cruisers Lützow and Prinz Eugen as the cruiser shelled Soviet targets in the areas of Klaipėda (German: Memel) and Liepāja (German: Libau), Latvia.
23 Oct 1944 Off the Latvian coast, a shell exploded in the barrel of No. 3 gun of destroyer Z35, wounding one man and blowing the barrel and breech overboard.
24 Oct 1944 Z35 was struck by splinters during a Soviet air attack off the Latvian coast.
20 Nov 1944 Admiral Scheer, Prinz Eugen, Z35, Z36, and Z43 began shelling Soviet positions during the evacuation of the Sõrve (German: Sworbe) peninsula on the Estonian island of Saaremaa (German: Ösel).
24 Nov 1944 Admiral Scheer, Prinz Eugen, Z35, Z36, and Z43 completed shelling Soviet positions during the evacuation of the Sõrve (German: Sworbe) peninsula on the Estonian island of Saaremaa (German: Ösel).
11 Dec 1944 After sundown, German destroyers Z35, Z36, and Z43 and torpedo boat T28 began laying a new minefield off the Estonian coast, planning to deploy 68 mines each. Torpedo boat T23 provided escort for the group.
12 Dec 1944 German destroyer Z35 and Z36, while laying mines, accidentally sailed into the existing "Nashorn" minefield 2.5 nautical miles further north of their intended position off the Estonian coast. Z36 struck a mine at 0152 hours and Z35 struck another at 0200 hours. Both sank. 70 survivors of Z35 were rescued by the Soviets, while all aboard Z36 were lost.




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