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KMS Diether von Roeder (Z17)

1937 WORLD WAR 2

History of KMS Diether von Roeder (Z17)

The 1936 Diether von Roeder destroyer is stylish with a clipper bow and long forecastle, matching flat bridges and double funnels. The propulsion system is a high-performance steam engine designed to achieve maximum performance in the smallest possible space. However, despite the great efforts of the designers and engineers of the manufacturer DeSchiMAG, the engine never achieved sufficient performance and the Zerstorer type destroyer did not reach the expected maximum speed. The German Navy planned to build 26 such ships of the 1936 type, but only six were completed due to material shortages for the German war machine. The finished model is an enlarged version of the 1934 destroyer, a superior ship in terms of design and engine reliability, while showing good seaworthiness trends.

They are also designed to carry less water due to the larger bow size.

For strategic reasons, the Royal Navy found it necessary to defeat the Germans in Narvik, Norway. In April 1940, the German Navy suffered one of the biggest naval defeats of World War II at the Second Naval Battle of Narvik. The Diether von Roeder had engine problems during the battle and was approaching the port. She began firing her 5 x 5 inch guns at British ships docked with her 5 x 5 inch guns with some success, but she herself came under fire from ashore batteries and joined two other German destroyers in the sunk in battle.

Five of the eight destroyers lost were sunk by their crews when they ran out of fuel and ammunition.

Within a few months, a new class was defined, the Zerstorer 1936A - known by the Allies as the "Narvik class" after the Battle of Narvik. Weighing 3,605 tons, the 1936 A was a larger, more powerful warship, with larger guns and significantly improved anti-aircraft armament compared to the Model 1936. However, she had problems with the autoclave and was prone to water ingress due to the heavy gun mounts in the bow. The German Navy built eight such 1936A-class ships, numbered Z23 to Z30.

Slightly different from 1936 and 1936A, the German Navy built a seven version called Zerstorer 1936A (MOB), with a larger tonnage - 3,700 tons - and a larger, more durable engine, continuous hull Numbered from Z31 to Z39.