# A-class torpedo boat

The A-class torpedo boats were a class of German single-funnelled torpedo boat/light destroyer designed by the Reichsmarineamt for operations off the coast of occupied Flanders in the First World War. The "A" designation was to avoid confusion with older classes and designs. They were classed officially as "coastal torpedo boats" (German: Küstentorpedoboote) to differentiate from larger, ocean-going torpedo boats.
Six groups of vessels were built under the class between 1914 and 1918, increasing in displacement from 109 tons to 335 tons. All had a raised forecastle, shallow draught, and carried one (for most) or two (for A1-A25) 17.7 in (45 cm) torpedo tubes amidships.

## A-I type (A1 – A25)

All 25 were ordered in 1914, and were designed and built by A.G. 'Vulcan', at their Hamburg yard.
| Name | Yard No. | Launched | Commissioned |
| A1 | 20 | 16 January 1915 | 29 January 1915 |
| A2 | 21 | 17 March 1915 | 23 March 1915 |
| A3 | 22 | 24 June 1915 | 13 July 1915 |
| A4 | 23 | 26 June 1915 | 30 June 1915 |
| A5 | 24 | 5 May 1915 | 10 May 1915 |
| A6 | 25 | 3 April 1915 | 8 April 1915 |
| A7 | 26 | 2 February 1915 | 19 April 1915 |
| A8 | 27 | 25 April 1915 | 21 May 1915 |
| A9 | 28 | 4 August 1915 | 6 August 1915 |
| A10 | 29 | 16 August 1915 | 23 August 1915 |
| A11 | 30 | 4 June 1915 | 7 June 1915 |
| A12 | 31 | 28 April 1915 | 2 May 1915 |
| A13 | 32 | 15 May 1915 | 21 May 1915 |
| A14 | 33 | 22 July 1915 | 27 July 1915 |
| A15 | 34 | 10 July 1915 | 15 July 1915 |
| A16 | 35 | 16 June 1915 | 19 June 1915 |
| A17 | 36 | 8 June 1915 | 6 July 1915 |
| A18 | 37 | 2 July 1915 | 20 July 1915 |
| A19 | 38 | 9 September 1915 | 15 October 1915 |
| A20 | 39 | 27 August 1915 | 1 September 1915 |
| A21 | 40 | 1 June 1915 | 29 June 1915 |
| A22 | 41 | 22 May 1915 | 8 June 1915 |
| A23 | 42 | 5 May 1915 | 29 May 1915 |
| A24 | 43 | 12 June 1915 | 6 August 1915 |
| A25 | 44 | 13 July 1915 | 27 July 1915 |
* A2 and A6 were sunk by British destroyers on 1 May 1915 during the Battle off Noordhinder Bank.
* A3 was sunk on 7 November 1915 en route from Kiel to Danzig.
* A15 was sunk by French destroyers on 23 August 1915.
* A13 was bombed in dock at Ostend on 16 August 1917.
* A10 was sunk by mines off Flanders on 7 February 1918.
* A7 and A19 were sunk by British and French destroyers off the Flanders coast on 21 March 1918.
* A1, A18 and A21–A25 surrendered and were stricken between 1921 and 1922.
* A11 and A17 were sunk during the Kapp Putsch in 1920.
* A4, A12 and A14 were abandoned in Antwerp after the German evacuation at the end of the First World War. Taken over by Belgium. Remained operational until 1927.
* A5, A8, A9, A16 and A20 were interned in the Netherlands at the end of the war, and handed over to Belgium as reparations in 1919. Decommissioned in 1927 and most scrapped. A20 remained in use as training vessel and captured by Germans in 1940. Scrapped 1948.

## A-II type (A26 – A55)

All 30 were ordered in two batches - 24 vessels in 1915, and 6 added later. All were designed and built by F. Schichau Werke, at their Elbing yard. The second batch were 2 tonnes heavier, and had a breadth of 5.82 metres (18ft 5.25in).
| Name | Yard No. | Launched | Commissioned | Fate |
| A26 | 959 | 20 May 1916 | 22 July 1916 |
| A27 | 960 | 27 May 1916 | 12 August 1916 | Surrendered on 20 August 1920. |
| A28 | 961 | 10 June 1916 | 26 August 1916 | Surrendered on 20 August 1920. |
| A29 | 962 | 15 June 1916 | 9 September 1916 | Surrendered on 20 August 1920. |
| A30 | 963 | 15 July 1916 | 28 September 1916 |
| A31 | 964 | 1 July 1916 | 30 September 1916 | Surrendered on 20 August 1920. |
| A32 | 965 | 15 July 1916 | 14 October 1916 |
| A33 | 966 | 29 July 1916 | 30 October 1916 | Surrendered on 15 September 1920. |
| A34 | 967 | 20 July 1916 | 8 November 1916 | Surrendered on 15 September 1920. |
| A35 | 968 | 19 August 1916 | 1 December 1916 | Surrendered on 20 August 1920. |
| A36 | 969 | 14 August 1916 | 27 November 1916 | Surrendered on 20 August 1920. |
| A37 | 970 | 12 August 1916 | 24 November 1916 | Surrendered on 15 September 1920. |
| A38 | 971 | 17 October 1916 | 14 March 1917 | Surrendered on 15 September 1920. |
| A39 | 972 | 12 September 1916 | 16 December 1916 | Surrendered on 20 August 1920. |
| A40 | 973 | 2 September 1916 | 8 December 1916 |
| A41 | 974 | 8 December 1916 | 16 March 1917 | Surrendered on 20 August 1920. |
| A42 | 975 | 1 November 1916 | 5 January 1917 |
| A43 | 976 | 25 December 1916 | 2 April 2017 |
| A44 | 977 | 10 March 1917 | 30 April 1917 | Surrendered on 15 September 1920. |
| A45 | 978 | 8 November 1916 | 15 June 1917 | Surrendered on 3 September 1920. |
| A46 | 979 | 24 March 1917 | 22 May 1917 |
| A47 | 980 | 23 April 2017 | 22 June 1917 |
| A48 | 981 | 9 June 1917 | 31 July 1917 |
| A49 | 982 | 19 May 1917 | 20 August 1917 |
| A50 | 988 | 8 July 1917 | 20 August 1917 |
| A51 | 989 | 16 May 1917 | 26 July 1917 | Scuttled at Fiume on 29 October 1918. |
| A52 | 990 | 18 January 1917 | 1 April 1917 |
| A53 | 991 | 3 February 1917 | 7 April 1917 |
| A54 | 992 | 22 February 1917 | 14 April 1917 |
| A55 | 993 | 10 March 1917 | 27 April 1917 |
* A26–A29, A31, A33–A39, A41, A44–A46, A48, A49, and A52–A55 were surrendered and stricken between 1920 and 1921.
* A30, A40, A42 and A47 interned in the Netherlands at end of the war and allocated to Belgium in 1919 under Versailles Treaty. Discarded in 1927.
* A32 was sunk during the "Operation Albion" on 25 October 1917, raised and repaired in 1923, and served as Sulev in the Estonian Navy. Taken by Russia in October 1940, it was renamed Аметист ("Amethyst") and served in the Soviet Navy as a patrol vessel, then reduced to a tender in 1942 until scrapped in 1950.
* A43 was scrapped in 1943.
* A50 was mined in the North Sea on 17 November 1917.
* A51 was scuttled at Fiume on 29 October 1918.

## A-III type - A. G. Vulcan design (A56 – A67, A80 – A91, and A96 – A113)

These 42 vessels were ordered in three batches - A56 to A67 in 1916, A80 to A91 in 1917, and A96 – A113 in 1918. Designed by A. G. Vulcan, who built all of them except for A83, A84 and A85, which were built by Howaldtswerke at Kiel, while the hulls of A64 to A67 were subcontracted to Seebeckwerft. None of the 1918 batch of 18 vessels were ever completed, and they were all stricken on 3 November 1918, some being up to 35% complete (these were broken up on the stocks) but none being launched.
| Name | Yard No. | Launched | Commissioned | Fate |
| A56 | 476 | 28 February 1917 | 14 April 1917 | Sunk by mine on 12 March 1918. |
| A57 | 477 | 28 February 1917 | 28 April 1917 | Sunk by mine on 1 March 1918. |
| A58 | 478 | 31 March 1917 | 19 May 1917 | Sunk by mine on 16 August 1918. |
| A59 | 479 | 13 April 1917 | 9 June 1917 | Surrendered on 30 September 1920. |
| A60 | 480 | 15 May 1917 | 23 June 1917 | Sunk by mine on 23 June 1917. |
| A61 | 481 | 15 May 1917 | 11 July 1917 | Surrendered on 15 September 1920. |
| A62 | 482 | 8 June 1917 | 25 July 1917 | Surrendered on 15 September 1920. |
| A63 | 483 | 16 June 1917 | 11 August 1917 | Surrendered on 30 September 1920. |
| A64 | 484 | 30 March 1918 | 8 August 1918 | Surrendered on 15 September 1920. |
| A65 | 485 | 30 March 1918 | 24 August 1918 | Surrendered on 3 September 1920. |
| A66 | 486 | 23 June 1918 | 20 September 1918 | Surrendered on 30 September 1920. |
| A67 | 487 | 23 June 1918 | not completed | Stricken (incompleted) on 3 November 1919. |
| A80 | 514 | 24 October 1917 | 21 December 1917 | Surrendered on 30 September 1920. |
| A81 | 515 | 27 November 1917 | 10 January 1918 | Surrendered on 30 September 1920. |
| A82 | 516 | 27 March 1918 | 1 June 1918 | Scuttlked at Fiume on 29 October 1918. |
| A83 | 614 | 18 May 1918 | 28 May 1918 | Stricken (incompleted) on 3 November 1919. |
| A84 | 615 | 18 May 1918 | 19 April 1918 | Stricken (incompleted) on 3 November 1919 |
| A85 | 616 | 18 May 1918 | 6 June 1918 | Stricken (incompleted) on 3 November 1919 |
| A86 | 535 | 5 February 1918 | 16 March 1918 | Surrendered on 30 September 1920. |
| A87 | 536 | 21 February 1918 | 8 April 1918 | Surrendered on 15 September 1920. |
| A88 | 537 | 2 March 1918 | 27 April 1918 | Surrendered on 30 September 1920. |
| A89 | 538 | 22 March 1918 | 14 May 1918 | Surrendered on 30 September 1920. |
| A90 | 539 | 6 April 1918 | 6 June 1918 | Surrendered on 30 September 1920. |
| A91 | 540 | 27 April 1918 | 22 June 1918 | Surrendered on 30 September 1920. |
| A96 - A113 | 575 - 592 | none launched | | Stricken on 3 November 1918 |
* A56–A58 were mined in 1918.
* A59, A60 and A61 caused severe damage to HMS Terror on 19 October 1917.
* A59 was transferred to Poland in 1921, becoming ORP Ślązak. Became target ship in 1937 and captured by Germans in 1939. Sunk under tow.
* A60 was mined in 1917.
* A61 and A62 were transferred to Britain in 1920, scrapped in 1923.
* A63 and A66 were given to France in 1920, scrapped in 1923.
* A64 was transferred to Poland 1921 becoming ORP Krakowiak. Stricken in October 1936 and scrapped.
* A65 was given to Brazil, and scuttled in Britain.
* A67 was scrapped incomplete in 1921.
* A80 was transferred to Poland in 1921 as ORP Góral. Renamed Podhalanin in 1922. Converted to oil hulk in 1939. Sunk by German bombers while under tow on 24 September 1939.
* A81, A86–A91 were stricken in 1920.
* A82 was scuttled at Fiume in 1918.
* A83, A84 and A85 were scrapped incomplete, 1919.

## A-III type - Schichau 1916 design (A68 – A79)

These twelve vessels were ordered in 1916, and were designed and built by F. Schichau at Elbing.
| Name | Yard No. | Launched | Commissioned | Fate |
| A68 | 994 | 11 April 1917 | 13 June 1917 | Surrendered on 3 September 1920. |
| A69 | 995 | 28 April 1917 | 4 July 1917 | Surrendered on 3 September 1920. |
| A70 | 996 | 19 May 1917 | 23 July 1917 | Surrendered on 30 September 1920. |
| A71 | 997 | 9 June 1917 | 13 August 1917 | Sunk by mine on 4 May 1918. |
| A72 | 998 | 30 June 1917 | 1 September 1917 | Sunk by mine on 14 May 1918. |
| A73 | 999 | 7 July 1917 | 21 September 1917 | Sunk by mine on 20 January 1918. |
| A74 | 1000 | 4 August 1917 | 9 October 1917 | Surrendered on 3 September 1920. |
| A75 | 1001 | 11 August 1917 | 26 October 1917 | Surrendered on 30 September 1920. |
| A76 | 1002 | 1 September 1917 | 12 November 1917 | Surrendered on 30 September 1920. |
| A77 | 1003 | 22 September 1917 | 27 November 1917 | Sunk by mine on 20 January 1918. |
| A78 | 1004 | 13 October 1917 | 15 December 1917 | Surrendered on 3 September 1920. |
| A79 | 1005 | 8 November 1917 | 12 January 1918 | Sunk by mine on 10 July 1918. |
* A68 was transferred to Poland in 1921, becoming ORP Kujawiak. Converted to oil hulk 1939. Sunk by German bombers 3 September 1939 off Danzig.
* A68, A69, A70, A74, A75, A76, and A78 all surrendered in September 1920 (and so were stricken) and were scrapped in 1922/23.
* A71, A72, A73, A77 and A79 were all sunk by mines in the North Sea during 1918.

## A-III type - Schichau 1917 design (A92 – A95) ==

These last four vessels were designed and built by F. Schichau Werke, at their Elbing yard, with a slight variation in their dimensions from the 1916 design. The first two served in a minesweeper flotilla and the last two in an escort flotilla prior to the surrender.
| Name | Yard No. | Launched | Commissioned | Fate |
| A92 | 1019 | 16 March 1918 | 24 May 1918 | Surrendered on 15 September 1920. |
| A93 | 1020 | 9 April 1918 | 18 June 1918 | Surrendered on 30 September 1920. |
| A94 | 1021 | 27 April 1918 | 19 July 1918 | Surrendered on 30 September 1920. |
| A95 | 1022 | 25 May 1918 | 19 August 1918 | Surrendered on 30 September 1920. |
* All four vessels were scrapped at Bo'ness in 1923 (A93 in 1922).

## Citations

* 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Gröner 1983, p. 35.
* 1 2 Gröner 1983, p. 36.
* 1 2 3 Dodson 2019, p. 136.
* 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Gröner 1983, p. 37.
* ↑ "Sulev". hot.ee (in Estonian). Archived from the original on 2010-09-14. Retrieved 2 March 2010.
* ↑ Архив фотографий кораблей русского и советского ВМФ [Photo Archive of the Russian and Soviet Navy]. navsource.narod.ru (in Russian). Retrieved 2 March 2010.
* 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 Gröner 1983, p. 38.
* ↑ Buxton, Ian (2008) [First published 1978]. Big gun monitors : design, construction and operations 1914-1945 (2nd Revised ed.). Barnsley, UK: Pen & Sword. c. 8.4 para. 7. ISBN 978-1-84415-719-8.
* 1 2 Dodson 2019, pp. 134, 142–143.
* 1 2 Dodson 2019, pp. 134–135, 142–143.