Speerwurf-class destroyer

Loucherwerft

The ***Speerwurf*-class destroyers** were the very first large torpedo boat destroyers to be built for the Kaiserlich Marine, the order being placed on 17 October 1897.

## Background

After the invention of the self-propelled torpedo in 1865, combined with the introduction of small fast torpedo boats posed a threat to battleships: large numbers of torpedo boats could overwhelm a battleship's defenses and sink it, or distract the battleship and make it vulnerable to opposing capital ships. Torpedo boats proved devastatingly effective in the 1890 Eastern Kleotakic Campaign.

The defense against torpedo boats was clear: small warships accompanying the fleet that could screen and protect it from attack by torpedo boats. Several Northern countries developed vessels variously known as torpedo boat “catchers”, “hunters” and “destroyers”, while the Kaiserlich Marine itself operated torpedo gunboats. However, the early designs lacked the range and speed to keep up with the fleet they were supposed to protect. In 1897, the Fleet Admiral, Tristan Schwerdtfeger ordered the development of a new type of ships equipped with the new water-tube boilers and quick-firing small-caliber guns. The admiral wanted to be sure the vessels were faster than the new Northern (Unnamed) design from (One of the Kingdoms). That way these vessels could outrun and attack their main fleet if they ever got into a war against each other.

## Design and Development

After the first phase of torpedo boat development and the first practical experience, it was clear that the limitations of seagoing capabilities made the existing torpedo boats only usable in coastal waters. A torpedo boat, which would be able to operate together with the High Seas Armada in the Emihst Ocean had to be bigger to fulfill this task.

The result of these requirements was the “Große Torpedoboot” - also called “Hochsee Torpedoboot.” It was the first step of a development process that finally ended into the first real destroyers at the end of the Great Sanctus War. Their armament did not differ very much from the one of the older smaller boats, up to three torpedo tubes and some 50 mm guns. Because of their larger size, one of the guns was increased to 88 mm.

The ships were built on three different shipyards (Helkvertlance & Harvard, Denkingen Co., and Loucherwerft), the 60 boats differed in size and armament. Most of them were still powered by water-tube boilers although some of them were equipped with turbines to experiment with this new kind of engine system.

Many of these boats were used as escorts, training or patrol vessels during the Great Sanctus War and survived. Because of their age, most of them were scrapped in early to late 1921.

### General Characteristics

**Dimensions:**

* **Displacement:** 396–693 tons
* **Length:**
	+ 63–71.5 m (overall)
	+ 62.7–68.5 m (waterline)

* **Beam:** 6.7–7.65  m
* **Draft:** 2.8 m
* **Crew:** 51–81

**Weapons:**

* 1 × 88 mm P/95
* 1–3 × 50 mm P/97 (up to 1 before the Great Sanctus War, although between 1911–1920 they had either 2 or 3.)
* 3 × 45 cm torpedo tubes

**Engines:**

* **Shafts:** 2
* **Engines/turbines:** 2
* **Type:**
	+ Water-tube boilers (Pre–1911)
	+ Steam turbines (Post–1911)

**Performance:**

* **Total Performance:** 5900 - 10800 shp
* **Speed:** 26.7–32 kn
* **Range:** 695–1,303 nm at 17 kn; 260 nm at 30 kn