The handsome and powerful Type 34 and 34A destroyers (Zerstörer 1934 and Zerstörer 1934A) were designed in the early 1930s to match the large destroyers then entering service with the French and Polish navies. The Royal Navy’s Tribal class destroyers ordered in 1936 were in turn intended to counter the Types 34 and 34A.
Although the German vessels seemed impressive, significant problems were encountered as they came into service. Their theoretically efficient high-pressure steam machinery, which had been adopted after minimal testing, caused endless problems, proving particularly susceptible to corrosion, while the vessels’ geared turbines were also unreliable.
A further problem was poor seaworthiness – despite attempts to improve stability by using light alloys instead of steel in the superstructure, top-weight was a constant problem. This issue worsened as the surviving vessels were fitted with ever-increasing numbers of AA guns in the later stages of the war. Even when first completed, they were so unstable that a minimum fuel level of 30% had to be maintained at all times to give adequate ballast, something which significantly reduced their maximum range and operational capabilities.
Smelling the past