T61 Flottentorpedoboot Type 1940 (German destroyer)

After the invasion of the Netherlands the Germans got control over three Dutch unfinished destroyers of the Callenburgh-class. One of them was finished by the German forces as Zerstörer ZH1, the other two were broken up. Taking advantage of the wharf space and the surplus machinery a new type of destroyer, a Flottentorpedoboot Type 1940 was design around the machine parts. This new type of ship was larger than previous Kriegsmarine Zerstörer designs. 24 of these ships were planned. The Kriegsmarine ordered the first batch on 19 November 1940, hull numbers T61-T68. T69-T72 were ordered May 3rd, and T73-T84 on August 27th.

T61 and T62 were laid down at Wilton-Fijenoord shipyards in Schiedam. T63 and T64 were laid down at the Rotterdamsche Droogdok Maatschappij in Rotterdam (RDM), T65 and T66 were laid down at Koninklijke Maatschappij De Schelde in Vlissingen (Flushing). T68, T69, T71 and T72 were probably never started before the end of the war. T70 was laid down at the RDM, never finished and demolished on the slipway after the war. Contracts for the last batch were cancelled.

Due to uncooperativeness of the Dutch shipyard workers and material shortages most of the ships were not finished. T65 was the first of three to be towed to the German shipyard of Schichau in Elbing, East Prussia, for completion, but was never finished due to power failures and the advancing Russian troops.

She was eventually scuttled, loaded with chemical weapons. T61 was to be transferred next. During the transfer the ship and her tug were attacked on 12 September 1944 in the Marsdiep off Den Helder by Australian RAAF Beaufighters of 455 squadron of RAF Coastal Command. They were supported by New Zealand RNZAF Beaufighters of 489 squadron for anti-Flak support. Heavy Flak was experienced and several aircraft damaged, but none were lost. Flying Officer S.J. Sykes and his navigator Pilot Offices L.T. Turner returned with the top three feet of the mast of the tug embedded in their aircraft. The unfinished destroyer and tug were left on fire.

T63 was also towed to Elbing, but, as T65 transferred again and, like her sister T65 scuttled with chemical weapons. The other Type 1940 ships were never finished or destroyed on the slipway.

Type: T-61 Flottentorpedoboot 1940, Built at Wilton-Fijenoord, Schiedam june 1944.

Motoren (Engines)
2 Parsons steam turbines, 3 Yarrow boilers

Australian War Memorial

Attack on T61 with her tug in the Marsdiep by Beaufighters of RAAF 455 sqdr. taken with board camera of one of the attacking planes. (Photo: Australian War Memorial)

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