Vanguard German Destroyers 1939-1945 Osprey Books

The German destroyer fleet of World War II consisted of nine classes: the Von Roeder Class, the Leberecht Maas Class and the wartime classes Z23, Z35, Z37, Z40, Z43, Z46 and Z52. These vessels, though fewer in number than the British destroyer fleet, tended to be much bigger and more powerful than their allied counterparts. The inter-war German Navy's inability to build large numbers of ships due to treaty limitations ensured that they concentrated their energies into the development of technologically advanced, faster, stronger vessels, often powered by highly advanced turbine engines. Unfortunately for the Germans, the first major operation of their destroyer fleet, the Norwegian campaign, saw half of their force destroyed. Trapped in a fjord by a Royal Navy force that included the battleship HMS Warspite, the Narvik destroyer force was completely smashed. Never again were concentrated forces of destroyers used by the Germans in this way, they served their country well in operations in the Channel, North Sea, the Far North and in the rescue of civilians from East Prussia during the final days of the war. Details of all these operations will be included within this title.