7115 GERMAN TORPEDO-BOAT TYPE 37 T18 1941

The Type 37 was the name of a class of German torpedo boats that entered service with the German Kriegsmarine from 1938 to 1942. A single ship of this type was 85.2 meters long and 8.87 meters wide. Full displacement did not exceed 1,200 tons, and the maximum speed was around 35 knots. The armament consisted of: a single 105mm cannon, a single 37mm anti-aircraft gun, 2 AA cannons. 20 mm caliber, 2 triple 533 mm torpedo tubes and up to 60 min. The Type 37 torpedo boats were essentially modernized Type 35 ships with an improved cruising range. Interestingly, however, they retained almost exactly the same propulsion system, reproducing in its hull the same mistakes that were made in the construction of the Type 35 torpedo boats. Thus, its possible repairs or maintenance on the high seas were very difficult, or actually impossible. The Type 37 torpedo boat combat route in World War II began with escorting tasks on the English Channel, but the first really significant action of some units of this type was to escort German heavy ships (Scharnhorst, Gneisenau and Prinz Eugen) during their breakthrough from ports in France to ports in Germany in February 1942 (Chanel Dash, German Unternehmen Zerberus). Many of the Type 37 torpedo boats served in Norwegian waters from 1943 on escort and patrol duties. In 1944, however, all operational Type 37 torpedo boats were directed to the Baltic Sea to support German actions against the advancing Red Army. A total of 6 units survived in better or worse condition until the end of the war.