Zerstörer Erich Koellner
Z-13
| BYGGEÅR: | 1934 Germaniawerft Kiel |
| DIMMENSJON: | 1625 ts - 121 m lang - 11,3 m breit |
| FART: | Maks. 38,2 knopp |
| BESTYKNING: | 5 x 12,7 cm - 4 x 3,7 cm - 6 x 2 cm - 8 Torpedoer |
| SJØSATT: | 18.03.1937 |
| KAPTEIN: | 3.Zerst.Flottille Fregattenkapitän ALFRED SCHULZE-HINRICHS (Ritterkreuz 15.6.43) Jahrgang 08 *6.11.1899 Berlin Lichterfelde West Veilchenstrasse 3 Fernsprecher 76 44 28 (privat) Reichskriegsministerium Berlin W 35 Fernsprecher 218191 App.720 (Dienst) |
| MANNSKAP: | 313 mann ombord |
| SLUTTEN: | Fregattenkapitän Bay besluttet å ofre en jager som flytende batteri ute i fjorden. Denne oppgaven falt på "Erich Koellner" .Den var allerede skadet og la seg på lur tvers av Djupvik. Meningen var at den skulle ligge ved Tårstad, men dette ble omberammet og "Erich Koellner" måtte snu fordi den på vei til Tårstad, møtte på den britiske flåten. Den ble oppdaget av speiderfly fra HMS Warspite 13 April 1940. Mange granater bl. a. fra 38 cm skytset fra Warspite gjør stor skade. En torpedo deler båten og den synker. Fregattenkapitan Schultz-Hinrichs beordrer "Alle mann fra borde". Kl. 12:15 synker;Erich Koellner" med 31 mann, 35 sårede er blant de som redder seg i land i Djupviken. Disse i første omgang i norsk krigsfangenskap. |
| HISTORIEN: |
10 Apr 40: First Battle of Narvik. The British destroyers Hardy, Hunter, Havock, Hostile and Hotspur slipped past the two U-Boats guarding the entrance to Ofotfjord, sailed 25 miles up the fjord and completely surprised the five German destroys at Narvik. At 0530 they launched a gunfire and torpedo attack that sank two of these ships and crippled the other three while receiving only one minor hit in return. After almost an hour of mayhem, the British were making their last pass prior to withdraw when Z9, Z12 and Z13 emerging from Herjangsfjord to the northeast surprised them. The Germans advanced in line with, each ship offset to port which allowed all six of their forward guns to bear. They opened fire from 6,500m; the British replied and a running fight developed. The visibility was poor, however and the three German ships (commanded by Fregattenkapitan Erich Bey) were forced to turn hard to port to avoid torpedoes fired out of Narvik harbor by Z18. At this point, 0657, Z2 and Z11 emerged from Ballangenfjord, ahead of the British ships and opened fire. The Z9, Z12 and Z13 turned back to the fight and the two forces (particularly Z2) brought the British under an effective crossfire. Hardy was blasted and forced aground. Hunter was hit hard by gunfire, then torpedoed and finally rammed by Hotspur, herself damaged. Hotspur managed to extract herself, but Hunter sank. Z9, Z12 and Z13 briefly pursued
the three retreating British destroyers up the fjord and then broke off to return to Narvik. Z12 was extremely short on fuel although Z9 and Z13 had refueled the night before. Bey's decision to abandon the pursuit was unfortunate, because the British destroyers encountered and sank the ammunition ship
Rauenfels coming up the fjord loaded with 5" shells. These would be sorely missed during the Second Battle of Narvik. 11 Apr 40: Z13 was fueled and operational. However, while moving to her dispersal point in Ballangenfjord, she ran aground and ripped her bottom open, flooding #2 and 3 boiler rooms, torpedo warhead room and transmitting station. This event rendered her useless for further operations except as
a floating battery. She also retained two torpedoes, having delivered her others to Z11 and Z2. 13 Apr 40: Second Battle of Narvik. Z13 was in the process of being escorted by Z19 to Taarstadt were she was to lay in ambush for the expected British attack when British ships were reported coming down the fjord. While Z19 proceeded ahead to better assess the strength of the British force, Z13 limped into Djupvik in the hopes of still being able to effect an ambush. However, spotter aircraft from Warspite reported her position and Bedouin and Eskimo rounded the point north of Djupvik with guns and torpedoes tubes ready for action. At 1309 hours both sides opened fire at a range of 3,500m. Unable to maneuver, Z13 was an easy target. Although she fired both her remaining torpedoes, she was hit in 1. boiler room and 2. turbine room and took a torpedo forward which blew off her bow. Even Warspite got in the action firing two salvos into the unfortunate ship. Her captain ordered her scuttled, but only after 31 men were killed and many more were wounded. |
| BELIGGENHET |
Vraket ligger i nærheten av Ballangen. |
