The Type 103 ''Lütjens'' class was the last class of
destroyers in service with the
German Navy
The German Navy (, ) is the navy of Germany and part of the unified ''Bundeswehr'' (Federal Defense), the German Armed Forces. The German Navy was originally known as the ''Bundesmarine'' (Federal Navy) from 1956 to 1995, when ''Deutsche Mari ...
. The ships were US
guided missile destroyer
A guided-missile destroyer (DDG) is a destroyer whose primary armament is guided missiles so they can provide anti-aircraft warfare screening for the fleet. The NATO standard designation for these vessels is DDG, while destroyers who have a prim ...
s but with some modifications to meet German requirements.
They were replaced by the new
''Sachsen''-class frigates, designated
frigate even though they are much larger and more capable in all aspects than the ''Lütjens''-class destroyers.
Development
The three ''Lütjens'' destroyers were purchased from the US to provide air defence.
For German use, they received the following modifications:
* Communication systems according to German standards. The ''Lütjens'' class had more aerials and a second mast mounted on the aft funnel. The large air surveillance radar was positioned further aft (above the funnel).
In turn, the new antennas and radar location meant that the funnels had to be modified. On the ''Lütjens'' the exhaust gases were emitted sideways with two pipes on the port and starboard side of each funnel.
* New location of the sonar array. The ''Lütjens'' had their sonar dome located in a bulge directed forward in the bow and not under the bow to reduce the ship's
draft
Draft, The Draft, or Draught may refer to:
Watercraft dimensions
* Draft (hull), the distance from waterline to keel of a vessel
* Draft (sail), degree of curvature in a sail
* Air draft, distance from waterline to the highest point on a vesse ...
.
* Better crew accommodation.
Service
The three ships in the class were commissioned in 1969 and 1970.
In service, they formed the ''1. Zerstörergeschwader'' ("first destroyer squadron") based in
Kiel
Kiel () is the capital and most populous city in the northern German state of Schleswig-Holstein, with a population of 246,243 (2021).
Kiel lies approximately north of Hamburg. Due to its geographic location in the southeast of the Jutland ...
.
The ''Lütjens'' class was upgraded to Type 103A in the 1970s with new digital
fire-control
A fire-control system (FCS) is a number of components working together, usually a gun data computer, a Director (military), director, and radar, which is designed to assist a ranged weapon system to target, track, and hit a target. It performs ...
computers and better missiles for the old
Tartar SM1
The Tartar Guided Missile Fire Control System is an air defense system developed by the United States Navy to defend warships from air attack. Since its introduction the system has been improved and sold to several United States allies.
Descrip ...
missile system. The boilers were also converted to burn lighter oil for logistical reasons instead of the
heavy fuel oil
Heavy Fuel Oil (HFO) is a category of fuel oils of a tar-like consistency. Also known as bunker fuel, or residual fuel oil, HFO is the result or remnant from the distillation and cracking process of petroleum. For this reason, HFO is contaminate ...
that needs to be preheated.
A second major refit was undertaken in the 1980s when the ships were upgraded to Type 103B. Missiles were upgraded with a single Modified
Mark 13 missile launcher
The Mark 13 guided missile launching system (GMLS) is a single-arm missile launcher designed for use on frigates and other military vessels. Because of its distinctive single-armed design, the Mark 13 is often referred to as the "one-armed bandit" ...
fitted able to fire the
SM-1MR surface-to-air missile and
Harpoon
A harpoon is a long spear-like instrument and tool used in fishing, whaling, sealing, and other marine hunting to catch and injure large fish or marine mammals such as seals and whales. It accomplishes this task by impaling the target animal ...
anti-ship missile. A typical balance was 32 of the former and 8 of the latter. Fire control was improved with upgraded computers and a new
AN/SPG-60 radar which also provided illumination for the missiles.
[
In the 1990s, the ships in the class each received two RIM-116 RAM launchers and Chaff launchers.
With the decommissioning of ''Lütjens'' (D185) on December 18, 2003 the age of steam ended for the German Navy. ''Mölders'' (D186) became a museum ship at the German Navy Museum in ]Wilhelmshaven
Wilhelmshaven (, ''Wilhelm's Harbour''; Northern Low Saxon: ''Willemshaven'') is a coastal town in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is situated on the western side of the Jade Bight, a bay of the North Sea, and has a population of 76,089. Wilhelmsh ...
.
Speeds over could be sustained for only a limited time due to the enormous fuel consumption. With two active boilers the ship could achieve speeds up to . Three boilers made achievable. For any speed beyond all four boilers were needed.
List of ships
All three ships were built by Bath Iron Works
Bath Iron Works (BIW) is a major United States shipyard located on the Kennebec River in Bath, Maine, founded in 1884 as Bath Iron Works, Limited. Since 1995, Bath Iron Works has been a subsidiary of General Dynamics. It is the fifth-largest ...
in the United States. They were named after famous German officers who died in World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...
: Günther Lütjens who had commanded the task group, the fighter ace Werner Mölders of the Luftwaffe, and Field Marshal Erwin Rommel.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lutjens Class Destroyer