"Z 31 German Destroyer" Topic

Very good job.

More pics at
link

Hope you enjoy!.

Amicalement
Armand

Would you feel comfortable using this in a miniatures game? Too much detail and too many parts to break. I have seen some really good models out there but none like this in an actual game.Robert

Plus you'd need to waterline it – unless it's a flying destroyer…

It's obviously a display model, not a playing one.

and I want to ram it into the docks at St. Nazaire.

The model does not show the depth charges carried. Probably because it is very hard to find that information. German destroyers were not standard with even sister ships having a different arrangement to each other.

Z31 had racks that each held three depth charges. There were three of these racks per side. The charges were dropped to port and starboard. She had no racks that dropped astern. This was probably to keep her mine rails clear.
The location of the aft racks to port and starboard, was just aft of the winch.
Further forward she had another set of racks port and starboard aligned with the fore edge of the aft torpedo tubes.
Amidships the racks were underneath the AA platform just forward of the aft funnel.

They were just a standard looking steel rack with three charges in each, sloped outboard and downward. They were a gravity feed type and once the first was dropped the next ones rolled down.

The usual practice was to drop all the charges from all three racks at once. With nine per side that would give her a pattern of 18. There was nothing pretty about a German destroyer depth charge attack. They simply unloaded those in the racks and got the hell out of there as they themselves were a juicy target for a submarine. Unlike Allied warships they were rarely more than a day away from a place where they could replace the depth charges, so using a whole deck load at once was not a problem. In the aft magazine they usually carried another one or two full sets of charges, but reloading was slow.

I have a plan and layout details for most German destroyers if anyone would like the information for wargaming or when making detailed models.

Just to clarify. They carried their depth charges in gravity feed racks. Not on rails or throwers as with Allied warships.

They did not have any reserve racks or ready use stowage on deck.

The gravity rack layout enabled them to carry depth charges at the ready even while carrying mines as shown with the model. Allied warships would usually have to temporarily remove their depth charge racks on the stern while minelaying.

Hey Mal,

What are those round things 5-a-side on the after part of the ship? (Seen bes in the first picture)?

Not being snarky, I genuinely am interested

Ah, those would be the mine rails!

G'Day. They are sea-mines Roderick Robertson. They are sitting on the mine rails that ran along the deck as far as the fore-funnel. Because these ships were often used for fast minelaying missions their depth charge arrangements had to be put in a way that would not interfere. Hence gravity racks to port and starboard in the positions mentioned above.

Mal wrote:

"I have a plan and layout details for most German destroyers if anyone would like the information for wargaming or when making detailed models."

I, for one, would love this info if it can be had electronically, and you are inclined to send it along, you can use mhoran -at- snet -dot- net

Mark