Hamburg-class destroyer

The Type 101 Hamburg class was the only class of destroyers built during post-war Germany. They were specifically designed to operate in the Baltic Sea, where armament and speed is more important than seaworthiness. They were named after Bundesländer (states of Germany) of West Germany.

Schleswig-Holstein (D-182)
Class overview
Builders:	Stülcken-Werft
Operators:	German Navy
Succeeded by:	Brandenburg-class frigate
Built:	1959–1963
In commission:	1964–1994
Completed:	4
Retired:	4
General characteristics
Class and type:	Type 101A
Displacement:	4,050 tonnes
Length:	133.7 m (438 ft 8 in)
Beam:	13.4 m (44 ft 0 in)
Draft:	4.8 m (15 ft 9 in)
Propulsion:	4 × Wahodag boilers, 2 steam turbines, 72,000 shp
Speed:	35 knots (65 km/h) 37 knots (69 km/h) only D182
Range:	3,400 nautical miles (6,300 km) at 18 knots (33 km/h)
Complement:	284
Sensors and processing systems:	3 × HSA fire-control radars Sonar 1BV2
Armament:	3 × DCN 100 mm/L55 guns 4 × twin 40 mm/L70 guns, Breda Mod 64 2 × twin MM38 Exocet launcher 2 × quadruple Bofors 375 mm anti-submarine rocket launchers 2 × depth charge ramps, 10 depth charges 4 × 533 mm torpedo tubes up to 90 naval mines Mk 17 2 × 20 barreled chaff

The German shipyard Stülcken was contracted to design and build the ships. Stülcken was rather inexperienced with naval shipbuilding, but got the order, since the shipyards traditionally building warships for the German navies like Blohm + Voss, Howaldtswerke or Lürssen were all occupied constructing commercial vessels (no naval ship had been built in Germany since World War II).

Originally, they had only barreled weapons, but from 1976 to 1978 they were upgraded with guided missiles to increase their effectiveness against modern surface warships and were re designated Type 101A. One 100 mm gun was replaced by two Exocet missile launchers, the Bofors were replaced by Breda 40 mm, and the torpedo tubes were removed. Modifications were also made to the operations center, radar and bridge.

The design of the Hamburg class has been criticized for many of the same failures of the Kriegsmarine destroyers: too top-heavy and bad sea-keeping capabilities. This is in part due to the low freeboard on the hull. They were replaced up from 1994 by the Brandenburg class frigates (F123).

Schleswig Holstein (D-182) being refueled by USS Iowa (BB-61)