German destroyer Z12 Erich Giese

Her sister ship Z5 Paul Jakobi c. 1938
History
Nazi Germany
Name:	Z12 Erich Giese
Namesake:	Erich Giese
Ordered:	9 January 1935
Builder:	Germania, Kiel
Yard number:	G538
Laid down:	3 May 1935
Launched:	12 March 1937
Completed:	4 March 1939
Fate:	Sunk, 13 April 1940
General characteristics (as built)
Class and type:	Type 1934A-class destroyer
Displacement:	2,171 long tons (2,206 t) (standard) 3,190 long tons (3,240 t) (deep load)
Length:	119 m (390 ft 5 in) o/a 114 m (374 ft 0 in) w/l
Beam:	11.30 m (37 ft 1 in)
Draft:	4.23 m (13 ft 11 in)
Installed power:	70,000 PS (51,000 kW; 69,000 shp) 6 × water-tube boilers
Propulsion:	2 shafts, 2 × geared steam turbines
Speed:	36 knots (67 km/h; 41 mph)
Range:	1,530 nmi (2,830 km; 1,760 mi) at 19 knots (35 km/h; 22 mph)
Complement:	325
Armament:	5 × single 12.7 cm (5 in) guns 2 × twin 3.7 cm (1.5 in) AA guns 6 × single 2 cm (0.8 in) AA guns 2 × quadruple 53.3 cm (21 in) torpedo tubes 60 mines 32–64 depth charges, 4 throwers and 6 individual racks

Z12 Erich Giese was a Type 1934A-class destroyer built for Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine in the late 1930s. At the beginning of World War II, the ship was used in the German Bight to lay minefields in German waters. In late 1939 the ship made one successful minelaying sortie off the English coast that claimed two merchant ships. While returning from that sortie, she torpedoed a British destroyer without being detected and continued on her way. During the early stages of the Norwegian Campaign, Erich Giese fought in both naval Battles of Narvik in mid-April 1940 and was sunk by British destroyers during the Second Battle of Narvik.

Erich Giese had an overall length of 119 meters (390 ft 5 in) and was 114 meters (374 ft 0 in) long at the waterline. The ship had a beam of 11.30 meters (37 ft 1 in), and a maximum draft of 4.23 meters (13 ft 11 in). She displaced 2,171 metric tons (2,137 long tons) at standard and 3,190 metric tons (3,140 long tons) at deep load. The Wagner geared steam turbines were designed to produce 70,000 metric horsepower (51,000 kW; 69,000 shp) which would propel the ship at 36 knots (67 km/h; 41 mph). Steam was provided to the turbines by six high-pressure Benson boilers with superheaters. Erich Giese carried a maximum of 752 metric tons (740 long tons) of fuel oil which was intended to give a range of 4,400 nautical miles (8,100 km; 5,100 mi) at 19 knots (35 km/h; 22 mph), but the ship proved top-heavy in service and 30% of the fuel had to be retained as ballast low in the ship. The effective range proved to be only 1,530 nmi (2,830 km; 1,760 mi) at 19 knots (35 km/h; 22 mph).