View source for SMS G196

{{short description|German large torpedo boat/destroyer}}
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|Ship image=File:Lot-2275-27 (26855476285).jpg
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|Ship caption=''T196'' after 1923
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{{Infobox ship career
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|Ship country=[[German Empire]]
|Ship flag={{shipboxflag|German Empire|naval}}
|Ship name=SMS ''G196''
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|Ship builder=[[Germaniawerft]], [[Kiel]]
|Ship laid down=
|Ship launched=25 May 1911
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|Ship completed=2 October 1911
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{{Infobox ship characteristics
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|Ship class={{sclass|S138|torpedo boat}}
|Ship displacement={{convert|660|t|LT|abbr=on}} design
|Ship length={{convert|74.0|m|ftin|abbr=on}} [[length overall|o/a]]
|Ship beam={{convert|7.06|m|ftin|abbr=on}}
|Ship draught={{convert|3.1|m|ftin|abbr=on}}
|Ship draft=
|Ship propulsion=* 3 × boilers
* 2 × [[steam turbine]]s
|Ship power={{convert|18200|PS|shp kW|abbr=on}}
|Ship speed={{convert|32|kn|mph km/h|abbr=on}}
|Ship range=
|Ship complement=84
|Ship sensors=
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|Ship armament=* 2× 8.8 cm guns
*4× 50 cm torpedo tubes
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'''SMS ''G196'''''{{#tag:ref| "SMS" stands for "''[[Seiner Majestät Schiff]]''" ({{trans|His Majesty's Ship)|group=lower-alpha}}|group=lower-alpha}}{{#tag:ref|The "G" in ''G196'' denoted  the shipbuilder who constructed her.<ref name="conways06 p164">{{Harvnb|Gardiner|Gray|1985|p=164}}</ref>|group=lower-alpha}} was a [[S138-class torpedo boat|''S-138''-class]] large [[torpedo boat]] of the [[Imperial German Navy]]. She was built by the [[Germaniawerft]] shipyard at [[Kiel]] between 1910 and 1911, and was launched on 25 May 1911, entering service later that year. She served throughout the [[First World War]], taking part in the [[Battle of Heligoland Bight (1914)|Battle of Heligoland Bight]] on 28 August 1914. She was renamed ''T196'' in February 1918.

Post war, ''T196'' served in the [[Weimar Republic]]'s [[Reichsmarine]], being rebuilt and modernised in 1923. She was still in service on the outbreak of the [[Second World War]], taking part in the German [[Invasion of Poland]] at the start of the war and the [[Operation Hannibal|evacuation of East Prussia]] towards the end of the war in Europe.

She survived the war, and was transferred to the [[Soviet Navy]] in 1945, and was renamed  ''Pronzitelny''. The ship was stricken in 1949.

==Construction and design==
The [[Imperial German Navy]] ordered 12 large torpedo boats (''Große Torpedoboote'') as part of the [[fiscal year]] 1910 shipbuilding programme, with one half-flotilla of six ships ordered from [[Germaniawerft]] and the other six ships from [[AG Vulcan]].<ref name="conways06 p167">{{Harvnb|Gardiner|Gray|1985|p=167}}</ref> The two groups of torpedo boats were of basically similar layout but differed slightly in detailed design, with a gradual evolution of design and increase in [[displacement (ship)|displacement]] with each year's orders.<ref name="conways06 p164,7">{{Harvnb| Gardiner|Gray|1985|pp=164, 167}}</ref>

''G196'' was {{convert|74.0|m|ftin}} long [[length overall|overall]] and {{convert|73.6|m|ftin}} [[Length between perpendiculars|between perpendiculars]], with a [[Beam (ship)|beam]] of {{convert|7.06|m|ftin}} and a [[Draft (nautical)|draught]] of {{convert|3.1|m|ftin}}. The ship [[Displacement (ship)|displaced]] {{convert|660|t|LT}} design and {{convert|810|t|LT}} deep load.<ref name="conways06 p167"/>

Three coal-fired and one oil-fired [[water-tube boiler]] fed steam at a pressure of {{convert|18.5|atm|psi}} to two sets of direct-drive [[steam turbine]]s. The ship's machinery was rated at {{convert|18200|PS|shp kW|abbr=on}} giving a design speed of {{convert|32|kn|mph km/h}}, with members of the class reaching a speed of {{convert|33.5|kn|mph km/h}} during [[sea trials]].<ref name="Grnv2 p46">{{Harvnb|Gröner|Jung|Maass|1983|p=46}}</ref> 145 tons of coal and 76 tons of oil fuel were carried, giving an endurance of {{convert|2590|nmi|mi km}} at {{convert|12|kn|mph km/h}}, {{convert|1150|nmi|mi km}} at {{convert|17|kn|mph km/h}} or {{convert|420|nmi|mi km}} at {{convert|30|kn|mph km/h}}.<ref name="conways06 p167"/>

The ship was armed with two 8.8&nbsp;cm L/45 guns,<ref name="Grnv2 p47">{{Harvnb|Gröner|Jung|Maass|1983|p=47}}</ref>{{#tag:ref|Both Conway's All The World's Fighting Ships<ref name="conways06 p167"/> and Jane's Fighting Ships<ref name="jfww1 p118">{{Harvnb|Moore|1990|p=118}}</ref> claim L/30 guns were fitted.|group=lower-alpha}} one on the [[forecastle]] and one aft. Four single 50&nbsp;cm (19.7&nbsp;in) torpedo tubes were fitted, with two on the ship's beam in the gap between the forecastle and the ship's [[Bridge (ship)|bridge]] which were capable of firing straight ahead, one between the ship's two funnels, and one aft of the funnels.<ref name="conways06 p167"/><ref name="jfww1 p118"/> The ship had a crew of 84 officers and men.<ref name="conways06 p167"/>

''G196'' was [[Keel laying|laid down]] at Germaniawerft's [[Kiel]] shipyard as [[Yard number]] 156 and was [[Ceremonial ship launching|launched]] on 25 May 1911 and completed on 2 October 1911.<ref name="Grnv2 p46,8">{{Harvnb|Gröner|Jung|Maass|1983|pp=46, 48}}</ref>

The ship was extensively modified in 1923, with the forecastle being lengthened to behind the first funnel, the bridge structure and funnels being modified. The boilers were replaced by three oil-fired boilers, with power dropping to {{convert|11200|PS|shp kW}} and speed to {{convert|27.3|kn|mph km/h}}. Two 10.5&nbsp;cm L/45 guns replaced the 8.8&nbsp;cm guns, while the torpedo armament remained four 50&nbsp;cm tubes, but arranged in two single and one twin mount.<ref name="Grnv2 p46-7,0">{{Harvnb|Gröner|Jung|Maass|1983|pp=46–47, 50}}</ref><ref name="conways22 p223">{{Harvnb|Gardiner|Chesneau|1980|p=223}}</ref><ref name="jfs31 p235">{{Harvnb|Parkes|1973|p=235}}</ref> By the Second World War, her torpedo tubes had been removed, while two 20&nbsp;mm anti-aircraft guns had been added.<ref name="Len p99">{{Harvnb|Lenton|1975|p=99}}</ref>

==Service==
On commissioning, ''G196'' joined the 2nd Half Flotilla of the 1st Torpedo Flotilla, and remained part of the 2nd Half Flotilla in 1914.<ref>{{cite book|title=Rangelist der Kaiserlich Deutschen Marine für Das Jahr 1912|year=1912|publisher=Ernst Siegfried Mittler und Sohn|location=Berlin|page=56|via=Heinrich Hein Universität Düsseldorf|language=de|url=http://digital.ub.uni-duesseldorf.de/ihd/periodical/pageview/8144915}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|title=Rangelist der Kaiserlich Deutschen Marine für Das Jahr 1914|year=1914|publisher=Ernst Siegfried Mittler und Sohn|location=Berlin|page=60|via=Heinrich Hein Universität Düsseldorf| language=de|url=http://digital.ub.uni-duesseldorf.de/ihd/periodical/pageview/8162600}}</ref>

===First World War===
On 28 August 1914, the  British [[Harwich Force]], supported by light cruisers and battlecruisers of the [[Grand Fleet]], carried out  a [[Battle of Heligoland Bight (1914)|raid]] towards [[Heligoland]] with the intention of destroying patrolling German torpedo boats.<ref>{{Harvnb|Massie|2007|pp=97–101}}</ref> The German defensive patrols around Heligoland consisted of one flotilla (the 1st Torpedo Flotilla) of 12 modern torpedo boats forming an outer patrol line about {{convert|25|nmi|mi km}} North and West of Heligoland, with an inner line of older torpedo boats of the 3rd Minesweeping Division at about {{convert|12|nmi|mi km}}. Four  German light cruisers and another flotilla of torpedo boats (the 5th Torpedo Boat Flotilla) was in the vicinity of Heligoland. G196, a member of the 2nd Half Flotilla of the 1st Torpedo Flotilla, formed part of the outer screen of torpedo boats.<ref>{{Harvnb|Naval Staff Monograph No. 11|1921|pp=122–123}}</ref> At about 06:00 on 28 August, {{SMS|G194||2}}, another member of the outer screen reported spotting the periscope of a submarine. As a result, the 5th Torpedo Boat Flotilla was ordered out to hunt the hostile submarine. At 07:57 ''G194'' was fired on by British warships, and soon ''G194'' and ''G196'' were retreating towards Heligoland, pursued by four British destroyers. The 5th Flotilla and the old torpedo boats of the 3rd Minesweeping Division also came under British fire, and were only saved by the intervention of the German cruisers {{SMS|Stettin||2}} and {{SMS|Frauenlob|1902|2}}, with the torpedo boats {{SMS|V1||2}}, {{SMS|D8||2}} and [[SMS G111|''T111'']] damaged.<ref>{{harvnb|Naval Staff Monograph No. 11|1921|pp=123–125}}</ref> The Torpedo boat {{SMS|V187||2}}, leader of the 1st Flotilla, trying to return to Heligoland on hearing gunfire, ran into the midst of the Harwich force and was sunk. The intervention of the supporting British forces resulted in the sinking of the German cruisers {{SMS|Mainz||2}}, {{SMS|Cöln|1909|2}} and {{SMS|Ariadne|1900|2}}. The British light cruiser {{HMS|Arethusa|1913|2}} and destroyers {{HMS|Laurel|1913|2}}, {{HMS|Laertes|1913|2}} and {{HMS|Liberty|1913|2}} were badly damaged but safely returned to base.<ref>{{Harvnb|Massie|2007|pp=104–113}}</ref> ''G196'' was undamaged.<ref>{{harvnb|Naval Staff Monograph No. 11|1921|p=166}}</ref>

On 23 August 1915, ''G196'', along with {{SMS|G192||2}} and {{SMS|G194||2}}, escorted the newly commissioned battlecruiser {{SMS|Lützow ||2}} from [[Danzig]] to [[Kiel]], with the ships arriving at their destination on 24 August.<ref>{{harvnb|Staff|2014|loc=Chapter 6: The Large Cruiser of 1912 'Ersatz Kaiserin Augusta': Lützow: Trials}}</ref> On 11 September 1915, the German cruisers {{SMS|Stralsund||2}} and {{SMS|Regensburg||2}} set out from [[Wilhelmshaven]] to lay a [[Naval mine|minefield]] off the Swarte Bank in the [[North Sea]], with the [[High Seas Fleet]] sailing in support. On the return trip, at 01:50 hr on 12 September, the High Seas Fleet ran into a newly laid British minefield. ''G196'', which was {{convert|500|m}} off the port beam of the battleship {{SMS|Kaiser|1911|2}}, struck one of the mines and was badly damaged, being towed into port by {{SMS|V189||2}}. Seven of ''G196''{{'}}s crew were killed, with a further eight wounded.<ref>{{Harvnb| Naval Staff Monograph No. 30|1926|pp=169–171}}</ref><ref>{{harvnb|Groos|1924|p=293}}</ref>

In 1918 ''G196'' joined an Escort Flotilla, and she was renamed ''T196'' on 22 February 1918.<ref name="Grov2 p48">{{Harvnb|Gröner|Jung|Maass|1983|p=48}}</ref>  She remained a member of the 1st Half-flotilla of the 1st Escort Flotilla at the end of the war.<ref name="zforp348">{{harvnb|Fock|1989|p=348}}</ref>{{#tag:ref|The 1st Escort Flotilla comprised three Half-flotillas, with a total of 36 torpedo boats operated.<ref name="zforp348"/>|group=lower-alpha}}

===Between the wars===
After the end of the First World War, the [[Scuttling of the German fleet in Scapa Flow|scuttling of the German High Seas Fleet]] at [[Scapa Flow]] on 21 June 1919 and the [[Treaty of Versailles]] left Germany with a small navy of obsolete warships.<ref name="conways06 p139">{{Harvnb| Gardiner|Gray|1985|p=139}}</ref>  The Versailles treaty limited the German Navy's torpedo forces to 16 destroyers and 16 torpedo boats, with only twelve of each in active service, with replacement of the existing ships not allowed until 15 years after they were launched. Replacements could not exceed 800 t displacement for destroyers and 200 t for torpedo boats. ''T196'' was retained as a destroyer under the treaty, and remained in active service in the new [[Reichsmarine]].<ref>{{Harvnb|Koop|Schmolke|2014|p=9}}</ref><ref name="Lenp13-4">{{Harvnb|Lenton|1975|pp=13–14}}</ref>{{#tag:ref|Although treated as destroyers under the Versailles Treaty, these ships were always considered as Torpedo Boats by the Germans.<ref name="conways22 p223"/>|group=lower-alpha}} In 1923 ''T196'' was allocated to the North Sea station.<ref>{{Harvnb|Dodson|2019|p=140}}</ref> ''T196'' was modernised in 1923, but was still obsolete and in the 1930s was transferred to subsidiary roles, being used for training and as a Fleet Tender,<ref name="conways22 p223"/><ref name="Len p99"/><ref name="Grov2 p48"/> and from 1938 as a minesweeper command ship.<ref>{{Harvnb|Dodson|2019|p=143}}</ref>

===Second World War===
On the outbreak of the [[Second World War]] on 1 September 1939, ''T196'' was the flagship of the Officer Commanding Minesweepers and was deployed in support on the German [[Invasion of Poland]].<ref>{{Harvnb| Rohwer| Hümmelchen|1992|p=1}}</ref> On 4 September ''T196'', along with the pre-dreadnought battleship {{SMS|Schleswig-Holstein||2}} and the old minesweeper ''Von der Groeben'' (formerly {{SMS|M107|1918|2}}), bombarded  [[Westerplatte]].<ref>{{Harvnb| Rohwer| Hümmelchen|1992|p=3}}</ref>

In late January 1945, the Germans began a [[Operation Hannibal|mass evacuation]] of soldiers and civilians from [[East Prussia]] and [[Danzig]], which were threatened by the advance of Soviet forces. On 10 February ''T196'' and the torpedo recovery vessel ''TF19'' were escorting the liner [[SS General von Steuben|''Steuben'']] from [[Pillau]], when the [[Soviet submarine S-13|Soviet submarine ''S-13'']] torpedoed and sank ''Steuben''. Only about 300 of the more than 3000 aboard could be saved.<ref>{{Harvnb| Rohwer| Hümmelchen|1992|pp=331–332}}</ref><ref>{{Harvnb|Beevor|2002|p=88}}</ref>

===Soviet Union===
On 27 December 1945 ''T196'' was transferred to the Soviet Union as a War Prize,<ref name="Grov2 p48"/> named ''Pronzitelny''<ref name="Len p99"/>{{#tag:ref|Lenton lists the ship's new name as ''Pronzitelny''<ref name="Len p99"/> while Conway's gives the new name as ''Pronsitelniy''.<ref name="conways06 p167"/>|group=lower-alpha}} ({{Langx|ru|Пронзителъньій}}<ref name=berp21-2/>) The ship joined the Soviet Baltic Fleet in February 1946 and was stricken for scrapping on 30 April 1949.<ref name=berp21-2>{{Harvnb|Berezhnoy|1994|pp=21–22}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Emmerich|first=Michael|title=Großes Torpedoboot 1906: Ships|url=http://www.german-navy.de/hochseeflotte/ships/torpedoboats/gtb1906/ships.html|work=German Naval History|access-date=12 February 2017}}</ref>

==Notes==
{{reflist|group=lower-alpha}}

==References==
{{reflist|30em}}

==Bibliography==
*{{cite book|last=Beevor|first=Antony|title=Berlin; The Downfall 1945|year=2002|publisher=Viking|location=London|isbn=0-670-88695-5}}
*{{Cite book|last=Berezhnoy|first=Sergey|title=Трофеи и репарации ВМФ СССР|publisher=Sakhapoligrafizdat|year=1994|location=Yakutsk|language=ru|trans-title=Trophies and reparations of the Soviet Navy|url=http://militera.lib.ru/enc/berezhnoy_ss01/index.html|oclc=33334505}}
*{{cite book |last1=Dodson |first1=Aidan |title=Warship 2019 |date=2019 |publisher=Osprey Publishing |location=Oxford, UK |isbn=978-1-4728-3595-6 |pages=129–144 |editor1-last=Jordan |editor1-first=John |chapter=Beyond the Kaiser: The IGN's Destroyers and Torpedo Boats After 1918}}
* {{cite book |last=Fock |first=Harald |title=Z-Vor! Internationale Entwicklung und Kriegseinsätze von Zerstörern und Torpedobooten 1914 bis 1939 |year=1989 |location=Herford, Germany |publisher=Koehlers Verlagsgesellschaft mBH |isbn=3-7822-0207-4 |language=de}}
*{{cite book|editor1-last=Gardiner|editor1-first=Robert|editor2-last=Chesneau|editor2-first=Robert|title=Conway's All The World's Fighting Ships 1922–1946|year=1980|publisher=Conway Maritime Press|location=London|isbn=0-85177-146-7}}
*{{cite book|editor1-last=Gardiner|editor1-first=Robert|editor2-last=Gray|editor2-first=Randal|title=Conway's All The World's Fighting Ships 1906–1921|year=1985|publisher=Conway Maritime Press|location=London|isbn=0-85177-245-5}}
*{{cite book|last1=Gröner|first1=Erich|last2=Jung|first2=Dieter|last3=Maass|first3=Martin|title=Die deutschen Kriegsschiffe 1815–1945: Band 2: Torpedoboote, Zerstörer, Schnellboote, Minensuchboote, Minenräumboote|year=1983|publisher=Bernard & Graef Verlag|location=Koblenz|language=de|isbn=3-7637-4801-6}}
* {{cite book |last=Groos |first=O. |title=Der Krieg in der Nordsee: Vierter Band: Von Anfang Februar bis Ende Dezember 1915 |series=Der Krieg zur See: 1914–1918 |year=1924 |location=Berlin |publisher=Verlag von E. S. Mittler und Sohn |url=https://www.digar.ee/arhiiv/et/raamatud/17104 |language=German |via=National Library of Estonia}}
*{{cite book|last=Halpern|first=Paul G.|title=A Naval History of World War I|year=1994|publisher=UCL Press|location=London|isbn=1-85728-498-4}}
*{{cite book |last1=Koop |first1=Gerhard |last2=Schmolke |first2=Klaus-Peter |title=German Destroyers of World War II |year=2014 |publisher=Seaforth Publishing|location=Barnsley, UK|isbn=978-1-84832-193-9}}
*{{cite book|last=Lenton|first=H. T.|title=German Warships of the Second World War|year=1975|publisher=Macdonald and Jane's|location=London|isbn=0-356-04661-3}}
*{{cite book|last=Massie|first=Robert K.|title=Castles of Steel: Britain, Germany and the Winning of the Great War at Sea|year=2007 |publisher=Vintage Books|location=London|isbn=978-0-099-52378-9}}
*{{cite book|last=Moore|first=John|title=Jane's Fighting Ships of World War I|year=1990|publisher=Studio |location=London|isbn=1-85170-378-0}}
*{{cite book|title=Monograph No. 11: The Battle of the Heligoland Bight, August 28th, 1914|series=Naval Staff Monographs (Historical)|volume=III|year=1921|pages=108–166|url=http://www.navy.gov.au/sites/default/files/documents/Naval-Staff-Monographs-Vol.III_opt.pdf |publisher=Naval Staff, Training and Staff Duties Division|ref={{harvid|Naval Staff Monograph No. 11|1921}} }}
*{{cite book|title=Monograph No. 30 Home Waters—Part V.: From July to August 1915|series=Naval Staff Monographs (Historical)|volume=XIV|year=1926|url=http://www.navy.gov.au/sites/default/files/documents/Naval-Staff-Monographs-Vol.XIV_opt.pdf|publisher=Naval Staff, Training and Staff Duties Division|ref={{harvid|Naval Staff Monograph No. 30|1926}} }}
*{{cite book|editor-last=Parkes|editor-first=Oscar|title=Jane's Fighting Ships 1931|year=1973|publisher=David & Charles (Publishers) Limited|orig-year=First published 1931 by Sampson Low, Marston|isbn=0-7153-5849-9}}
*{{cite book|last1=Rohwer|first1=Jürgen| last2= Hümmelchen |first2=Gerhard|title= Chronology of the War at Sea 1939–1945|year=1992|publisher=Greenhill Books|location=London|isbn=1-85367-117-7}}
* {{cite book |last=Staff |first=Gary |title=German Battlecruisers of World War One: Their Design, Construction and Operation |year=2014 |location=Barnsley, UK |publisher=Seaforth Publishing |isbn=9781848323070}}

{{S138-class torpedo boats|state=collapsed}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:G196}}
[[Category:Torpedo boats of the Imperial German Navy]]
[[Category:World War I torpedo boats of Germany]]
[[Category:Ships built in Kiel]]
[[Category:1911 ships]]