View source for SMS V45

{{Short description|Large torpedo boat of the Imperial German Navy}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2016}}
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{{Infobox ship career
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|Ship country=[[German Empire]]
|Ship flag={{shipboxflag|German Empire|naval}}
 | Ship name = 
 | Ship namesake = 
 | Ship ordered = 1914 Peacetime order
 | Ship builder = [[AG Vulcan Stettin]], [[Germany]]
 | Ship laid down = 
 | Ship launched = 29 March 1915
 | Ship commissioned = 30 September 1915
 | Ship decommissioned = 
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 | Ship fate =*Interned at Scapa Flow 22 November 1918
*Scuttled at Scapa Flow 21 January 1919
 | Ship notes = 
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{{Infobox ship characteristics
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 | Ship class = 
 | Ship displacement ={{convert|1,106|t|LT}} deep load
 | Ship length ={{convert|79.6|m|ftin|abbr=on}}
 | Ship beam ={{convert|8.3|m|ftin|abbr=on}}
 | Ship draft ={{convert|3.6|m|ftin|abbr=on}} 
 | Ship propulsion = 
 | Ship sail plan = 
 | Ship speed = {{convert|33.5|kn|1}}
 | Ship range = {{convert|2050|nmi|abbr=on}} at {{convert|17|kn}}
 | Ship complement = 87 officers and sailors
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 | Ship EW = 
 | Ship armament =*3 × [[8.8 cm SK L/45 naval gun|{{convert|8.8|cm|in|sp=us|abbr=on}} SK L/45]] guns
*6 × 500 mm [[torpedo tube]]s
*24 [[Naval mine|mine]]s
 | Ship notes = 
}}
|}
'''SMS ''V45''''' was a 1913 Type [[Torpedo-boats of the German Navy (1871-1919)|large torpedo boat]] (''Großes Torpedoboot'') of the [[Imperial German Navy]] during [[World War I]]. ''V45'' was built by [[AG Vulcan Stettin|AG Vulcan]] at their [[Stettin]] shipyard, being launched on 29 March 1915 and completed on 30 September that year.

''V45'' served with the German 6th Torpedo Boat Flotilla for the remainder of the war, taking part in the [[Battle of Jutland]] in 1916. The torpedo boat carried out operations in the [[English Channel]] and in the [[Baltic Sea]], and took part in the [[Second Battle of Heligoland Bight]] in 1917.

''V45'' was interned at [[Scapa Flow]] following the end of the war, and was [[Scuttling of the German fleet in Scapa Flow|scuttled]] on 21 June 1919.

==Design and construction==
On 22 April 1914, the [[Imperial German Navy]] ordered 12 torpedo boats as part of its 1914 shipbuilding programme, with six each ordered from [[Friedrich Krupp Germaniawerft]] and [[AG Vulcan Stettin|AG Vulcan]].<ref>{{Harvnb|Fock|1989|p=47}}</ref>

Vulcan's design was {{convert|79.6|m|ftin}} long [[length overall|overall]] and {{convert|78.8|m|ftin}} [[length between perpendiculars|between perpendiculars]], with a [[beam (nautical)|beam]] of {{convert|8.3|m|ftin}} and a [[draft (ship)|draft]] of {{convert|3.6|m|ftin}}.<ref name="conways06 p168">{{Harvnb|Gardiner|Gray| 1985|p=168}}</ref> [[Displacement (ship)|Displacement]] was {{convert|952|t|LT}} normal and {{convert|1106|t|LT}} deep load.<ref name="Grov2 p53">{{harvnb|Gröner|Jung|Maass|1983|p=53}}</ref> Three oil-fired [[water-tube boiler]]s fed steam to 2 sets of AEG-Vulcan [[steam turbine]]s rated at {{convert|24000|PS|shp kW}}, giving a speed of {{convert|33.5|kn}}. {{convert|338|t|LT}} of fuel oil was carried, giving a range of {{convert|2050|nmi}} at {{convert|17|kn}}.<ref name="conways06 p168"/> Armament originally consisted of three [[8.8 cm SK L/45 naval gun]]s in single mounts,{{#tag:ref|SK stood for ''Schnellfeuerkanone'' (quick-firing gun).<ref name="grob2p17">{{Harvnb|Gröner|Jung|Maass|1983|p=17}}</ref>|group=lower-alpha}}{{#tag:ref|In Imperial German Navy gun nomenclature, the L/45 denotes the length of the gun. In this case, the L/45 gun is 45 [[Caliber (artillery)|caliber]], meaning that the gun is 45 times as long as it is in diameter.|group=lower-alpha}} together with six 50&nbsp;cm (19.7&nbsp;in) [[torpedo tube]]s with two fixed single tubes forward and 2 twin mounts aft. Up to 24 [[Naval mine|mine]]s could be carried.<ref name="conways06 p168"/><ref name="Grov2 p53"/> The ship had a complement of 87 officers and men.<ref name="conways06 p168"/>

''V45'' was [[Keel laying|laid down]] at Vulcan's Stettin shipyard in [[Prussia]] (now [[Szczecin]] in Poland) as [[yard number]] 360,<ref name="Grov2 p53"/> was launched on 29 March 1915 and completed on 30 September 1915.<ref name="Grov2 p54">{{harvnb|Gröner|Jung|Maass|1983|p=54}}</ref> The "V" in ''V45'' denotes at which shipyard she was built (i.e. AG Vulcan).<ref name="conways06 p164">{{Harvnb|Gardiner|Gray|1985|p=164}}</ref>

==Service==
===1915–1916===
''V45'' was assigned to the Sixth Torpedo Boat Flotilla, Twelfth Half-Flotilla, of the German [[High Seas Fleet]].<ref name="zvorp348">{{harvnb|Fock|1989|p=348}}</ref> On 25 March 1916, the British seaplane carrier {{HMS|Vindex|1915|2}}, escorted by the Harwich force, launched an air attack against a Zeppelin base believed to be at [[Schleswig-Holstein|Hoyer]] on the coast of Schleswig. The raid was a failure, with the airship base actually at Tondern, and while engaging German patrol boats, the British destroyer {{HMS|Medusa|1915|6}} was rammed by the destroyer {{HMS|Laverock|1913|6}} and badly damaged. (''Medusa'' was later abandoned and eventually sank). Forces of the High Seas Fleet were ordered to sea in response to the attack, and on the evening of 25 March, 18 German torpedo boats of the 1st and 6th Torpedo Boat Flotillas, including ''V45'' were deployed in a wide front with orders to search for ''Medusa'' to the North West of [[Horns Rev]]. The torpedo boat {{SMS|G194||2}} of the 1st Flotilla encountered British cruisers and was rammed and sunk by the cruiser {{HMS|Cleopatra|1915|2}}, which was then rammed and damaged by the cruiser {{HMS|Undaunted|1914|2}}, while another German torpedo boat, {{SMS|S22|1913|2}}, was sunk by a mine.<ref>{{harvnb|Fock|1989|p=354}}</ref><ref>{{harvnb|Naval Staff Monograph No. 31|1926|pp=166–167, 172–174}}</ref> On 24 April 1916, the German [[battlecruiser]]s of [[I Scouting Group]] and the light cruisers of the II Scouting Group set out from Kiel on a [[Bombardment of Yarmouth and Lowestoft|mission to bombard]] the British East-coast towns of [[Great Yarmouth|Yarmouth]] and [[Lowestoft]], with the torpedo boats of the 6th Torpedo Boat Flotilla (including ''V45'') and 9th Torpedo Boat Flotilla as escorts.<ref>{{harvnb|Naval Staff Monograph No. 32|1927|pp=19, 46}}</ref> The battleships of the [[High Seas Fleet]] were deployed in support, with the hope of destroying isolated elements of the British Forces if they tried to intercept. There was a brief engagement between the German forces and the light cruisers and destroyers of the [[Harwich Force]], which caused the German battlecruisers to break off the bombardment of Lowestoft, but rather than take the change to destroy the outnumbered British force, the Germans chose to retire.<ref>{{Harvnb|Massie|2007|pp=558–559}}</ref>

On 31 May 1916, the High Seas Fleet left port for a sortie into the [[North Sea]] with the intent of luring British ships to battle, in what would become the [[Battle of Jutland]], with ''V45'', with the rest of the 6th Flotilla, escorting the battlecruisers of I Scouting Group.<ref>{{harvnb|Campbell|1998|pp=13–14, 25}}</ref> On first contact between German and British forces, the 6th Flotilla was deployed as part of a screen in front of the German battlecruisers, with ''V45'' one of five torpedo boats of the 12th half-flotilla operating near the light cruiser {{SMS|Frankfurt||2}}.<ref>{{harvnb|Tarrant|1997|pp=62–63}}</ref> At about 19:00 [[Central European Time|CET]] (18:00 [[Greenwich Mean Time|GMT]]), the 12th half-flotilla took part in a torpedo attack against the battlecruisers of the British [[3rd Battlecruiser Squadron]], with ''V45'' launching a single torpedo. All of the torpedoes launched by the 12th half flotilla, the 9th Flotilla and the 2nd Flotilla in this attack missed.<ref>{{harvnb|Campbell|1998|pp=113–114}}</ref> The German battlecruiser {{SMS|Lützow||2}} was badly damaged by British battlecruisers, and ''V45'' was one of eight torpedo boats that went to ''Lützow''{{'}} assistance.<ref>{{harvnb|Campbell|1998|p=163}}</ref> ''V45'', together with {{SMS|G37||2}}, {{SMS|G38||2}} and {{SMS|G40||2}} laid a [[smoke screen]] to shield ''Lützow'' from view, but before this was effective, ''Lützow'' was hit with several more British shells.<ref>{{harvnb|Tarrant|1997|pp=143, 145}}</ref> Flooding forced ''Lützow''{{'}}s crew to abandon ship from 01:55 CET on 1 June, with ''V45'', ''G37'', ''G38'' and ''G40'' taking off the battlecruiser's crew before ''G38'' scuttled ''Lützow'' with torpedoes.<ref>{{harvnb|Campbell|1998|p=294}}</ref> Later that night, the four torpedo boats clashed twice briefly with British forces, with ''G40'' damaged and having to be towed to base by ''G37''. ''V45'' launched three torpedoes in these clashes, all of which missed.<ref>{{harvnb|Campbell|1998|pp=301–302, 315–316}}</ref>

===1917–1918===
In January 1917, the 6th Flotilla was transferred to [[Flanders]] to reinforce the German torpedo boat forces based in the Belgian ports.<ref>{{harvnb|Karau|2014|p=81}}</ref> Eleven torpedo boats of the flotilla,{{#tag:ref|{{SMS|V69||2}}, {{SMS|G37||2}}, {{SMS|G41||2}}, {{SMS|V43||2}}, {{SMS|V44||2}}, ''V45'', {{SMS|V46||2}}, {{SMS|S49|1914|2}}, {{SMS|S50||2}}, {{SMS|G86||2}} and {{SMS|G87||2}}.<ref>{{Harvnb|Naval Staff Monograph No. 34|1933|p=93}}</ref>|group=lower-alpha}} including ''V45'', set out from [[Helgoland]] for Flanders on 22 January, but decoding of German radio signals by [[Room 40]] warned the British of the German intentions, and the [[Harwich Force]] of cruisers and destroyers sent to intercept the German torpedo boats. During the night of 22–23 January, the 6th Flotilla encountered three British light cruisers ({{HMS|Aurora|1913|2}}, {{HMS|Conquest|1915|2}} and {{HMS|Centaur|1916|2}}). Both {{SMS|V69||2}} and {{SMS|G41||2}} were badly damaged in the encounter, while {{SMS|S50||2}} lost contact with the remainder of the flotilla and, after an encounter with a separate group of British destroyers in which {{HMS|Simoom|1916|2}} was sunk, returned to Germany. The remaining eight ships of the flotilla reached [[Zeebrugge]] unharmed on 23 January.<ref>{{harvnb|Newbolt|1928|pp=73–79}}</ref><ref>{{harvnb|Naval Staff Monograph No. 34|1933|pp=93–94}}</ref><ref>{{harvnb|Karau|2014|pp=112–114}}</ref><ref>{{harvnb|Halpern|1994|p=347}}</ref> On the night of 25/26 February, the Flanders-based torpedo boats launched a three-pronged attack against Allied shipping in the [[English Channel]] and the [[Dover Barrage]]. ''V45'' was one of six torpedo boats of the 6th Flotilla,{{#tag:ref|''S49'', ''G37'', ''V44'', ''V45'', ''V46'' and ''G86''<ref name="karp119">{{harvnb|Karau|2014|p=119}}</ref>|group=lower-alpha}} which were tasked with attacking the Dover Barrage and shelling Dover, with five more torpedo boats sent against shipping on [[The Downs (ship anchorage)|The Downs]] and three ordered to operate off the [[River Maas]] against shipping running between the Netherlands and Britain. The 6th Flotilla ran into the British destroyer {{HMS|Laverock|1913|2}} which was patrolling the Barrage. A heavy exchange of gunfire followed between the German torpedo boats and ''Laverock'' (which was hit by a torpedo that failed to explode), but no damage was sustained by either side. Believing that British forces were closing in, the 6th Flotilla to turn back for Zeebrugge, with the drifters of the Dover Barrage unharmed.<ref>{{harvnb|Newbolt|1928|pp=352–354}}</ref><ref>{{harvnb|Karau|2014|pp=119–120}}</ref><ref>{{harvnb|Naval Staff Monograph No. 34|1933|pp=190–192}}</ref> The force sent against The Downs briefly shelled the North Foreland and [[Margate]] before withdrawing, hitting a house and killing three civilians but doing little other damage, while the patrol off the Mass encountered no ships.<ref>{{harvnb|Naval Staff Monograph No. 34|1933|pp=191–192}}</ref><ref>{{harvnb|Karau|2014|p=120}}</ref>

The next major German attack took place on the night of 17/18 March 1917, with two groups of torpedo boats sent against the barrage, one of seven boats of the 6th Flotilla{{#tag:ref|''S49'', ''G37'', ''V43'', ''V45'', ''V46'', ''G86'' and ''G87''.<ref>{{harvnb|Naval Staff Monograph No. 34|1933|p=271}}</ref>|group=lower-alpha}} including ''V45'' attacking the Northern part of the barrage, and one of 4 torpedo boats attacking the south, while four more torpedo boats were sent against The Downs.<ref>{{harvnb|Naval Staff Monograph No. 34|1933|pp=271–272}}</ref> At 11:47 pm, the 6th Flotilla encountered the British destroyer {{HMS|Paragon|1913|2}} on patrol. ''Paragon'' attempted to challenge the German ships, but was attacked by ''S49'' and ''G86'' before ''Paragon'' had finished sending her challenge. ''Paragon'' was hit by two or three torpedoes, broke in half and sank. The explosion was spotted by the British destroyers {{HMS|Llewellyn|1913|2}} and {{HMS|Laforey|1913|2}}, which were patrolling nearby, and the two British ships went to pick up survivors, switching on searchlights to help rescue operations. The searchlights were spotted the 6th Flotilla, which was returning to Zeebrugge, and ''S49'' and ''G87'' carried out a torpedo attack on the British ships as they passed, hitting ''Llewellyn'' with one torpedo. ''Llelwellyn'' remained afloat, and made it back to Dover. The 6th Flotilla were not spotted by the British ships, with ''Laforey'' reporting that the attack had been by a submarine. Meanwhile, the force sent against the Downs sank the steamer {{SS|Greypoint||2}} and shelled targets in Kent.<ref>{{harvnb|Karau|2014|p=121}}</ref><ref>{{harvnb|Naval Staff Monograph No. 34|1933|pp=271–277}}</ref> The 6th Flotilla returned to Germany on 29 March 1917.<ref>{{harvnb|Karau|2014|p=122}}</ref>

In October 1917, Germany launched [[Operation Albion]], an invasion of islands in the [[West Estonian archipelago]] to secure the left flank of the German Army following the German [[Battle of Jugla|capture of Riga]]. The Germans assembled a powerful naval force to support the operation, reinforced by forces detached from the High Seas Fleet, including ''V45'', operating with the 6th Torpedo Boat Flotilla.<ref name="Halp p213-5">{{Harvnb|Halpern|1994|pp=213–215}}</ref><ref name="Ostv3 p200">{{Harvnb|Gagen|1964|p=200}}</ref><ref>{{harvnb|Fock|1989|pp=361–362}}</ref> On 17 October, ''V45'', along with the torpedo boats ''V44'' and [[SMS S139 (1906)|''T139'']] were used to deliver ammunition to torpedo boats on patrol.<ref>{{harvnb|Gagen|1964|p=269}}</ref> On 17 November 1917, ''V45'' was part of the covering force for minesweeping operations in the [[Heligoland Bight]], when a British force, including the large cruisers {{HMS|Courageous|50|2}} and {{HMS|Glorious||2}}, eight light cruisers and ten destroyers attacked. In the resulting [[Second Battle of Heligoland Bight]], the German covering force laid smoke and engaged the British force to allow the minesweepers to escape, then evaded the British until the appearance of the battleships of the German [[High Seas Fleet]] caused the British to break off the action. ''V45'' carried out several torpedo attacks, launching four torpedoes at the British, although none found their mark. Only a single German trawler was sunk.<ref>{{Harvnb|Halpern|1994|p=377}}</ref><ref>{{Harvnb|Newbolt|1931|pp=164–176}}</ref><ref>{{Harvnb|Fock|1989|p=363}}</ref><ref>{{harvnb|Gladisch|1965|pp=62, 68}}</ref>

''V45'' remained part of the 12th half-flotilla of the 6th Torpedo Boat Flotilla at the end of the war.<ref name="zvorp348"/>

==Internment and scuttling==
After the end of hostilities, ''V45'' was interned at [[Scapa Flow]] together with most of the German Fleet. On 21 June 1919, the German fleet at Scapa, including ''V45'', was [[Scuttling of the German fleet in Scapa Flow|scuttled by its crews]]. ''V45''{{'}}s wreck was sold to the Scapa Flow Salvage Company on 26 April 1923, and was raised in September 1924 before being scrapped at [[Troon]].<ref name="Grov2 p54"/><ref>{{harvnb|Dodson|2019|pp=129–130}}</ref>

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

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Sources==
*{{cite book|last=Campbell|first=John|title=Jutland: An Analysis of the Fighting|year=1998|publisher=Conway Maritime Press|location=London|isbn=0-85177-750-3}}
*{{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=German }}
* {{cite book|last=Gagen|first=Ernst von|title=Der Krieg in der Ostsee: Dritter Band: Von Anfang 1916 bis zum kriegsende|series=Der Krieg zur See: 1914–1918|year=1964|location=Frankfurt, Germany|publisher=Verlag von E. S. Mittler und Sohn|url=https://archive.org/details/derkrieginderost03firl|language=de}}
*{{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 |editor-last=Gladisch |editor-first=Walter |title=Der Krieg in der Nordsee: Band 7: Vom Sommer 1917 bis zum Kriegsende 1918 |year=1965 |location=Frankfurt |publisher=Verlag E.S. Mittler & Sohn }}
*{{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=German|isbn=3-7637-4801-6}}
*{{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|last=Karau|first=Mark K.|title=The Naval Flank of the Western Front: The German MarineKorps Flandern 1914–1918|year=2014|publisher=Seaforth Publishing|location=Barnsley, UK|isbn=978-1-84832-231-8}}
* {{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|title= Monograph No. 31: Home Waters Part VI: From October 1915 to May 1916|series=Naval Staff Monographs (Historical)|volume= XV|year=1926|publisher=Naval Staff, Training and Staff Duties Division|url=http://www.navy.gov.au/sites/default/files/documents/Naval-Staff-Monographs-Vol.XV_opt.pdf |ref={{harvid|Naval Staff Monograph No. 31|1926}} }}
*{{cite book|title=Monograph No. 32: Lowestoft Raid: 24th – 25th April, 1916|series=Naval Staff Monographs (Historical)|volume=XVI|year=1927|publisher=The Naval Staff, Training and Staff Duties Division|url=http://www.navy.gov.au/sites/default/files/documents/Naval-Staff-Monographs-Vol.XVI_opt.pdf|ref={{Harvid|Naval Staff Monograph No. 32|1927}} }}
*{{cite book|title=Monograph No. 34: Home Waters—Part VIII: December 1916 to April 1917|series=Naval Staff Monographs (Historical)|volume=XVIII|year=1933|publisher=The Naval Staff, Training and Staff Duties Division|url=http://www.navy.gov.au/sites/default/files/documents/Naval-Staff-Monographs-Vol.XVIII_opt.pdf|ref={{Harvid|Naval Staff Monograph No. 34|1933}} }}
*{{cite book |last=Newbolt |first=Henry |title=Naval Operations: Volume IV |series=History of the Great War: Based on Official Documents |year=1928 |publisher=Longmans Green & Co. |location=London |url=https://archive.org/details/navaloperations04corb }}
*{{cite book |last=Newbolt |first=Henry |author-link=Henry Newbolt |title=Naval Operations: Vol. V |series=History of the Great War: Based on Official Documents|year=1931 |publisher=Longmans Green| location=London |url=https://archive.org/details/navaloperations0000corb/page/n5 |oclc= 220475309 }}
* {{cite book |last=Tarrant |first=V. E. |title=Jutland: The German Perspective |year=1997 |location=London |publisher=Arms & Armour Press |isbn=1-85409-442-4}}

==External links==
* [http://www.german-navy.de/hochseeflotte/ships/torpedoboats/gtb1913/tech.html ''Technical specs of the Großes Torpedoboot 1913 class'']

{{Großes Torpedoboot 1913-class torpedo boats}}
{{1919 shipwrecks}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:V045}}
[[Category:Torpedo boats of the Imperial German Navy]]
[[Category:1915 ships]]
[[Category:Ships built in Stettin]]
[[Category:World War I torpedo boats of Germany]]
[[Category:World War I warships scuttled at Scapa Flow]]
[[Category:Maritime incidents in 1919]]