A40 belonged to the second batch of A-class torpedo boats, displacing roughly 227-229 tons. It was about 49 metres long, with a beam of five and a half metres and a draft of roughly 2.4 metres. An oil-fired boiler supplied a single geared turbine and shaft for a speed of 25 knots. Its range was about 690 nautical miles at 20 knots, and its crew numbered 29. Two 88 mm guns, one 18-inch torpedo tube, and minelaying capacity gave this small vessel several duties. Lütjens spent much of his First World War command career in a boat of this scale.
Notable Point · 39:13-40:42
A40 put Lütjens in command of a 29-man torpedo boat
A40's small crew, light armament, and limited dimensions establish the scale of Lütjens's wartime command experience.