The Type 1942 was one of the more conventional German destroyer concepts. Only Z51 was laid down, as an experimental vessel with pure diesel propulsion for the later Type 1944 design series, while Z52 through Z56 remained planned ships. The contracts dated from 25 November 1942, more than two years after Narvik. The armament described here comprised four, and later six, 127 mm guns with 720 rounds, compared with an earlier allowance of 600. The gun mounts still had an elevation range from 10 degrees below horizontal to 30 degrees above it. Eight 37 mm and twelve 20 mm weapons provided anti-aircraft armament, while six 21-inch torpedo tubes had twelve reloads and the ship could carry fifty mines. Diesel propulsion suited German capabilities in principle, although the internal machinery arrangement introduced concentrated risks. The concept offered a useful direction for rebuilding the destroyer force, but that change came late.
Chapter · 24:32-30:53
The Type 1942 showed a more useful destroyer direction
The Type 1942 was a more conventional and potentially useful destroyer, but its diesel arrangement and November 1942 contracts show how late the shift came.