LOSSES BY YEAR and THEATRE
(In date order within each year)

August 1914 Strength (c 130, mainly in High Sea Fleet)

1. TAKU

245t, 32 knots, 2-5cm/2-45cm tt, 57 crew, 1898

TAKU, 28th September 1914, North Chinese waters off Tsingtao at Kaoshu (36-03’N, 120-16’E) - scuttled. Ex-Chinese destroyer, German-built captured in 1900 and serving on the Far East Station; stricken in June 1914 with unserviceable boilers. Scuttled together with a number of other largely disarmed German ships during the siege of Tsingtao as the Japanese closed in on the fortress.

2. S.90 classes (Nos 90-137), S.90-S.101 Schichau-built, 12 boats, 2 lost - 310t, 26 knots, 3-5cm/3-45cm tt, 57 crew, 1899-01. Survivors renamed "T" from September 1914

Served as coastal defence, minesweeping division flagship, patrol and escort, submarine flotilla flagship, and tender boats

S.90, 17th October 1914, North Chinese waters, 35 miles SW of Tsingtao (35-32’N, 119-36’E) - run aground and scuttled. "S.90" broke out from Tsingtao late on the 16th and torpedoed and sank Japanese old protected cruiser/minelayer "Takachiho" before running aground further south-west on the Chinese coast

T.100 (ex -"S.100"), 15th October 1915, southern Baltic Sea off Sassnitz, Rügen island, Germany (54-30’N, 13-43’E) - collision with 2,900grt ferry "Preussen". Served as submarine flotilla flagship and training ship; 39 men dead

3. S.90 classes continued, S.102-S.107 Schichau-built, 6 boats - 315t, 28 knots, 3-5cm/3-45cm tt, 57 crew, 1901-02. Some later armed with 8.8cm gun; renamed "T" from September 1914

Served as coastal defence, minesweeper division flagship, patrol and escort, and training boats

4. S.90 classes continued, G.108-G.113 Germania-built, 6 boats - 330t, 28 knots, 3-5cm/3-45cm tt, 57 crew, 1902-03. Some later armed with 8.8cm guns; renamed "T" from September 1914.

Served as coastal defence, escort and patrol, submarine flotilla flagship, tender, and training boats

5. S.90 classes continued, S.114-S.119 Schichau-built, 6 boats, 5 lost - 315t, 28 knots, 3-5cm/3-45cm tt, 57 crew, 1902-03. Surviving "S.114" renamed "T.114" from September 1916; served as coastal defence, escort and patrol boat

S.115, 17th October 1914, southern North Sea, 15 miles south-west of Texel island, Holland (52-48’N, 03-50’E) - British cruiser and destroyer gunfire. Four ships of the 7th Half-Flotilla (Cdr August Thiele), "S.115" in company with "S.117", "S.118" and "S.119" of the River Ems Patrol were steaming south to lay mines in The Downs in the Dover Straits. Sighted near the Haaks Light Ship by light cruiser "Undaunted" (2-6in/6-4in, Capt Cecil Fox), leader of the 3rd DF, Harwich force, accompanied by 4in gun destroyers "Lance", "Lennox", "Legion" and "Loyal" on a sweep north up the Dutch coast, all four German ships were sunk by gunfire."S.115" lost 55 men killed, survivors were picked up by the British ships

S.116, 6th October 1914, southern North Sea, Heligoland Bight off the mouth of the River Ems (53-42’N, 06-09’E) - torpedoed once by British submarine "E-9". "E.9" (Lt Cdr Max Horton, who sank old light cruiser "Hela" on 13th September) on Heligoland Bight patrol torpedoed "S.116" early on the 6th at 01.20hrs; 9 men were lost

S.117, 17th October 1914, southern North Sea, south-west of Texel island, Holland (52-48’N, 03-50’E) - British cruiser and destroyer gunfire. As for "S.115"; 64 men lost

S.118, 17th October 1914, southern North Sea, south-west of Texel island, Holland (52-48’N, 03-50’E) - British cruiser and destroyer gunfire. As for "S.115"; 52 men lost

S.119, 17th October 1914, southern North Sea, south-west of Texel island, Holland (52-48’N, 03-50’E) - British cruiser and destroyer gunfire. As for "S.115"; 47 men lost. A set of German naval codes, mostly for use by flag officers at sea were dredged up near "S.119" by a British fishing trawler. These were a vital addition to the codes recovered from the cruiser "Magdeburg" in the Baltic and from a German merchantman off the Australian coast, all of which made their way to the British Admiralty's "Room 40".

6. S.90 classes continued, S.120-S.124 Schichau-built, 5 boats, 3 lost - 390t, 27 knots, 3-5cm/3-45cm tt, 61 crew, 1904. Some later armed with 8.8cm gun; survivors renamed "T" from September 1916.

Served with torpedo boat flotillas, and as coastal defence, escort and patrol, submarine flotilla flagship, and training boats

T.122 (ex-"S.122"), 5th October 1918, southern North Sea, c 100 miles north of the Dutch Frisian island of Ameland (54°40’N, 05°57’E) - mined. "T.122" served as a submarine flotilla flagship in 1914, a coastal defence vessel in 1915, and from 1916 to 18 as a training boat and in patrol and escort flotillas. She was sunk at 07.00hrs, presumably on a British-laid mine; 12 men dead. One source locates her loss off Heligoland

S.123, 1st May 1916, German North Sea coast off the island of Sylt, near the Danish coast (55°04’N, 08°23’E) - mined. Serving with the wreck destruction command, "S.123" was sunk at 20.40hrs off the north tip of Sylt close to the start of Danish waters; 23 men were killed. One source locates her loss in the Baltic

S.124, 30th November 1914, German Baltic Sea coast, north of the port of Rostock, south of the Danish island of Falster (54-22’N, 12-11’E) - collision with Danish steamer "Anglodane". Serving as a coast defence vessel; 1 man killed. Some sources show her sunk; others heavily damaged, salvaged and broken up at Kiel in 1915

7. S.90 classes continued, S.125 Schichau-built, 1 boat - 355t, 28 knots, 3-5cm/3-45cm tt, 61 crew, 1905. Renamed "T" from September 1916.

Served as coastal defence boat, then with patrol and escort flotillas

8. S.90 classes continued, S.126-S.131 Schichau-built, 6 boats, 1 lost - 370t, 28 knots, 3-5cm/3-45cm tt, 61 crew, 1905. Some later armed with 8.8cm guns; renamed "T" from September 1916.

Served with torpedo boat flotillas, and as coastal defence boats, patrol and escort, tender, and training boats

S.129, 5th November 1915, German North Sea coast, at the mouth of the River Elbe (53-59’N, 08-21’E) - ran aground. Serving as a coastal defence boat, ran aground on or near the island of Scharhörn and wrecked; no casualties

9. S.90 classes continued, G.132-G.136 Germania-built, 5 boats - 410t, 27 knots, 4-5.2cm or 1-8.8cm/2-5.2cm/3-45cm tt, 69 crew, 1906-07. All later armed with 8.8cm guns; renamed "T" from September 1916.

Served with torpedo boat flotillas, and as coastal defence, minesweeper flotilla flagship, patrol and escort, submarine flotilla, and training boats

10. S.90 classes concluded, G.137 Germania-built, 1 boat - 580t, 33 knots, 1-8.8cm/3-5.2cm/3-45cm tt, 69 crew, 1907. Turbine-powered version of "G.132’s"; renamed "T.137" in September 1916

Served as training boat and submarine flotilla flagship

11. S.138 classes (Nos 138-197), S.138-S.149 Schichau-built, 12 boats, 1 lost - 530t, 30 knots, 1-8.8cm/3-5.2cm/3-45cm tt, 80 crew, 1907-08. Later armed with additional 8.8cm gun; renamed "T" from September 1917

Served with torpedo boat flotillas, and as coastal defence, patrol and escort, tender, and training boats

T.138 (ex-"S.138"), 7th July 1918, central North Sea, NW of German coast, SE of Dogger Bank (54°26N, 04°32E) - mined. Serving in patrol and escort flotillas from 1916-18, "T-138" went down after midnight at 01.06hrs with 32 men dead. Class-ship "T-172" was mined and sunk three hours later in almost the same position

S.143, temporarily lost 3rd August 1914, German Baltic Sea coast, north of Rostock (54-30’N, 12-06’E) - boiler explosion. Serving as a coastal defence boat. Sunk at 17.00hrs; 24 men dead. Raised, repaired and served in TB flotilla

12. S.138 classes continued, V.150-V.160 Vulcan-built, 11 boats, 1 lost - 560t, 31 knots, 2-8.8cm/3-45cm tt, 84 crew, 1907-08. Renamed "T" from September 1917

Served with torpedo boat flotillas, and some as submarine flotilla flagship, and training boats

V.150, night of 17th/18th May 1915, German North Sea coast, c 10 miles north of Heligoland island (54°24’N, 07°45’E) - collision with sister ship "V-157". "V.150" went down just after midnight at 00.20hrs early on the 18th; 60 men killed. One source locates her loss less specifically off the Jade Estuary

13. S.138 classes continued, V.161 Vulcan-built, 1 boat - 595t, 33 knots, 2-8.8cm/3-45cm tt, 84 crew, 1908. Twelfth and turbine-powered ship of "V.150" class. Renamed "T" from September 1917

14. S.138 classes continued, V.162-164 Vulcan-built, 3 boats, 1 lost - 640t, 33 knots, 2-8.8cm/3-45cm tt, 84 crew, 1909. Survivors renamed "T" from September 1917

Served with torpedo boat flotillas, and then as submarine flotilla flagship, and training boats

V.162, 15th August 1916, central Baltic, off Lyserort on the Courland coast of Latvia (57°35’N, 21°35’E) - one Russian mine. A year earlier, a German Naval attack failed to break into the Gulf of Riga, although Adm Prince Heinrich, C-in-C Baltic still wanted to make the attempt. German minesweepers continued to tackle the dense Russian fields in the Irben Strait (modern Kura Kurk) guarding the southern passage into the Gulf, but at a continuing cost in ships sunk. At 22.30hrs late on the 15th, "V.162" serving as a coastal defence boat and taking part in the screening of minesweepers was mined and sunk off Lyserort just north of Windau (modern Ventspils) with the loss of 15 men

15. S.138 classes continued, S.165-168 Schichau-built, 4 boats - 665t, 33 knots, 2-8.8cm/3-45cm tt, 84 crew, 1911. Built as replacements for original "S.165"-"S.168", completed 1910 and sold to Turkey. Renamed "T" in September 1917

Also served as escort, and training boats

16. S.138 classes continued, G.169-G.170, G.172-G.175 Germania-built, 6 boats, 1 lost - 670-700t, 32 knots, 2-8.8cm/3-45cm or 4-50cm tt, 84 crew, 1909-10. . Renamed "T" in September 1917 or February 1918

Also served as escort, and training boats

G.171 sank in collision in 1912

T.172 (ex-"G.172"), 7th July 1918, central North Sea, NW of German coast, SE of Dogger Bank (54°26N, 04°35E) - mined. Both "T.138" (above) and "T.172", now serving with an escort flotilla, were mined in the early hours of the 7th close to each other. "T-138" went down at 01.6hrs and "T-172" three hours later at 04.28hrs; 16 men were killed

17. S.138 classes continued, S.176-S.179 Schichau-built, 4 boats, 1 lost - 565t, 32 knots, 2-8.8cm/4-50cm tt, 84 crew, 1910-11. Renamed "T" in February 1918

S.177, 23rd December 1915, central Baltic, off Courland (57°30’N, 21°27’E) - one Russian mine. Sunk at 09.46hrs; 7 men dead. "S.177" was mined in the same field that sank "V.191" and damaged light cruiser "Bremen" six days earlier. One source locates her loss in the North Sea

18. S.138 classes continued, V.180-V.191, Vulcan-built, , 12 boats, 3 lost - 650/670t, 33 knots, 2-8.8cm/4-50cm tt, 84 crew, 1910-11. Survivors renamed "T" in February 1918

Also served as coastal defence, escort, and minesweeper flotilla flagship boats

Battle of Jutland, 31st May-1st June 1916 - V.189 with "S.19", "S.23" (below) comprised the 14th Half Flotilla, Seventh Torpedo Boat Flotilla, Battle Fleet

V.187, 28th August 1914, southern North Sea in the Heligoland Bight (54-08’N, 07 31’E) - British cruiser and destroyer gunfire. Serving as flagship and taking part in Battle of Heligoland Bight. Sunk at 10.00hrs; 24 men killed

V.188, 26th July 1915, southern North Sea, 50 miles N of the Dutch island of Terschelling (54°16’N, 05°35’E) - torpedoed once by British submarine "E.16". "V.188" was one of three destroyers hunting for a reported submarine off Terschelling when "E.16" (Lt Cdr Talbot) sank her at 14.00hrs; 5 men lost

V.191, 17th December 1915, central Baltic, off Courland, (57°30’N, 21°27’E) - one Russian mine. "V.191" and light cruiser "Bremen" both sunk in this Russian field on the 17th December. Six days later, "S.177" went down in the same field. One source credits the loss of "V.191" and "Bremen" to British submarine "E.9". "V.191" went down at 17.45hrs; 25 men dead

19. S.138 classes concluded, G.192-G.197, Germania-built, 6 boats, 1 lost - 660t, 33 knots, 2-8.8cm/4-50cm tt, 84 crew, 1911. Renamed "T" in February 1918

Some later served in escort flotillas

G.194, 26th March 1916, central North Sea, 55 miles W of Horns Reef Light Vessel (53-33’N, 06-05’E) - rammed by British light cruiser "Cleopatra". Serving in torpedo boat flotilla; 93 men dead

20. V.1 classes (Nos 1-24), V.1-V.6, Vulcan-built, 6 boats, 1 lost - 570t, 32 knots, 2-8.8cm/4-50cm tt/18 mines, 74 crew, 1912. Some later fitted with 10.5cm guns.

Original "V.5" and "V.6" sold to Greece in 1912 and replacements completed in 1913

Battle of Jutland, 31st May-1st June 1916 - V.1, V.2, V.3, V.4, V.6 comprised the 9th Half Flotilla, Fifth Torpedo Boat Flotilla, Battlecruiser Force. V.5 and four "G.7’s" (below) the 10th Half Flotilla, 5th TBF

V.4, 1st June 1916, central North Sea (55-36’N, 06-37’E) - own torpedo. Taking part in Battle of Jutland. and sunk at 03.20hrs from explosion of "dragging" torpedo; 18 men dead. Other sources suggest "V.4" was probably damaged by mine and scuttled. She was one of five German destroyers lost at Jutland - the others being V.27, V.29, S.35, V.48

21. V.1 classes continued, G.7-G.12, Germania-built, 6 boats, 2 lost - 570t, 33 knots, 2-8.8cm/4-50cm tt/18 mines, 74 crew, 1912. Some later fitted with 10.5cm guns.

Battle of Jutland, 31st May-1st June 1916 - G.11 was Fifth Torpedo Boat Flotilla leader (Cdr Heinecke), Battlecruiser Force. G.7, G.8, G.9, G.10 with "V.5" (above) comprised 10th Half Flotilla, 5th TBF

G.9, 3rd May 1918, North Sea (55-14’N, 06-19’E) - mined. Served in torpedo boat flotilla. Sunk at 04.15hrs; 31 men dead

G.12, 8th September 1915, North Sea off the Danish coast (55-25’N, 07-28’E) - collision with German destroyer "V.1" and torpedo explosion. Served as torpedo boat flotilla flagship. Sunk at 06.00hrs following the explosion of one of her torpedoes; 47 men dead

22. V.1 classes concluded, S.13-S.24, Schichau-built, 12 boats, 8 lost - 570t, 34 knots, 2-8.8cm/4-50cm tt/18 mines, 74 crew, 1912-13.

Some also served as coastal defence, patrol and escort boats, others were based in Belgian with the Flanders Flotillas

Battle of Jutland, 31st May-1st June 1916 - S.24 was Seventh Torpedo Boat Flotilla leader (Cdr von Koch), Battle Fleet. S.15, S.16, S.17, S.18, S.20 comprised 13th Half Flotilla, 7th TBF; S.19 and S.23 with "V.189" the 14th Half Flotilla, 7th TBF

S.13, 6th November 1914, North Sea (54.00’N, 08-22’E) - accidental torpedo explosion on board. Served in torpedo boat flotilla. Sunk at 08.58hrs; 9 men dead

S.14, 19th February 1915, German North Sea coast in the Jade (53-40’N, 08-05’E) - on board explosion. Served in torpedo boat flotilla. Explosion took place in the stern; 11 men dead. Raised the same year and broken up

S.15, damaged 21st August 1917, southern North Sea off the Flanders coast (51-15’N, 02-55’E) - mined. Served in Flanders Flotillas from 1916. Damage severe, towed in, taken out of service in September 1917 and broken up at Ghent. Casualties not known

S.16, 20th January 1918, North Sea (54-41’N, 06-32’E) - mined. Served in patrol flotilla from 1917. Sunk at 18.15hrs; 80 men dead. Coastal submarine "UB.22" mined in same position the day before.

S.17, 16th May 1917, North Sea, north of Holland (53-34’N, 05-56’E) - mined. Served as coastal defence boat from 1917; 25 men dead

S.20, 5th June 1917, southern North Sea off Flanders coast (51-28’N, 02-48’E) - gunfire of British light cruiser "Centaur". Served in Flanders flotillas from 1916. Intercepted by British cruisers of the 5th LCS, Harwich Force off Belgian and sunk by "Centaur’s" gunfire, going down at 04.02hrs; 49 men dead

S.21, 21st April 1915, North Sea off the German coast (53-47’N, 08-09’E) - collision with German light cruiser "Hamburg". Served in torpedo boat flotilla; 36 men dead

S.22, 26th March 1916, North Sea, north of Dutch coast (53-46’N, 05-04’E) - mined. Served in torpedo boat flotilla. Sunk at 21.35hrs; 76 men dead

Wartime Additions - in Part 2