Den tyske jageren Hans Ludemann endte sine dager i Rombakfjorden utenfor Narvik den 13 april 1940 etter at hun hadde gått tom for ammunisjon og drivstoff. Hans Lüdemann tilhørte Kriegsschiffgruppe 1 som hadde sikringen av Narvik som mål under den tyske operasjon Weserübung i 1940, og kommandant ombord var Korvettenkapitän Herbert Friedrichs. I dette andre sjøslaget den 13 april, prøver Hans Lüdemann å angripe det britiske slagskipet Warspite med torpedoer sammen med de tyske jagerene Wolfgang Zenker og Bernd Von Arnim, men blir drevet tilbake av kraftig ild fra de britiske skipene, men de klarer å skade den britiske jageren HMS Punjabi. Etter dette tar Hans Lüdemann retning inn Rombakfjorden, og mannskapet senker selv jageren kort tid etterpå. Vraket av Hans Lüdemann hviler i dag på grunt vann i Rombaksbotten på tolv til femten meters dyp. Se også vraket av den tyske jageren George Thiele som også ligger i Rombakken...

The German destroyer Hans Ludemann ended her days in Rombakfjorden outside Narvik on the 13th of April 1940 after she had run out of ammunition and petrol. Hans Ludemann belonged to the German Kriegsschiffgruppe 1 which had the securing of Narvik as their target during the German operation Weserübung in 1940, and the commander onboard was Korvettenkapitän Herbert Friedrichs. Under this second naval engagement on the 13th of April, Hans Lüdemann tries to attack the British battleship Warspite with torpedoes together with the two German destroyers Wolfgang Zenker and Bernd Von Arnim, but is forced back by heavy gunfire from the British vessels, but they manage to damage the British destroyer HMS Punjabi. After this Hans Lüdemann sets course in the Rombakfjorden and the crew themselves sinks the destroyer shortly after. The wreck of Hans Lüdemann rest today in shallow waters in Rombaksbotten on a depth of twelwe to fifteen meters. Also see the wreck of the German destroyer George Thiele which also rest in Rombakken...


Name:
Former names:
 Material:
Dimensions:
Hans Ludemann
  
Steel
123,4x 11,75x 4,5m.
       
Tons: Built: Homeport: Cargo:
3415 grt Bremen ( D ) 1936 Bremen ( D )  


The Zerstörer 1936 class were slightly bigger and improved to their predecessors, the Zerstörer 1934 and Zerstörer 1934A. While these ships were under construction, none of the earlier ships was commissioned and therefore none of their design flaws got obvious. It's interesting that most of the problems - especially those of the engines - were solved in this class of ships. The engines were much more reliable, the structural integrity was improved and they were much better seagoing ships. This was caused by the reduction of the top weight, the funnels were shortened and the height of the superstructure was reduced and the improved bow shape of the three last build ships. Although 26 of this ships were ordered, only 6 were completed, while the other orders were modified to other designs. All but one ships were sunk at Narvik and formed the destroyer graveyard in the Norwegian fjord. Until February 1940 the ship took part in four offensive mine laying operation in the North Sea, from 10.09.1939 the Heidkamp was the command ship of the Commander of Destroyers (Führer der Zerstörer). During in Operation Weserübung the ship was part of the Kriegsschiffgruppe 1 heading for Narvik where it was heavily damaged on 10.04.1940 at Narvik in a battle with British destroyers. Sunk after a torpedo hit from the British destroyer Hardy on 11.04.1940.

Size (max): 3415 t
Length (Waterline): 120,60 m
Length (Total): 123,40 m
Beam: 11,75 m
Draft: 4,50 m
Crew: 323

Edited 29.06.2007