Gerard Callenburgh-history

Gerard Callenburgh history

November 26 1938 Gerard Callenburgh is laid down at the RDM dockyard in Rotterdam.

May 9 1940 Gerard Callenburgh is launched.

May 14 1940 The ship is sunk by destruction parties in the Nieuwe Waterweg, Rotterdam.

Summer 1940 The destroyer is salvaged and towed to Hamburg for completion at the German Blohm & Voss yard.

October 5, 8 or 11 1942 Gerard Callenburgh is commissioned as ZH-1 ( Zerstörer Holland 1 ), and allocated to the 5th Z-flotilla in the Baltic Sea as an experimental ship. She's usually at the dockyard or performing trials in the Baltic Sea during this period. Also part of this flotilla are Z-16 ( flagship ), Z-4, Z-14 and Z-15

October 31 1943 Left Germany for France together with Z-27.

November 2 1943 Arrival in Rotterdam. The destroyers are protected by S-boats during the whole voyage.

November 3 1943 The ships pass the English channel, where they were taken under fire by British shore batteries. No hits and the ships arrive at Dunkirk.

November 4 1943 Under attack by MTBs of the Royal Navy. No hits, the ships arrive in Le Havre.

November 5 1943 Arrival at the Gironde

December 24 1943 Action with other German torpedoboats ( T-22 and T-27 ) and destroyers ( Z-23, Z-24, Z-27, Z-32, Z-37 and ZH-1 ) in order to get the blokkaderunner ( so called "Gummischiff" ) Osorno ( 6951 tonnes gross weight, owned by Hapag ) to safety.

December 25 1943 The convoy is attacked by the RAF.

December 26 1943 The convoy arrives at the Gironde. The Osorno hits the wreck of Sperrbrecher 21 and has to be beached to save the very valuable cargo. The ZH-1 experiences condensor problems and has to be towed back by the torpedoboat T 25.

December 27 1943 The 8th destroyer flotilla ( Z 24, Z 37, Z 32, Z 27, T 25, T-27 ) and the 4th torpedoboat flotilla ( T 23, T 24, T 26, T 22 ) leave port to rendez-vous with the blokkaderunner Alsterufer ( 2729 tonnes gross weight, built in 1939, owner Robert M. Sloman Jr, Hamburg ). The ZH-1 remains in port, perhaps lucky, because the German force encounters two British cruisers, HMS Glasgow and Enterprise. The destroyer Z 27 and torpedoboats T 25 and T 26 were sunk, the Alsterufer had been sunk in the afternoon of the 27th by a Czech bomber of 311 squadron.

March 9 - 11 1944 ZH-1, Z23 and torpedoboats T-27 and T-29 rendez-vous with the Japanese submarine I-129 in the Bay of Biscay and escort her to Lorient under constant air attack.

March 16-17 1944 Convoy duty off the North Breton coast with the destroyer Z 23 and the torpedoboats T-27 and T-29.

March 19-20 1944 Convoy duty in off the North Breton coast with torpedoboats Greif, Möwe, T-27 and T-29.

June 6 1944 Unsuccessful attack by British Beaufighters from 404 squadron RCAF and 144 squadron RAF in two waves. No hits on ZH 1, 1 plane was lost in the second wave.

June 7 1944 Arrival at Brest.

June 8 1944 ZH 1, Z 32, Z 24 and T 24 in Brest are ordered to attack the landing forces at Normandy. They leave port escorted by the 40th minesweeper flottilla.

June 9 1944 The German destroyerforce encounters an Allied force at 0123 near Ile de Bas, consisting of the British destroyers HMS Eskimo, Tartar, Javelin and Ashanti, the Canadian HMCS Haida and Huron and the Polish ORP Blyskawica, ships from the 19th and 20th destroyer divisions, 10th flotilla. During this battle, ZH-1fired four torpedoes at Tartar and Ashanti, all of which missed, and received several hits which damaged her severely. One cut through he steam lines, leaving her dead in the water and witout electrical power, and another hit her beneath the waterline, flooding the No 1 boiler room. She was invisible for a while due to the smoke, but as she broke through it, she engaged the burning HMS Tartar with her aft guns, but a torpedo from HMS Ashanti blew her bow off. Just before, she managed to fire the last four torpedoes without effect. The captain, Korvettenkapitan Barkow ordered to scuttle the ship, while a 20 mm Vierling was still firing. She was scuttled by her own crew with deptcharges. At 0240 hours, she sank with the loss of 36 men, including the captain, Korvettenkapitan Barkow. 27 managed to reach the French shore, 140 others were picked up by the ships of the 14th escort group of the Royal Navy.

Sources
German forces homepage (with permission of the webmaster, a large part was obtained from this site)
Kriegsmarine Encyclopedia
World War II cruiser operations
M.J. Whitley "German destroyers of World War II" (extract was kindly provided by M. Laarman)
Thanks to Andreas Angerer for providing some details.

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November 26 1938	Gerard Callenburgh is laid down at the RDM dockyard in Rotterdam.
May 9 1940	Gerard Callenburgh is launched.
May 14 1940	The ship is sunk by destruction parties in the Nieuwe Waterweg, Rotterdam.
Summer 1940	The destroyer is salvaged and towed to Hamburg for completion at the German Blohm & Voss yard.
October 5, 8 or 11 1942	Gerard Callenburgh is commissioned as ZH-1 ( Zerstörer Holland 1 ), and allocated to the 5th Z-flotilla in the Baltic Sea as an experimental ship. She's usually at the dockyard or performing trials in the Baltic Sea during this period. Also part of this flotilla are Z-16 ( flagship ), Z-4, Z-14 and Z-15
October 31 1943	Left Germany for France together with Z-27.
November 2 1943	Arrival in Rotterdam. The destroyers are protected by S-boats during the whole voyage.
November 3 1943	The ships pass the English channel, where they were taken under fire by British shore batteries. No hits and the ships arrive at Dunkirk.
November 4 1943	Under attack by MTBs of the Royal Navy. No hits, the ships arrive in Le Havre.
November 5 1943	Arrival at the Gironde
December 24 1943	Action with other German torpedoboats ( T-22 and T-27 ) and destroyers ( Z-23, Z-24, Z-27, Z-32, Z-37 and ZH-1 ) in order to get the blokkaderunner ( so called "Gummischiff" ) Osorno ( 6951 tonnes gross weight, owned by Hapag ) to safety.
December 25 1943	The convoy is attacked by the RAF.
December 26 1943	The convoy arrives at the Gironde. The Osorno hits the wreck of Sperrbrecher 21 and has to be beached to save the very valuable cargo. The ZH-1 experiences condensor problems and has to be towed back by the torpedoboat T 25.
December 27 1943	The 8th destroyer flotilla ( Z 24, Z 37, Z 32, Z 27, T 25, T-27 ) and the 4th torpedoboat flotilla ( T 23, T 24, T 26, T 22 ) leave port to rendez-vous with the blokkaderunner Alsterufer ( 2729 tonnes gross weight, built in 1939, owner Robert M. Sloman Jr, Hamburg ). The ZH-1 remains in port, perhaps lucky, because the German force encounters two British cruisers, HMS Glasgow and Enterprise. The destroyer Z 27 and torpedoboats T 25 and T 26 were sunk, the Alsterufer had been sunk in the afternoon of the 27th by a Czech bomber of 311 squadron.
March 9 - 11 1944	ZH-1, Z23 and torpedoboats T-27 and T-29 rendez-vous with the Japanese submarine I-129 in the Bay of Biscay and escort her to Lorient under constant air attack.
March 16-17 1944	Convoy duty off the North Breton coast with the destroyer Z 23 and the torpedoboats T-27 and T-29.
March 19-20 1944	Convoy duty in off the North Breton coast with torpedoboats Greif, Möwe, T-27 and T-29.
June 6 1944	Unsuccessful attack by British Beaufighters from 404 squadron RCAF and 144 squadron RAF in two waves. No hits on ZH 1, 1 plane was lost in the second wave.
June 7 1944	Arrival at Brest.
June 8 1944	ZH 1, Z 32, Z 24 and T 24 in Brest are ordered to attack the landing forces at Normandy. They leave port escorted by the 40th minesweeper flottilla.
June 9 1944	The German destroyerforce encounters an Allied force at 0123 near Ile de Bas, consisting of the British destroyers HMS Eskimo, Tartar, Javelin and Ashanti, the Canadian HMCS Haida and Huron and the Polish ORP Blyskawica, ships from the 19th and 20th destroyer divisions, 10th flotilla. During this battle, ZH-1fired four torpedoes at Tartar and Ashanti, all of which missed, and received several hits which damaged her severely. One cut through he steam lines, leaving her dead in the water and witout electrical power, and another hit her beneath the waterline, flooding the No 1 boiler room. She was invisible for a while due to the smoke, but as she broke through it, she engaged the burning HMS Tartar with her aft guns, but a torpedo from HMS Ashanti blew her bow off. Just before, she managed to fire the last four torpedoes without effect. The captain, Korvettenkapitan Barkow ordered to scuttle the ship, while a 20 mm Vierling was still firing. She was scuttled by her own crew with deptcharges. At 0240 hours, she sank with the loss of 36 men, including the captain, Korvettenkapitan Barkow. 27 managed to reach the French shore, 140 others were picked up by the ships of the 14th escort group of the Royal Navy.