SMS V187

{{Infobox ship  |infobox_caption=  |display_title=  |section1={{Infobox ship/image |image=SMS V187at Heligoland.jpg |image_caption= }}

|section2={{Infobox ship/career |hide_header= |country=German Empire |flag={{shipboxflag|German Empire|naval}} |name=SMS ''V187'' |owner= |namesake= |ordered= |builder=AG Vulcan, Stettin |laid_down= |launched=11 January 1911 |acquired= |completed=4 May 1911 |decommissioned= |in_service= |out_of_service= |struck= |reinstated= |honours= |honors= |fate=Sunk by British warships 28 August 1914 |notes= }}

|section3={{Infobox ship/characteristics |hide_header= |header_caption= |class={{sclass|S138|torpedo boat}} |displacement={{convert|650|t|LT|abbr=on}} design |length={{convert|73.9|m|ftin|abbr=on}} o/a |beam={{convert|7.9|m|ftin|abbr=on}} |draught={{convert|3.1|m|ftin|abbr=on}} |draft= |propulsion=* 3 × boilers * 2 × steam turbines |power={{convert|18000|PS|shp kW|abbr=on}} |speed={{convert|32|kn|mph km/h|abbr=on}} |range= |complement=84 |sensors= |EW= |armament=* 2× 8.8 cm guns *4× 50 cm torpedo tubes |armour= |armor= |aircraft= |aircraft_facilities= |notes= }} }}

'''SMS ''V187'''''{{#tag:ref| "SMS" stands for "''Seiner Majestät Schiff''" ({{Translation|His Majesty's Ship)|group=lower-alpha}}|group=lower-alpha}}{{#tag:ref|The "V" in ''V189'' denoted the shipbuilder who constructed her, in this case AG Vulcan.<ref name="conways06 p164">{{Harvnb|Gardiner|Gray|1985|p=164}}</ref>|group=lower-alpha}} was a ''S-138''-class large torpedo boat of the Imperial German Navy. She was built by the AG Vulcan shipyard at Stettin between 1910 and 1911 and launched on 11 January 1911.

''V187'' was still in service at the start of the First World War, but was sunk by British cruisers and destroyers at the Battle of Heligoland Bight on 28 August 1914.

==Construction and design== The Imperial German Navy ordered 12 large torpedo boats (''Große Torpedoboote'') as part of the fiscal year 1910 shipbuilding programme, with one half-flotilla of six ships (''V186''–''V191'') ordered from AG Vulcan and the other six ships from Germaniawerft.<ref name="conways06 p166-7">{{Harvnb|Gardiner|Gray|1985|pp=166–167}}</ref> The two groups of torpedo boats were of basically similar layout but differed slightly in detailed design, with a gradual evolution of design and increase in displacement with each year's orders.<ref name="conways06 p164,7">{{Harvnb| Gardiner|Gray|1985|pp=164, 167}}</ref>

left|thumb|SMS ''V187'' ''V187'' was {{convert|73.9|m|ftin}} long overall and {{convert|73.6|m|ftin}} between perpendiculars, with a beam of {{convert|7.9|m|ftin}} and a draught of {{convert|3.1|m|ftin}}. The ship displaced {{convert|666|t|LT}} design and {{convert|775|t|LT}} deep load.<ref name="conways06 p166-7"/> The ''V186'' and ''G192'' groups of torpedo boats had their forecastles cut back to allow their forward pair of torpedo tubes to fire directly ahead, but this made the ships very wet in high seas, and ''V187'' was modified with the forecastle lengthened and the forward set of torpedo tubes moved aft of the forecastle break and the ship's bridge.<ref name="conways06 p166-7"/><ref name="Grnv2 p47-0">{{Harvnb|Gröner|Jung|Maass|1983|pp=47–50}}</ref>

Three coal-fired and one oil-fired water-tube boiler fed steam at a pressure of {{convert|18.5|atm|psi}} to two sets of direct-drive steam turbines. The ship's machinery was rated at {{convert|18000|PS|shp kW|abbr=on}} giving a design speed of {{convert|32|kn|mph km/h}}, with members of the class reaching a speed of {{convert|33.5|kn|mph km/h}} during sea trials.<ref name="Grnv2 p46">{{Harvnb|Gröner|Jung|Maass|1983|p=46}}</ref> 136 to ns of coal and 67 tons of oil fuel were carried, giving an endurance of {{convert|2360|nmi|mi km}} at {{convert|12|kn|mph km/h}}, {{convert|1250|nmi|mi km}} at {{convert|17|kn|mph km/h}} or {{convert|480|nmi|mi km}} at {{convert|30|kn|mph km/h}}.<ref name="conways06 p166-7"/>

The ship was armed with two 8.8 cm L/45 guns,<ref name="Grnv2 p47">{{Harvnb|Gröner|Jung|Maass|1983|p=47}}</ref>{{#tag:ref|Both Conway's All The World's Fighting Ships<ref name="conways06 p166-7"/> and Jane's Fighting Ships<ref name="jfww1 p118">{{Harvnb|Moore|1990|p=118}}</ref> claim L/30 guns were fitted.|group=lower-alpha}} one on the Forecastle and one aft. Four single 50 cm (19.7 in) torpedo tubes were fitted, with two forward, one between the ship's two funnels, and one aft of the funnels.<ref name="conways06 p166-7"/><ref name="jfww1 p118"/> The ship had a crew of 84 officers and men.<ref name="conways06 p166-7"/>

''V187'' was laid down at AG Vulcan's Stettin shipyard as Yard number 305 and was launched on 11 January 1911 and completed on 4 May 1911.<ref name="Grnv2 p46,9">{{Harvnb|Gröner|Jung|Maass|1983|pp=46, 49}}</ref>

==Service== On commissioning, ''V187'' joined I Torpedo Flotilla as leader, and remained the leader of I Flotilla in 1914.<ref>{{cite book|title=Rangliste der Kaiserlich Deutschen Marine für Das Jahr 1912|year=1912|publisher=Ernst Siegfried Mittler und Sohn|location=Berlin|page=56|via=Heinrich Hein Universität Düsseldorf|language=German|url=http://digital.ub.uni-duesseldorf.de/ihd/periodical/pageview/8144915}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|title=Rangliste der Kaiserlich Deutschen Marine für Das Jahr 1914|year=1914|publisher=Ernst Siegfried Mittler und Sohn|location=Berlin|page=60|via=Heinrich Hein Universität Düsseldorf| language=German|url=http://digital.ub.uni-duesseldorf.de/ihd/periodical/pageview/8162600}}</ref>

===First World War=== [[File:Battle of Heligoland Bight (1914) First Phase Map.png|thumb|Movement of ships during first phase of Battle of Heligoland Bight, including sinking of ''V187'']] thumb|Movement and actions of ''V187'' including sinking (German perspective) On 28 August 1914, the British Harwich Force, supported by light cruisers and battlecruisers of the Grand Fleet, carried out a raid towards Heligoland with the intention of destroying patrolling German torpedo boats.<ref>{{Harvnb|Massie|2007|pp=97–101}}</ref> The German defensive patrols around Heligoland consisted of one flotilla (I Torpedo Flotilla) of 12 modern torpedo boats forming an outer patrol line about {{convert|25|nmi|mi km}} North and West of Heligoland, with an inner line of older torpedo boats of the 3rd Minesweeping Division at about {{convert|12|nmi|mi km}}. Four German light cruisers and another flotilla of torpedo boats (V Torpedo Boat Flotilla) was in the vicinity of Heligoland. ''V187'', the leader of I Torpedo Boat Flotilla, formed part of the outer screen of torpedo boats.<ref>{{Harvnb|Naval Staff Monograph No. 11|1921|pp=122–123, 162}}</ref> At about 06:00 on 28 August, {{SMS|G194||2}}, another member of the outer screen reported spotting the periscope of a submarine. As a result, V Flotilla was ordered out to hunt the hostile submarine. At 07:57 ''G194'' was fired on by British warships, and was soon retreating towards Heligoland, pursued by four British destroyers. V Flotilla and the old torpedo boats of the 3rd Minesweeping Division also came under British fire, and were only saved by the intervention of the German cruisers {{SMS|Stettin||2}} and {{SMS|Frauenlob|1902|2}}, with the torpedo boats {{SMS|V1||2}}, {{SMS|D8||2}} and ''T33'' damaged.<ref>{{harvnb|Naval Staff Monograph No. 11|1921|pp=123–125}}</ref>

''V187'' headed eastwards towards Heligoland in poor visibility when she encountered four British destroyers ({{HMS|Goshawk|1911|2}}, {{HMS|Lizard|1911|2}}, {{HMS|Lapwing|1911|2}} and {{HMS|Phoenix|1911|2}}) coming from the east at about 09:25 hr, and turned southwards towards the Jade estuary with the four destroyers in pursuit. Two British light cruisers, {{HMS|Nottingham|1913|2}} and {{HMS|Lowestoft|1913|2}}, were sighted to the West, on a course to intercept ''V187'', and the torpedo boat reversed course away from the cruisers back towards the destroyers. ''V187'' managed to dash past the four British destroyers without damage, but then found a second division of four destroyers ({{HMS|Ferret|1911|2}}, {{HMS|Forester|1911|2}}, {{HMS|Druid|1911|2}} and {{HMS|Defender|1911|2}}) ahead. Trapped between two groups of destroyers, ''V187'' was taken under heavy fire at close range which disabled the ship's machinery, bringing the blazing torpedo boat to a standstill, and causing her to cease fire. The British destroyers lowered boats to rescue ''V187''{{'}}s crew, but ''V187''{{'}}s crew, believing that the British were attempting to board the torpedo boat, fired on ''Goshawk''. The British destroyers then re-opened fire on ''V187'' which sank at about 10:10 hr. The boats of the British destroyers started to pick up ''V187''{{'}}s crew, but these rescue operations were interrupted by the arrival of the German cruiser ''Stettin''. Two of ''Defender''{{'}}s boats had to be left behind, carrying 28 survivors of ''V187''{{'}}s crew and 10 British sailors. Later in the day, the British submarine {{HMS|E4||2}} surfaced by the two boats. She took off the British sailors and three of the Germans, but had no room for the remaining members of ''V187''{{'}}s crew, and so gave them food and water and a course for Heligoland.<ref>{{Harvnb|Naval Staff Monograph No. 11|1921|pp=126–127, 162}}</ref><ref>{{Harvnb|Massie|2007|pp=104–105}}</ref> 24 of ''V187''{{'}}s crew were killed,<ref>{{Harvnb|Gröner|Jung|Maass|1983|p=49}}</ref> with 14 wounded and 33 taken prisoner by the British.<ref>{{Harvnb|Naval Staff Monograph No. 11|1921|p=166}}</ref>

==Notes== {{reflist|group=lower-alpha}}

==Citations==

==References==

*{{cite book|editor1-last=Gardiner|editor1-first=Robert|editor2-last=Gray|editor2-first=Randal|title=Conway's All The World's Fighting Ships 1906–1921|year=1985|publisher=Conway Maritime Press|location=London|isbn=0-85177-245-5}} *{{cite book|last1=Gröner|first1=Erich|last2=Jung|first2=Dieter|last3=Maass|first3=Martin|title=Die deutschen Kriegsschiffe 1815–1945: Band 2: Torpedoboote, Zerstörer, Schnellboote, Minensuchboote, Minenräumboote|year=1983|publisher=Bernard & Graef Verlag|location=Koblenz|language=German|isbn=3-7637-4801-6}} *{{cite book|last=Massie|first=Robert K.|title=Castles of Steel: Britain, Germany and the Winning of the Great War at Sea|year=2007 |publisher=Vintage Books|location=London|isbn=978-0-099-52378-9}} *{{cite book|last=Moore|first=John|title=Jane's Fighting Ships of World War I|year=1990|publisher=Studio |location=London|isbn=1-85170-378-0}} *{{cite book|title=Monograph No. 11: The Battle of the Heligoland Bight, August 28th, 1914|series=Naval Staff Monographs (Historical)|volume=III|year=1921|pages=108–166|url=http://www.navy.gov.au/sites/default/files/documents/Naval-Staff-Monographs-Vol.III_opt.pdf |publisher=Naval Staff, Training and Staff Duties Division|ref={{harvid|Naval Staff Monograph No. 11|1921}} }}

{{DEFAULTSORT:V187}} Category:Torpedo boats of the Imperial German Navy Category:World War I torpedo boats of Germany Category:Ships built in Stettin Category:1911 ships Category:Maritime incidents in August 1914 Category:World War I shipwrecks in the North Sea