German destroyer Z6 Theodor Riedel

Z6 Theodor Riedel was a Type 1934A-class destroyer built for the German Navy (Kriegsmarine) in the mid-1930s.

Design and description
Theodor Riedel had an overall length of 119 m and was 114 m long at the waterline. The ship had a beam of 11.3 m, and a maximum draft of 4.23 m. She displaced 2171 t at standard and 3110 t at deep load. The Wagner geared steam turbines were designed to produce 70000 shp which would propel the ship at 36 kn. Steam was provided to the turbines by six high-pressure Wagner boilers with superheaters. Theodor Riedel carried a maximum of 752 t of fuel oil which was intended to give a range of 4400 nmi at 19 kn, but the ship proved top-heavy in service and 30% of the fuel had to be retained as ballast low in the ship. The effective range proved to be only 1825 nmi at 19 kn.

Theodor Riedel carried five 12.7 cm SK C/34 guns in single mounts with gun shields, two each superimposed, fore and aft. The fifth gun was carried on top of the rear deckhouse. Her anti-aircraft armament consisted of four 3.7 cm SK C/30 guns in two twin mounts abreast the rear funnel and six 2 cm C/30 guns in single mounts. The ship carried eight above-water 53.3 cm torpedo tubes in two power-operated mounts. Four depth charge throwers were mounted on the sides of the rear deckhouse and they were supplemented by six racks for individual depth charges on the sides of the stern. Enough depth charges were carried for either two or four patterns of 16 charges each. Mine rails were fitted on the rear deck that had a maximum capacity of 60 mines.

Career
The ship was ordered on 9 January 1935 and laid down at DeSchiMAG, Bremen on 18 July 1935 as yard number W900. She was launched on 22 April 1936 and completed on 2 July 1937.