SMS G41

SMS G41 was a Großes Torpedoboot 1913 class torpedo boat of the Deutschen Kaiserliche Marine during World War I, and the 17th ship of her class.

Construction
Built by Germaniawerft in Kiel, Germany, she was launched in April 1915. The "G" in G41 refers to the shipyard at which she was constructed.

Service
On 24 April 1916, G41 participated in the shore bombardment of Yarmouth and Lowestoft, on the southeastern tip of Great Britain. G41 was assigned to Scouting Division II as leader of Torpedo Boat Flotilla VI in this battle. The overall goal of this action was to lure Royal Navy capital ships out to sea where the German fleet was massed in ambush. A vanguard of smaller, faster vessels like G41 would be sent in as bait to bombard the English coastline and hopefully provoke a British response. The German strike force's element of surprise was lost however when the battlecruiser Seydlitz struck a mine and had to withdraw. The strike force nevertheless continued the mission and bombarded Yarmouth and Lowestoft killing four British civilians and wounding 19. Four British light cruisers and 12 destroyers subsequently gave chase to the fleeing Germans but turned back upon sighting the massed German fleet. During this action, G41 is credited with sinking a British Naval trawler, the King Stephen, rescuing her crew and taking them prisoner.

G41 survived to the end of the war and was retired from service 3 October 1918.