German destroyer Z12 Erich Giese

Her sister ship Z5 Paul Jakobi c. 1938
History
Nazi Germany
Name	Z12 Erich Giese
Namesake	Erich Giese
Ordered	9 January 1935
Builder	Germania, Kiel
Yard number	G538
Laid down	3 May 1935
Launched	12 March 1937
Completed	4 March 1939
Fate	Sunk, 13 April 1940
General characteristics (as built)
Class and type	Type 1934A-class destroyer
Displacement	2,171 long tons (2,206 t) (standard) 3,190 long tons (3,240 t) (deep load)
Length	119 m (390 ft 5 in) o/a 114 m (374 ft 0 in) w/l
Beam	11.30 m (37 ft 1 in)
Draft	4.23 m (13 ft 11 in)
Installed power	70,000 PS (51,000 kW; 69,000 shp) 6 × water-tube boilers
Propulsion	2 shafts, 2 × geared steam turbines
Speed	36 knots (67 km/h; 41 mph)
Range	1,530 nmi (2,830 km; 1,760 mi) at 19 knots (35 km/h; 22 mph)
Complement	325
Armament	5 × single 12.7 cm (5 in) guns 2 × twin 3.7 cm (1.5 in) AA guns 6 × single 2 cm (0.8 in) AA guns 2 × quadruple 53.3 cm (21 in) torpedo tubes 60 mines 32–64 depth charges, 4 throwers and 6 individual racks

Z12 Erich Giese was a Type 1934A-class destroyer built for Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine in the late 1930s. At the beginning of World War II, the ship was used in the German Bight to lay minefields in German waters. In late 1939 the ship made one successful minelaying sortie off the English coast that claimed two merchant ships. While returning from that sortie, she torpedoed a British destroyer without being detected and continued on her way. During the early stages of the Norwegian Campaign, Erich Giese fought in both naval Battles of Narvik in mid-April 1940 and was sunk by British destroyers during the Second Battle of Narvik.