SMS V27

SMS V27 was a V25-class torpedo boat of the Imperial German Navy that served during the First World War. The ship was built by AG Vulcan at Stettin in Prussia (now Szczecin in Poland), and was completed in September 1914. The ship was sunk at the Battle of Jutland on 31 May 1916.

Construction and design
In 1913, the Imperial German Navy placed orders for 12 high-seas torpedo boats, with six each ordered from AG Vulcan (V25–V30) and Schichau-Werke (S31–S36). While the designs built by each shipyard were broadly similar, they differed from each other in detail, and were significantly larger and more capable than the small torpedo boats built for the German Navy in the last two years.

V27 was launched from AG Vulcan's Stettin shipyard on 26 March 1914 and commissioned on 2 September 1914. The "V" in V27 refers to the shipyard at which she was constructed.

V27 was 78.5 m long overall and 77.8 m at the waterline, with a beam of 8.33 m and a draft of 3.63 m. Displacement was 812 t normal and 975 t deep load. Three oil-fired water-tube boilers fed steam to 2 sets of AEG-Vulcan steam turbines rated at 23500 PS, giving a speed of 33.5 kn. 225 t of fuel oil was carried, giving a range of 1080 nmi at 20 kn.

Armament consisted of three 8.8 cm SK L/45 naval guns in single mounts, together with six 50 cm (19.7 in) torpedo tubes with two fixed single tubes forward and 2 twin mounts aft. Up to 24 mines could be carried. The ship had a complement of 83 officers and men.

Service
In October 1914, V27 was listed as part of the 17 half-flotilla of the 9th Torpedo Boat Flotilla. The 17th half-flotilla, including V27, which was under training, was deployed to the Baltic in October 1914 to take part in operations against British submarines. Between 15 and 17 December 1914, V27, as part of the 9th Flotilla, took part in the Raid on Scarborough, Hartlepool and Whitby. V27 took part in the Battle of the Gulf of Riga in August 1915.

V27 participated in the Battle of Jutland as part of the 17th Half Flotilla of the 9th Flotilla, in support of the German battlecruisers. The 9th Flotilla, including V27, took part in a torpedo attack on British battlecruisers from about 17:26 CET (16:26 GMT). The attack was disrupted by British destroyers, and V27 was immobilised by two 4 in shell hits, one of which severed her main steam pipe. Her crew was taken off by SMS V26 which then scuttled V27 with gunfire. Three of V27's crew were wounded.