The following is a list of destroyers and large torpedo boats of Germany. In naval terminology, a destroyer is a fast and maneuverable yet long-endurance warship intended to escort larger vessels in a fleet, convoy or battle group and defend them against smaller, powerful, short-range attackers. In the years prior to World War I the small attacking vessel was the torpedo boat, while the defender was termed a torpedo boat destroyer. In practice the destroyer, being also armed with torpedoes, came to replace the torpedo boat in its attacking function, as well as executing its protecting role.
In the Imperial German Navy, there was no clear distinction between torpedo boats and torpedo boat destroyers, which were all numbered in the same series, the number being preceded by a letter that represented the building contractor. A new numbering series began in 1911; hence years of construction are appended in brackets below, to distinguish the two series.
Kaiserliche Marine 1898 Type Large Torpedo Boat S90-class torpedo boat G108-class torpedo boat S114-class torpedo boat S120-class torpedo boat S126-class torpedo boat G132-class torpedo boat G137-class torpedo boat 1906 Type Large Torpedo Boat S138-class torpedo boat V150-class torpedo boat V162-class torpedo boat S165-class torpedo boat G169-class torpedo boat S176-class torpedo boat V180-class torpedo boat G192-class torpedo boat 1911 Type Large Torpedo Boat V1-class destroyer G7-class destroyer S13-class destroyer 1913 Type Large Torpedo Boat V25-class destroyer S31-class destroyer G37-class destroyer V43-class destroyer S49-class destroyer V67-class destroyer G85-class destroyer 1914 Type Destroyer B 97-class destroyer G101-class destroyer V105-class destroyer 1916 Type Destroyer S113-class destroyer 1916 Mob Large Torpedo Boat V125-class destroyer S131-class destroyer H145-class destroyer
Kriegsmarine
Type 23 torpedo boat Type 24 torpedo boat Zerstörer/Typ 1934 Zerstörer/Typ 1934 A Zerstörer/Typ 1936 Zerstörer/Typ 1936 A Zerstörer/Typ 1936 A (Mob) Zerstörer/Typ 1936 B
Post war Bundesmarine Type 101 Hamburg class Type 103 Lütjens class