The A-class torpedo boats were a class of German single-funnelled torpedo boat/light destroyer designed by the Reichsmarineamt for operations off the coast of occupied Flanders in the First World War. The "A" designation was to avoid confusion with older classes and designs. They were classed officially as "coastal torpedo boats" (German: Küstentorpedoboote) to differentiate from larger, ocean-going torpedo boats.
Six groups of vessels were built under the class between 1914 and 1918, increasing in displacement from . All had a raised forecastle, shallow draught, and carried one (for most) or two (for A1 â A25) torpedo tubes amidships.
All 25 were ordered in 1914, and were designed and built by A.G. 'Vulcan', at their Hamburg yard.
Sixteen A-I-class torpedo boats, A2, A4-A16, A19 and A20, were transported in sections to the Kaiserliche Werft Antwerpen in Hoboken, re-assembled and then transferred by inland canals to Bruges, much like was done with similar size Type UB I and Type UC I U-boats. These torpedo boats formed the Flanders Torpedoboat Flotilla which was part of the Naval Corps. These torpedoboats provided cover for departing and returning U-boats of the Flanders U-boat flotilla, and operated against British forces trying to block the ports of Ostend and Zeebrugge with mines and ant-submarine nets. On four occasions the flotilla shelled Calais. When the torpedoboat flotilla was reinforced with larger A-II-class torpedo boats, the remaining A-I-class were converted into minehunters and commissioned on 1 April in the first Flanders Minehunter Half-Flotilla.
A4, A12 and A14 were abandoned in Antwerp after the German evacuation at the end of the First World War. Taken over by Belgium. Remained operational until 1927.
A5, A8, A9, A16 and A20 were interned in the Netherlands at the end of the war, and handed over to Belgium as reparations in 1919. Decommissioned in 1927 and most scrapped. A20 remained in use as training vessel and captured by Germans in 1940. Scrapped 1948.
All 30 were ordered in two batches - 24 vessels in 1915, and 6 added later. All were designed and built by F. Schichau Werke, at their Elbing yard. The second batch were 2 tonnes heavier, and had a beam of 5.2 metres (18ft 5.25in).
Eleven A-II-class torpedo boats were commissioned into the Flanders Torpedoboat flotilla. Seven boats, A-39, A-40 and A-46 - A-50 were transported in sections to Hoboken and re-assembled there. Four others, A-42 - A-45 were transferred by sea.
SMS A32 was sunk during the "Operation Albion" on 25 October 1917, raised and repaired in 1923 by Estonia, and served as EML Sulev (see ) in the Estonian Navy from 1924 (2 other ships named EML Sulev have been in Estonian Navy service, entering service in 1994 and 2000). Taken by Soviet Union in October 1940, it was renamed ÃÂüõÃÂøÃÂà(Ametist, "Amethyst") and served in the Soviet Navy as a patrol vessel, then reduced to a tender in 1942 until scrapped in 1950.
These 42 vessels were ordered in three batches - A56 to A67 in 1916, A80 to A91 in 1917, and A96 â A113 in 1918. Designed by A. G. Vulcan, who built all of them except for A83, A84 and A85, which were built by Howaldtswerke at Kiel, while the hulls of A64 to A67 were subcontracted to Seebeckwerft. None of the 1918 batch of 18 vessels were ever completed, and they were all stricken on 3 November 1918, some being up to 35% complete (these were broken up on the stocks) but none being launched.
Four A-III-class torpedo boats A58-A61 were commissioned in the Flanders Torpedoboat Flotilla in 1917. A59, A60 and A61 caused severe damage to on 19 October 1917.
A59, A64 and A80 were transferred to Poland in 1921, becoming , and respectively. à Âlàzak became target ship in 1937 and was captured by the Germans in 1939. Sunk under tow. Krakowiak was stricken in October 1936 and scrapped. Góral was renamed Podhalanin in 1922. She was converted to oil hulk in 1939 and sunk by German bombers while under tow on 24 September 1939.
These twelve vessels were ordered in 1916, and were designed and built by F. Schichau at Elbing.
These last four vessels were designed and built by F. Schichau Werke, at their Elbing yard, with a slight variation in their dimensions from the 1916 design. The first two served in a minesweeper flotilla and the last two in an escort flotilla prior to the surrender.