Derived from the preceding Type 23 torpedo boat, the Type 24 was slightly larger and faster, but had a similar armament.[1] The boats had an overall length of 92.6m (303.8feet) and were 89sp=usNaNsp=us long at the waterline. They had a beam of 8.65m (28.38feet), and a mean draft of 3.52m (11.55feet). The Type 24s displaced 932LT at standard load and 1319LT at deep load. Wolfs pair of Brown-Boveri geared steam turbine sets, each driving one propeller, were designed to produce 23000PS using steam from three water-tube boilers which would propel the ship at 34kn.[2] The boats carried enough fuel oil to give them a range of 1997nmi at . Their crew numbered 129 officers and sailors.[3]
As built, the Type 24s mounted three SK C/28 guns, one forward and two aft of the superstructure, numbered one through three from bow to stern. They carried six above-water 50 cm (19.7 in) torpedo tubes in two triple mounts amidships[4] and could also carry up to 30 mines. After 1931, the torpedo tubes were replaced by tubes[1] and a pair of C/30 anti-aircraft guns were added.[5]
Tiger was laid down at the Reichsmarinewerft Wilhelmshaven (Navy Yard) on 2 April 1927[2] as yard number 112,[6] launched on 15 March 1928 and commissioned on 15 January 1929.[2] The boat was initially assigned to the 3rd Torpedo Boat Half-Flotilla and by the end of 1936 she was assigned to the 2nd Torpedo Boat Flotilla. She made several deployments to Spain during the Spanish Civil War. Around June 1938, Tiger was transferred to the 3rd Torpedo Boat Flotilla which was renumbered the 6th Flotilla on 1 July.[7]
Shortly before the German declaration of war on Poland on 1 September 1939, many of the Kriegsmarines torpedo boats and destroyers were training in the Baltic Sea. At 02:34 on 27 August, the destroyer accidentally rammed the darkened Tiger, which sank at 03:13 with two men dead and six wounded. The survivors were rescued by the destroyer, which had her bow damaged, but suffered no casualties of her own.[8]