home

fighting ships of the world

KAISERLICHE MARINE (GERMANY)

CONVERTED MERCHANT SHIPS

auxiliary mine destruction vessels of WW I

Gertrud 1918

Niederwald 1916

more than 1000 BRT

Name

Launched // Comm.

Builder

Tonnage, BRT (disp., t)

Dimensions, m

Speed, kts

Engine, Power hp

Armament

Fate

SP10 Aachen, 4.1915- SP1 4.1895 // 10.1914 Stettiner Vulcan 3833 (8000) 108.3x13.3 12 1VTE, 3boilers, 1800 2x1-88/32 sunk 30.7.1915
Bielefeld SP3, 4.1915- SP5 16.7.1898 // 10.1914 Flensburger SB 4460 (9900) 118.9x14.5 12 1VTE, 4boilers, 2500 2x1-88/32 stranded 22.6.1915
Bolivia SP6, 8.1914- SP3 23.9.1889 // 8.1914 Armstrong, Newcastle, UK 2646 94.5x11.9 10.5 1VTE, 2boilers, 1260 none returned 10.1914
Cordoba SP8 28.10.1895 // 2.1915 Reiherstiegswerft, Hamburg 4889 (9700) 114.8x14.1 10.5 1VQE, 3boilers, 1900 none test ship 6.1915
Dania SP1 3.12.1904 // 9.1915 Reiherstiegwerft, Hamburg 3898 107.9x13.3 11.5 1VTE, 3boilers, 2100 2x1-88/32 to United Kingdom 5.1919
Erlangen SP2, 4.1915- SP6 21.6.1902 // 10.1914 Bremer Vulkan, Vegesack 5285 (9390) 115.3x14.5 12 1VTE, 3boilers, 2600 2x1-88/32 sunk 2.3.1917
Franken (ex-Frankdale) SP8 1906 // 3.1917 Conell, Glasgow, UK 4856 121.9x15.9 11.5 1VTE, 3boilers 2x1-88/32 returned 1.1919
Gertrud (ex-Willy Rickmers) SP10 6.1915 // 9.1917 Rickmers, Geestemünde 5091 122.2x16.2 10 1VTE, 3boilers, 2500 3x1-88/32 returned 12.1918
Gifhorn (ex-Gifford) SP9 1913 // 5.1917 Doxford, Sunderland, UK 5119 132.0x16.5 11 1VTE, 3boilers, 2500 2x1-88/32 returned 12.1918
Glatz (ex-Glenearn) SP11 1.1914 // 5.1917 Bartram, Sunderland, UK 4959 118.9x15.4 12 1VTE, 3boilers 2x1-88/32 returned 1.1919
Lothar (ex-Lothian) SP12 5.1902 // 5.1917 Conell, Glasgow, UK 4959 117.5x15.3 11 1VTE, 2boilers 2x1-88/32 returned 12.1918
Mecklenburg SP1, 4.1915- SP10 19.4.1892 // 8.1914 Caird, Greenock, UK 3453 (7626) 106.5x12.8 11 1VTE, 2boilers, 1800 2x1-88/32 returned 12.1915
Niederwald SP5, 2.1915- SP4 23.1.1904 // 8.1914 Burmeister & Wain, Copenhagen, Denmark 3457 (8300) 108.2x13.7 10.5 1VTE, 4boilers, 2450 2x1-88/32 sunk 23.2.1917
Ottensen SP11, 4.1915- SP2 12.9.1904 // 10.1914 Swan Hunter, Newcastle, UK 4258 (10220) 115.8x15.2 12 1VQE, 3boilers, 2600 2x1-88/32 collision 16.3.1916
Pallanza SP4 11.5.1891 // 8.1914 Swan Hunter, Newcastle, UK 4606 121.5x14.4 11 1VTE, 2boilers, 2500 none sunk 11.2.1915
Rio Negro SP10, 2.1918- SP1 20.2.1905 // 3.1917 Tecklenborg, Geestemünde 4613 114.6x14.3 11 1VTE, 3boilers, 2200 2x1-88/32 returned 12.1918
Rio Pardo SP4 20.5.1905 // 3.1917 Tecklenborg, Geestemünde 4613 114.6x14.3 11 1VTE, 3boilers, 2200 2x1-88/32 returned 12.1918
Santa Cruz SP7, 11.1915- SP8, 3.1917- SP5 17.6.1905 // 8.1914 Swan Hunter, Wallsend 5824 (10950) 123.4x15.3 11 1VTE, 3boilers, 2900 3x1-88/32 returned 12.1918
Sao Paulo SP8 3.10.1896 // 8.1914 Blohm & Voss, Hamburg 4724 114.6x14.0 11 1VQE, 4boilers, 1800 none sunk 14.1.1915
Schwaben SP6 5.2.1906 // 3.1917 Bremer Vulkan 5058 129.5x16.0 12 1VQE, 3boilers, 3000 2x1-88/32 returned 3.1919
Schwarzwald SP9 28.12.1911 // 8.1914 Schichau, Danzig 4892 (9220) 106.8x14.6 12.5 1VQE, 3boilers, 3200 2x1-88/32 sunk 9.1.1917
Solingen SP12, 4.1915- SP3 2.9.1905 // 10.1914 Neptunwerft, Rostock 4195 (10200) 121.9x14.8 12 1VTE, 3boilers, 2200 2x1-88/32 returned 11.1918
Steigerwald SP7 29.12.1911 // 9.1915 Flensburger SB 4836 (9650) 108.2x14.8 12.5 1VQE, 3boilers, 3200 2x1-88/32 returned 12.1918
Therapia (ex-Baltika) SP2 21.12.1901 // 4.1916 Blohm & Voss, Hamburg 3781 106.7x13.6 14 1VTE, 2boilers, 3000 3x1-88/32 test ship 9.1917
Venetia SP3, 8.1914- SP6, 4.1915- SP11 26.7.1890 // 8.1914 Blohm & Voss, Hamburg 2987 (7050) 99.7x12.7 12.5 1VTE, 2boilers, 2000 none sunk 25.9.1915
Westphalia SP2 2.9.1889 // 8.1914 Russel, Greenock, UK 3079 97.9x13.0 10 1VTE, 2boilers, 1400 none returned 10.1914
Wigbert SP8, 12.1917- SP1, 4.1918- SP8 21.2.1912 // 5.1917 Frerichs, Einswarden 3367 104.5x14.6 11 1VTE, 3boilers, 2000 2x1-88/32 damaged 17.9.1918, stricken

Project history: Merchant vessels converted to mine destruction vessels.

Modernizations: None.

Naval service: Aahen was torpedoed 30.7.1915 by British submarine E1 ENE of Oestergarhsholme. Bielefeld stranded 22.6.1915 off Juist being torpedoed by British submarine, later salvaged and returned to owner. Erlangen was mined 2.3.1917 off Ameland. Niedewald was badly damaged by mine off Terschelling 23.2.1917, later abandoned and foundered in storm 27.2.1917. Ottensen sank off Borkum reef after hitting by two mines and collision with mine destruction vessel Niederwald 16.3.1916. Pallanza was sunk by German mine in the Ems mouth 11.2.1915. Sao Paulo was mined 14.1.1915 W of Amrumbank. Schwarzwald was mined 9.1.1917 N of Borkum reef. Venetia was torpedoed 25.9.1915 by British submarine E5 in the Ems mouth. Wigbert was badly damaged by mine hit 17.9.1918 in the Elbe mouth and stricken.

 

© Ivan Gogin, 2014