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fighting ships of the world

KRIEGSMARINE / GERMAN NAVY (GERMANY / WEST GERMANY)

MINE WARFARE SHIPS

"1940" type minesweepers (1941-1945)

M261 1942

Project history: Wartime project developed on the basis of type 1916 minesweeper of WWI era for building by shipbuilders, not having experience of naval shipbuilding. As result, being on 10% smaller than type 1935 ships, type 1940 minesweepers almost did not yield them in armament, but were twice cheaper and demanded significantly smaller expenditures of labour. The considerable part of ships was built in occupied Netherlands.

In comparison with type 1935, machinery has significantly changed: in a parallel way with VTEs two exhaust-steam geared turbine units of Bauer-Wach design worked on shafts. Turbines were connected to shafts on more than 14kts speed. Boilers were of naval type, (Schultz construction) (16.5atm, 320°C), mainly coal-burning. Armament under project consisted of 1 105mm, 1 37mm guns and 2 20mm MGs, but in 1942 new armament structure was accepted: 2 single 105mm (sometimes one of them was not installed or replaced by 1 twin 37mm MG), 2 single 37mm guns, 1 quadruple and 2 single 20mm MGs. There were also 4 DCTs (36 DC).

M371, 387, 372, 278, 373-375, 279, 388, 376, 377, 389, 378 and 280 in 1944-1945 were converted to torpedo training ships TS1-14, 2 TT were installed on forecastle.

Modernizations: 1944, some survived earlier ships were rearmed as later ships.

    Some ships were reverted to West Germany from USA in 1956 and commissioned by navy - M187 Seehund - 7.1956, M188 Seeigel - 8.1956, M189 Seelöwe - 7.1956, M190 Seepferd - 8.1956, M192 Seestern - 8.1956 with data as given in the table.

Naval service: M262, M304, M363 and M463 were scuttled 25.8.1944 at Bordeaux. M263 and M486 were sunk 6.8.1944 by British cruiser Bellona, destroyers Tartar, Ashanti and Canadian destroyers Haida and Iroquois off St. Nazaire. M264 was sunk 8.7.1944 by British aircraft in Helgoland bight. M266 was sunk 26.8.1944 by Allied aircraft at Kiel, salvaged and destroyed 11.3.1945 by American bombers at Kiel. M271 and M325 were sunk 5.8.1944 by British aircraft at Paullac in a mouth of Gironde. M272 was sunk 22.8.1944 by Allied aircraft in a mouth of Gironde, salvaged and repaired. M273 was sunk 12.1.1945 by British cruisers Norfolk, Bellona and destroyers Onslow, Orwell and Onslaught at Egersund. M274 and M276 were scuttled 4.9.1944 in a mouth of Schelde. M292 was sunk 21.8.1944 by British Mosquitos in Gironde mouth. M293 was sunk 2.5.1945 by British aircraft SW off Göteborg. M301 was sunk 4.5.1945 by British aircraft in Kattegat. M303 was sunk 11.10.1944 by Soviet MTBs TK-205 and TK-219 in Varanger-fjord. M305 was lost 17.1.1945 at Brüsterort during a storm. M307 was sunk 21.7.1944 by British aircraft at Langeoog. M322 was lost 10.1.1945 as result of a fire off Lepsöy. M329 was lost 30.3.1945 during raid of American bombers to Wilhelmshaven. M343 was sunk 14.6.1944 by British destroyer Ashanti and Polish destroyer Piorun at Jersey. M344 was scuttled 23.8.1944 at Rochefort. M345 was sunk 18.5.1943 by British aircraft at Dunkirk. M346 was sunk 17.7.1943 by Soviet submarine S-56 in Tana-fjord. M347 was sunk 25.8.1944 by British aircraft off Hubert-Gat. M366, M367, M428 and M438 were sunk 8.8.1944 by British aircraft off St. Nazaire. M368 was sunk 15.4.1945 in Skagerrack after collision with submarine U2328 and damage by a mine. M370 was sunk 12.8.1944 by British aircraft at Royan in a mouth of Gironde. M372 (TS3) was lost 13.5.1944 on a mine at Swinemünde. M376 (TS10) was sunk 11.4.1945 by Soviet aircraft at Hel. M381 was sunk 12.2.1945 by British submarine Venturer at Stavanger. M382 was sunk 31.1.1945 by Norwegian MTB712 at Molde. M383 was sunk 13.8.1944 by British aircraft at Spiekeroog. M384 was scuttled 11.8.1944 at Nantes. M385 was sunk 15.8.1944 by British cruiser Mauritius and destroyers Ursa and Iroquois at Western coast of France. M386 was sunk 8.3.1944 by a mine in Strander bight; salvaged and repaired. M387 (TS2) was scuttled 2.5.1945 at Lübeck. M402 was sunk 15.6.1944 by British aircraft at Boulogne. M403 was sunk 19.4.1945 by British aircraft SW off Göteborg. M412 was lost 9.3.1945 as a result of navigating accident at Granville. M413 was sunk 21.7.1944 by Soviet aircraft in the Narva Bay. M414 was sunk 17.5.1943 by British torpedo bomber at Texel. M416 and M427 were sunk 12-13.11.1944 by British cruisers Kent, Bellona and destroyers Myngs, Verulam and Zambesi at Egersund. M421 was sunk 13.2.1945 by two German mines at Kolberg. M422 and M424 were sunk 4.8.1944 by British aircraft at St. Malo. M426 was sunk 12.9.1944 by British aircraft at Kristiansand. M433 was sunk 26.10.1944 by air group of British carrier Implacable off Alesund. M435 collided 14.5.1944 with M369 N off Ameland and destroyed by British aircraft. M444 14.8.1944 was mined at Brest and destroyed by British aircraft. M445 was lost 31.12.1944 during raid of American Flying Fortress bombers to Hamburg. M451 was lost 30.1.1944 during a storm at Hanko. M455 was sunk 30.7.1944 by Allied aircraft at Hamburg, salvaged 26.8.1944, in April, 1945 was again lost during an air raid; salvaged and repaired after war. M459 was sunk 10.4.1944 by Soviet aircraft in Narva Bay. M462 was sunk 11.9.1944 by British aircraft NE off Skagen. M468 12.8.1944 was mined W off Namsus. M469 was sunk 4.7.1944 by British MTB458 NW off Vlieland. M471 was sunk 25.9.1944 by British aircraft at Den Helder. M483 was sunk 15.6.1943 by British aircraft in English Channel. M489 was sunk 8.1.1943 at Rotterdam as result of sabotage; salvaged 10.1.1943, repaired and 23.12.1944 sunk by Norwegian MTB712 in Blommen-fjord. M280 (TS14) was scuttled by Allies in Skagerrack 26.7.1946.

© Ivan Gogin, 2008-16