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fighting ships of the world

KAISERLICHE MARINE / KRIEGSMARINE (GERMANY)

MINE WARFARE SHIPS

"FM" type coastal minesweepers (1918-1919)

FM1 1918

Xanten 1941

Name No Yard No Builder Laid down Launched Comp Fate
1st group
FM1   412 Seebeck, Geestemünde   15.6.1918 7.1918 stricken 12.1920
FM2   413 Seebeck, Geestemünde   6.7.1918 8.1918 stricken 3.1920, to Poland (Czajka)
FM3   302 Tecklenborg, Geestemünde   17.1.1918 2.1918 stricken 5.1919
FM4   303 Tecklenborg, Geestemünde   23.2.1918 2.1918 stricken 3.1920
FM5   303 Frerichs, Einswarden   1918 8.1918 stricken 5.1919
FM6   304 Frerichs, Einswarden   1918 10.1918 stricken 12.1919
FM7   305 Frerichs, Einswarden   1918 1920 // --- cancelled 5.1919, completed mercantile
FM8   538 Stülcken, Hamburg   26.7.1918 10.1918 stricken 5.1919
FM9   539 Stülcken, Hamburg   3.12.1918 1.1919 stricken 5.1919
FM10   540 Stülcken, Hamburg   16.1.1919 4.1919 stricken 11.1919
FM11   800 Sachsenberg, Roßlau   1918 9.1918 stricken 5.1919
FM12   801 Sachsenberg, Roßlau   1918 1920 // --- cancelled 5.1919, completed mercantile
FM13   189 Union, Königsberg   20.7.1918 10.1918 stricken 5.1919
FM14   190 Union, Königsberg   28.10.1918 1.1919 stricken 11.1919
FM15     Übigau, Dresden   1918 1918 stricken 5.1919
FM16     Übigau, Dresden   1919 1922 // --- cancelled 3.1920, completed for Albania as gunboat (Shqipnía)
FM17   332 Meyer, Papenburg   18.5.1918 9.1918 stricken 5.1919
FM18   333 Meyer, Papenburg   1918 1918 stricken 5.1919
FM19   308 Tecklenborg, Geestemünde   23.2.1918 3.1918 to Portugal 10.1922 (fishery protection vessel Raoul Cascaes)
FM20   309 Tecklenborg, Geestemünde   9.3.1918 3.1918 stricken 3.1920
FM21   414 Seebeck, Geestemünde   14.12.1918 4.1919 survey boat Peilboot III 1920
FM22   415 Seebeck, Geestemünde   19.2.1919 5.1919 survey boat Peilboot IV 1920
FM23     Frerichs, Einswarden   1918 12.1918 stricken 12.1919, to Albania as gunboat (Skënderbeg)
FM24     Frerichs, Einswarden   1918 3.1919 stricken 4.1922, to Persia as gunboat (پیروزی [Fathiya])
FM25   162 Unterweser, Lehe   10.5.1918 8.1918 stricken 4.1922
FM26   163 Unterweser, Lehe   19.7.1918 10.1918 survey boat Peilboot VII 1920
FM27     Wollheim, Breslau   1918 1920 // --- completed for Poland (Jaskółka)
FM28     Wollheim, Breslau   1918 1920 // --- completed for Poland (Mewa)
FM29   90 Nobiskrug, Rendsburg   1919 1925 // --- completed mercantile
FM30   143 Lübecker Maschinenbau   1919 1921 // --- completed mercantile
FM31   144 Lübecker Maschinenbau   1919 6.1919 stricken 3.1920, to Poland (Rybitwa)
FM32   802 Sachsenberg, Roßlau   1919 1921 // --- completed mercantile
FM33   113 Nordseewerke, Emden   1919 6.1919 stricken 10.1919
FM34   114 Nordseewerke, Emden   1919 --- cancelled 12.1919
FM35   191 Union, Königsberg   1919 1922 // --- completed mercantile
Xanten (ex-FM36), 1942 - UJ116   682 Oderwerke, Stettin   1919 10.1941 submarine chaser 1942, scuttled 25.8.1944
2nd group
FM37   171 Unterweser, Lehe   1919 1923 // --- completed mercantile
FM38   172 Unterweser, Lehe   1919 1923 // --- completed mercantile
FM39   173 Unterweser, Lehe Summer 1918 --- --- cancelled 9.1919
FM40   174 Unterweser, Lehe   --- --- BU incomplete
FM41   175 Unterweser, Lehe   --- --- BU incomplete
FM42   185 Rickmers, Geestemünde   1918 11.1919 stricken 4.1922
FM43   186 Rickmers, Geestemünde   1919 --- BU incomplete
FM44   187 Rickmers, Geestemünde   --- --- BU incomplete
FM45   249 Henry Koch, Lübeck   --- --- BU incomplete
FM46   250 Henry Koch, Lübeck   --- --- BU incomplete
FM47   251 Henry Koch, Lübeck   --- --- BU incomplete
FM48   334 Meyer, Papenburg   1919 --- cancelled 8.1921
FM49   335 Meyer, Papenburg   1919 1922 // --- completed mercantile
FM50   336 Meyer, Papenburg   1919 1922 // --- completed mercantile
FM51     Janssen & Schmiliski, Hamburg   --- --- BU incomplete
FM52     Janssen & Schmiliski, Hamburg   --- --- BU incomplete
FM53     Janssen & Schmiliski, Hamburg   --- --- BU incomplete
FM54   482 Kremer, Elmshorn   1919 1920 // --- completed mercantile
FM55   483 Kremer, Elmshorn   1918 1921 // --- completed mercantile
FM56     Wollheim, Breslau Summer 1918 --- --- cancelled 9.1919
FM57     Wollheim, Breslau Summer 1918 --- --- cancelled 9.1919
FM58     Übigau, Dresden   --- --- BU incomplete
FM59     Übigau, Dresden   --- --- BU incomplete
FM60   93 Nobiskrug, Rendsburg   --- --- BU incomplete
FM61   94 Nobiskrug, Rendsburg   --- --- BU incomplete
FM62     Thormählen, Elmshorn   1919 1920 // --- completed mercantile
FM63     Klawitter, Danzig   --- --- BU incomplete
FM64     Klawitter, Danzig   --- --- BU incomplete
FM65     Nüscke, Stettin   --- --- BU incomplete
FM66     Nüscke, Stettin   --- --- BU incomplete

 

Displacement standard, t

FM1 - 36: 170

FM37 - 66: 185

Displacement full, t

FM1 - 36: 193

FM37 - 66: 205

Length, m

FM1 - 36: 41.8 wl 43.0 oa

FM37 - 66: 44.2 wl 45.5 oa

Breadth, m

6.00

Draught, m

FM1 - 36: 1.40 normal 1.68 deep load

FM37 - 66: 1.40 normal 1.71 deep load

No of shafts

2

Machinery

2 VTE, 1 Marine boiler

Power, h. p.

FM1 - 36: 600

FM37 - 66: 750

Max speed, kts

FM1 - 36: 14

FM37 - 66: 14.3

Fuel, t

FM1 - 36: coal 32

FM37 - 66: coal 35
Endurance, nm(kts)  

Armament

FM1 - 6, 8, 11, 13, 15, 17 - 20, 25, 26: 1 x 1 - 88/27 TK L/30 C/08, mechanical minesweeping gear

FM9, 10, 14, 21 - 24, 31, 33, 42: mechanical minesweeping gear

Xanten: 2 x 1 - 20/65 C/38, mechanical minesweeping gear

Complement

35

Project history: Shallow-draught flat-bottom minesweepers intended for operations on the rivers and in the bays (with depth to 2.3m). On modern classification they are similar to coastal minesweepers, on German classification they were large motor boats. After peace treaty signing FM5, 6, 20-22, 25, 26 and 36 remained in German fleet. FM2, 27, 28 and 31 were sold to Poland, FM16 and 23 to Albania, FM19 to Portugal and FM24 to Iran. No one ship from 2nd series (FM37-66) has become operational. They were partly broken up and partly sold to Argentina, Colombia, Denmark and Portugal, where they were completed as minesweepers or auxiliaries.

Modernizations: Xanten, 1942: was rearmed: - sweeps; + 1 x 1 - 37/80 SK C/30, some DCR.

Naval service: One ship, FM13 or FM14 or FM36, was sold to Romania in 1919 as Romanian Socratis. In October, 1941 she was bought by Kriegsmarine and in September, 1942 commissioned as minelayer Xanten. Since December, 1942 she served as submarine chaser UJ116 and scuttled 30.8.1944 in Bulgarian waters.

© Ivan Gogin, 2008-14