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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 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 (Czaika)
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 (Shqipëria)
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 (Fatiya)
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 (Jaskólka)
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

VTE, 1 Marine boiler

Power, h. p.

FM1 - 36: 600

FM37 - 66: 750

Max speed, kn

FM1 - 36: 14

FM37 - 66: 14.3

Fuel, t

FM1 - 36: coal 32

FM37 - 66: coal 35

Armament

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

FM9, 10, 14, 21 - 24, 31, 33, 42: sweeps

Xanten: 2 x 1 - 20/65 C/38, sweeps

Complement

35

Ship 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