Dragonfly class

	; Torpedo speedboat Project 131 type Libelle
Overview
Type	Speedboat
units	30 and 4 prototypes
Shipyard	Peene-Werft and Rechlin
period of service	1974 to 1990
Technical specifications
displacement	30 t normal / 35.17 t max.
length	18.96 m
width	4.42 m
Draft	1.74 m below the propeller
crew	5
drive	3 diesel engines M-50F with 880 kW (1200 PS) each, 3 screws
speed	maximum 48 kn
Radius of action	300 nm at 90% / 10% 37 kn / 48 kn
Armament	2 533 mm torpedo tubes ; 2 marine mine discharge tubes; 1 double-barreled 23 mm L / 80 gun DL2V23;

Libelle class was the name for a class of small torpedo speed boats (KTS) of the People's Navy of the GDR with the project number 131.400.

Development and construction

Project 131 with torpedo in the Danish Naval Museum

Three-sided view

At the beginning of the 1970s, the development of a modern torpedo speedboat began at the Institute for Shipbuilding in Wolgast . Four prototypes were tested between 1971 and 1974 before delivery to the Volksmarine began in 1974 . All 30 series boats were built at the shipyard in Rechlin , the final equipment was carried out by the Peene shipyard.

Hull and drive

The 18.9 m long and 4.42 m wide boats had a welded light metal hull. Three Soviet-made diesel engines of the type M-50F with a total of 2640 kW (3600 hp) served as drive .

Armament and use

The main armament of the class were two 533 mm torpedo tubes , which were permanently installed parallel to the keel and could not be reloaded with on-board equipment. During the attack, the torpedoes , rather atypical, were dropped aft in order to then follow the course of the launching boat. As a rule, these were steam-powered torpedoes 53-39 PM of the Soviet design. A double-barreled 23 mm gun was installed at the stern for anti-aircraft defense .

In order not to have to supply the KTS in a certain port during operation, floating bases without self-propulsion (project 62) and with self-propulsion (project 162) were built especially for the small boat associations.

Project 131 drops combat swimmers during a naval parade

Modifications

The discharge tubes for sea mines were removable so that, for example, combat swimmers could be set down over the sides.

Current Status

There are no more speedboats of this type in use.

Four museum boats still exist: 924 in the Danish Navy Museum , 925 in the International Maritime Museum Hamburg , since June 24, 2008 in the Rechlin Aviation Museum , 952 in the German Naval Museum in Wilhelmshaven and 961 in the Military History Museum of the Bundeswehr in Dresden.

swell

Individual evidence

↑ ^a ^b Harald Fock: Combat Ships. Naval shipbuilding in German shipyards. 1870 until today. Koehler, Hamburg 1995, ISBN 3-7822-0624-X .
↑ The torpedo, the main armament of the KTS boats. In: ktsboote.de. Retrieved February 22, 2014 .
↑ Gallery Project 131.400. In: Gerald-Halle.de. Retrieved February 22, 2014 .

literature

Günther Miel: The LTS and KTS boats of the Volksmarine. Role models and models. Neckar-Verlag, Villingen-Schwenningen 2007, ISBN 978-3-7883-1138-4 .

Web links

Commons : Dragonfly class - collection of images, videos, and audio files

Project 131.400 on Gerald-Halle.de

[Fock-1] Harald Fock: Combat Ships. Naval shipbuilding in German shipyards. 1870 until today. Koehler, Hamburg 1995, ISBN 3-7822-0624-X .

[2] The torpedo, the main armament of the KTS boats. In: ktsboote.de. Retrieved February 22, 2014 .

[3] Gallery Project 131.400. In: Gerald-Halle.de. Retrieved February 22, 2014 .