Submarine flotilla
|
Submarine |
|
|---|---|
| active | November 1, 1962 to June 30, 2006 |
| Country |
 Germany
|
| Armed forces | armed forces |
| Armed forces |
 German Navy
|
| Type | Command authority |
| Insinuation |
 Fleet command
|
| Last seat of the staff |
Eckernförde ( Kranzfelder-Hafen ) Schleswig-Holstein |
| guide | |
| commander | Sea captain |
| insignia | |
| Flotilla stand of the commander of the submarine flotilla | |
The Ubootflottille (UFltl) was a large association of the German Navy , in which the submarines of the Navy were combined.
history
The submarine flotilla was set up on November 1, 1962 as the command of the submarines in Kiel and placed under the command of the fleet , the later fleet command. It was a large unit at the brigade level and the last of the type commands to be set up for the Federal Navy (later flotillas ). In 1967 it was renamed Ubootflottille . From March 7, 1963 to October 1, 1975, the submarine command was based in Eckernförde and then returned to Kiel. On February 10, 1998, the flotilla staff relocated to Eckernförde and remained there until the flotilla was dissolved on June 30, 2006. The remaining units were subordinated to Einsatzflotille 1 .
Tasks and missions
The main task of the German Navy during the Cold War was to repel attacks by the Warsaw Pact navies against the German and Danish Baltic coasts. Given the numerical superiority of the opposing surface forces, submarines played an important role. They could also be used in those parts of the central and eastern Baltic Sea in which their own surface and sea air forces could not operate.
As part of the concept of forward defense , the tasks of the submarines consisted of clearing up and attacking opposing landing units and supply transports as far to the east as possible. This included laying mines near enemy ports.
After 1990 the task of combating surface targets became less important. The ability of submarines to stay unnoticed in a sea area has since been used primarily for reconnaissance. In addition, submarines are able to use combat swimmers for special missions. In their new range of tasks, submarines will be integrated more strongly than in the past into tactical naval units.
At the same time, the deployment area of German submarines shifted out of the Baltic Sea, mainly into the Mediterranean . Since 2002, submarines have been used as part of NATO's Operation Active Endeavor .
Organization and subordinate associations
The submarine flotilla was led by a commander in the rank of sea captain . You were subject to
- the 1st submarine squadron
- the 3rd submarine squadron
- the submarine training center.
In the course of several reclassifications, various elements were integrated into the staff of the submarine flotilla, including the staff of the 3rd submarine squadron. From November 15, 2001, the marine underwater location center (MUWOSt) on Fehmarn and the Hydroacoustic Analysis Center of the Navy (HAM) belonged to the staff of the submarine flotilla.
1st submarine squadron
- → Main article: 1st submarine squadron
.jpg)
The 1st submarine squadron (1st UG) was set up on October 1, 1961 in Kiel. It was initially subordinate to the amphibious group before it was placed under the newly established submarine flotilla on November 1.
On March 21, 1962, the submarine U 1, which had been in service the day before, was placed under the 1st UG as the first post-war new building. U 2 followed in May 1962 . The former Merkur clearing boat served as a backup boat . After the construction of the class 201 boats failed, both boats were decommissioned and the squadron received eleven class 205 boats between 1962 and 1969 .
In 1964 the two submarine tenders Lahn and Lech were put into service at the 1st basement . Lech was decommissioned in 1966 and assigned to the reserve flotilla. In the same year, Mercury was eliminated.
After the five older Class 205 boats were decommissioned, the squadron received six Class 206 boats from 1974 .
Since the 3rd UG was decommissioned in February 2006, all German submarines have been subject to the 1st UG. After the submarine flotilla was disbanded, it was placed under Operation Flotilla 1 on June 30, 2006.
3rd submarine squadron
.jpg)
The 3rd submarine squadron (3rd UG) was set up on April 1st, 1972 in Eckernförde and equipped with 12 type 206 boats of the same type. On April 19, the Lech tender was reactivated for the 3rd basement and remained there until it was finally decommissioned in 1989.
From 1990 the number of submarines was gradually reduced. After the dissolution of the flotilla of naval command services, three fleet service boats were placed under the 3rd UG in early 2002 . On February 13, 2006, the 3rd basement was taken out of service. The remaining units were transferred to the 1st basement.
Training center submarines
→ Main article: Submarine Training Center , the Submarine Training Center (AZU) was born on August 1, 1959 under the name Ubootlehrgruppe set (ULG) in Eckernförde and on 31 August 1960 after Neustadt in Holstein laid. Like the 1st UG, the ULG was initially under the command of the amphibious armed forces and was also placed under the command of the submarines on November 1, 1962 . The ULG initially had its own vehicle fleet. In addition to belay boats and tugs, these included the submarines Hai and Hecht (class 240), at times U 3 (class 201) and from 1969 to 1974 U 4 to U 8 (class 205). In Neustadt, land facilities for submarine training have also been set up, including two immersion pots to practice exiting a submarine underwater. The deep immersion pot, completed in 1977, has a water depth of 33.5 m.
On August 31, 1989, the submarine teaching group was converted into the submarine training center and moved to Eckernförde. The immersion pots and other land facilities remained as a branch in Neustadt. On December 31, 2000, the AZU was integrated into the submarine flotilla staff and was no longer an independent service. When the submarine flotilla and the 3rd UG were disbanded, the AZU took over the fleet service boats, the HAM and the MUWOSt and thus manages the navy's essential reconnaissance resources. At the same time, the AZU became an independent service unit at the battalion level , which is subordinate to Flotilla 1.
equipment
Only submarines built in Germany were used in the submarine flotilla.
Emergency boats
Class 201
→ Main article: Submarine class 201
A boat type with a displacement of 350 t was developed for use in the Baltic Sea. This corresponded equally to the arms restrictions to which Germany was subjected by the Western European Union , as well as the operational conditions in the narrow and shallow waters of the Baltic Sea. From 1962 the U 1 , U 2 and U 3 were put into service as new class 201 buildings. U 3 had previously been tested by the Norwegian Navy. Due to significant material deficiencies in the new non-magnetizable steel, these boats were taken out of service between 1963 and 1967 and replaced by similar boats of class 205.
Class 205
→ Main article: Submarine class 205
Class 205 differed only slightly from class 201, but was made of a suitable steel that was also non-magnetizable. In addition, they received a slightly larger and more modern sonar system and were therefore slightly longer than the class 201. Of the class 205, a first series of five boats (U 4 to U 8) ran between 1962 and 1964, which were decommissioned in 1974 and were scrapped.
The second series of this class entered service between 1966 and 1969. It consisted of the boats U 9 to U 12 and the replicas U 1 and U 2 . When building these boats, experience from the first series was taken into account, which led to an adaptation of the central structure. Several of these boats were later converted for various experimental purposes. The last boat to be taken out of service was U 12 in June 2005.
Class 206 and 206 A
→ Main article: Submarine class 206
Between 1973 and 1975, 18 Class 206 boats were put into service. It was a performance-enhanced further development of the class 205. With the completion of this series, the submarine flotilla had reached its target stock of 24 boats, which it held until the end of the Cold War in 1990. Between 1987 and 1990 eleven boats of the class were converted to class 206A.
Class 212 A
→ Main article: Submarine class 212 A.
Class 212A is a completely new design compared to classes 201, 205 and 206. These boats are no longer optimized for use in the Baltic Sea, but designed for longer operations in larger sea areas. Nevertheless, the tried and tested non-magnetizable steel was retained so that the boats can also be used in shallower waters with a mine hazard. With their fuel cell propulsion, they can operate underwater for considerably longer than conventionally powered boats. Since 2005 four boats of the class 212A have been put into service, two more, slightly modified ones are under construction.
School and experimental submarines
In the first few years, three navy boats from the Second World War were used as training and test boats. They were sunk shortly before the end of the war. They were lifted and repaired for renewed use. In addition, two test boats were built to gain experience for new types.
Class 240
→ Main article: Submarine class XXIII
The two boats of class 240 were type XXIII of the Kriegsmarine with a displacement of about 275 t (submerged). The boats were salvaged in 1956 and then repaired. They were put into service as shark and pike on August 15 and October 1, 1957 at the underwater weapons school as school boats. On August 31, 1960 they switched to the submarine teaching group.
U Hai was lost in a storm in the North Sea on September 14, 1966 , and only one crew member could be rescued. The boat was then lifted and scrapped. U Hecht was decommissioned on September 30, 1968 and later canceled.
Class 241
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→ Main article: Wilhelm Bauer (Schiff, 1945)
The Wilhelm Bauer submarine was put into service by the Navy in 1945 as the U 2540 and belonged to the Type XXI . It was lifted in 1957 by the Bugsier salvage company and repaired by Howaldtswerke in Kiel . During the shipyard trials, the boat was named Wal , when it was commissioned for the Navy, it was named after the submarine designer Wilhelm Bauer . Because the boat, with a displacement of 1820 t (submerged), was well above the permitted size, it was only allowed to be used as a test boat and was not subject to the submarine flotilla, but to the test center 71 of the BWB . Propulsion and weapon systems for classes 201, 205 and 206 were tested on the boat. It was decommissioned in 1982 and has been a museum boat in Bremerhaven since 1984 .
Class 202
For testing purposes, the Navy commissioned three small test submarines of class 202 , two of which were built between 1961 and 1966. The boats were named Hans Techel and Friedrich Schürer , which is why the class is also known as the Hans Techel class .
The class 202 boats had a submerged displacement of 137 t and a conventional drive with diesel and electric motors. Their armament consisted of only two bow torpedo tubes . They differed in the rudder system, Techel had the class 201 rudder system, while Schürer had a Kort nozzle installed.
Originally, the boats were supposed to serve as the forerunners of class 201/205 and test their systems. After completion of this test, they should be used for reconnaissance tasks. The boats were taken over in 1965 and 1966 and thus came too late for the test task. Their driving range was too small for reconnaissance and they were therefore decommissioned in December 1966 and later canceled. During their service time, like Wilhelm Bauer, they were subordinate to the testing center 71.
A third boat was to receive a Walter drive , which was to be tested for the class 204 project . It was canceled after the first two boats failed to prove themselves.
Support vehicles
Tenders and auxiliary ships
In the first few years of construction, the submarine flotilla had two small auxiliary ships at its disposal for security and support tasks. The Merkur was a former clearing boat and was subject to the 1st basement from 1963 to 1968. The Passat was a small tug that belonged to the ULG from 1959 to 1967. Both vehicles were decommissioned and demolished after the newly built submarine tender was put into service.
In 1964 the two submarine tenders Lahn and Lech (class 403 / Lahn class) were put into service. Both were later replaced by the supplier Meersburg ( class 701 ) from the 1st supply squadron. This was decommissioned in December 2004 and replaced by the Main tender (class 404). The main task of the tenders was initially to serve the submarines as a base outside the home port, so that they could still be used when the home bases were destroyed. In the peace company, the tenders supported the training company. They served as security ships for diving training and hid the fired exercise torpedoes.
For the training support, the submarine flotilla was made available to other auxiliary vessels, which were mainly used as security vehicles. These mainly included the salvage tugs of the Helgoland class and the Wangerooge class , of which Fehmarn (Helgoland class) and Spiekeroog (Wangerooge class) were temporarily assigned to the submarine flotilla.
Fleet service boats
The fleet service boats were therefore placed under the submarine flotilla because with the dissolution of the naval command service flotilla they no longer had a military home and the shrinking submarine flotilla could take them up easily. With the assignment to the AZU, which also includes the fixed underwater locating facilities of the Navy, they are also subject to a technically sensible role as reconnaissance means.
Unrealized projects
Several naval submarine projects have been investigated but not implemented.
Class 203
The class 203 submarines were supposed to be a very small type of boat suitable for shallow water, with dimensions roughly equivalent to that of class 202. These boats should not have a diesel drive, but only be powered electrically. The batteries should be charged using external energy sources. No construction contracts have been awarded for this project.
Class 204
The class 204 boats were to have a Walter drive of 3000 hp, which had already been successfully tested on a shore installation between 1960 and 1965. The on-board system was to be tested on the third class 202 boat. However, that was not built after the overall project was abandoned.
Class 208
In the late 1960s, a larger type of submarine with the designation class 208 , which should have a displacement of up to 1000 tons, was considered. In 1971 the project was initially postponed and later abandoned.
References
See also
literature
- Christin-Désirée Rudolph: Ocean Eyes - The submarine squadron of the German Navy . Motorbuch Verlag, 2010 ISBN 978-3-613-03217-0
- Siegfried Breyer, Gerhard Koop; The ships and vehicles of the German Federal Navy 1956–1976; Munich 1978; ISBN 3-7637-5155-6
- Hannes Ewerth; "The U-Flotilla of the German Navy"; Herford 1988; ISBN 3-7822-0398-4
- Johannes Berthold Sander-Nagashima; "The Federal Navy 1950 to 1972 - Concept and Construction"; Munich 2006; ISBN 978-3-486-57972-7
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b BM 22 submarine flotilla inventory in the Federal Archives ( Memento of the original from March 30, 2007 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link has been inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ Johannes Berthold Sander-Nagashima; The Federal Navy 1950 to 1972 - conception and construction; Munich 2006; ISBN 978-3-486-57972-7
- ↑ Matthias Faermann, Arne Herrler; The submarine flotilla of the German Navy - a branch of arms in transition; in: Marineforum 4-2004, p. 11ff.
- ↑ a b Inventory of the BM 31 Ubootgeschwader in the Federal Archives ( Memento of the original from March 30, 2007 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ a b c Hannes Ewerth; "The U-Flotilla of the German Navy"; Herford 1988; ISBN 3-7822-0398-4
- ↑ a b c d e Siegfried Breyer, Gerhard Koop; The ships and vehicles of the German Federal Navy 1956–1976; Munich 1978; ISBN 3-7637-5155-6
- ^ RK Marine Kiel: Class 241 submarine.Retrieved on August 3, 2019 .
