No I to XII Motorminesweepers
After the loss of the minesweeper Van Ewijck and the heavy damage the Jan Van Gelder sustained after they were hit by mines, the Naval Staff realized that in some cases, these minesweepers were too large to carry out their duties. There were plans drawn up for the construction of motorminesweepers, and with their small seize and draft, this class would probably have been very successful in the shallow Dutch waters. The first five were ordered in Amsterdam, the second batch of five was ordered with a German dockyard. Later there were two more ordered in Holland. In 1940, construction progressed rapidly and in May 1940, the boats constructed in Amsterdam were almost completed. Untouched by the destruction crews after the capitulation, they were taken over by the Kriegsmarine. The German version was bigger and had a more powerful engines. There is still a discussion if the minesweepers contracted by the dockyard in Lemwerder were constructed or not. Some sources say these minesweepers were completed, but not for the Kriegsmarine. Several patrol vessels of the Wassersch�tz Polizei-beherde (Friesland, Geier, Hamburg, Jaguar, Leopard and L�we) were identified as the missing minesweepers.
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| One of the motor minesweepers at sea. Do you know which one? Please contact me |
| Construction details |
| Name |
Dockyard |
Commissioned |
| I |
G. de Vries Lentsch, Amsterdam |
August 28, 1940 |
| II |
G. de Vries Lentsch, Amsterdam |
August, 1940 |
| III |
G. de Vries Lentsch, Amsterdam |
September 23, 1940 |
| IV |
G. de Vries Lentsch, Amsterdam |
October 17, 1940 |
| V |
Abeking & Rasmussen in Lemwerder, Germany |
- |
| VI |
Abeking & Rasmussen in Lemwerder, Germany |
- |
| VII |
Abeking & Rasmussen in Lemwerder, Germany |
- |
| VIII |
Abeking & Rasmussen in Lemwerder, Germany |
- |
| IX |
Abeking & Rasmussen in Lemwerder, Germany |
- |
| X |
Abeking & Rasmussen in Lemwerder, Germany |
- |
| XI |
G. de Vries Lentsch, Amsterdam |
November 20, 1940 |
| XII |
G. de Vries Lentsch, Amsterdam |
December 10, 1940 |
| Specifications |
|
I to IV |
V to X |
XI and XII |
| Displacement |
49 |
55 |
49 |
| Crew |
34 |
|
34 |
| Dimensions |
23.00 x 4.50 x 1.10 m |
27.75 x 4.38 x 1.30 m |
23.00 x 4.50 x 1.10 m |
| Armament |
Not yet determined |
1 x 37 mm
3 x 20 mm |
Not yet determined |
| Propulsion details |
|
I to IV |
V to X |
XI and XII |
| Machinery |
2 x 8-cylinder Kromhout diesel engines |
2 x diesel engines |
2 x 8-cylinder Kromhout diesel engines |
| Performance |
220 hp |
700 hp |
220 hp |
| Range |
|
|
|
| Bunkerage |
6 tons oil |
|
6 tons oil |
| Shafts |
2 |
2 |
2 |
| Max Speed |
10 knots |
24 knots |
10 knots |
| Histories |
| I |
Renamed R.201 on December 15 1940. Renamed RA.51 on September 20 1941, Renamed G.3181 April 1944, renamed SM.221 in August 1944. Sunk in airattack on August 24 1944 |
| II |
Commissioned as RH.2 in August 1940. Renamed R.202 on December 15 1940. Renamed RA.52 on October 15 1941. Renamed G.3182 in April 1944. Renamed SM.222 in August 1944. Sunk by own crew on August 29 1944 |
| III |
Commissioned as RH.3 on August 23 1940. Renamed R.203 on December 15 1940. Renamed RA.53 on November 20 1941. Renamed G.3183 in April 1944. Sunk August 1944 by mine in Ibren Strait (the Crimea) |
| IV |
Commissioned as RH.4 on October 17 1940. Renamed R.204 on December 15 1940. Renamed RA.54 on November 20 1941. Renamed G.3184 in April 1944. Fate unknown |
| XI |
Commissioned November 20 1940 as RH.5. Renamed R.205 on December 15 1940. Renamed RA.55 on November 20 1941. Sunk by mine in Ibren Strait in August 1944 |
| XII |
Commissioned as R.206 on October 12 1940. Renamed RA.56 in 1941. Renamed G.3185 in April 1944. Renamed SM.223 in August 1944. Sunk by own crew on August 29 1944. |
| Photos |
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 Photo labeled "36. MS in Ostende" on the back, meaning "36th Minesweeping Flotilla in Ostend", date unknown. (Collection webmaster). |
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Photo labeled "Begegnung im Kanal" on the back, meaning "encounter in the Channel". The photo was supposedly taken off Ostend (Belgium), date unknown. (Collection webmaster). |
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Dutch minesweepers in Kriegsmarine service, identity, date and place unknown. Note flotilla insigna on the stack (Collection webmaster). |
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Dutch minesweepers in Kriegsmarine service, identity, date and place unknown (Collection webmaster). |
| May 30, 2016 |
Added two photos. |
