German trawler V 1302 John Mahn

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Merchant flag of Germany (1919-1933).svgFlag of Germany (1935-1945).svgWar ensign of Germany (1938-1945).svgGermany
NameJohn Mahn
Owner Kriegsmarine
Builder Reiherstieg Schiffswerfte & Maschinenfabrik
Yard number580
Launched18 June 1927
FateSunk in an air raid during Operation Cerberus on 12 February 1942
General characteristics [1]
Tonnage
Length45 m (147 ft 8 in)
Beam7.39 m (24 ft 3 in)
Draught3.32 m (10 ft 11 in)

V 1302 John Mahn was a fishing trawler requisitioned during World War II by the Kriegsmarine for use as a Vorpostenboot . It was launched in 1927 in Hamburg and was sunk in 1942 in the North Sea during Operation Cerberus.

Contents

History

John Mahn was built by Reiherstieg Schiffswerfte & Maschinenfabrik in the port of Hamburg. [1] It launched on 18 June 1927 as a fishing trawler with the designation SD 131. It was purchased by the company Ebeling and sailed out of Bremerhaven under the new designation BX 221. [2]

Picket boat

On 28 September 1939, the Kriegsmarine requisitioned the ship and refitted it for service as a Vorpostenboot. It was given the designation V 1302 and incorporated into the 13th Vorposten-Flottille based out of Rotterdam. In 1942, along with five other ships from the 13th flotilla, the John Mahn took part in Operation Cerberus, a convoy mission of more than 200 ships to escort the heavy cruiser Prinz Eugen and the battleships Scharnhorst and Gneisenau from Brittany through the English Channel to German ports. [2]

Route of Operation Cerberus Operation Cerberus-de.svg
Route of Operation Cerberus

The six Vorpostenboote assembled at the Hook of Holland and set out for their outpost position along the route of the convoy early on the morning of 12 February. Because they could not keep pace with the main convoy, the auxiliary ships waited in place for the expected Allied interception. [3] Once in position, John Mahn anchored with V 1303 Freiburg to provide flank cover as the cruisers passed by. By early afternoon, the flotilla was in position and were approached by vessels of the 2nd Minensuch-Flottille. Shortly thereafter, lookouts spotted the main convoy. At 2:43 pm, the convoy passed the flotilla, and at 2:50 pm the anti-aircraft guns of the convoy opened fire. By 3:00 pm, British fighters and bombers were spotted and engaged. At 3:25, four of the other Vorpostenboote raised their anchors and moved closer to John Mahn. As they did so, the group was attacked by two British Lockheed Hudson bombers as well as several Supermarine Spitfire and Hawker Hurricane fighters. They shot down one of the bombers. [2]

At 3:53 pm, John Mahn was surprised by a group of six bombers. It and the nearby Freiburg were able to hit one of the bombers several times, causing it to lose altitude, clip the masthead of John Mahn, and fall into the sea. The John Mahn was then targeted by several other aircraft, being riddled with machine gun fire and struck by two bombs. The first hit the center of the craft, exploding in the boiler room, while the second exploded in the stern tube. The second explosion caused the John Mahn to begin to sink; however, the bow machine gun continued to fire and registered several hits on nearby bombers. The crew was forced to abandon ship shortly thereafter, boarding rafts and dinghies. Twenty-seven crew were rescued by other Vorpostenboote and ships of the 2nd Minensuch-Flottille, while 11 were missing and presumed dead. One sailor died of his wounds on the Minensuchboot M-9 after being rescued. [2]

While several vessels were damaged by mines and British aircraft, including Scharnhorst and Gneisenau, V 1302 John Mahn was the only German ship sunk during the entire Channel Dash. [3]

Shipwreck

John Mahn lies in the Belgian part of the North Sea, [4] in water as deep as 35 m (115 ft). [1] The wreck is still largely intact, aside from the missing superstructure and a large crack on the port side. [2] There are multiple unexploded depth charges on board which render the wreck hazardous. [4] Samples taken from the wreck and nearby sediment show the presence of heavy metals like nickel and copper and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, which have changed the local microbial ecology and point to the larger problem of shipwreck pollution. [5]

Related Research Articles

The Kriegsmarine was the navy of Germany from 1935 to 1945. It superseded the Imperial German Navy of the German Empire (1871–1918) and the inter-war Reichsmarine (1919–1935) of the Weimar Republic. The Kriegsmarine was one of three official branches, along with the Heer and the Luftwaffe, of the Wehrmacht, the German armed forces from 1935 to 1945.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Channel Dash</span> German naval operation during the Second World War

The Channel Dash was a German naval operation during the Second World War. A Kriegsmarine squadron comprising the two Scharnhorst-class battleships, the heavy cruiser Prinz Eugen and their escorts was evacuated from Brest in Brittany to German ports. Scharnhorst and Gneisenau had arrived in Brest on 22 March 1941 after the success of Operation Berlin in the Atlantic. More raids were planned and the ships were refitted at Brest. The ships were a threat to Allied trans-Atlantic convoys and RAF Bomber Command attacked them from 30 March 1941. Gneisenau was hit on 6 April 1941 and Scharnhorst on 24 July 1941, after dispersal to La Pallice. In late 1941, Adolf Hitler ordered the Oberkommando der Marine to plan an operation to return the ships to German bases against a British invasion of Norway. The short route up the English Channel was preferred to a detour around the British Isles for surprise and air cover by the Luftwaffe and on 12 January 1942, Hitler gave orders for the operation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Operation Juno</span>

Operation Juno was a German sortie to the North Sea during the Norwegian Campaign. The most notable engagement of the operation was German battleships Scharnhorst and Gneisenau sinking the British aircraft carrier HMS Glorious and its two escorting destroyers. Several Allied vessels were sunk in other engagements.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Erich Bey</span>

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Operation Berlin (Atlantic)</span> German commerce raid during the naval battles of the Second World War

Operation Berlin was a raid conducted by the two German Scharnhorst-class battleships against Allied shipping in the North Atlantic between 22 January and 22 March 1941. It formed part of the Battle of the Atlantic during World War II. The Scharnhorst and Gneisenau sailed from Germany, operated across the North Atlantic, sank or captured 22 Allied merchant vessels, and finished their mission by docking in occupied France. The British military sought to locate and attack the German battleships, but failed to damage them.

Vorpostenboot, also referred to as VP-Boats, flakships or outpost boats, were German patrol boats which served during both World Wars. They were used around coastal areas and in coastal operations, and were tasked with – among other things – coastal patrol, ship escort, and naval combat.

German battleship <i>Scharnhorst</i> Scharnhorst-class battleship of Nazi Germanys Kriegsmarine

Scharnhorst was a German capital ship, alternatively described as a battleship or battlecruiser, of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine. She was the lead ship of her class, which included her sister ship Gneisenau. The ship was built at the Kriegsmarinewerft dockyard in Wilhelmshaven; she was laid down on 15 June 1935 and launched a year and four months later on 3 October 1936. Completed in January 1939, the ship was armed with a main battery of nine 28 cm (11 in) C/34 guns in three triple turrets. Plans to replace these weapons with six 38 cm (15 in) SK C/34 guns in twin turrets were never carried out.

German battleship <i>Gneisenau</i> Scharnhorst-class battleship

Gneisenau was a German capital ship, alternatively described as a battleship and battlecruiser, of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine. She was the second vessel of her class, which included her sister ship, Scharnhorst. The ship was built at the Deutsche Werke dockyard in Kiel; she was laid down on 6 May 1935 and launched on 8 December 1936. Completed in May 1938, the ship was armed with a main battery of nine 28 cm (11 in) C/34 guns in three triple turrets. Plans were approved, once construction had started, to replace these weapons with six 38 cm (15 in) SK C/34 guns in twin turrets, but as this would involve a lot of redesign, construction continued with the lower calibre guns. The intent was to make the upgrade in the winter of 1940–41, but the outbreak of World War II stopped this.

Sachsenwald was a weather ship of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during the Second World War. She was built in 1938/39 as a commercial trawler and operated out of Cuxhaven as PC318, but was requisitioned by the Kriegsmarine in January 1940 after being interned in Murmansk by Soviet authorities after the outbreak of war. Initially serving as a supply ship allocated to Basis Nord, Sachsenwald was intended for use in Operation Sea Lion before being converted for use as a weather ship under the designation Wetterbeobachtungsschiff 7.

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The V 1605 Mosel, previously known as the M-1903, was a German trawler, minesweeper, and Vorpostenboot throughout World War II.

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V 202 Franz Westermann was a German trawler built in 1937 which was converted into a Vorpostenboot for the Kriegsmarine during World War II. She was sunk at Saint Peter Port, Guernsey, Channel Islands in an allied air raid on15 June 1944. Repaired post-war, she was renamed Pommern in 1954 and served until 1960.

V 801 Max Gundelach, originally designated PG-555, was a German fishing trawler which was converted into a Vorpostenboot patrol boat and placed in the 8th Picket Boat Flotilla during World War II.

V 804 Skolpenbank was a German fishing trawler which was requisitioned by the Kriegsmarine for service as a Vorpostenboot during World War II.

Gauleiter Telschow was a German fishing trawler that was requisitioned by the Kriegsmarine in the Second World War for use as a Vorpostenboot, serving as V 206 Gauleiter Telschow and V 209 Gauleiter Telschow. She was torpedoed and sunk in the North Sea off Heligoland, Germany, France by HMS Sturgeon on 20 November 1939.

Otto Bröhan was a German fishing trawler that was requisitioned by the Kriegsmarine in the Second World War for use as a Vorpostenboot, serving as V 207 Otto Bröhan and V 206 Otto Bröhan. She was scuttled at Caen, Calvados, France in June 1944. She was raised in March 1945 and converted to a survey ship for the French Navy, renamed Ingénieur Hydrographe Nicolas. She served until 1960 and was then scrapped.

R. Walther Darré was a German fishing trawler that was requisitioned by the Kriegsmarine in the Second World War for use as a Vorpostenboot. She served as V 210 R. Walther Darré and V 208 R. Walther Darré. She was sunk in the English Channel by British motor torpedo boats in July 1944.

Friedrich Busse was a German fishing trawler that was requisitioned by the Kriegsmarine in the Second World War for use as a Vorpostenboot, serving as V 211 Friedrich Busse and V 212 Friedrich Busse. She was scuttled at Caen, Calvados, France in June 1944.

V 304 Breslau was a German fishing trawler that was requisitioned in the Second World War by the Kriegsmarine for use as a vorpostenboot. Built in 1925 as Weser, she was renamed Breslau in 1939. She was wrecked at the entrance to the Noordzeekanaal in 1940.

References

  1. 1 2 3 "V-1302 (John Mahn) [+1942]". Wrecksite. 10 December 2019. Retrieved 24 March 2022.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 Termote, Tomas; Termote, Dirk (2009). Schatten en Scheepswrakken: boeiende onderwaterarcheologie in de Noordzee (in Dutch). Davidsfonds Leuven.
  3. 1 2 Paterson, Lawrence (2018). Hitler's Forgotten Flotillas: Kriegsmarine Security Forces. Grub Street Publishers. ISBN   978-1473882416.
  4. 1 2 Sven, Van Haelst (2020). Mees, Jan; Seys, Jan (eds.). "North Sea Wrecks: A future decision support tool for blue growth activities". Vlaams Instituut voor de Zee – Flanders Marine Institute (VLIZ). 84: 83 – via ResearchGate.
  5. ↑ Van Landuyt, Josefien; Kundu, Kankana; Van Haelst, Sven; Neyts, Marijke; Parmentier, Koen; De Rijcke, Maarten; Boon, Nico (2022-10-18). "80 years later: Marine sediments still influenced by an old war ship". Frontiers in Marine Science. 9: 1017136. doi: 10.3389/fmars.2022.1017136 . ISSN   2296-7745.
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