German trawler V 622 Almuth

History
Name	Almuth
Owner	Leerer Heringfischerei (1937–39) Kriegsmarine (1939–44)
Port of registry	Leer, Germany (1939)   Kriegsmarine (1939–44)
Builder	Schulte & Bruns, Emden
Yard number	117
Launched	5 May 1937
Completed	8 July 1937
Commissioned	11 September 1939
Out of service	5 June 1944
Identification	Fishing boat registration AL 39 (1937–39) Code Letters DGLA (1937-44) Pennant Number M 1403 (1939–42) Pennant Number M 4414 (1942–43) Pennant Number V 622 (1944)
Fate	Struck a mine and sank
General characteristics
Type	Fishing trawler (1937–39) Minesweeper (1939–43) Vorpostenboot (1944)
Tonnage	269  GRT, 120  NRT
Length	35.76 m (117 ft 4 in)
Beam	7.49 metres (24 ft 7 in)
Depth	3.28 m (10 ft 9 in)
Installed power	Diesel engine, 94nhp
Propulsion	Single screw propeller
Speed	11 knots (20 km/h)

Almuth was a German fishing trawler which was built in 1937. She was requisitioned by the Kriegsmarine during the Second World War. She was used as a minesweeper under the pennant numbers M 1403 and M 4414, and later as the Vorpostenboot V 622 Almuth. She struck a mine and sank in June 1944.

Description

The ship was 35.76 m (117 ft 4 in) long, with a beam of 7.49 metres (24 ft 7 in). She had a depth of 3.28 m (10 ft 9 in). She was assessed at 269  GRT, 120  NRT. She was powered by a diesel engine, which had 8 cylinders of 28 centimetres (11 in) diameter by 44.9 centimetres (17+11⁄16 in) stroke. The engine was built by Klöckner-Humboldt-Deutz AG, Köln, Germany. It was rated at 94 nhp. It drove a single screw propeller. ^[1] It could propel the ship at 11 knots (20 km/h). ^[2]

History

Almuth was built as yard number 117 by Schulte & Bruns, Emden, Germany. ^[2] She was launched on 5 May 1937 and completed on 8 July. She was owned by the Leerer Heringfischerei AG, Leer. ^[3] Her port of registry was Leer. She was allocated the Code Letters DGLA, ^[1] and the fishing boat registration AL 36. ^[3]

On 11 September 1939, Almuth was requisitioned by the Kriegsmarine, serving with 14 Minensuchflotille as the minesweeper M 1403. On 12 April 1942, she was reallocated to 44 Minensuchflotille and her pennant number was changed to M 4414. On 1 January 1943, she was designated as a vorpostenboot . She was allocated to 6 Vorpostenflotille as V 622 Almuth. ^[3] On 5 June 1944, she struck a mine off Saint-Nazaire, Loire-Inférieure, France ( 47°06′07″N2°25′06″W / 47.10194°N 2.41833°W / 47.10194; -2.41833 ). She was taken in tow but consequently sank. ^{[3] [4]}

References

1. "Almuth(54748)" (PDF). Lloyd's Register: Trawlers &c. ALM-ALT (in English and French). London: Lloyd's Register. 1938–1939. Retrieved 4 April 2024– via Southampton City Council.
2. Gröner 1993, p. 253.
3. Gröner 1993, p. 255.
4. Rohwer, Jürgen; Hümmelchen, Gerhard. "Seekrieg 1944, Juni". Württembergische Landesbibliothek Stuttgart (in German). Retrieved 4 April 2024.

Sources

• Gröner, Erich (1993). Die deutschen Kriegsschiffe 1815-1945 (in German). Vol. 8/I: Flußfahrzeuge, Ujäger, Vorpostenboote, Hilfsminensucher, Küstenschutzverbände (Teil 1). Koblenz: Bernard & Graefe. ISBN   3-7637-4807-5.