German trawler V 412 Bremerhaven

Bremerhaven was a German fishing trawler that was built in 1929 as Ernst Kühling. She was renamed Bremerhaven in 1937. She was requisitioned by the Kriegsmarine during the Second World War for use as a vorpostenboot, serving as V 412 Bremerhaven. She was torpedoed and sunk in November 1941.

History
Name	Ernst Kühling (1927-37) Bremerhaven (1937–41)
Namesake	Bremerhaven
Owner	Hochseefischerei Julius Weeting AG (1927–34) Nordsee Deutsche Hochsee Fisherei Bremen-Cuxhaven AG (1934–39) Kriegsmarine (1939–40)
Port of registry	Bremerhaven, Germany (1927–33) Nordenham, Germany (1933–34) Wesermünde, Germany 1934–39)  Kriegsmarine (1939–41)
Builder	Schiffswerft von Henry Koch AG
Yard number	270
Launched	August 1927
Completed	24 September 1927
Commissioned	23 November 1939
Out of service	25 November 1941
Identification	Code Letters OVLS (1927–34) Fishing boat registration BX 193 (1927–30) Fishing boat registration ON 127 (1930–34) Code Letters DNOK (1934–53) Fishing boat registration PG 468 (1934–39) Pennant Number V 412 (1939–41)
Fate	Torpedoed and sunk
General characteristics
Type	Fishing trawler (1927–39) Vorpostenboot (1939–40)
Tonnage	371 GRT, 139 NRT
Length	50.78 metres (166 ft 7 in)
Beam	7.90 metres (25 ft 11 in)
Draught	3.57 metres (11 ft 9 in)
Depth	4.30 metres (14 ft 1 in)
Installed power	Triple expansion steam engine, 86nhp
Propulsion	Single screw propeller
Speed	11 knots (20 km/h)

Description

The ship was 50.78 metres (166 ft 7 in) long, with a beam of 7.90 metres (25 ft 11 in). She had a depth of 4.30 metres (14 ft 1 in) and a draught of 3.57 metres (11 ft 9 in).^[1] She was assessed at 371 GRT, 139 NRT. She was powered by a triple expansion steam engine, which had cylinders of 40 centimetres (15+3⁄4 in), 64.9 centimetres (25+9⁄16 in) and 105 centimetres (41+5⁄16 in) diameter by 68 centimetres (26+3⁄4 in) stroke. The engine was built by the Ottensener Maschinenbau GmbH, Altona, Germany. It was rated at 86nhp. It drove a single screw propeller,^[2] and could propel the ship at 11 knots (20 km/h).^[1]

History

Ernst Kühling was built as yard number 270 by the Schiffswerft von Henry Koch, AG, Lübeck, Germany for the Hochseefischerei Julius Weeting AG, Bremerhaven, Germany. She was launched in August 1927 and completed on 24 September. The fishing boat registration BX 193 was allocated,^[3] as were the Code Letters OVLS.^[2] On 16 June 1930, her registration was changed to ON 128, then to PG 468 on 4 September 1934. On 10 November, she was placed under the management the Nordsee Deutsche Hochsee Fisherei Bremen-Cuxhaven AG.^[3] In 1934, her code letters were changed to DNOK.^[4]

Ernst Kühling was renamed Bremerhaven in 1937.^[5] She was requisitioned by the Kriegsmarine on 23 November 1939 for use as a vorpostenboot. She was allocated to 4 Vorpostenflotille as V 412 Bremerhaven. She was torpedoed and sunk west of Saint-Pol-sur-Mer, Nord, France by the Royal Navy Motor Torpedo Boat HMMTB 45 on 25 November 1941.^[3][6]

References

1. Gröner 1993, p. 186.
2. "Ernst Kühling (07529)" (PDF). Lloyd's Register: Trawlers &c. ERN-EST (in English and French). London: Lloyd's Register. 1931–1932. Retrieved 13 December 2022 – via Southampton City Council.
3. Gröner 1993, p. 187.
4. "Ernst Kühling (59534)" (PDF). Lloyd's Register: Trawlers &c. ERN-ESC (in English and French). London: Lloyd's Register. 1934–1935. Retrieved 13 December 2022 – via Southampton City Council.
5. "Bremerhaven (05886)" (PDF). Lloyd's Register: Trawlers &c. BRA-BRI (in English and French). London: Lloyd's Register. 1937–1938. Retrieved 13 December 2022 – via Southampton City Council.
6. Rohwer, Jürgen; Gerhard Hümmelchen. "Seekrieg 1941, November". Württembergische Landesbibliothek Stuttgart (in German). Retrieved 13 December 2022.

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.