NAVYPEDIA

Ships

Name	No	Yard No	Builder	Laid down	Launched	Comp	Fate
Lauting			Stettiner Oderwerke, Stettin		1934	1934	surrendered 5.1945, sold mercantile
Rhein		777	Stettiner Oderwerke, Stettin		1934	1934	surrendered 5.1945, sold mercantile
Otter		1292	Schichau, Elbing		1934	1934	sunk 20.6.1944
Irben		1351	Schichau, Elbing		1936	1936	sunk 3.4.1945

Technical data

Displacement standard, t
Displacement full, t	Lauting, Rhein: 1253 Otter: 1220 Irben: 1158
Length, m	Lauting, Rhein: 53.3 wl 56.7 oa Otter, Irben: 53.0 wl 56.7 oa
Breadth, m	10.4
Draught, m	4.41
No of shafts	1
Machinery	1 Sulzer diesel
Power, h. p.	450
Max speed, kts	9.5
Fuel, t	diesel oil 35
Endurance, nm(kts)	3000(9)
Armament	Lauting, Rhein, Otter: 4 x 1 - 20/65 C/30, 300 - 370 mines Irben: 4 x 1 - 20/65 C/30, 240 mines
Complement	40 - 43

Standard scale images

Project history

Mine transports intended for transportation of mines with the subsequent transfer on other ships; no own minelaying equipment had, mines were stored in holds in not-ready condition. At similar characteristics Irben and other ships notably differed outwardly.

All 4 were used as minelayers from August 1943.

Modernizations

None.

Naval service

Irben was sunk 3.4.1945 by Allied aircraft at Kiel. Otter was sunk 20.4.1944 by Soviet aircraft in the Gulf of Finland. Rhein in 1948 was converted to cargo vessel and BU in 1964. Lauting was transferred on reparations to the USA, in 1948 returned to Germany, and was a part of Bundesmarine till 1961.