NAVYPEDIA

Support the project with paypal


HOME
FIGHTING SHIPS OF THE WORLD
GERMANY
ESCORTS
F1 escorts (1935 - 1938)


Photo



F7 1940  

Ships


Name No Yard No Builder Laid down Launched Comp Fate
F1   526 Germaniawerft, Kiel 8.1934 1.3.1935 12.1935 depot ship Libelle 5.1941
F2   527 Germaniawerft, Kiel 8.1934 2.4.1935 2.1936 torpedo recovery vessel 5.1940
F3   528 Germaniawerft, Kiel 8.1934 1.6.1935 3.1936 depot ship Königin Luise 8.1938
F4   529 Germaniawerft, Kiel 8.1934 2.7.1935 4.1936 surrendered 5.1945, to United Kingdom 1.1946, BU
F5   530 Germaniawerft, Kiel 9.1934 14.8.1935 5.1936 torpedo recovery vessel 4.1940
F6   531 Germaniawerft, Kiel 9.1934 1.10.1935 5.1936 depot ship Hai 8.1938
F7   498 Blohm & Voss, Hamburg 1.1935 25.5.1935 2.1937 torpedo recovery vessel 5.1940
F8   499 Blohm & Voss, Hamburg 1.1935 27.7.1935 4.1937 torpedo recovery vessel 5.1940
F9   126 MW Wilhelmshaven 11.1934 11.5.1936 8.1937 sunk 14.12.1939
F10   127 MW Wilhelmshaven 11.1934 11.5.1936 3.1938 torpedo recovery vessel 5.1940


Technical data


Displacement standard, t

712

Displacement full, t

1028

Length, m

73.5 wl 76.0 oa

Breadth, m

8.80

Draught, m

2.59 normal, 3.24 max

No of shafts

2

Machinery

F1 - 6: 2 sets Brown-Boveri geared steam turbines, 2 La Mont boilers

F7: 2 sets Blohm & Voss geared steam turbines, 2 Velox-Benson boilers

F8 - 10: 2 sets Blohm & Voss geared steam turbines, 2 La Mont boilers

Power, h. p.

14000

Max speed, kts

28

Fuel, t

oil 216

Endurance, nm(kts)1500(20)
Armament

2 x 1 - 105/42 SK C/32, 2 x 2 - 37/80 SK C/30, 4 x 1 - 20/65 C/30, 4 DCR (36), 50 - 62 mines

Electronic equipmentpresumably GHG hydrophone
Complement

121



Standard scale images


<i>F7</i> 1939
F7 1939


Graphics


<i>F7</i> 1940  
F7 1940  


Project history

F-type escorts (Flottenbegleiter: fleet escort ship) were intended, first of all, for escort of Deutschland-class pocket battleships. According to it the basic requirements to design consisted anti-submarine and minesweeping abilities and 28kts speed. As diesels with demanded power were not gone into assigned displacement, it has been decided to apply turbines on high parameters steam. F7 and F8 received high-pressure direct-flow boilers of Benson design (110atm, 480°C) and Blohm und Voss turbines, remaining ships had Lamont boilers (70atm, 450°C).

In service conditions these ships, or "F-boats", have shown full discordance to requirements shown to them. Because of the unsuccessful hull form they had seaworthiness not maintaining to any criticism, and uneconomical and unreliable power plants could not ensure sufficient endurance. For aft deck release under minesweeping equipment aft 105mm gun has been lifted on a superstructure that has aggravated serious problems with top weight, nevertheless usage of ships as minesweepers was appeared as impossible because of a deep draught and impracticality of machinery to slow speed.

Poor qualities of "F-boats" have induced fleet command even prior to the beginning of war to convert them to auxiliaries. F1 (23.5.1941), F3 (5.3.1940) and F6 (20.9.1939) were re-classified to command ships and renamed Libelle, Hai and Königin Luise respectively.

Modernizations

1939, F1 - 4, 6: were lengthened: length 77.8m wl, 80.3m oa, displacement was 768 / 1147t, fuel stowage rose to 240t, maximal speed decreased to 21kts.

Naval service

F9 was sunk 14.12.1939 by British submarine Ursula in Helgoland Bight. F5 was lost 29.1.1945 on a mine at Swinemünde. Königin Luise (ex-F1) was lost 30.3.1945 during raid of American bombers to Wilhelmshaven. Hai (ex-F3) was sunk 3.5.1945 by British aircraft in Kiel Bight. F2 has sunk for unknown reason at Scapa Flow 30.12.1946.

F4 was transferred to United Kingdom, BU in 1949. F7 was transferred to the USSR as Buran, BU in 1959. Jagd (ex-F1), F8 and F10 were transferred to the USA, and sold for scrap in France and Netherlands in 1947-1949.