Research Cruises and selected wrecks

Different wrecks were investigated in the project, which are presented here on this page. The partners involved are:

• Alfred-Wegener-Institute,Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research (AWI)
• Aarhus University, Department of Geoscience (AU)
• German Maritime Museum, Leibniz Institute for Maritime History (DSM)
• NHL Stenden, University of Applied Sciences, Maritime Institute Willem Barentsz (NHL)
• University Medical School Schleswig-Holstein, Institute of Toxicology and Pharmacology (UKSH)
• Norwegian Defence Research Establishment (FFI)
• Flanders Marine Institute (VLIZ)

By the Belgian Flanders Marine Institute, some further wrecks were examined for the project: Torpilleur BOURRASQUE, Harbour secure Boat KW 58 HENDERICUS, Torpedo Boat G 96, Motor Torpedo Boat S 185, submarine SM U 11, Barrier Breaker Nr. 141 LIES and an unidentified submarine type UB-III. For further information about these wrecks see. (link: https://wrakkendatabank.afdelingkust.be/)

• built 1929 by J. Brown Company in Clydebank, Building Nr.: 531
• ordered 04.03.1929, laid down: 19.08.1929, launched: 06.08.1930
• Destroyer B-Class
• Displacement: 1.821 t (full loaded), Length: 98.45 m, Width: 9.83 m, Draught: 3.73 m
• speed: 35 kn max. and 31.5 kn in full loaded condition
• fuel: oil
• range: 4.800 nm by 15 kn and 380 t oil
• power unit:
  3 Admiralty-Drum Boiler
  2 Brown-Curtis Turbines
• crew: 138

Armament

• 4 Quickfiring Guns (4.7 inch / 12 cm)
• 2 Quickfiring Guns (2 pdr./ 4 cm)
• 4 Lewis Guns
• 2 Quadruplet Torpedo tubes:
  diameter 21 inch / 53.3 cm) each tube
  probably type Mk IX
• 15 Depth charges (type Mark VII was standard)

Historical Background

• built 1899/1900 at A.G. Weser in Bremen, Building-Nr.: 127
• launch: 10.08.1900, commission: 18.05.1901
• light cruiser (Class IV), GAZELLE-Class
• Displacement: 3.006 t, Length: 105.1 m, Width: 12.2 m, Height: ca. 7.50 m, Draught: 5.50 m
• speed: max. 21.5 kn
• fuel: coal
• range: 3.560 nm with 12 kn and 560 t coal
• power unit: 2 standing 3zyl.-triple expansion-engine and 9 naval boiler in 2 boiler rooms which lying in a row
• 1 rudder and 2 propeller, each 3.5 m in diameter
• cross-frame steel construction with 12 waterproof sections
• double-bottom on 40 % of CWL-length of ship
• armour:
  2 steel layers and one Krupp-Nickel-Steel layer, additional Cork dam
  deck = 20 mm - 25 mm thick vertical from aft to fore ship
  deck = 50 mm thick horizontal from aft to fore ship
  coaming = 80 mm thick
  Krupp-Steel (Kruppstahl) at Commando tower = 20 mm thick vertical
  and 80 mm thick horizontal
  gun shields = 50 mm thick
• crew: 257

Armament

• 10 Quickfiring Guns (10.5 cm)
• 10 Machine Canon (3.7 cm, unclear if guns were really installed. Sources contradicting in this point)
• 2 Torpedo launching tubes (between frame Nr.: 62 and 68)
  diameter 45 cm each
  5 Torpedoes (Type: C/03 or C/06) 

Historical Background

• Displacement: 5.252 t, 3.202 GRT, Length: 135.60 m, Width: 13.60 m, Height: 8.15 m, Draught: 5.98 m
• speed: 27.5 kn max.
• fuel: coal (620 t max.) and oil (580 t max.)
• range: 4.300 nm with 12 kn
• power unit: 
   6 Yarrow-Watertube-Doubleboiler for coal firing
  4 Yarrow-Watertube-Doubleboiler for oil firing
  1 rudder
  2 propeller each 3.50 m diameter
• cross-frame steel construction with 16 waterproof sections (design plan: 1912)
• double-bottom on 51 % of CWL-length of ship
• armour:
  2 steel layers and one Krupp-Nickel-Steel layer
  deck = 20 mm - 80 mm thick vertical from aft to fore ship
  deck = 40 mm thick horizontal from aft to fore ship
  Krupp-Steel (Kruppstahl) at Commando tower = 50 mm thick vertical and 75 mm thick horizontal
  gun shields = 50 mm thick
• crew: 442

Armament

• 8 Quickfiring Guns (15 cm)
• 2 Quickfiring Guns (8.8 cm)
• 2 deck torpedo tubes
  each 50 cm diameter
  5 torpedoes, type: G6 or G7

• ship was capable to carry 120 Mines
  
  Historical Background

• built 1893/94 at A.G. Weser in Bremen, Building-Nr.: 108

• launch: 28.03.1895, commission: 03.05.1896

• first used as AVISO, later and after some conversions used as Light Cruiser

• Displacement (after latest conversion): 1.344 GRT and 2.027 t, length: 105 m, width: 11.0 m, height: 6.41 m, draught: 4.64 m

• speed: 20.5 kn max.

• fuel: coal, max. 412 t

• range: max.

• power unit:
  • 2 standing 3-cyl. 3-time expansion engines
  • 2 triple wing propeller, each propeller with 3.25 m diameter
  • 2 engine rooms
  • 8 navy boiler
  • 2 funnels

• crew: 195

Armament:

• 3 Quickfiring Guns (cal. 8.8 cm)
• 4 Quickfiring Guns (cal. 5 cm)
• 2 Machine Guns (cal. 8 mm)
• 3 Torpedo-launching tubes: under water, one each side - starboard and portside, plus one in bow stem, 45 cm diameter each, 8 Torpedoes type: C/03 or C/06

historical background

• built 1907 to 1908 at A.G. Vulcan in Stettin (today Szczecin - Poland), Building-Nr.: 288
• launch: 23.01.1909, commission: 01.10.1909
• light cruiser, KOLBERG-Class
• Displacement: 4.889 t, Length: 130.55 m, Width: 14.0 m, Height: 8.10 m, Draught: 5.60 m
• speed: 26.8 kn max.
• fuel: coal, max. 970 t (plus 40 t payload)
• range: 3.630 nm with 14 kn
• power unitt:
  2 AEG Curtiss-Turbines
  2 triple wing propeller, each propeller with 3.45 m diameter
  4 engine rooms (2 adjacent respectively)
  15 navy boilers
  3 funnels
  cross-frame steel construction with 13 waterproof sections
  double-bottom on 50 % of CWL-length of ship
• armour:
  2 steel layers and one Krupp-Nickel-Steel layer, additional Cork dam
  deck = 20 mm - 40 mm - 20 mm thick vertical (slop) from aft over amidships to fore ship
  50 - 80 mm thick horizontal from aft to fore ship
  coaming = 100 mm thick
  Kruppsteel (Kruppstahl) at Commando tower = 20 mm thick vertical (slope) and 100 mm thick horizontal
   gun shields

Armament

• 12 Quickfiring Guns (10.5 cm)
• 2 Torpedo launching tubes
  between frame 84-92, 45 cm diameter each, 5 Torpedoes type: C/06 
• 2 machine guns (8 mm)
• 56 rifles and 28 pistols

  Historical Background

• built 1916 - 1917 at A.G. Vulcan in Hamburg, Building-Nr.: 86
• launch: 28.04. 1917, commission: 23.06. 1917
• Displacement: 508 t (surface) und 639 t (dived), Length: 55.52 m, Width: 5.75 m, Draught: 3.70 m, Height: keel to tower 8.25 m
• speed: max. 13.3 kn (surface) and max. 8 kn (dived)
• range: 8.420 nm with 6 kn (surface) and 55 nm with 5 kn (dived)
• UB type III, double-hull boat (Zweihüllen-Boot)
  Design Proj. 44 (1915/16), War Order Nr. J
• 6 waterproof sections
• max. dive depth: 75 m
• fuel: oil with 68 t max.
• power unit
  2 MAN-six-cylinder 4-stroke Diesel engine (S6 V35/35) with 1100 PS (surface)
  2 Siemens-Schuckert Werke doublemodyn with 580 PS (dived)
• crew: 34

Armament

• 5 torpedo tubes (4 bow, 1 stern)
  50 cm diameter each
  10 torpedoes, Type G6 or G7
• 1 Quickfiring Gun with Torpedo Boat mounting (8.8 cm)
• 2 machine guns (8 mm)

 Historical Background

• built 1915-1916 at A.G. Vulcan in Hamburg, Building-Nr.: 70
• launch: 27.07.1916, commission: 22.08.1916
• Displacement: 400 t (surface) und 480-550 t (dived), Length: 51.12 m,
  Width: 5.22 m, Draught: 3.68 m (surface), Height: 7.46 m (keel to tower)
• speed: 11.6 kn max. (surface) and 6.7 kn max. (dived)
• range: max. 9.410 nm with 7 kn (surface) und 53 nm with 4 kn (dived)
• UC Type II, double-hull boat (Zweihüllen-Boot):Design proj. 41 from 1915,
  War Order Nr. C
• 7 waterproof sections
• max. dive depth 50 m
• fuel: max. 55 t oil
• power unit: 2 Daimler-sixszylinder-4-stroke-Dieselengine MU 256 with 66 PS (surface),
  2 Siemens-Schuckert Werke doublemodyn with 340 PS (dived)
• crew: 27

Armament

• 18 mines (type: UC 200) in 6 mine wells (100 cm diameter each)
• 3 torpedo tubes (2 bow above water, 1 stern under water)
  • 50 cm diameter
  • 7 torpedoes (type: G6 or G7)
• 1 Quickfiring Gun with Torpedo Boat mounting (8.8 cm)
• 1 machine gun (8 mm)

Historical Background

• built in 1940 at Deschimag-Werk Seebeck in Wesermünde-Geestemünde (today Bremerhaven), Building-Nr.: 641
• 505 GRT, Displacement ca. 1.290 t, Length: 55.90 m, Width: 9.16 m, Height: 4.79 m
• speed: max. 12.3 kn
• fuel: coal
• range: 7.000 nm with 12 kn and 260 t coal
• power unit:
  3-time expansion engine with Abd.-turbine and one boiler
• crew: 52

Armament

• 1 Quickfiring Gun (8.8 cm) on foredeck
• 1 Quickfiring Gun (3.7 cm) stern area
• 2 Flak-quadruplet (2 cm)
• 2 Flak (2 cm)
• 2 Flak (1.5 cm)
• 10 Depth charges (Type: D, F, G or H)

Historical Background

• built 1927 at Reiherstieg Schiffswerft & Maschinenfabrik in Hamburg, Building-Nr.: 580
• tonnage: ca. 620 t and 292 BRT, Length: 45 m, Width: 7.39 m, Heigth: 4.15 m, Draught: 3.32 m
• speed: max. 11 kn
• fuel: coal
• range: 6.320 nm mit 10 kn and 223 t coal
• power unit:
  • 3 time expansion engine with Abd.-turbine and one boiler
• crew: 46

Armament:

• 1 Quickfiring Gun (8.8 cm) or 1 Quickfiring (3.7 cm) on foredeck
• 1 Flak (2 cm) elevated on foredeck
• 1 Flak (2 cm) stern area
• 10 Depth Charges (Typ: D, F, G oder H)

historical Background

• built in 1916 at Reiherstieg Schiffswerft & Maschinenfabrik in Hamburg
• Building-Nr.: 491
• dimensions:
  • 220-228 GRT, Displacement: ca. 470 t
  • Length: ca. 36.50 m, Width: ca. 7.40 m
  • Height: 3.98 m, Draught: ca. 2.90 m
• speed: max. 10.5 kn
• fuel: coal, range: 5.140 nm with 170 t coal
• power unit: one 3-time expansion engine with one boiler
• crew: 22-31

Armament/Equipment (Outpost boats of the Imperial German Navy were generally barely armed):

• 1 Quick-firing gun (cal. 8.8 cm or 5.2 cm)
• 1 Machine-canon  (cal. 3.7 cm)
• probably depth charges
• probably fogging bombs

historical background

• built 1904 at George Brown & Co in Greenock (Scotland)
• Building-Nr.: 24 (first named was S/S WELLPARK)
• Displacement: 1.029 GRT, length: 70.08 m, width: 09.49 m, height: 04.72 m, draught: 04.65 m
• speed: 9 kn max.
• fuel: coal
• power unit: one standing 3 cyl. 3-time expansion engine with 1 boiler
• crew: ca. 80

Armament/Equipment

• 1 Quickfiring Gun (cal. 7.5 cm or 8.8 cm)
• 1 Quickfiring Gun (cal. 3.7 cm)
• 2 Flak (cal. 2 cm)
• VES-System
• Otter-System
• GTB und/oder KKG

historical background

• Technical Information:

• built in 1915 at Tecklenborg in Geestemünde(today Bremerhaven) as ALTENFELS, renamed in 1926 as STOLZENFELS, Building-Nr.: 269
• dimensions:
  •  7.512 GRT, Length: 142.78 m, Width: 17.82 m
  • Height: 10.50 m, Draught: 8.28 m
• speed: 12 kn max.
• fuel: coal, range: 10.100 nm with 1.692 t coal max.
• power unit: three cyl. 3-time expansion engine with 4 boilers
• crew: ca. 80

Armament/Equipment:

• 1 Quick-firing gun (cal. 10.5 cm)
• 2 Quick-firing twin guns (cal. 3.7 cm)
• 3 Flak (cal. 2 cm)
• VES-System
• Otter-System

historical background