Frankenthal-class minehunter explained

The Type 332 Frankenthal-class minehunter is a class of German minehunters. The ships are built of non-magnetic steel. Hull, machinery and superstructure of this class is similar to the original Type 343, but the equipment differs. The class forms the 3 Minesweeper Squadron of German Navy. These function as Mine countermeasures vessels. Two of these vessels contribute to the two Standing NATO Mine Countermeasures Groups SNMCG 1 and SNMCG 2.[1]

Slightly modified Frankenthal-class minehunters are also operated by the Turkish Navy, where they are referred to as the . In the beginning of 2019, the Indonesian Navy ordered two minehunters based on a modified Frankenthal class, referred to as, with a length of 62 metres.[2]

List of ships

All active German ships are currently stationed in Kiel at the Baltic Sea. M1058, M1059, M1062, M1065 and M1069 are part of the 3. Minensuchgeschwader (3. mine sweeper squadron). The others belong to 5. Minensuchgeschwader. M1060 Weiden was sold to United Arab Emirates in 2006. As the German Navy closed the naval base at Olpenitz, all ships were relocated to Kiel and their squadrons incorporated into the Einsatzflottille 1 (Flotilla 1).[3]

Pennant
Number
NameCall
sign
ShipyardCommissionedDecommissioned
M1066Frankenthal DREYLürssen 16 December 1992 Sold to UAE (now M02 Al Murjan)
M1060Weiden DRES3 March 1993 Sold to UAE (now M01 Al Hasbah)
M1061Rottweil DRET7 July 1993 Refitted to be used with the SEK-M
M1063Bad BevensenDREVLürssen 9 December 1993
M1067Bad RappenauDREZAbeking & Rasmussen 19 April 1994 Refitted to be used with the SEK-M
M1064Grömitz DREWKrögerwerft 23 August 1994
M1068Datteln DRFALürssen 8 December 1994
M1065Dillingen DREXAbeking & Rasmussen 25 April 1995
M1069Homburg DRFBKrögerwerft 26 September 1995
M1062Sulzbach-RosenbergDREULürssen 23 January 1996
M1058Fulda DRFC5 June 1998
M1059Weilheim DRFD26 November 1998

Incidents

On 21 February 2007, Grömitz ran onto a reef in the Floro fjord while on tour in western Norway and remained stranded in a spectacular way until being salvaged.[4]

In October 2018, the Iranian-backed Yemeni rebel group Ansar Allah released a video which included images that confirmed it sank one of the UAE Navy's Frankenthal class mine-countermeasures vessels in July 2017 in Al-Mukha. The video identified the vessel as Al-Qasnah and said it was attacked on 29 July 2017, which corresponds to a claim it made at the time that it had attacked an Emirati warship with a "suitable weapon".[5]

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: 3 Minesweeper Squadron . 2024-08-11 . www.bundeswehr.de . en.
  2. Web site: Contract signed for two mine counter measure vessels. Abeking & Rasmussen. 5 February 2019. 5 February 2019.
  3. Web site: Minenjagdboot FRANKENTHAL-Klasse. Deutsche Marine. 4 August 2008.
  4. http://index.hu/cikkepek/hetkepei/200707//.gdata/gp_12.jpg Image
  5. Web site: Houthi Rebels In Yemen Attacked Another UAE Ship and That's All We Know For Certain . 2020-01-22 . 2022-05-04 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220504173016/https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/13068/houthi-rebels-in-yemen-attacked-another-uae-ship-and-thats-all-we-know-for-sure . dead .