J. Hinrich Wilhelms was a German fishing trawler that was requisitioned by the Kriegsmarine in the Second World War for use as a Vorpostenboot. She served as V 405 J. Hinrich Wilhelms. She was scuttled at Bordeaux, France in August 1944. Post-war, she was refloated and entered French merchant service as Audacieux and later Helios, then Sopite. Converted to a cargo ship in 1961, she was scrapped in 1974.
As built, Deutschland was 51.35m (168.47feet) long, with a beam of 8m (26feet). She had a depth of 3.74m (12.27feet) and a draught of 4.65m (15.26feet). She was assessed at, . She was powered by a triple expansion steam engine, which had cylinders of NaNinches, NaNinches and NaNorder=flipNaNorder=flip diameter by NaNorder=flipNaNorder=flip stroke. The engine was made by Deschimag Seebeckwerft, Wesermünde, Germany. It was rated at 123nhp. The engine powered a single screw propeller driven via a low pressure turbine, double reduction gearing and a hydraulic coupling.[1] It could propel the ship at 12kn.
The ship was built as yard number 521 by Deschimag Seekbeckwerft, Wesermünde for the Hochseefischerei Carl Kämpf Partenreederei, Wesermünde. She was launched on 6 October 1934 and completed on 27 October. The fishing boat registration PG 500 was allocated. She was allocated the Code Letters DFBJ.[1]
J. Hinrich Wilhelms was requisitioned by the Kriegsmarine on 22 September 1939 for use as a vorpostenboot. She was allocated to 4 Vorpostenflotille as V 405 J. Hinrich Wilhelms. On 22 August 1944, she was scuttled at Bordeaux, Gironde, France.[2]
J. Hinrich Wilhelms was refloated post-war, returning to merchant service as the French fishing boat Audacieux. The Code Letters TPYZ were allocated. By the 1950s, she had been renamed Helios. In 1958, she was re-engined with a diesel engine and renamed Sopite. She was now owned by the Cooperative Itsasokoa, Saint-Jean-de-Luz, Gironde. The fishing boat registration BA 1494 was allocated. The engine was a four-stroke single acting engine. It was built by Klöckner-Humboldt-Deutz, Köln. It had 6 cylinders of 32cm (13inches) diameter by 45cm (18inches) stroke. Sopite was assessed at, .[3] In 1961 she was lengthened and converted to a cargo ship. She was scrapped in Spain in the third quarter of 1974.