Misplaced Pages

#550449

110-420: Empire Tadpole was a 1,752 GRT tanker built as a cargo ship by Sunderland Shipbuilding Co . Completed in 1910 as Saskatoon . Sold in 1927 to Canada Steamship Lines and renamed Rosemount . On 24 November 1934, she sank at Century Coal Dock, Montreal . She was raised on 15 May 1934, declared a constructive total loss and sold for use as a grain store . In 1940 she was sold to Branch Lines Ltd, rebuilt as

220-659: A depot ship on the Soviet Pacific coast. Scrapped in 1963 at Vladivostok . Empire Tarpon was a 6,216 GRT cargo ship built by Groton Iron Works , Groton , Connecticut . Completed in 1920 at Hopatcong for the United States Shipping Board (USSB). Sold in 1930 to Jersey American Steamship Corp. Sold in March 1931 to Boston I & M Co, resold to Shephard Steamship Co, Boston and renamed Harpoon . To MoWT in 1940 and renamed Empire Tarpon . On 6 October 1942 she

330-684: A dumb barge at Perama in 1985. Empire Tedmont was to have been an 890 GRT coastal tanker built by A & J Inglis Ltd, Glasgow but the contract for building her was cancelled. Empire Tedmuir was a 950 GRT coastal tanker built by A & J Inglis Ltd, Glasgow. Launched on 5 February 1946 and completed in May 1946. Sold in 1947 to Anglo-Saxon Petroleum Co Ltd and renamed Fusinus . Sold in 1949 to F T Everard & Sons Ltd and renamed Aqueity . Collision with Cutty Sark on 30 January 1952. Arrived in January 1965 at Bruges , Belgium for scrapping. Empire Tedport

440-561: A dozen destroyers were operational) were divided among the victors by the Tripartite Naval Commission . The US used the heavy cruiser Prinz Eugen in nuclear testing at Bikini Atoll in 1946 as a target ship for the Operation Crossroads . Some (like the unfinished aircraft carrier Graf Zeppelin ) were used for target practice with conventional weapons, while others (mostly destroyers and torpedo boats) were put into

550-648: A heavy ship suitable for offensive warfare on the high seas while still abiding by the letter of the treaty. When the Nazis came to power in 1933, Hitler soon began to more brazenly ignore many of the Treaty restrictions and accelerated German naval rearmament. The Anglo-German Naval Agreement of 18 June 1935 allowed Germany to build a navy equivalent to 35% of the British surface ship tonnage and 45% of British submarine tonnage; battleships were to be limited to 35,000 tons. That same year

660-554: A legitimate military target, resulting in the deaths of 117 civilians. Germany did not admit responsibility for the incident until after the war. Lemp was killed in action in 1941. U-247 was alleged to have shot at sunken ship survivors, but as the vessel was lost at sea with its crew, there was no investigation. In 1945, U-boat Commander Heinz-Wilhelm Eck of U-852 was tried along with four of his crewmen for shooting at survivors. All were found guilty, with three of them, including Eck, being executed. In 1946, Hellmuth von Ruckteschell

770-484: A major re-armament of the navy (Plan Z) was planned, and initially begun, the start of the war in 1939 meant that the vast amounts of material required for the project were diverted to other areas. The sheer disparity in size when compared to the other European powers navies prompted Raeder to write of his own navy once the war began "The surface forces can do no more than show that they know how to die gallantly." A number of captured ships from occupied countries were added to

880-531: A new navy was established and was referred to as the Bundesmarine (Federal Navy). Some Kriegsmarine commanders like Erich Topp and Otto Kretschmer went on to serve in the Bundesmarine . In East Germany the Volksmarine (People's Navy) was established in 1956. With the reunification of Germany in 1990, it was decided to use the name Deutsche Marine ( German Navy ). By the start of World War II, much of

990-793: A result, the submarines had much success for few losses (this period was dubbed the First Happy Time by the Germans). Italy entered the war in June 1940, and the Battle of the Mediterranean began: from September 1941 to May 1944 some 62 German submarines were transferred there, sneaking past the British naval base at Gibraltar . The Mediterranean submarines sank 24 major Allied warships (including 12 destroyers, 4 cruisers, 2 aircraft carriers, and 1 battleship) and 94 merchant ships (449,206 tons of shipping). None of

1100-663: A small number of targets in the area throughout the conflict. (By comparison the Italian Regia Marina operated 58 submarines in the area as part of the Sottomarini Legionari .) The Kriegsmarine saw as her main tasks the controlling of the Baltic Sea and winning a war against France in connection with the German army, because France was seen as the most likely enemy in the event of war. But in 1938 Hitler wanted to have

1210-689: A tanker and renamed Willowbranch . In 1945 she was sold to the MoWT and renamed Empire Tadpole . Sold in 1947 to Bulk Storage Co Ltd, London and renamed Basingcreek . Sold in 1950 to Coastal Tankers Ltd, Montreal and renamed Coastal Creek . Sold in 1964 to Canadian Sealakers Ltd, Edmundston , New Brunswick . Sold in 1964 to Hall Corporation of Canada and renamed Creek Transport . Sold in 1968 to McNamara Corporation Ontario and renamed Île de Montreal . Sold in 1976 to Richelieu Dredging Corporation, Montreal, then sold in 1977 to Nittolo Metal Corporation, Quebec . Reported to have been scrapped in 1986. Empire Taff

SECTION 10

#1732855493551

1320-774: A telegram to the German Navy's Baltic Command in Kiel , which stated that he wanted 100 SS and fifty Schutzpolizei (protective police) men sent to Liepāja for "quick implementation Jewish problem". Kawelmacher hoped to accelerate the killings, complaining: "Here about 8,000 Jews... with present SS-personnel, this would take one year, which is untenable for [the] pacification of Liepāja." Kawelmacher telegram on 27 July 1941 read: "Jewish problem Libau largely solved by execution of about 1,100 male Jews by Riga SS commando on 24 and 25.7." In September 1939, U-boat commander Fritz-Julius Lemp of U-30 sank SS Athenia (1922) after mistaking it for

1430-797: A total loss. On Veryan Beach, her 14 crewmen were rescued by the Falmouth lifeboat. Empire Tavoy was a 7,381 GRT cargo ship built by William Doxford & Sons Ltd , Sunderland. Launched on 2 October 1944 and completed in February 1945. Sold in 1946 to Leeds Shipping Co and renamed Great City . Operated under the management of Reardon Smith Line Ltd. Sold in 1964 to Taiship Co Ltd, Hong Kong and renamed Shipwind . Sold in 1968 to Southern Shipping & Enterprises Co Ltd, Hong Kong and renamed Wing Kwong . Sold in 1970 to Poon Shun Po, Hong Kong and reflagged to Somalia . Scrapped in June 1975 in Shanghai . Empire Taw

1540-641: A water carrier. Sold in 1969 to Compania di Davide Russo & Co, Italy and renamed Neptunia . Scrapped in 1975 in Italy. Empire Tedson was a 950 GRT coastal tanker built by Grangemouth Dockyard Co Ltd, Grangemouth. Launched on 17 January 1946 and completed in July 1946 as Arduity for F T Everard & Sons Ltd. Lengthened in 1956, (1,159 GRT). Sold in 1969 to Felisberto Valente de Almeida, Portugal and renamed Bela . Renamed Ariex in 1970, relegated to river work only. Removed from shipping registers in 1979. Empire Tees

1650-495: Is argument, this has been noted. The main combat ships of the Kriegsmarine (excluding U-boats): Construction of Graf Zeppelin was started in 1936 and construction of an unnamed sister ship was started two years later in 1938, but neither ship was completed. In 1942 conversion of three German passenger ships ( Europa , Potsdam , Gneisenau ) and two unfinished cruisers, the captured French light cruiser De Grasse and

1760-465: Is equal to 100 cubic feet (2.83 m ). Replaced by Gross Tonnage (GT), gross register tonnage uses the total permanently enclosed capacity of the vessel as its basis for volume. Typically this is used for dockage fees, canal transit fees, and similar purposes where it is appropriate to charge based on the size of the entire vessel. Internationally, GRT may be abbreviated as BRT for the German " Bruttoregistertonne ". Net register tonnage subtracts

1870-634: The Kriegsmarine (as for all branches of the armed forces during the period of absolute Nazi power) was Adolf Hitler , who exercised his authority through the Oberkommando der Marine ('High Command of the Navy'). Among the Kriegsmarine 's most significant ships were its U-boats, most of which were constructed after Plan Z was abandoned at the beginning of World War II. Wolfpacks were rapidly assembled groups of submarines which attacked British convoys during

1980-489: The French government and then returned to Compagnie Auliliare de Navigation and renamed Théodora . Sold in 1960 to Société Anonyme Monegasque D'Armement de Navigation, Monte Carlo and renamed Isly . Sold in 1961 to C Audibert, Monte Carlo and renamed Orval . Used as an oil storage and depot ship at Djibouti by Société de Travaux Transportes Maritimes, Paris. Scrapped in February 1965 at Split, Yugoslavia. Empire Tagealand

2090-490: The G7e torpedo was developed. Even before the Nazi seizure of power on 30 January 1933 the German government decided on 15 November 1932 to launch a prohibited naval re-armament program that included U-boats, airplanes, and an aircraft carrier. The launching of the first pocket battleship , Deutschland in 1931 (as a replacement for the old pre-dreadnought battleship Preussen )

2200-678: The German Mine Sweeping Administration (GMSA), which consisted of 27,000 members of the former Kriegsmarine and 300 vessels. The destroyers and the Soviet share light cruiser Nürnberg were all retired by the end of the 1950s, but five escort destroyers were returned from the French to the new West German Navy in the 1950s and three 1945 scuttled type XXI and XXIII U-boats were raised by West Germany and integrated into their new navy. In 1956, with West Germany's accession to NATO ,

2310-670: The Gneisenau was heavily damaged by a British air raid in 1942 and the Scharnhorst was sunk in the Battle of the North Cape in late 1943. The second pair were the 15-inch gun Bismarck class , consisting of the Bismarck and Tirpitz . The Bismarck was sunk on her first sortie into the Atlantic in 1941 ( Operation Rheinübung ) although she did sink the battlecruiser Hood and severely damaged

SECTION 20

#1732855493551

2420-507: The International Maritime Organization (IMO) adopted The International Convention on Tonnage Measurement of Ships on 23 June 1969. The new tonnage regulations entered into force for all new ships on 18 July 1982, but existing vessels were given a migration period of 12 years to ensure that ships were given reasonable economic safeguards, since port and other dues are charged according to ship's tonnage. Since 18 July 1994

2530-460: The Kriegsmarine in Norway were seldom involved in these attacks, because of the inferiority of German radar technology, and because Hitler and the leadership of the Kriegsmarine feared losses of these precious ships. The most effective of these attacks was the near destruction of Convoy PQ 17 in July 1942. Later in the war German attacks on these convoys were mostly reduced to U-boat activities and

2640-414: The Kriegsmarine were modern ships: fast, well-armed, and well-armoured. This had been achieved by concealment but also by deliberately flouting World War I peace terms and those of various naval treaties. However, the war started with the German Navy still at a distinct disadvantage in terms of sheer size with what were expected to be its primary adversaries – the navies of France and Great Britain. Although

2750-596: The Pakistan Navy and renamed Attock . Used as a fuel hulk at Karachi. Empire Takoradi was a 7,318 GRT cargo ship built by William Gray & Co Ltd, West Hartlepool . Launched on 29 December 1944 and completed in March 1945. Sold in 1948 to A Weir & Co Ltd and renamed Shielbank . Sold in 1956 to Compagnia de Navigazione Andes, Panama . Operated under the management of F D'Amico, Italy. Sold in 1962 to Compagnia Baleniera Italiana SpA, Italy. Arrived on 2 November 1964 at Spezia, Italy for scrapping. Empire Talisman

2860-587: The Reichsmarine was renamed as the Kriegsmarine . In April 1939, as tensions escalated between the United Kingdom and Germany over Poland , Hitler unilaterally rescinded the restrictions of the Anglo-German Naval Agreement. The building-up of the German fleet in the time period of 1935–1939 was slowed by problems with marshaling enough manpower and material for ship building. This was because of

2970-619: The Spanish Republicans . In January 1939, Plan Z , a massive shipbuilding programme, was ordered, calling for surface naval parity with the British Royal Navy by 1944. When World War II broke out in September 1939, Plan Z was shelved in favour of a crash building programme for submarines ( U-boats ) instead of capital surface warships, and land and air forces were given priority of strategic resources. The Commander-in-Chief of

3080-481: The Suez Canal authorities. Seized in July 1940 at Haifa , Palestine . To MoWT in 1941 and renamed Empire Tamar . Sunk in June 1944 as part of Gooseberry 5 , Sword beach Ouistreham , Calvados . Empire Tana was a 6,275 GRT cargo ship built by Stabilimento Tecnico Triestino , Trieste . Completed in 1923 as Carso for Lloyd Triestino . Scuttled on 14 February 1941 at Kismayu , Italian Somaliland when port

3190-584: The Treaty of Versailles , the Kriegsmarine grew rapidly during German naval rearmament in the 1930s. The 1919 treaty had limited the size of the German navy and prohibited the building of submarines . Kriegsmarine ships were deployed to the waters around Spain during the Spanish Civil War (1936–1939) under the guise of enforcing non-intervention , but in reality supporting the Nationalists against

3300-414: The evacuation of East Prussia and Danzig from January to May 1945. It was during this activity that the catastrophic sinking of several large passenger ships occurred: Wilhelm Gustloff and Goya were sunk by Soviet submarines, while Cap Arcona was sunk by British bombers, each sinking claiming thousands of civilian lives. The Kriegsmarine also provided important assistance in the evacuation of

3410-521: The Atlantic coast at Brest were evacuated back to German ports for deployment to Norway. The ships had been repeatedly damaged by air attacks by the RAF , the supply ships to support Atlantic sorties had been destroyed by the Royal Navy, and Hitler now felt that Norway was the "zone of destiny" for these ships. The two battleships Scharnhorst and Gneisenau and the heavy cruiser Prinz Eugen passed through

List of Empire ships (Ta–Te) - Misplaced Pages Continue

3520-693: The Battle of the Barents Sea, which convinced Hitler that large warships were useless. All engineering of the aircraft carriers like catapults, arresting gears and so on were tested and developed at the Erprobungsstelle See Travemünde (Experimental Agency Sea in Travemünde) including the airplanes for the aircraft carriers, the Fieseler Fi 167 ship-borne biplane torpedo and reconnaissance bomber and

3630-911: The Bay of Eleusis . Declared a constructive total loss but repaired and sold in 1968 to Greek Tanker Shipping Co Ltd and renamed Pelponnisis . Scrapped in October 1979 at Kynossoura , Greece. Empire Tegidad was a 642 GRT coastal tanker built by Deutsche Werk, Kiel. Completed in 1934 as Sylt for Carl W Hansen Tankschiffs, Hamburg. Requisitioned in 1940 by the Kriegsmarine. Seized in May 1945 at Trondheim, Norway. To MoWT and renamed Empire Tegidad . Returned to Carl W Hansen in 1946 and renamed Sylt . Sold in 1969 to Compagnia de Navigazione Lomamar SA, Panama and renamed Rovensca . Scrapped in April 1982 in Trieste, Italy. Empire Tegleone

3740-810: The English Channel ( Channel Dash ) on their way to Norway despite British efforts to stop them. Not since the Spanish Armada in 1588 had any warships in wartime done this. It was a tactical victory for the Kriegsmarine and a blow to British morale, but the withdrawal removed the possibility of attacking allied convoys in the Atlantic with heavy surface ships. With the German attack on the Soviet Union in June 1941 Britain started to send Arctic convoys with military goods around Norway to support their new ally. In 1942 German forces began heavily attacking these convoys, mostly with bombers and U-boats. The big ships of

3850-624: The German Navy was heavily involved in the invasion of Norway , where it suffered significant losses, which included the heavy cruiser Blücher sunk by artillery and torpedoes from Norwegian shore batteries at the Oscarsborg Fortress in the Oslofjord . Ten destroyers were lost in the Battles of Narvik (half of German destroyer strength at the time), and two light cruisers, the Königsberg which

3960-427: The German fleet as the war progressed. Though six major units of the Kriegsmarine were sunk during the war (both Bismarck -class battleships and both Scharnhorst -class battleships, as well as two heavy cruisers), there were still many ships afloat (including four heavy cruisers and four light cruisers) as late as March 1945. Some ship types do not fit clearly into the commonly used ship classifications. Where there

4070-512: The German fleet at the beginning of the war was not even 20% of Plan Z. On 1 September 1939, the navy still had a total personnel strength of only 78,000, and it was not at all ready for a major role in the war. Because of the long time it would take to get the Plan Z fleet ready for action and shortage in workers and material in wartime, Plan Z was essentially shelved in September 1939 and the resources allocated for its realisation were largely redirected to

4180-448: The German heavy cruiser Seydlitz , to auxiliary carriers was begun. In November 1942 the conversion of the passenger ships was stopped because these ships were now seen as too slow for operations with the fleet. But conversion of one of these ships, the Potsdam , to a training carrier was begun instead. In February 1943 all the work on carriers was halted because of the German failure during

4290-411: The Kriegsmarine in 1940. Seized in May 1945 at Kiel. To MoWT and renamed Empire Tageos . Allocated in 1946 to USSR and renamed Kazbek . Sold in 1947 to Gdynia America Line, Poland and renamed Karpaty . Scrapped in 1958 at Spezia , Italy. Empire Taginda was a 2,846 GRT tanker built by F Krupp AG , Kiel. Completed in 1922 as Rudolph Albrecht for Max Albrecht Kommandit, Hamburg. Requisitioned by

4400-470: The Kriegsmarine in 1940. Seized in May 1945 at Kiel. To MoWT and renamed Empire Taginda . Sold in 1947 to Salvedor Co Ltd and renamed Basingstream . Operated under the management of Philip Bauer, London. Sold in 1949 to Ship Finance & Management Ltd, London and renamed Oilstream . Sold in 1952 to George Nicolau Ltd, Greece and renamed Vrissi . Scrapped in November 1960 at Spezia, Italy. Empire Tagralia

4510-399: The Kriegsmarine. Seized in May 1945 at Kiel. To MoWT and renamed Empire Teguda . Allocated to USSR in 1946 and renamed Nargin . Renamed Ahmedli in 1990. Deleted from shipping registers in 2002. Gross register tonnage Gross register tonnage ( GRT , grt , g.r.t. , gt ), or gross registered tonnage , is a ship's total internal volume expressed in "register tons", each of which

List of Empire ships (Ta–Te) - Misplaced Pages Continue

4620-461: The Kriegsmarine. Seized in May 1945 at Kiel. To MoWT, intended to be renamed Empire Tegaica but allocated in 1946 to USSR and renamed Kapitan Plaushevski . Deleted from shipping registers in 1970. Empire Tegalta was a 2,299 GRT tanker built by Nordseewerke , Emden . Completed in 1944 as Poseidon . Seized in May 1945 at Kiel. To MoWT and renamed Empire Tegalta . Allocated in 1946 to USSR and renamed Ararat . Scrapped in 1964. Empire Tegamas

4730-480: The Kriegsmarine. Used as an Accommodation ship at Gdynia and then Stettin . Seized in May 1945 at Flensburg and reflagged to the United Kingdom. Damaged on 13 October 1945 near Heligoland ( 54°00′N 07°52′E  /  54.000°N 7.867°E  / 54.000; 7.867 ) by a mine while repatriating German internees to Hamburg. Towed to Hamburg and repaired. Intended to be renamed Empire Tarne in 1946 but allocated to USSR and renamed Sibir . Used as

4840-427: The Mediterranean submarines made it back to their home bases, as they were all either sunk in battle or scuttled by their crews at the end of the war. In 1941, one of the four modern German battleships, Bismarck sank HMS  Hood while breaking out into the Atlantic for commerce raiding. The Bismarck was in turn hunted down by much superior British forces after being crippled by an air-launched torpedo. She

4950-752: The Republican attack were 31 dead and 110 wounded, 71 seriously, mostly burn victims. In retaliation the Admiral Scheer shelled Almeria on 31 May killing 19–20 civilians, wounding 50 and destroying 35 buildings. Following further attacks by Republican submarines against the Leipzig off the port of Oran between 15 and 18 June 1937 Germany withdrew from the Non-Intervention Patrol. U-boats also participated in covert action against Republican shipping as part of Operation Ursula . At least eight U-boats engaged

5060-473: The United Kingdom ( Operation Sea Lion ) in the summer of 1940. There were serious doubts that the invasion sea routes could have been protected against British naval interference. The Fall of France and the conquest of Norway gave German submarines greatly improved access to British shipping routes in the Atlantic . At first, British convoys lacked escorts that were adequate either in numbers or equipment and, as

5170-704: The United States in December 1941 led to another phase of the Battle of the Atlantic. In Operation Drumbeat and subsequent operations until August 1942, a large number of Allied merchant ships were sunk by submarines off the US coast as the Americans had not prepared for submarine warfare, despite clear warnings (this was the so-called Second Happy Time for the German Navy). The situation became so serious that military leaders feared for

5280-741: The United States, transferred to the United States Maritime Commission (USMC). Sold in 1947 to Marine Transport Lines, New York and renamed Tagalam . Sold in 1955 to Pioneer Shipping Corp, Liberia and renamed Cassian Sea . Scrapped in 1960 at Split , Yugoslavia . Empire Taganax was a 10,128 GRT tanker built by Nakskov Skibs. Akt., Nakskov , Denmark. Completed in 1940 for A P Moller , Copenhagen . Seized by Germany in 1940 and renamed Hydra . Seized in May 1945 in an extensively damaged condition at Kiel . Repaired, to MoWT in 1946 and renamed Empire Taganax . Sold in 1947 to St Helier Shipowners and renamed Busen Star . Operated under

5390-452: The adoption of convoy escorts , especially in the Atlantic, greatly reduced the effectiveness of surface commerce raiders against convoys. Following the end of World War II in 1945, the Kriegsmarine 's remaining ships were divided up among the Allied powers and were used for various purposes including minesweeping . Some were loaded with superfluous chemical weapons and scuttled. Under

5500-591: The battleship Tirpitz , was stationed in Norway as a threat to Allied shipping and also as a defence against a potential Allied invasion. When she was sunk, after several attempts, by British bombers in November 1944 ( Operation Catechism ), several British capital ships could be moved to the Far East. From late 1944 until the end of the war, the surviving surface fleet of the Kriegsmarine (heavy cruisers: Admiral Scheer , Lützow , Admiral Hipper , Prinz Eugen , light cruisers: Nürnberg , Köln , Emden )

5610-671: The battleship Prince of Wales , while the Tirpitz was based in Norwegian ports during most of the war as a fleet in being, tying up Allied naval forces, and subject to a number of attacks by British aircraft and submarines. More battleships were planned (the H-class), but construction was abandoned in September 1939. The World War I-era pre-dreadnought battleships Schlesien and Schleswig-Holstein were used mainly as training ships, although they also participated in several military operations, with

SECTION 50

#1732855493551

5720-610: The brokering of the International Non-Intervention Patrol to enforce an international arms embargo, the Kriegsmarine was allotted the patrol area between Cabo de Gata (Almeria) and Cabo de Oropesa . Numerous vessels served as part of these duties including Admiral Graf Spee . On 29 May 1937 the Deutschland was attacked off Ibiza by two bombers from the Republican Air Force . Total casualties from

5830-455: The construction of U-boats, which would be ready for war against the United Kingdom more quickly. The Kriegsmarine took part in the Battle of Westerplatte and the Battle of the Danzig Bay during the invasion of Poland . In 1939, major events for the Kriegsmarine were the sinking of the British aircraft carrier HMS  Courageous and the British battleship HMS  Royal Oak and

5940-610: The contract for building her was cancelled. Empire Tedflora was to have been an 890 GRT coastal tanker built by A & J Inglis Ltd, Glasgow but the contract for building her was cancelled. Empire Tedilla was a 950 GRT coastal tanker built by Sir J. Laing & Sons Ltd., Sunderland. Launched on 25 September 1945 and completed in February 1946. Sold in 1947 to Anglo-Saxon Petroleum Co. Ltd. and renamed Forskalia . Sold in 1949 to J Harker (Coasters) Ltd., and renamed Danesdale H. Sold in 1952 to Shell Mex & BP Ltd., renamed Shell Driller . Scrapped at Faslane in 1966. Empire Tedlake

6050-421: The contract for building her was cancelled. Empire Tedship was an 890 GRT coastal tanker built by A & J Inglis Ltd, Glasgow. Launched on 20 October 1945 and completed in February 1946. Sold in 1947 to Anglo-Saxon Petroleum Co Ltd and renamed Fischeria . Sold in 1951 to F T Everard & Sons Ltd and renamed Acuity . Sold in 1967 to Betamar Carriers Ltd, Somalia and renamed Vittoriosa . Converted in 1968 to

6160-672: The development and deployment of midget submarines like the Molch and Seehund . In the last stage of the war, the Kriegsmarine also organised a number of divisions of infantry from its personnel. Between 1943 and 1945, a group of U-boats known as the Monsun Boats ( Monsun Gruppe ) operated in the Indian Ocean from Japanese bases in the occupied Dutch East Indies and Malaya . Allied convoys had not yet been organised in those waters, so initially many ships were sunk. However, this situation

6270-417: The first half of the Battle of the Atlantic , but this tactic was largely abandoned by May 1943 , when U-boat losses mounted. Along with the U-boats, surface commerce raiders (including auxiliary cruisers ) were used to disrupt Allied shipping in the early years of the war, the most famous of these being the heavy cruisers Admiral Graf Spee and Admiral Scheer and the battleship Bismarck . However,

6380-419: The fleeing German civilians of Pomerania and Stettin in March and April 1945. A desperate measure of the Kriegsmarine to fight the superior strength of the Western Allies from 1944 was the formation of the Kleinkampfverbände (Small Battle Units). These were special naval units with frogmen , manned torpedoes, motorboats laden with explosives and so on. The more effective of these weapons and units were

6490-451: The gross and net tonnages, dimensionless indices calculated from the total moulded volume of the ship and its cargo spaces by mathematical formulae , have been the only official measures of the ship's tonnage. However, the gross and net register tonnages are still widely used in describing older ships. Kriegsmarine The Kriegsmarine ( German pronunciation: [ˈkʁiːksmaˌʁiːnə] , lit.   ' War Navy ' )

6600-455: The latter bearing the distinction of firing the opening shots of World War II. Zähringen and Hessen were converted into radio-guided target ships in 1928 and 1930 respectively. Hannover was decommissioned in 1931 and struck from the naval register in 1936. Plans to convert her into a radio-controlled target ship for aircraft was cancelled because of the outbreak of war in 1939. Three O-class battlecruisers were ordered in 1939, but with

6710-498: The loss of Admiral Graf Spee at the Battle of the River Plate . Submarine attacks on Britain's vital maritime supply routes ( Battle of the Atlantic ) started immediately at the outbreak of war, although they were hampered by the lack of well placed ports from which to operate. Throughout the war the Kriegsmarine was responsible for coastal artillery protecting major ports and important coastal areas. It also operated anti-aircraft batteries protecting major ports. In April 1940,

SECTION 60

#1732855493551

6820-460: The management of Falkland Whaling Co, London. Scrapped in 1961 at Rotterdam , Netherlands. Empire Tagathel was the intended name of a 10,802 GRT tanker built by Burmeister & Wain , Copenhagen. Launched in 1940 as Théodora for Compagnie Auxiliare de Navigation, Paris . Seized by Germany and completed in 1941 as Heide for J T Essberger, Hamburg. Seized in May 1945 at Kiel. To MoWT, intended to be renamed Empire Tagathel but transferred to

6930-425: The management of G Kalogeratos & Co, Greece. Caught fire on 6 November 1977 and sank in Elusis Bay , Greece. Raised, then scrapped in September 1978 at Piraeus . Empire Tedellen was to have been an 890 GRT coastal tanker built by A & J Inglis Ltd , Glasgow but the contract for building her was cancelled. Empire Tedfay was to have been an 890 GRT coastal tanker built by A & J Inglis Ltd, Glasgow but

7040-456: The management of Kie Hock Shipping Co, Singapore. Sold in 1964 to Compagnia de Navigazione Gatun, Panama and renamed Monaco , remaining under Kie Hock's management. Sold in 1965 to Compagnia Navigazione Thompson SA, Panama, and renamed Hanna , still under Kie Hock's management. Renamed Fataki later that year. Scrapped in July 1965 in Hong Kong. Empire Tedrose was to have been an 890 GRT coastal tanker built by A & J Inglis Ltd, Glasgow but

7150-457: The mass of the allied freighters reached their destination in Soviet ports. The Battle of the Barents Sea in December 1942 was an attempt by a German naval surface force to attack an Allied Arctic convoy. However, the advantage was not pressed home and they returned to base. There were serious implications: this failure infuriated Hitler, who nearly enforced a decision to scrap the surface fleet. Instead, resources were diverted to new U-boats, and

7260-414: The naval versions of two key early war Luftwaffe aircraft: the Messerschmitt Bf 109 T fighter and the Junkers Ju 87 C Stuka dive bomber. The Kriegsmarine completed four battleships during its existence. The first pair were the 11-inch gun Scharnhorst class , consisting of the Scharnhorst and Gneisenau , which participated in the invasion of Norway in 1940, and then in commerce raiding until

7370-438: The number of Allied ships sunk started to decrease. Radar, longer range air cover, sonar , improved tactics, and new weapons all contributed. German technical developments, such as the Schnorchel , attempted to counter these. Near the end of the war a small number of the new Elektroboot U-boats (types XXI and XXIII ) became operational, the first submarines designed to operate submerged at all times. The Elektroboote had

7480-489: The possibility of winning a war against Great Britain at sea in the coming years. Therefore, he ordered plans for such a fleet from the Kriegsmarine . From the three proposed plans (X, Y and Z) he approved Plan Z in January 1939. This blueprint for the new German naval construction program envisaged building a navy of approximately 800 ships during the period 1939–1947. Hitler demanded that the program be completed by 1945. The main force of Plan Z were six H-class battleships . In

7590-425: The potential to negate the Allied technological and tactical advantage, although they were deployed too late to see combat in the war. Following the capture of Liepāja in Latvia by the Germans on 29 June 1941, the town came under the command of the Kriegsmarine . On 1 July 1941, the town commandant Korvettenkapitän Stein ordered that ten hostages be shot for every act of sabotage, and further put civilians in

7700-456: The region. The heavy cruisers Deutschland and Admiral Scheer , and the light cruiser Köln were the first to be sent in July 1936. These large ships were accompanied by the 2nd Torpedo-boat Flotilla. The German presence was used to covertly support Francisco Franco's Nationalists although the immediate involvement of the Deutschland was humanitarian relief operations and evacuating 9,300 refugees, including 4,550 German citizens. Following

7810-491: The service of Allied navies that lacked surface ships after the war. The training barque SSS Horst Wessel was recommissioned USCGC Eagle and remains in active service, assigned to the United States Coast Guard Academy . The British, French, and Soviet navies received the destroyers, and some torpedo boats went to the Danish and Norwegian navies. For the purpose of mine clearing, the Royal Navy employed German crews and minesweepers from June 1945 to January 1948, organised in

7920-623: The ships allowed and personnel were taken over from the Kaiserliche Marine , which was renamed the Reichsmarine . From the outset, Germany worked to circumvent the military restrictions of the Treaty of Versailles. The Germans continued to develop U-boats through a submarine design office in the Netherlands ( NV Ingenieurskantoor voor Scheepsbouw ) and a torpedo research program in Sweden where

8030-625: The simultaneous and rapid build-up of the German Army and Air Force which demanded substantial effort and resources. Some projects, like the D-class cruisers and the P-class cruisers , had to be cancelled. The first military action of the Kriegsmarine came during the Spanish Civil War (1936–1939). Following the outbreak of hostilities in July 1936 several large warships of the German fleet were sent to

8140-473: The surface fleet became a lesser threat to the Allies. After December 1943 when Scharnhorst had been sunk in an attack on an Arctic convoy in the Battle of North Cape by HMS  Duke of York , most German surface ships in bases at the Atlantic were blockaded in, or close to, their ports as a fleet in being , for fear of losing them in action and to tie up British naval forces. The largest of these ships,

8250-410: The terms of the 1919 Treaty of Versailles, Germany was only allowed a minimal navy of 15,000 personnel, six capital ships of no more than 10,000 tons, six cruisers , twelve destroyers , twelve torpedo boats , and no submarines or aircraft carriers . Military aircraft were also banned, so Germany could have no naval aviation . Under the treaty Germany could only build new ships to replace old ones. All

8360-502: The version of Plan Z drawn up in August 1939, the German fleet was planned to consist of the following ships by 1945: Personnel strength was planned to rise to over 200,000. The planned naval program was not very far advanced by the time World War II began. In 1939 two M-class cruisers and two H-class battleships were laid down and parts for two further H-class battleships and three O-class battlecruisers were in production. The strength of

8470-546: The volume of spaces not available for carrying cargo, such as engine rooms, fuel tanks and crew quarters, from gross register tonnage. Gross register tonnage is not a measure of the ship's weight or displacement and should not be confused with terms such as deadweight tonnage or displacement . Gross register tonnage was defined by the Moorsom Commission in 1849. Gross and net register tonnages were replaced by gross tonnage and net tonnage , respectively, when

8580-541: The whole Allied strategy. The vast American ship building capabilities and naval forces were however now brought into the war and soon more than offset any losses inflicted by the German submariners. In 1942, the submarine warfare continued on all fronts, and when German forces in the Soviet Union reached the Black Sea , a few submarines were eventually transferred there. In February 1942, the three large warships stationed on

8690-504: The zone of targeting by declaring that Red Army soldiers were hiding among them in civilian attire. On 5 July 1941 Korvettenkapitän Brückner, who had taken over from Stein, issued a set of anti-Jewish regulations in the local newspaper, Kurzemes Vārds . Summarized, the regulations were as follows: On 16 July 1941, Fregattenkapitän Dr. Hans Kawelmacher was appointed the German naval commandant in Liepāja. On 22 July, Kawelmacher sent

8800-496: Was captured by British forces . To MoWT and renamed Empire Tana . On 9 February 1944 she was extensively damaged in a multiple collision in fog off Casablanca , Morocco . The other ships involved were Dunav , Jaarstroom , Shirrabank and Winsum . Empire Tana was declared not worthy of repair. Sunk in June 1944 as part of Gosseberry 5, Sword Beach, Ouistreham. Wreck raised in 1947 and towed by tug Zealandia to Strangford Lough , Northern Ireland for scrapping. Empire Tapley

8910-509: Was a 1,172 GRT tanker built by Deutsche Werft, Hamburg. Completed in 1930 as Elsa Essberger for J T Essberger, Hamburg. Renamed Lisa Essberger in 1938. Requisitioned in 1940 by the Kriegsmarine. Seized in May 1945 at Copenhagen, to MoWT and renamed Empire Tegenya . Returned to J T Essberger in 1947 and renamed Lisa Essberger . Sold in 1960 to R C Eckelmann, Hamburg and renamed Olstauer . Sold in 1964 to C Diamantis, Greece and renamed Attiki . Suffered an engine room fire on 21 September 1967 in

9020-562: Was a 1,499 GRT cargo ship built by Hawthorns & Co, Leith . Completed in 1921 as London for Dundee, Perth and London Shipping Co Ltd. Requisitioned in 1942 by MoWT and transferred to the Admiralty . To Royal Navy as HMS Holdfast . Converted to an auxiliary cable and pipelaying vessel for use in Operation Pluto . To MoWT in 1946 and renamed Empire Taw . Scrapped in 1952 in Cork . Empire Teak

9130-514: Was a 1,863 GRT tanker built by Howaldtswerke, Kiel. Completed in 1916 as Usedom . Sold in 1937 to J T Essberger, Hamburg and renamed Inga Essberger . Requisitioned in 1940 by the Kriegsmarine. Seized in May 1945 at Sarpsborg, Norway. To MoWT and renamed Empire Tegoria . Allocated in 1946 to USSR and renamed Beshtau . Scrapped in 1970 in USSR. Empire Teguda was a 670 GRT coastal tanker built by Danziger Werft AG , Danzig. Completed in 1938 as Amrum for

9240-571: Was a 2,296 GRT cargo ship built by AG Weser , Bremen . Completed in 1927 as Apollo for Neptun Line, Bremen. Seized in May 1945 as a war prize at Flensburg . To MoWT and renamed Empire Taff . Sold in 1947 to John Bruce & Co, Glasgow and renamed Alhama . Scrapped in 1953 at Faslane , Argyllshire . Empire Tagalam was a 10,401 GRT tanker built by F Schichau, Danzig . Completed in 1936 as Paul Harneit for Deutsche-Amerikanische Petroleum, Hamburg . Seized in May 1945 at Brunsbüttel . To MoWT and renamed Empire Tagalam . Allocated in 1946 to

9350-401: Was a 2,570 GRT tanker built by Howaldtswerke-Deutsche Werft , Kiel. Launched in 1940 as Jeverland , towed to Copenhagen for completion by Burmeister & Wain. Requisitioned by the Kriegsmarine on completion. Seized in May 1945 at Bergen , Norway. To MoWT and renamed Empire Tegaden . Allocated in 1946 to USSR and renamed Jeverland . Listed in shipping registers until 1958. Empire Tegados

9460-645: Was a 244 GRT tug built by Henry Scarr Ltd, Hessle . Launched on 21 December 1941 and completed in April 1942. Sold in 1950 to Alexandra Towing Co Ltd and renamed Brambles . Sold in 1969 to Northern Slipway Ltd, Dublin . Scrapped in October 1961 at Briton Ferry , West Glamorgan . Empire Tedassa was a 950 GRT coastal tanker built by Sir J Laing & Sons Ltd, Sunderland. Launched on 8 September 1945 and completed in December 1945. Sold in 1947 to Anglo-Saxon Petroleum Co Ltd and renamed Fossarina . Sold in 1950 to F T Everard & Sons Ltd and renamed Amity . Scrapped in 1965 at Great Yarmouth , Norfolk . Empire Tedburgh

9570-602: Was a 3,065 GRT tanker built by the Toledo Shipbuilding Company , Toledo, Ohio . Completed in 1912 as L V Stoddard . Sold in 1914 to Sinclair Navigation Co, USA and renamed Walter Hardcastle . Renamed W L Connelly in 1917. Sold in 1938 to Enrico Insom, Italy and renamed Barbara . Seized on 25 August 1941 by the Royal Navy at Bandar Shapur , Iran. Towed to Karachi , Pakistan. To MoWT and renamed Empire Taj . Laid up in 1948 at Abadan, Iran . Sold in October 1949 to

9680-793: Was a 3,101 GRT cargo ship built in 1920 as Daybeam by J. Blumer & Co. Ltd., Sunderland. Sold to F Sainzde Inchaustegui, Spain in 1929 and renamed Sebastian . Sold in 1933 to Marques de Real Sorocco, Spain and renamed Azteca . Reported name change to Itxas-Alde in 1936 but deleted from shipping register. Sold to Compagnia Comerciale de Transportes S.A., Spain in 1941, named Sebastian . Seized by Royal Navy on 30 October 1943 and taken to Gibraltar. To MoWT in November 1943 and renamed Empire Tees in 1944. Sold to Compagnia Maritime Tees, Panama in 1950 and renamed Tees . Sold to Shamrock Shipping Co., Belfast in 1951, renamed Clonlee . Sold to Muzaffer Taviloglu, Turkey in 1954 and renamed Selamet . Arrived at Istanbul for breaking on 4 April 1968. Empire Tegaden

9790-607: Was a 3,145 GRT tanker built by Deutsche Werft, Hamburg. Completed in 1921 as Julius Schindler . Sold in 1939 to Hamburger Tank Reederei, Hamburg and renamed Thalatta . Requisitioned by the Kriegsmarine in 1940. Seized in May 1945 at Kiel, to MoWT and renamed Empire Tegaya . Sold in 1947 to Valiant Steamship Co Ltd and renamed Artist . Operated under the management of Vergottis Ltd, London. Sold in 1949 to Fundador Compagnia Navigazione, Panama and renamed Astro . Sold in 1953 to Nolido Compagnia de Navigazione, Panama and renamed Franco . Scrapped in 1960 at Savona , Italy. Empire Tegenya

9900-457: Was a 305 GRT coastal tanker built by I Pimblott & Sons Ltd, Northwich . Launched on 12 August 1944 and completed in January 1945. Sold in 1946 to A/S Tankskibsrederiet, Denmark and renamed Haifa . Operated under the management of K V Tersling, Denmark. Sold in 1957 to Rederi A/B Castor, Sweden. Rebuilt and lengthened, now 365 GRT (536 DWT ), renamed Nord . Sold in 1960 to S P Christensen, Denmark and renamed Soren Rask. A new diesel engine

10010-521: Was a 5,824 GRT tanker built by Kockums Mekaniska Verksted , Malmö . Completed in 1929 as Max Albrecht for Max Albrecht Kommandit, Hamburg. On 30 August 1939, she sailed from Houston and put into El Ferrol where she was interned. Surrendered in May 1945, to MoWT and renamed Empire Tagralia . Sold in 1947 to Basra Steam Shipping Co, London and renamed Repton . Sold in 1952 to Lloyd Siciliano di Armamento , Palermo and renamed Alcantara . Scrapped in September 1960 at Vado Ligure , Italy. Empire Taj

10120-465: Was a 6,492 GRT tanker built by AG Weser, Bremen. Completed in 1927 as Mittelmeer for J T Essberger, Hamburg. Requisitioned by the Kriegsmarine in 1940. Seized in May 1945 at Brunsbüttel. To MoWT and renamed Empire Tagealand . Allocated in 1946 to USSR and renamed Pamir . Removed from shipping registers in 1961. Empire Tageos was a 6,487 GRT tanker built by AG Weser, Bremen. Completed in 1927 as Adria for J T Essberger, Hamburg. Requisitioned by

10230-471: Was a 692 GRT coastal tanker built by F Schichau GmbH , Elbing . Completed in December 1937 as Gabelsflach for the Kriegsmarine. Seized in May 1945 at Kiel. To MoWT and renamed Empire Tegados . Allocated in 1946 to USSR and renamed Alexi Tolstoi . Scrapped in Baku in 1964. Empire Tegaica was the intended name of a 650 GRT coastal tanker built by Gutehoffnungschutte AG, Walsum . Completed in 1943 as Binz for

10340-549: Was a 7,201 GRT cargo ship built by Lithgows Ltd , Port Glasgow . Launched on 20 April 1944 and completed in June 1944. Sold in 1949 to Blue Star Line and renamed Tacoma Star . Sold in 1957 to Lamport & Holt Line and renamed Murillo . Arrived on 16 March 1961 at Vigo , Spain for scrapping. Empire Tamar was a 6,640 cargo ship built by Workman, Clark & Co Ltd, Belfast . Completed in 1907 as Kia Ora . Sold in 1935 to Achille Lauro & Co, Naples and renamed Verbania . Detained on 10 June 1941 at Port Said , Egypt by

10450-672: Was a 708 GRT coastal tanker built by Schichau GmbH, Danzig . Completed in 1939 as Oderbank for the Kriegsmarine. Seized in May 1945 at Trondheim , Norway. To MoWT in 1946 and renamed Empire Tegamas . Allocated to USSR that year and renamed Khersones . Sunk in 1965 as a target in the Black Sea . Empire Tegambia was a 1,156 GRT tanker built by Lübecker Flenderwerke, Lübeck . Completed in 1936 as Hermann Andersen for C Andersen, Hamburg. Seized in May 1945 at Narvik , Norway. To MoWT in 1946 and renamed Empire Tegambia . Sold in 1947 to Bulk Oil Steamship Co Ltd and renamed Pass of Brander . Scrapped in 1956 at Dunston-on-Tyne . Empire Tegaya

10560-654: Was a 782 GRT coastal tanker built by Sarpsborg Mekaniske Verksted, Sarpsborg , Norway. Completed in 1942 as Marsteinen for German owners but requisitioned by the Kriegsmarine. Seized in May 1945 at Copenhagen (by HMS Solebay), to MoWT and renamed Empire Tegleone . Allocated in 1946 to USSR but retained by the United Kingdom and laid up a Queenborough , Kent . Sold in 1953 to Leth & Co, Hamburg and renamed Otto . Sold in 1967 to N J Vardinoyannis, Greece and renamed Kali Limenes II . Sold in 1980 to Seka SA , Greece. Sold in 1984 to Sekavin Shipping Co, Greece. Empire Tegoria

10670-477: Was a 798 GRT coastal tanker built by Grangemouth Dockyard Co Ltd , Grangemouth . Launched on 29 January 1945 and completed in April 1945. Sold in 1946 to Van Castricum & Co Ltd, London and renamed Sobat . Sold in 1951 to F. T. Everard & Sons Ltd and renamed Allegrity . On 13 December 1961 she ran aground at Greeb Point, to the west of Dodman Point , Cornwall . Refloated by the tide, drifted and grounded at Veryan Beach. Capsized on 22 December and declared

10780-448: Was a 950 GRT coastal tanker built by Short Brothers Ltd , Sunderland. Launched on 4 February 1946 and completed in June 1946 as Dovedale H for J Harker (Coasters) Ltd. Sold in 1953 to Shell Mex & BP Ltd and renamed BP Supervisor . Sold in 1966 to Antonia Shipping co Ltd and renamed Rainbow . Operated under the management of J Livanos & Sons, Greece. Sold in 1967 to Ionian Tank Shipping SA and renamed Piraeus II . Operated under

10890-510: Was a step in the formation of a modern German fleet. The building of the Deutschland caused consternation among the French and the British as they had expected that the restrictions of the Treaty of Versailles would limit the replacement of the pre-dreadnought battleships to coastal defence ships , suitable only for defensive warfare. By using innovative construction techniques, the Germans had built

11000-725: Was an 890 GRT coastal tanker built by A & J Inglis Ltd, Glasgow. Launched on 30 November 1945 and completed in March 1946. Sold in 1947 to Anglo-Saxon Petroleum Co Ltd and renamed Felipes . Sold in 1948 to Shell-Mex & BP Ltd and renamed Shelbrit 10 . Renamed Shell Director in 1952. Scrapped in September 1966 at Bo'ness , West Lothian . Empire Tedrita was an 890 GRT coastal tanker built by A & J Inglis Ltd, Glasgow. Launched in April 1946 and completed in September 1946. Sold in 1947 to Anglo-Saxon Petroleum Co Ltd and renamed Fusus . Sold in 1956 to Kie Hock Shipping Co, Singapore . Rebuilt in 1957 and converted to take dry cargo. Sold in 1962 to Palembang Shipping Co, Panama. Operated under

11110-584: Was bombed and sunk by Royal Navy aircraft in Bergen, and the Karlsruhe which was sunk off the coast of Kristiansand by a British submarine. The Kriegsmarine did in return sink some British warships during this campaign, including the aircraft carrier HMS  Glorious . The losses in the Norwegian Campaign left only a handful of undamaged heavy ships available for the planned, but never executed, invasion of

11220-652: Was fitted in 1964. Sold in 1973 to Argonaftis Argo Maritime, Greece and renamed Doriforos . Sold in 1980 to Cyprus Star Shipping Co, Cyprus and renamed Cyprus Star . Renamed Newluck in 1981 . Scrapped in December 1986 at Barry , Wales. Empire Tarne was the intended name of an 8,800 GRT cargo ship built by Bremer Vulkan Schiff- und Maschinenbau , Vegesack . Completed in 1913 as Sierra Salvada . Sold in 1917 to Lloyd Brasileiro , Brazil and renamed Avare . Sold in 1925 to Società Servizi Marittimi, Italy and renamed Peer Gynt then Neptunia . Sold in 1927 to Hamburg America Line and renamed Oceana . Requisitioned in 1940 by

11330-550: Was heavily engaged in providing artillery support to the retreating German land forces along the Baltic coast and in ferrying civilian refugees to the western Baltic Sea parts of Germany ( Mecklenburg , Schleswig-Holstein ) in large rescue operations. Large parts of the population of eastern Germany fled the approaching Red Army out of fear for Soviet retaliation (mass rapes, killings, and looting by Soviet troops did occur ). The Kriegsmarine evacuated two million civilians and troops in

11440-432: Was in distress 500 nautical miles (930 km) west of Lewis , Outer Hebrides ( 57°20′N 15°09′W  /  57.333°N 15.150°W  / 57.333; -15.150 ). Taken in tow but abandoned on 13 October and sank on 14 October 20 nautical miles (37 km) west of South Uist , Hebrides ( 57°24′N 07°45′W  /  57.400°N 7.750°W  / 57.400; -7.750 ). Empire Tavistock

11550-507: Was not formally declared, leading to the sinking of the USS ; Reuben James . This course of events were the result of the American decision to support Britain with its Lend-Lease program and the subsequent decision to escort Lend-Lease convoys with US war ships through the western part of the Atlantic. The Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor and the subsequent German declaration of war against

11660-455: Was sentenced to 10 years in prison, reduced to 7 years on appeal, for the illegal sinking of ships and criminal negligence for failing to protect the downed crew of the SS Anglo Saxon . Ruckteschell died in prison in 1948. After the war, the German surface ships that remained afloat (only the cruisers Prinz Eugen and [Nürnberg] Error: {{Lang}}: invalid parameter: |4= ( help ) , and

11770-511: Was soon remedied. During the later war years, the Monsun Boats were also used as a means of exchanging vital war supplies with Japan. During 1943 and 1944, due to Allied anti-submarine tactics and better equipment, the U-boat fleet started to suffer heavy losses. The turning point of the Battle of the Atlantic was during Black May in 1943, when the U-boat fleet started suffering heavy losses and

11880-483: Was subsequently scuttled after being rendered a burning wreck by two British battleships. In November 1941 during the Battle of the Mediterranean, German submarine U-331 sank the British battleship Barham , which had a magazine explosion and sank in minutes, with the loss of 862, or 2/3 of her crew. During 1941, the Kriegsmarine and the United States Navy became de facto belligerents , although war

11990-715: Was the navy of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945. It superseded the Imperial German Navy of the German Empire (1871–1918) and the inter-war Reichsmarine (1919–1935) of the Weimar Republic . The Kriegsmarine was one of three official branches , along with the Heer and the Luftwaffe , of the Wehrmacht , the German armed forces from 1935 to 1945. In violation of

12100-559: Was to have been an 890 GRT coastal tanker built by A & J Inglis Ltd, Glasgow but the contract for building her was cancelled. Empire Tedlora was a 950 GRT coastal tanker built by Short Brothers td., Sunderland. Launched on 18 January 1946 and completed in June 1946. Sold in 1947 to Anglo-Saxon Petroleum Co. Ltd. and renamed Forreria . Sold in 1951 to F. T. Everard & Sons Ltd. and renamed Austility . Sold in 1969 to Ionian Tank Shipping S.A. and renamed Pireus IV . Sold in 1971 to G. Lyberis, Greece and renamed Asporpyrgos . Converted to

#550449