R boat
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| Class overview | |
|---|---|
| Name: | R41 |
| General characteristics | |
| Type: | motor launch |
| Displacement: | 125 tons (max) |
| Length: | 37.80m |
| Beam: | 5.80 m |
| Draught: | 1.40 m |
| Propulsion: | 2x MAN diesel engines; 1800 hp |
| Speed: | 20 knots |
| Complement: | 34 |
| Armament: | 1x 37 mm C/30 cannon 2 x 20mm cannon 7.92 mm machine guns, mines and depth charges |
The R boats or Raumboote in German were a group of General purpose motor launches built for the Kriegsmarine before and during World War II. A total of 299 boats were built and the German Navy used them in every theatre including the Baltic, Mediterranean and the Black Sea. These boats were used for convoy escort, coastal patrol, minesweeping, minalaying and the rescue of air crews. About 140 R boats survived the war and were distributed amongst the Allies. Some were used by the "German Minesweeping service" to clear western Europe of sea mines. Twenty four boats ended up being transferred back to the post-war German Navy, the Bundesmarine in 1956 and were used until the late 1960s. An unusual feature of these ships is the use of Voith Schneider Propellers on some boats for extra manueverability.
[edit] Boat Classes
| Class | Boats | Displacement | Length | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| R1 | R1-R16 | 60 tons | 26 m | built 1929-34 |
| R17 | R17-24 | 115 tons | 37m | Built 1934-38 |
| R25 | R25-R40 | 110 tons | 35.4m | Built 1938-39 |
| R41 | R41-129 | 125 tons | 37.8 m | Built 1939-43 |
| R130 | R130-150 | 150 tons | 41.1m | built 1943-45 |
| R151 | R151-217 | 125 tons | 35.4m | built 1940-43 |
| R218 | R218-300 | 140 tons | 39.2 m | built 1943-45, R291-300 unfinished at the end of the war |
| R301 | R301-312 | 160 tons | 41 m | built 1942-45, 2 - 533mm torpedo tubes added |
| R401 | R401-448 | 140 tons | 39.2m | launched 1943-45 mostly not completed at end of the war |
[edit] See also
- Schnellboot, known to the Allies as E-Boats
- Motor Launch for the British Equivalents
- M class Minesweeper (Germany) for larger german minesweepers
[edit] References
- Conway's All The World's Fighting Ships 1922-1946
- Hervieux, Pierre German Motor Minesweepers at War 1939-1945 in Warship 2002-2003, Conway's Maritime Press
- German Navy.de
