Minensuchboot 1943 | German Naval History

Design and service

The type

The MBoot 43 was the enlarged successor of the mine hunter type MBoot 40. To speed up the construction, those mine hunter were not build in the conventional way anymore, but by separate pre-fabricated sections which were only put together in the shipyard (like the Type XXI submarine).

Although the primary objective for these vessels was mine hunting, they could also be equipped with depth charges and used as submarine hunters, some were also used as torpedo training ships and had two torpedo tubes installed.

Like their predecessors, the MBoot 43 had coal fired steam engines, which made those vessels easier operational in the last years of the war.

Over 160 ships of the MBoot 43 class were ordered from 1942 on, but only 17 were completed until the end of the war. All but one survived the war and were taken over by the allies, some of them serving until the late 1960s.

Construction records

Boats of the class

49 boats and their recorded construction details and fates.

Find a boat49 boats

Construction and fate of the boats in this class
Name	Construction	Launched	Commissioned	Fate
M601	A.G. Neptun Rostock	31.08.1944	22.11.1944	Taken over by Britain in 1945. Scrapped 1948.
M602	A.G. Neptun Rostock	21.10.1944	14.12.1944	Taken over by Britain in 1945. Scrapped 1948.
M603	A.G. Neptun Rostock	02.11.1944	31.12.1944	Taken over by Britain in 1945. Scrapped 1948.
M604	A.G. Neptun Rostock	10.11.1944	18.01.1945	Taken over by Britain in 1945. Scrapped 1948.
M605	A.G. Neptun Rostock	13.12.1944	03.02.1945	Taken over by Britain in 1945. Scrapped 1948.
M606	A.G. Neptun Rostock	20.12.1944	16.03.1945	Taken over by USA in 1947. Used as floating barrack in Hamburg in 1948. Scrapped 1950.
M607	A.G. Neptun Rostock	30.12.1944	16.03.1945	Taken over by USA in 1945 as US37. Given to Hapag-Seebäderdienst as Hörnum in 1948. Used as ferry Christian Ivers between 1949-1953. Sold to Denmark as Hanne Scarlet in 1956, sold to Italy as Salvatore Lauro in 1962, still in use in 1994.
M608	A.G. Neptun Rostock	20.01.1945	20.03.1945	Taken over by USA in 1945 as US38. Given to Hapag-Seebäderdienst as Amrum in 1948. Used as ferry Harald Ivers between 1949-1953. Sold to Denmark as Lilli Scarlet in 1956, sold to Greece as Elena P. in 1962, scrapped 1982.
M609	A.G. Neptun Rostock	29.01.1945	27.03.1945	Taken over by Britain in 1945. Scrapped 1948.
M610	A.G. Neptun Rostock	27.02.1945	05.10.1945	Taken over by Britain in 1945. Scrapped 1950.
M611	A.G. Neptun Rostock	12.03.1945	1945	Taken by USA in 1945. Returned to Germany and used as ferry Wangerooge in 1948 until 1950. Used by the Bundesmarine since 1956 as Seeschlange. 1960 decommissioned. used as floating barrack WBM IV. 1967 used as target ship for aircraft.
M612	A.G. Neptun Rostock	23.03.1945	01.04.1945	11 crew members shoot during mutiny on 05.05.1945. Taken over by Britain in 1945, scrapped 1948.
M613	A.G. Neptun Rostock	1945	---	Almost completed at the end of the war, scrapped 1945/46 in Rostock.
M614	A.G. Neptun Rostock	1945	---	Almost completed at the end of the war, scrapped 1945/46 in Rostock.
M615	A.G. Neptun Rostock	1945	---	Almost completed at the end of the war, scrapped 1945/46 in Rostock.
M616	A.G. Neptun Rostock	1945	---	Almost completed at the end of the war, scrapped 1945/46 in Rostock.
M617	A.G. Neptun Rostock	---	---	Never completed, several sections still unfinished.
M618	A.G. Neptun Rostock	---	---	Never completed, several sections still unfinished.
M619	A.G. Neptun Rostock	---	---	Never completed, several sections still unfinished.
M620	A.G. Neptun Rostock	---	---	Never completed, several sections still unfinished.
M621	A.G. Neptun Rostock	---	---	Never completed, several sections still unfinished.
M622	A.G. Neptun Rostock	---	---	Never completed, several sections still unfinished.
M623	A.G. Neptun Rostock	---	---	Never completed, several sections still unfinished.
M624	A.G. Neptun Rostock	---	---	Never completed, several sections still unfinished.
M625	A.G. Neptun Rostock	---	---	Never completed, several sections still unfinished.
M626	A.G. Neptun Rostock	---	---	Never completed, several sections still unfinished.
M627	A.G. Neptun Rostock	---	---	Never completed, several sections still unfinished.
M628	A.G. Neptun Rostock	---	---	Never completed, several sections still unfinished.
M629	A.G. Neptun Rostock	---	---	Never completed, several sections still unfinished.
M630	A.G. Neptun Rostock	---	---	Never completed, several sections still unfinished.
M631	A.G. Neptun Rostock	---	---	Never completed, several sections still unfinished.
M632	A.G. Neptun Rostock	---	---	Never completed, several sections still unfinished.
M633	A.G. Neptun Rostock	---	---	Never completed, several sections still unfinished.
M801	Schichau, Königsberg	09.09.1944	03.12.1944	Taken over by USA in 1945. Given to Italy in 1949 as B3. Renamed to Gazzella in 1950, 1960 reassigned as training ship. Scrapped 1967.
M802	Schichau, Königsberg	29.09.1944	04.01.1945	Sunk after air attack on 03.04.1945 in Kiel.
M803	Schichau, Königsberg	19.10.1944	17.01.1945	Taken over by USA in 1945. Given to Italy in 1949 as B2. Renamed to Daino in 1950, 1960 reassigned as survey ship ship. Scrapped 1966.
M804	Schichau, Königsberg	01.11.1944	23.01.1945	Sunk after air attack on 11.03.1945 in Kiel.
M805	Schichau, Königsberg	09.11.1944	26.01.1945	Sunk after air attack on 11.03.1945 in Kiel.
M806	Schichau, Königsberg	21.11.1944	---	Captured by British forces while under final construction. Scrapped 1948.
M807	Schichau, Königsberg	13.01.1945	---	Towed to Rostock in January 1945 while being 99% completed. Completed in Rostock in November 1945, fate unknown.
M808	Schichau, Königsberg	1945	---	Towed to Rostock in January 1945 while being 99% completed. Completed in Rostock in November 1945, fate unknown.
M809	Schichau, Königsberg	---	---	About 90% completed at the end of the war, scrapped.
M810	Schichau, Königsberg	---	---	About 88% completed at the end of the war, scrapped.
M811	Schichau, Königsberg	---	---	About 85% completed at the end of the war, scrapped.
M812	Schichau, Königsberg	---	---	About 65% completed at the end of the war, scrapped.
M813	Schichau, Königsberg	---	---	About 45% completed at the end of the war, scrapped.
M814	Schichau, Königsberg	---	---	Never completed, several sections still unfinished.
M815	Schichau, Königsberg	---	---	Never completed, several sections still unfinished.
M816	Schichau, Königsberg	---	---	Never completed, several sections still unfinished.

At a glance

Technical profile

Principal dimensions, armament, machinery and performance.

Dimensions

Size (Max): 821 t
Length (Total): 67,75 m
Length (Waterline): 63,10 m
Beam: 9,00 m
Draft: 2,68 m
Crew: 107

Armament

10,5 cm: 2
3,7 cm Flak: 2
2 cm MG: 8
Depth Charge lancher: 4
Mines: 24

Machinery

Shafts: 2
Engines: 2
Type: Expansion steam engine

Performance

Total Performance: 2709shp
Speed: 17,0 kn
Range: 3600 miles at 11 kn

The archive

Models

Ship models in 1/1250 scale.