Decommissioning of 7. S-Boat-Squadron November 16th 2016

The Officer in Command of Einsatzflottille 1, Flottillenadmiral Jan C. Kaack, invited for November 16th 20216 all former commanding officers of boats and all former commanders of the 7. S-Boat-Squadron as well as all former Ccommanders of Schnellbootflottille and the patticipants of the symposiums "Ära der Schnellboote" and "Renaissance des Nordflankenraums" for the decommissioning ceremony of the 7. S-Boat-Squadron. Also the Chairman of Förderverein Museums-Schnellboot e.V., FKpt a.D. Kalle Scheuch, got an invitation.

On the evening prior to the decommissioning celebrated Marinemusikkorps Ostsee and Wachbatillon Berlin the Ceremonial Tattoo on the Mustering Square of Naval Base Hohe Düne.

Ceremonial Tattoo November 15th 2016 - Picture: Urs Heßling

Article in Ostseezeitung

Invitation for FKpt a.D. Scheuch

Programme

On the day after the Ceremonial Tattoo, November 16th, the copmplements of the last four voats of the 7. S-Boat-Squadron, S73 "Hermelin", S75 "Zobel", S76 "Frettchen", and S80 "Hyäne" fell in at 09.00 am in front of their boats on Kieler Förde Bridge for the decommissioning. After a speech of the commander 7. S-Boat-Squadron, FKpt Jörn Rühmann, the commanding officers got the order to decommission their boats. The order "Haul down flag and pennant" was consequently given for each boat. 

The Complements in Front of their Boats - Picture: K. Scheuch

REport of the Commanding Officer for the Decommissioning - Picture: T. Kunzmann

Flag ans Pennant of S75 "Zobel" hauled down - Picture: K. Scheuch 

S75 "Zobel" and S76 "Frettchen" decommissioned - Picture: T. Kunzmann

S73 "Hermelin" and S80 "Hyäne" decommissioned - Picture: T. Kunzmann

The Name-Plaque is demonted already - Picture: K. Scheuch

Pretty soon the boats will look like the three unrigged boats at Schleibrücke.

Unrigged Boats at Schleibrücke - Picture: V. Groth

From 11.00 to 12.00 the disbanding of the 7. S-Boat-Squadron took place.  Army-Music-Corps Neubrandenburg, the Troupflag, and a Honour-Platoon marched in. The formation was reported to Commander Einsatzflottille 1, FltAdm Kaack. He then reported to Stellvertreter des Inspekteurs der Marine, Befehlshaber der Flotte und Unterstützungskräfte, VAdm Rainer Brinkmann.

After a speech of the Protestant Military Priest ved Einsatzflottile 1 VAdm Rainer Brinkmann, himself a Commanding Officer of S71 "Gepard from 1992 to 1993 held an address which gave away his enthusiasm for the S-Boats very strongly. 

Citation from it:  

"S-boats, they were together with the U-boats, the Navy Aviators, and the Minedefence Forces at the times of the Cold War an indispensable and tight-fitting puzzle-part of a layered defence in depth of the Baltic." 

The Army-Music-Corps thereafter played the march "Kameraden zur See".

Therafter the troop-flag of the 7. S-Boat-Squadron was rolled up and the squadron reported decommissioned. The Army-Music-Corps and the Honour-Platoon of the former 7. S-Boat-Squadron marched from the Mustering Square. The 7. S-Boat-Squadron and with her the GErman S-Boat-Forces were history after 100 years after the request of the Imperial Navy ffor a small. fast , motor-ppfopelled boat armed with torpedoes.

At the following reception in the multi-purpose-room of the Navy-Base many attendies talked with nostalgy about the history of the S-boats especially in the German Navy and the "myth of S-boat-sailors".

Music-Coprs and Honour-Platoon marching in - Picture: T. Kunzmann

Troup-Flag marching in - Picture: T. Kunzmann

Report to VAdm Brinkmann - Picture: T. Kunzmann

Troup-Flag is rolled up - Picture: T.  Kunzmann

The 7. S-Boat-Squadron is History - Picture: K.Scheuch

Five Corvettes are to take over the Tasks of 40 S-Boats - Picture: K. Scheuch