"Seeadler"- Class, S-Boat Class 141

Tender "Elbe" and the Boats of the 2. SGschw - Picture: Archives Förderverein

The boats "Kondor", "Sperber" und "Habicht" took part in the burial of Dr. Konrad Adenauer, the first  German Bundeskanzler, on 25. August 1967. 

Before the RAM-Launchers were installed on Class 143 A-boats the weapon system was tested on "S69 Habicht".

"S69 Habicht" fitted with RAM-Launcher for Trials - Picture: Archives Burkhard Schindler

Testing the RAM-Launcher on "S69 Habicht" the Torpedo-Tubes were removed - Picture: Archives Burkhard Schindler

OnSeptember 16th 1994 the squadron transfered to Warnemünde with 10 boats and Tender  "Donau". 

From October 1st 1999 until the disbanding of the 2. S-Boat-Squadron on 28 July 2006 five boats of Class 143 A were employed by the 2. S-Boat-Squadron whereas five boats of Class 143 were employed by the 7. S-Boat-Squadron. From the 2. S-Boat-Squadron the boats "S66 Greif", "S67 Kondor", "S68 Seeadler", "S69 Habicht", and "S70 Kormoran" were turned over to the 7. S-Boat-Squadron and boats "S76 Frettchen, "S77 Dachs", "S78 Ozelot", "S79 Wiesel", and "S80 Hyäne" were dispatched to the 2. S-Boat-Squadron. That was to render the boats of class 143 protection against missiles at short range by the boats of Class 143 A in mixed packs whereas the boats of class 143 provided higher gunnery potential and the wireguided torpedoes. Such a mixed pack could therefore bring to bear three 76mm-guns, eight MM 38-missiles, two SEAL-torpedoes, 21 RAM-missiles and a large number of mines. With the disbanding of the 2. S-Boat-Squadron the boats of Class 143 A were returned to the 7. S-Boat-Squadron. 

"S76 Frettchen" with Coat-of-Arms of the 2. S-Boat-Squadron - Picture: Archiv T. Kunzmann

"S77 Dachs" with Coat-of-Arms of the 2. S-Boat-Squadron - Picture: Archiv T. Kunzmann

"S78 Ozelot" with Coat-of-Arms of the 2. S-Boat-Squadron - Picture: Archiv T. Kunzmann

"S79 Wiesel" with Coat-of-Arms of the 2. S-Boat-Squadron - Picture: Archiv T. Kunzmann

"S66 Greif" with Coat-of-Arms of the 7. S-Boat-Squadron - Picture: Archiv T. Kunzmann

"S68 Seeadler" with Coat-of-Arms of the 7. S-Boat-Squadron - Picture: Archiv T. Kunzmann

"S69 Habicht" with Coat-of-Arms of the 7. S-Boat-Squadron - Picture: Frank Zingler

"S70 Kormoran" with Coat-of-Arms of the 7. S-Boat-Squadron - Picture: Archives T. Kunzmann

The first involvement in the framework of Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) was performed with the boats "S64 Bussard" and"S 62 Falke" from the  2. S-Boat-Squadron, as well as "S 71 Gepard", "S 80 Hyäne", and "S 72 Puma" from the 7. S-Boat-Squadron supported by Tender "Donau" starting January 21st 2002 with the transport of the boats with "Condock II" to Djibuti until June 16th 2002 with the return of the German contingent on own keel to Warnemünde. The tasks for this employment were surveillance of the sea-area at he Jorn of Africa and safe escorting of merchant shipping along the coast of Somalia..

The next employment in this framework for the boats opf the S-Flotilla was the participation of "S63 Geier" from 2. S-Boat-Squadron as well as "S67 Kondor" and "S70 Kormoran" fromm the 7. S-Boat-Squadron supported by Tender "Main" in  Operation Active Endeavour (OAE) Street of Gibraltar (STROG) I as TG 500.02 of the Standing Naval Force Atlantik (SNFL) in mediterranean-operation with the task to escort ships through the Streets of Gibraltar safely. As Navy-Base for this activity the Spanish Navy-Harbour of Cadiz was available. Duration of this activity September 19th to December 12th 2003.

After a break in OAE the 2.Contingent, "S62 Falke", S 68 Seadler", "S77 Dachs", took over in their homeport Warnemünde Hohe Düne and was there in d 72-hour-readiness. Supported by Tender "Elbe" the activity started January 29th 2004. Since "S62 Falke" because of a technical defect no longer fulfilled the requirements, transitted "S80 Hyäne", foreseen for the 3. Contingent , prmaturely to Gibraltar. On April 19th 2004 the other boats of the 3. Contingent consiting of "S64 Bussard" from the 2. and "S69 Habicht" from the 7. S-Boat-Squadron supported by Tender "Main" joined the action. 

The Systemsupporting Group (SUG) for the activities was formed by the SUGs of the 2. and the 7. S-Boat-Squadron. On May 28th 2004 Operation Active Endeavour STROG was ended and the biats returned to their homeport June 26th 2004.

The boats of the squadron showed at various opportunities flags "Foxtrott - Hotel - Golf" (Fröhlich - heiter - und gelassen), the motto of the squadron.

After all boats of class 143 had bben decommissioned between December 2004 and December 2005 the squadron was disbanded on June 28th 2006. The boats of class 143 A were returned to the 7. S-Boat -Squadron. With that the German S-Boat-Force had shrunk from former 40 boats to 10 boats. 

Exklusively for the Disbanding of 2. S-Boat-Squadron  an etch on handmade paper was issued ...  

... and also Paul Senkblei was to be heard of in word and picture to the decommissioning of the boats of class 143: 

For the Disbanding of the 2. S-Boat-Squadron this Batch was created

For the Decommissioning the Book "Mit Eiserner Faust" (With Iron Fist) was edited

Boats of Class 143 and their Whereabouts

On 01.12.1981 the boats which had been called "S 61" through S 70" got back their traditional names.