S-Boats in the Federal German Navy 1956 - 1990

On completion of World War Two Germany was demilitarized. In the west of Germany former Kriegsmarine-members were sailing under allied command in some units:

From 1945 to 1946 in Deutscher Minenräumdienst under Allied sovereignty as German Minesweeping Administration (GM/SA) under the flag of the German Merchant ships, the double standard in the colours of flag "Charlie" of the international signalbook, and pennant "8" as identification,

Flag of the German Merchantships 1945 - 1949	Identification of the vessels of the German Minesweeping Administration (pennant 8)

from 1945 to 1956 in the Minenräumverband Cuxhaven (MRVC) undter British sovereignty and the flag of the British Control Commission for Germany,

Flag of the British Control Commission for Germany

from 1947 to 1956 in the Schnellbootgruppe Klose, officially: British Baltic Fishery Protection Service (BBFPS) sailing under the White Ensign ,

White Ensign

 from 1951 to 1956 in the  Labor Service Unit – LSU sailing under American flag, and

Flag of the USA

from 1951 to 1956 in teh Seegrenzschutz (Maritime Borderprotection) sailing under the Bundesdienstflagge og Germany.

Bundesdienstflagge of Germany

These formed the basis inpersonnel and material respect for the Federal German Navy.

On 12.11.1955 the Bundeswehr was established. On 01.04.1956 the S-Boat-Training-Squadron was formed under command of Korvettenkapitän Hans-Helmut Klose.

In fall 1957 the following S-boats belonged to the Federal German Navy (Bundesmarine):

Two S-boats of the Kriegsmarine-Type S 100,  "UW 10" (ex "S 130"), and "UW 11" (ex "S 208"),

Ex-KM-Boats as "UW 10" and "UW 11" at Naval Base Flensburg-Mürwik - Picture: Archives Förderverein

 and six S-boats of the "Silbermöwe"-Class (Class 149), "Eismöwe" (ex "S 1"), "Raubmöwe" (ex "S 2"), "Silbermöwe" (ex "S 3"), "Sturmmöwe" (ex "Stormgull"), "Wildschwan" (ex "Wildswan"), "Seeschwalbe" (ex-"Seagull").

Five of the six Boats Class 149 at Naval Base Kiel-Stickenhörn - Picture: Archives Förderverein

According to the requirements of NATO (Schuyler-letter) the German Navy was to 

- contribute to denying hostile naval forces the breaking through to the North Sea via the Baltic Approaches or the Kiel Kanal,

- to obviate to a highest possible extent the soviet sea lanes in the Baltic,

- to take part in the allied defence of the German coast of the Baltic and the Danish islands,

- contribute to the preservation of the allied sea lanes in the German coastal waters and the adjacent  sea areas.

In order to accomplish these goals NATO required inter alia 40 S-Boats.