S-Boats in the Bundesmarine 1956 - 1990

Schoolboats of the Underwater-Weapons-School

Two S-Boats of the Kriegsmarine-Type "S 100"  owned by the Royal Navy, which had last served with Unit Klose (British Baltic Fishery Protection Service) as FPB 5130 and FPB 5208 were overhauled at Lürssen-Werft 1955/56. They were handed over to the Bundesmarine in 1957 and commissioned as "UW 10" (ex "S 130") and as "UW 11" (ex "S 208") for the Marine-Unterwasserwaffenschule (MUWS) at Flensburg on 07.03.1957 respectively on 12.03.1957.

The former KM-S-Boats as "UW 10" and "UW 11" in Navalbase Flensburg-Mürwik - Picture: Archives Förderverein

"UW 10" (ex "S 130")

The boat was commissioned as "S 130" for the Kriegsmarine on 21.10.1943 at Schlichting-Werft in Travemünde and sailed in the 9. SFltl to the end of war. 1945 she became British war-loot and without anti-air-weapons and tightened torpedo-tubes commissioned for school- and trialpurposes as "Experimental Craft FPB 5130". 

Instead of the original three Mercedes-Benz-Fourstroke-20-Cylinder Dieselengines  MB 501 with 1875/2500 PS each the boat got three Napier-Deltic-Fourstroke-16-Cylinder Dieselengines with 1875/2500 PS each. 1948 the boat was decommissioned, but she was afterwards employed in fishery protection (British Baltic Fishery Protection Service) with German complement (Unit Klose).

1955/56 the boat was given a general overhaul at Lürssen-Werft, Vegesack, and commissioned on 07.03.1957 as "UW 10" for the Bundesmarine. The boat got two torpedotubes which could be trained 10^o and were mounted amidships. Later the boat was renamed "W 49" and the coutouts in the forecastle were closed. She sailed until her decommissioning on 15.08.1963 for the MUWS. 

"UW 10" already with the new Torepedo-Tubes at Vegesack - Picture: Archives Förderverein

New Antennas to be installed - Picture: Archives Förderverein

The new Torpedo-Tubes- Picturte: Archives Förderverein

"UW 10" - completely retrofitted - Picture: Archives Förderverein

"UW 10" en route to Flensburger Förde - Picture: Archives Förderverein 

The former KM-S-Boot "S 130" as "W 49"  - Picture: Archives Förderverein

After the Bundesamt für Wehrtechnik und Beschaffung (BWB) had taken over the boat she was reconstructed as a trialboat by Husumer Werft and commissioned again as  "EF 3" (later "Y 840") on 15.03.1968. Under the reconstruction the Napier-Deltic-Dieselengines were demounted and MWM-Fourstroke-16-Cylinder Dieselengines with 600/640 PS were mounted. Instead of the kalotten-bridge the boat got a small bridgehouse. The boat sailed first for Erprobungsstelle 81 and later for Erprobungstelle 71, before it finally was decommissioned in 1973.

The former KM-S-Boat "S 130" as "EF 3" at Wilhelmshaven  - Picture: Archives Förderverein

Thereupon she was laying up at Wilhelmshaven before she was bought by a British citizen who is restauring it in order to perform trips on the Solent. For this venture a kalotten-bridge as well as torpedotubes have already been demounted from the S-boat-wrecks in the Lunke-Bight/Denmark and brought to England. The engines of the former S-boat "Puma" (?), last under way as "Arthur of San Lorenzo", were demounted and are to provide the propulsion for  "S 130". 

"UW 11" (ex "S 208")

The boat was commissioned for the Kriegsmarine on 28.09.1944 as "S 208" at Lürssen-Werft, Vegesack. Until the end of war she sailed in the 11. SFltl. 1945 she became British war-loot and was commissioned as "Experimental Craft MTB 5208" for school- and trial-puposes without anti-air-weapons and with tightened torpedo-tubes. 

From 1951 onwards the boat was employed in fishery protection (British Baltic Fishery Protection Service) with German complement (Unit Klose).

1955/56 the boat was subject to general overhaul at Lürssen-Werft, Vegesack, and commissioned as "UW 11" on 12.03.1957 for the Bundesmarine. The boat got two torpedo-tubes which could be trained by 10^o and were mounted amidships. The cutouts in the forcastle were contained. 

"UW 11" at Naval Base Heustadt/Holst. - Picture: Archives Förderverein

Later the boat was renamed "W 50". She served for MUWS until her decommissioning on 27.01.1964. 

"UW 10" and "UW 11" at Engine Testruns - Picture: Archives Förderverein

Bridge of "UW 11" - Picture: Archives Förderverein

The former KM-S-Boat "S 208" as "W 50"  - Picture: Archives Förderverein

"W 50" in the Locks of Kiel-Holtenau - Picture: Archives Förderverein

The boat was singled out and was laying up at Wilhelmshaven "for disposition" until 1967  before she was used up as target-boat during firing-tests in the Baltic. 

The pictures about the last hours of the boat "W 50" (ex "S 208", ex "UW 11") we received from Mr. Christian Grahl from the archives of his deceased father.

The last Trip of ex-"W 50"  Picture Bild: Archives Förderverein

Ex-"W 50" after being fired at by a Starfighter - Picture: Archives Förderverein

Ex-"W 50" on Fire after Shelling - Picture: Archives Förderverein

Ex-"W 50" sinking after Shelling by a Starfighter - Picture: Archives Förderverein