S-Boats in the German Navy 1990 - today

The peaceful radical change in the GDR (DDR) 1989/1990, made possible by the Perestroika in the Sovietunion, was the basis for the end of the east-west block confrontation. After the reunification of Germany in 1990 the Federal German Navy (Bundesmarine) essentially kept it's structure as used to, but was reduced in the personnel strenght step by step. Only a small part  of the personnel and the material of the People's Navy of the GDR  was taken over. Until the end of 1994 the regulations of the Two-plus-Four Treaty did not permit stationing of NATO-Forces on the territory of the ex-GDR. The parts of the ex-People's Navy, which were to stay in force in the beginning, were combined under the Navy-Command East at Rostock.

On 02.10.1990 the People's Navy owned:

The Bundesmarine owned:

All boats of the ex-People's Navy were decommissioned on 02.10.1990. 

Of the five boats of  Tarantul-Class "Rudolf Eglhofer" (VM PtNo 572) was renamed to "Hiddensee" and sailed in the German Navy for test purposes first before it was left to the USN; the boat "Hans Beimler" (VM PtNo 575) was given to Peenemünde Missile Museum as a museum-ship; the other three boats were broken up.

Of the boats of OSA-I-Class six were sold to Latvia, the others were broken up. Until being broken up they were laying up in the North-Harbour of Peenemünde.

The three boats of Balcom-10-Class had been delivered to the People's Navy without the missile launchers as patrol craft; "Sassnitz" and "Seebad Binz"  were retrofitted, they got  MTU engines and were commissioned as BG 22  "Neustrelitz" and BG 23 "Bad Dümen" for the Federal Border Force (Bundesgrenzschutz). One further boat "Sellin" was broken up.

Four hulls in different stages of construction are still today laying at Peene-Werft in Wolgast. After many attempts to sell the boats, they are laying there and are rotting. One boat is equipped with a star-motor of ex-soviet build. One boat is partly equipped with the shiptechnical installations. The other two boats are holks. 

The 40 S-boats of the Federal Navy remained in their squadrons.

With the day of the German unity 03.10.1990 the Federal German Navy ( Bundesmarine) became German Navy (Deutsche Marine).

From 1995 on a coherent navy structure could be formed. The S-Flottilla moved to Rostock-Warnemünde on 04.10.1994. 

The 2. S-Squad with the 10 boats of Class 143 moved from Olpenitz to Warnemünde in November 1994, in December 1994 the 7. S-Squad with the 10 boats of Class 143 A also moved to Warnemünde.

Since the German Navy as all forces has to reduce her personnel it first was tried to maintain the number of units. Soon it was realized that this concept could not keep up the readiness for action of the existing unsits.

Already on 15.11.1992 " S 42 - Iltis" was decommissioned, on 16.11.1992 followed by "S 52 - Storch".  Both were sold to Greece. On 25.05.1994 "S 44 - Marder" was decommissioned, on 24.06.1994 followed by "S  51- Häher"; also these two boats were sold to Greece.

On 27.08.1997 the boats "S 49 - Wolf" and "S 54 - Elster" were decommissioned and sold to Chile. On 24.06.1998 "S 53 - Pelikan", on 27.08.1998 "S 43 - Luchs", on 22.09.1998 "S 41 - Tiger" and "S 60 - Kranich" were decommissioned. All four boats were sold to Chile.

With that teh German Navy comprised no more than 30 S-boats. The 3. S-Squad was closed down and the remaining boats were assigned to the 5. S-Squad in Olpenitz. But the dismantling continued:

On 28.09.2000 " S 45 - Leopard" and "S 47 - Jaguar" weredecommissioned, both went to Greece. On 28.06.2001 "S 58 - Pinguin" and on 27.09.2001 "S 50 - Panther" and "S 59 - Reiher" followed, all three boats were broken up. 

The last five boats of the "Tiger"-Class were decommissioned in 2002t, on 13.05. "S 55 - Alk" and on 16.12.2002 the boats "S 46 - Fuchs", "S 48 - Löwe", "S 56 - Dommel" und "S 57 - Weihe". The 5. S-Squad was closed down on 07.12.2002. Now only the 2. S-Quad and the 7. S-Squad were assigned to the S-Flotilla. 

 After 1990 the tasks of the Bundeswehr and with that also the tasks of the German Navy have changed. The "Verteidigungspolitischen Richtlinien des Bundesministers der Verteidigung" direct that the main stress is moved from the defence of the country towards the activities to maintain peace.

1991 the 5. S-Squad visited the Soviet naval base Baltijsk (Pillau), "S 74 - Nerz" supported together with Frigate"Köln" and the  Minewarfareboat "Auerbach" the visit of the InspM (Chief of Navy Staff) in Gedansk (Danzig). 1992 the 7. S-Squad formed the German part of the German-French Operational Unit in the Mediterranean. The 2. S-Squad visited in that year Riga and the 5. S-Squad Tromsø.

Latvia, Estonia und Lithuania were visited by the boats of the S-Flotilla in 1993. 1994 took the 2. S-Squadpart in the German-French Operational Unit in the Mediterranean and participated also in the manoeuvre "Isles d'Or". An essential part of that manouvre was the exercising of crisis situations, the "boarding" of ships had become a constant component of the rôle of our S-Boats.

On 15.03.1995 the new structures of the forces as resulting from the Whitebook 1994 were were published. Based upon that now 15 corvettes were provided for substitution of the S-Boats of classes 143 A aund 143. 

The existing S-Boats were initially to be involved within the boundaries of their capabili´ties in tasks of sea surveillance and surface warfare in the European marginal seas. 

From 01.01.1999 om the boats of the classes 143 und 143 A were mixed in the two squadrons, the 2. and the 7. S-Squads now existed of five boats of class 143 and five boats of class 143 A, thus making sure, that the capabilities of both boat-Types were existent in both squadrons. 

The operation of the torpedo weapon was exercised a last time. On 23.05.2001 the Weizsäcker-Commission presented the final report of her studies about the filed of topics "Common Security and Future of the Bundeswehr". According to that the navy should exist of a frigate group, a corvette group, a minedefence group and of submarines, navy aviation, transport and supportforces as well as of the necessary commandelements.

The navy already planned a target strength with 16 frigates, 15 corvettes, 12 submarines, 22 minewarfare units, 11 support units, 3 fleet service ships, 12 maritime patrol aircraft, 38 to 50 naval helicopters, and 50 naval fighter bombers.

With this fleet in planning the capabilities of sea surveillance and carrying through embargo measures were to be improved, the capability for the conduct of sea warfare in the Baltic and the Baltic Approaches were, however, reduced considerably. 

The procurement of 15 corvettes were to be accomplished in three lots a substitution of class 148, class 143 and finally of class 143 A.

OPERATION ENDURING FREEDOM

Early 2002 five boats of 2. S-Squad ("S 62 - Falke", "S 64 - Bussard", "S 80 - Hyäne", and Tender "Donau") and of  7. S-Squad ("S 71 - Gepard" and "S 72 - Puma") were operational within the framework of the Operation "Enduring Freedom" at the Horn of Africa, a furhter proof that the modern S-boats could be operating in all European marginal seas and outside as well. The transport of the boats on their way out was carried out by CONDOCK-ships. The boats reported ready for action on 12.02.2002. On 02.05.2002 the moving back to their homeport commenced on own keels. Between thes two points in time lay 14 and 17 operational cycluses for the boats. On 15.06.2002 the s-Boat contingent returned to Warnemünde.  

OPERATION ACTIVE ENDEAVOUR

On 19.09.2003 after a longer preparation phase Tender "Main" and the boats "S 63 - Geier",  "S 67 - Kondor" und "S 70 - Kormoran" uder the command of FKpt Dr. Daum, Cdr 2. S-Squadr, as first German contingent left Warnemünde in order to take part in Operation Active Endeavour in the Strait of Gibraltar. On 22.12.2003 it returned to Warnemünde. The second contingent (Tender "Elbe", "S 62 - Falke" later substituted by "S 80 - Hyäne", "S 68 - Seeadler", and "S 77 - Dachs" under command of FKpt Behnert, Cdr. 7. S-Squad) took over the readiness in Warnemünde, was called up in January and entered on 23.01.2004 Cadiz, the base for the German S-boats. The third contingent (Tender "Main", "S 64 - Busard", "S 69 - Habicht", and "S 80 - Hyäne" under command of FKpt Deertz, deputy Cdr. 7. S-Squad) was in operation from 19.04. to 29.05.2004. 

"S 70 - Kormoran" off Gibraltar - Picture: Stefan Gerold (Neue Westfälische)

The boats carried out escort operations for ships. A lead frigate guarded ahead of the ship, the S-boats guarded the flanks. The first contingent carried out 23, the second contingent 77, and the third contingent 40 escort operations.  

"S 67 - Kondor" embarcs Frogmen - Picture: Stefan Gerold (Neue Westfälische)

Thereafter the operation was called off, because the political situation had calmed down and the requests for escort operations from civilian shipping decreased below the established threshold.

In spite of this additional proof for the operationability of S-boats also in distant waters and in crisis management the boats of class 143 were decommisssioned from end 2004 onwards.

Boats of Class 143 and their Whereabouts

EF 2 was also formed on 29.06.2006. Its site is in Wilhelmshaven. The 2.  Frigate-Squadron ans the 4. Frigate-Squadron as well as the Auxilliary Squadron are directly subordinate to it.