Die Schnellboot-Seite
Seegrenzschutz (1951 - 1956)
The Seegrenzschutz was the coast protection department of Bundesgrenzschutz. It was established in 1951 and passed over to the new Federal Navy (Bundesmarine) in 1956.
The first concepts for the Seegrenzschutz were worked out by the Head of the Wasserschutzpolizei Schleswig-Holsteins, Hermann Knuth. On 15.02.1951 the formation law passed the Bundestag. In March 1951 the formation of Bundesgrenzschutzes (BGS) was started, the coastal protection department of which, the Seegrenzschutz was to reach a number of personnel of 500 men. On o0.05.1951 Kapitän zur See ret. Friedrich Poske took over the post as leader of Seegrenzschutz in the Interior Ministry. An essential co-worker was Fregattenkapitän ret. Adalbert von Blanc, who was last serving in the German Minesweeping Administration (GEMSA) abd úntil its dissolvement in the follow-on organization Minenräumverband Cuxhaven until June 1951.
The planned strength of Seegrenzschutz of 500 men was reached in the end of 1951 after that on 01.06.1951 the first 96 men from Minensuchverband Cuxhaven had joined. The officers and pettyoffficers had all served in the Kriegsmarine, as ratings 230 persons which had not served were recruited.
As flag the boats were showing the Bundesdienstflagge. The command signs were influenced by the command signs of the Kriegsmarine, in stead of the iron cross the Bundesadler (federal eagle) was displayed. Displaying the flag and command signs was regulated by the Flaggenordnung for the Seegrenzschutz approved on 17.12.1951 which had been developed in following the Flaggen- Salut- und Bersuchsordnung (FlaSBO) of the Kriegsmarine.
Pennant of "S 2" - Commanding Officer ObLt.z.S. Ronnie Bucher - Picture: K. Scheuch
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| Standard of the Bundespräsident | |
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| Bundesdienstflagge | Jack |
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| Pennat of the Leader | Flotilla-/Grouppenant
(Flying from the rah) |
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| Pennant of the Commanding Officer | |
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| Coat of Arms on the left Sleeve | |
The orderly training-process startet 1952 with single-boat- and flotilla-training and the first sorties in the Baltic could be conducted during winter 1952/53.
In February 1952 the German Interior Ministry had ordered three Security Boats, "S 1" to "S 3" for the newly organized Seegrenzschutz from Lürssen-Shipyard at Vegesack. A permit by the Military Security Agency (MSA) at Koblenz was not requested since it was considered not being necessary. The boats were to be equipped with three Diesel engines MB 518 by Mercedes Benz with 2500 PS each. Because France within the MSA objected against usage of the engines from Untertürkheim (French Occupation Zone) and Great Britain against arming with two Hispano-Suiza 20 mm guns on a double lavette, continuation of the construction was forbidden by MSA in September 1954. But floating capability of the first two boats had been established. The two boats and the material for the third boat were turned over to the Royal Navy against settlement of the cost and were finalized as replacement for the worl-war-II-boats of the Organization Klose (BBFPS).
Boat "S 2" was commissioned on 21.01.1955 under command of Kptlt. a.D. Hans Helmut Klose as "Silver Gull". Boat "S 1" was commissioned on 15.12.1955 as "Storm Gull" under Oblt.z.S. a.D. Ernst-Günter Müller. Boat "S 3", "Wild Swan", was commissioned on 29.05.1956 under command of Oblt.z.S. a.D. Dieter Ehrhardt. In early summer 1956 during a surveillance sortie it was taken under fire off Klaipeda by a Soviet boat resulting in hits but without injured personnel.
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"S 208" and "Silver Gull" in a lock of the Kiel-Canal - Picture: Archives Förderverein
"Storm Gull" under the White Ensign in the Baltic - Picture: Archives Förderverein
"Wild Swan" at Christansø - Picture: Archives FKSK
End of 1953 Lürssen-Shipyard could be ordered for three fast Securityboats (type S-Boats) because of an inofficial agreement of the American delegate to the MSA, in which it was contracted that boat "S 3" for trail-reasons was to be equippede with three Maybach engines MD 821 with 3000 PS each instead of the three Mercedes Benz MB 518- engines with 2500 PS each. Since no reversing gear-box was available the boat got Echer-Wyss controlable pitch. As armament two Hispano-Suiza 20mm guns on double lavette were ordered. Torpedo tubes were were not planned for.
Plans to widen up the Seegrenzschutz to a personnel-strength of 1550 men as well as the widening of the number of assets to six large and 18 small guard boats, 12 large and four small patrolboats, six securityboats ,, three schoolboats and three further vessels were not supported by Gerhard Schröder who took over the job as Minister of the Interior in 1953 and as a compromize the number of personnel should only be widened up to 1000 men, which was ment to settle the problem of undermanned vessels and to get personnel for new boats.
Securityboat (Sicherungsboot) of Seegrenzschutz
Technical Data
| Shipyard | Lürssen |
| Units built | 6 |
| from/to | 1954 - 1955 |
| In Commission | 1954 - 1967 |
| Deplacement | 155 t |
| Length | 35,5 m |
| Beam | 5,1 m |
| Draught | 1,8 m |
| Propulsion | 3 x MB 518 A (je
3000 PS)
Seeschwalbe got 3 Maybach-MD 871 Escher-Wyss controlable pitch |
| Shafts(Propellers | 3 - 3 |
| Speed | 42 kn |
| Complement | 19 men |
| Armament | 2 x 20 mm twin-guns Hispano-Suiza |
| Armament (retrofitted by Federal German Navy) | 2
turnabale torpedo tubes, loading of mines posssible
later retrofitted with 1 x 40 mm gun Bofors/L 70 |
Boat "S 1" was commissioned unarmed on 15.12.1955. On 08.02.1956 "S 2" followed under command of Kptlt. Bucher. The fast Saecurity Boats were subordinated Seegrenzschutzverband II (SGV II), Kiel.
Memory of the Seegrenzschutzverband II for Kptl. Bucher - Picture: K. Scheuch
On 02.01.1956 started the formation of the Bundesmarine.
In early 1956 the activities of BBFPS were ended. On 28.03.1956 all boats were turned over to the Bundesmarine and the three Security Boats commissioned as "Silbermöwe" (P 6052) - CO Kptlt. Schay, "Sturmmöwe" (P 6053) - CO Kptlt. Hoffmann - and subordinated the "Schnellboot-Lehrgeschwader" (S-Boat-Training-Flotilla). "Wildschwan" (P 6054) - CO Kptlt. Hardtke- was commissioned not earlier than on 29.05.1956 for the Bundesmarine. Commander of Schnellboot-Lehrgeschwader became the newly promoted Korvettenkapitän H.H. Klose.
The handing over of personnel an material of Seegrenzschutz to the Bundesmarine was conducted on 01.07.1956 with a ceremonial change of flags.
Boats "S 1" and "S 2" of Seegrenzschutz got following the names of the three Security Boats of the BBFPS "S 1" (Silver Gull"), "S 2" Storm Gull", and "S 3" (Wild Swan"), having been handed over to the Bundesmarine,the names"Eismöwe" (P 6055) - CO Kptlt. Suikat - and "Raubmöwe" (P 6056) - CO Kptlt. Bucher. Retrofitting to S-boats was performed under command of the Bundesmarine.
"S 1" of Seegrenzschutz with 2 x 20 mm twin Hispano-Suiza-/L 85 guns - Picture: Lürssen
Acceptance voyage "S 1" - Picture: Archives 7. SGschw
"S 1" at maximum speed 43 kn - Picture: Archives 7. SGschw
S-"Eismöwe" with 20mm guns - Picture: Archives 7. SGschw
S-"Eismöwe" - Picture: Archives Tino Kunzmann
S-"Raubmöwe" - Picture: Archives Tino Kunzmann
S-"Seeschwalbe" - Picture: Archives Tino Kunzmann
The boat still ordered for the Seegrenzschutz , "S 3", was commissioned as "Seeschwalbe" (P 6057) - CO Kptlt. Vohs - on 16.04.1957 for the Bundesmarine.
On 02.05.1956 all vessels of Seegrenzschutz gathered at Neustadt/Holstein and 872 men were handed over to the Bundesmarine in a ceremonial act.
With that the Seegrenzschutz was disbanded exactly five years after its formation. Its follow-on organisation the Bundesgrenzschutz See (Sea Border Protection Force) was only formed in 1964 at Neustadt/Holstein.