M 20

Minesweeper

Service Data

In Service: 11 December 1939 to 21 July 1944

Production Data

Ordered:
Builder: Flender-Werke AG, Lübeck-Siems
Construction No: 257
Laid down:
Launched: 16 June 1939
Commissioned: 11 December 1939

Technical Data

Type: 1935/39 Type Minesweeper/Minensuchboot
Class: M 1 Class

Displacement: 682 tons standard 874 tons full load
Length: 68.1 m
Beam: 8.7 m
Draft: 2.65 m
Propulsion: 2 × Lentz uniform expansion engines producing up to 3,200 shp
Propellers: 2
Speed: 18.3 knots
Range: 5,000 nautical miles at 10 knots
Crew: 90 men and officers
Armament:
2 × 10.5 cm L/45
carried 480 rounds
2 × 3.7 cm L/83 SK C/30
carried 3000 rounds
2 × 2 cm MG L/65 C/30
carried 4000 rounds
4 × 2 cm MG L/65 C/30 after 1942
carried 6000 rounds
30 mines
Armour 10 mm
Aircraft:
Electronics:
Operators: Kriegsmarine
Variants:

Other: Minesweepers
Articles:

History

The M 20 Minesweeper (Minensuchboot) was built in the 1930s by Flender-Werke AG shipyard located in Lübeck-Siems, Germany as a minesweeper or escort vessel for the Kriegsmarine.

Construction was longitudinal and ransverse frame of steel construction, which was partly welded, this vessel also had twelve watertight compartments and a double bottom. The superstructure, Bridge etc was made from light alloys. The propulsion system installed in these vessels was the two Lentz uniform expansion engines. And when used as minesweepers the Kabel Fern Raum Gerät (KFRG) system was employed, which used generators producing 60 V, 20 kW to power the magnetic sweeping gear.

Career

11 December 1939
The Minesweeper M 20 is commissioned.

21 July 1944
The Minesweeper M 20 is sunk after being attacked by Russian aircraft, along with M 413 at 2330 hrs in Narva Bay, off Vainupa.
Position 59° 35' 9N 26° 16' 4E, 5 crew lost.

Commanders

Gallery

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Sources

German Warships, 1815-1945: Major Surface Vessels.
ISBN-10: 0851775330

German Warships, 1815-1945: U-boats and Mine Warfare Vessels.
ISBN-10: 155750301X

German warships of the Second World War.
ISBN-10: 0668040378

For a complete list of sources