In Service: 1943
Ordered:
Builder: F.
Schichau GmbH, Elbing
Construction No:
Laid down:
Launched: 30 November 1943
Commissioned: 1943
Type: 1940 Type Minesweeper/Minensuchboot
Class: M 261 Class
Displacement: 543 tons standard 775 tons full load
Length: 62.3 m
Beam: 8.9 m
Draft: 2.82 m
Propulsion: 2 × vertical 3 cylinder triple expansion
engines producing up to 2,150 shp
Propellers:
Speed: 17.2 knots
Range: 4,000 nautical miles at 10 knots
Crew: 65 men and officers
Armament:
1 × 10.5 cm L/45
carried 120 rounds
1 × 3.7 cm L/83 SK C/30
carried 2000 rounds
2 × 2 cm MG L/65 C/30
carried 4000 rounds
7 × 2 cm MG L/65 C/30 after 1941
carried 14000 rounds
30 mines
Armour 10 mm
Aircraft:
Electronics:
Operators: Kriegsmarine
Variants:
Other: Minesweepers
Articles:
The M 373 Minesweeper (Minensuchboot) was built in the 1940s
by
F.
Schichau GmbH shipyard located in Elbing, Germany as a
minesweeper or escort vessel for the Kriegsmarine.
Construction was transverse frame of steel construction,
which was partly welded, this vessel also had eleven watertight
compartments and a double bottom with hard chine foreship and tug stern. The superstructure, Bridge etc was armored
up to 10 mm in thickness. The propulsion system installed
in these vessels was the two vertical three cylinder triple
expansion engines. And when used as minesweepers the Kabel
Fern Raum Gerat (KFRG) system was employed, which used generators
producing 60 V, 20 kW to power the magnetic sweeping gear.
And after the surrender of Germany was employed in the
German
Mine Sweeping Administration (GMSA) which was controlled
by the allies.
1943
The Minesweeper M 373 is commissioned as the TS 5.
1945
The Minesweeper M 373 is seized as a prize of war by the USA.
4 October 1945
The Minesweeper M 373 serves with the
German
Mine Sweeping Administration (GMSA).
23 June 1948
The Minesweeper M 373 is transferred to M Scharpagge of Düsseldorf
for conversion to a hotel boat.
11 May 1949
The Minesweeper M 373 is transferred back to the United States
Navy.
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
