Lindau class minesweeper

Lindau-class minesweeper
Museum ship M1077 Weilheim
Class overview
Builders:	Burmester Werft, Bremen
Operators:	German Navy South African Navy Estonian Navy Lithuanian Naval Force Latvian Naval Forces Coast Guard of Georgia
In commission:	1957–present
Completed:	18
General characteristics
Type:	Coastal minesweeper
Displacement:	470 tonnes (463 long tons)
Length:	47.2 m (154 ft 10 in)
Beam:	8.3 m (27 ft 3 in)
Draft:	3 m (9 ft 10 in)
Speed:	16.5 knots (30.6 km/h; 19.0 mph)
Range:	1,360 km (730 nmi)
Sensors and processing systems:	Navigation radar Hull-mounted DSQS-11 mine-detection sonar or Plessey 193M
Armament:	1 × Bofors 40 mm

Type 320 Lindau-class minesweepers was a class of German coastal mine warfare vessels built as part of the first FRG naval program. The ships were made from non-metallic components and built by Burmester Bremen. None of these ships now remain in service with the German Navy. Several went into service with the Estonian and Lithuanian Navy, as well as the Latvian Naval Forces. Flensburg and Weilheim became museum pieces.

Starting in 1970, 11 vessels of this class were upgraded to Type 331 Fulda-class mine hunters. Beginning 1979, the six remaining vessels of this class were upgraded to Type 351 Ulm class. They were replaced by the Type 352 Ensdorf-class minesweepers.

All six Type 351s were sold to the South African Navy in 2001. The remaining five ships were sold by the South African Navy to a private owner in 2009 for conversion into pleasure vessels.

Ship list

Pennant number	Name	Service	Upgrade	Notes
M1072	Lindau	1 February 1958–1975	Type 331	To Estonian Navy 2000. Renamed Sulev.
M1070	Göttingen	1 April 1957–1976	Type 331	To Latvian Navy 2000. Used as spares hulk.
M1071	Koblenz	6 May 1957–1975	Type 331	To Lithuanian Navy 1999. Renamed Sūduvis.
M1075	Wetzlar	24 June 1957–1976	Type 331
M1074	Tübingen	12 August 1957–1975	Type 331
M1073	Schleswig	2 October 1957–1979	Type 351	To South African Navy 2001. Renamed SAS Tshwane
M1076	Paderborn	4 February 1957–1979	Type 351	To South African Navy 2001. Renamed SAS Mangaung
M1077	Weilheim	5 December 1958–1976	Type 331	On display at the Deutsches Marine Museum, Wilhelmshaven
M1078	Cuxhaven	11 March 1958–1976	Type 331	To Estonian Navy 2000. Renamed Wambola
M1079	Düren	12 June 1958–1979	Type 351	To South African Navy 2001. Renamed SAS Kapa
M1080	Marburg	4 August 1958–1976	Type 331	To Lithuanian Navy 2000. Renamed Kursis.
M1081	Konstanz	30 August 1958–1980	Type 351	To South African Navy 2001. Used as spares hulk. Expended as target by two Exocet MM40 missiles from SA Navy frigates Amatola and Isandlwana during Exercise Red Lion on November 1, 2007 about 90 km west of Saldanha Bay, South Africa.
M1082	Wolfsburg	10 December 1958–1979	Type 351	To South African Navy 2001. Renamed SAS Tekwini
M1083	Ulm	10 February 1959–1978	Type 351	To South African Navy 2001. Used as spares hulk.
M1084	Flensburg	7 April 1959–1970	Type 331	Museum ship
M1085	Minden	9 June 1959–1975	Type 331	To Coast Guard of Georgia 1998. Renamed Ayety (აეტი)
M1086	Fulda	19 August 1959–	Type 331
M1087	Völkingen	20 October 1959–1976	Type 331	To Latvian Navy 2000. Renamed LVNS Nemejs

External links

• Lindau class — Battleships-Cruisers.co.uk