- Source: List of Vorpostenboote in World War II
A Vorpostenboot (plural Vorpostenboote) was an auxiliary warship used by Germany in both World Wars. Many vorpostenboote also served in other roles, such as sperrbrecher (mine clearance) and weather ships. During World War II, the Vorpostenboote were organized into several surface flotillas which were in turn attached to various German ports. Over 30 Vorpostenflotillas were established to operate off the German, Channel, Baltic and Scandinavian coasts.
1 Vorpostenflotille
1 Vorpostenflotille was active in the western Baltic from 1 October 1939 to 1 October 1940, when it was redesignated 3 Sperrbrecherflotille.
2 Vorpostenflotille
2 Vorpostenflotille existed from September 1939 to December 1944, when it was disbanded. Many vessels were redesignated within the unit, later designations are shown in brackets
3 Vorpostenflotille
3 Vorpostenflotille was established in September 1939.
4 Vorpostenflotille
4 Vorpostenflotille was formed in September 1939 and was disbanded in September 1944. Many vessels were re-designated within the unit. Later designations are shown in brackets.
5 Vorpostengruppe
5 Vorpostengruppe was established in September 1939 and disbanded on 22 May 1940.
6 Vorpostengruppe
6 Vorpostengruppe was established in September 1939 and disbanded on 22 May 1940.
6 Vorpostenflotille
6 Vorpostenflotille was established on 1 January 1943 and disbanded in September 1944.
7 Vorpostenflotille
7 Vorpostenflotille was established on 22 September 1939. It was disbanded in September 1944.
8 Vorpostenflotille
8 Vorpostenflotille was formed in September 1939 and disbanded in 1945. One vessel was redesignated within the unit.
9 Vorpostenflotille
9 Vorpostenflotille was established on 27 September 1939. It was disbanded on 23 April 1945.
10 Vorpostenflotille
10 Vorpostenflotille was established in September 1939. It was renamed 10 Sicherungsflottille on 1 October 1943.
11 Vorpostenflotille
11 Vorpostenflotille was formed in September 1939. A few vessels were redesignated within the unit.
12 Vorpostenflotille
12 Vorpostenflotille was formed on 26 September 1939. It was disbanded in December 1947.
V 1225
V 1226
V 1227
V 1228
V 1229
V 1230
V 1231 Toni
V 1232 Elise
V 1233 Vooruit †
V 1234 Koningin Emma
V 1235 Columbus
V 1236 'Flevo III †
V 1236 Augusta †
V 1237 Notre Dame de Dunes †
V 1238 Voorloper
V 1239 Vooran
V 1240 Therese
V 1241 Stangenwalde †
V 1242 Marie Henriette
V 1243 Hohenstein
V 1244
V 1245
V 1246
V 1247
V 1248
V 1249 Mewa VIII †
V 1250 †
V 1251
V 1252 †
V 1253 Essen
V 1254 Hermann Garrels †
V 1255 Ernst Hecht †
V 1256 Heinrich Onnen †
V 1256
V 1257
V 1258
V 1259
V 1260 Gebroeders
V 1261 Vooruit
V 1262 Verwachting †
V 1263
V 1264
V 1265 Dr. Eichelbaum
V 1265
V 1266
V 1267
V 1268
V 1269 †
V 1270
V 1271
V 1272
V 1273
V 1274
= Losses
=V 1201 Juno struck a mine in the North Sea west of Heligoland. She was then attacked and sunk by an Allied de Havilland Mosquito aircraft on 17 September 1944.
V 1202 Friedrich Suthmeier struck a mine in the North Sea west of Heligoland. She was then attacked and sunk by an Allied de Havilland Mosquito aircraft on 17 September 1944.
V 1207 P. von Rensen was bombed and sunk in the North Sea off Heligoland by Allied aircraft on 17 April 1945.
V 1214 Joannes Georgius struck a mine and sank in the North Sea off Sylt, Schleswig-Holstein on 27 September 1944.
V 1233 Vooruit was sunk in the North Sea by British aircraft on 18 April 1944.
V 1236 Flevo III struck a mine and sank on 11 July 1942.
V 1236 Augusta was sunk in the North Sea by British aircraft on 18 April 1944.
V 1237 Notre Dame de Dunes was sunk in the North Sea by British aircraft on 18 April 1944.
V 1241 Stangenwalde was sunk in the North Sea off Terschelling, Friesland, Netherlands in a battle with British motor gun boats and motor torpedo boats (MGB 605, MGB 606, MGB 610, MGB 612, MTB 624, MTB 630 and MTB 632) on 1 May 1943.
V 1249 Mewa VIII struck a mine and sank in the North Sea off Borkum, Lower Saxony on 24 February 1943.
V 1250 was sunk in an Allied air raid on Wesermünde, Bremen on 2 June 1944.
V 1252 collided with the flakship FlJ 27 Schiewenhorst and sank in the North Sea off Borkum on 4 April 1943.
V 1254 Hermann Garrels was torpedoed and sunk in the North Sea off Terschelling by a Royal Navy Motor Torpedo Boat on 5 July 1944.
V 1255 Ernst Hecht ran aground and was wrecked on 4 January 1945.
V 1256 Hinrich Onnen was sunk by an Allied aircraft, either with bombs or torpedoes, off Terschelling on 5 July 1945.
V 1262 Verwachting in 1944.
V 1269 struck a mine and sank in the North Sea west of Esbjerg, Denmark on 27 August 1944.
13 Vorpostenflotille
13 Vorpostenflotille was established in September 1939. It was disbanded in January 1945.
V 1300 Stoomloodsvartuig 17
V 1301 Uranus
V 1302 John Mahn – bombed and sunk in the English Channel by Royal Air Force aircraft on 12 February 1942.
V 1303 Freiburg – sunk in the North Sea off Hook of Holland, South Holland, Netherlands by vessels of the 4th MTB Flotilla, RN on 9 October 1944.
V 1304 Eisenach – sunk in the North Sea off IJmuiden, North Holland, Netherlands by MTBs 224, 225, 232, 234,241 and 244 on 6 March 1944.
V 1305 Wuppertal
V 1306 Otto Krogmann
V 1307 Stettin – struck the sunken wreck of Heise and sank in the North Sea off IJmuiden on 24 January 1944.
V 1308 Bredebeck – sunk in the North Sea in a battle with MTB 434 and other vessels of the 54th MTB flotilla on 9 July 1944.
V 1309 Kapitän Stemmer – collided with V 811 Hugo Homann and sank in the North Sea off Hook of Holland on 28 February 1944.
V 1310 Deister
V 1310 Gotland
V 1311 Döse – torpedoed and sunk in the North Sea off Hook of Holland by Royal Navy Motor Torpedo Boats on 11 May 1944.
V 1312 Hermann Siebert
V 1313 Uran
V 1314 Gustav Hugo Deiters – sunk in the North Sea off Den Helder, North Holland by MTBs 666, 682, 681, 683, 684, 687 and 723 on 9 June 1944.
V 1315 Karlsburg
V 1316 Emil Colsmann
V 1317 Wilhelm Michaelsen
V 1318 Hans Pickenpack – struck a mine and sank in the North Sea off Vlieland, Friesland, Netherlands on 27 February 1943.
V 1330 Cyclop
V 1331 Limburgia
V 1332 Norma Maria
V 1333 Zeemeeuw
V 1334 Witte Zee
V 1335 Adelante
V 1336 J. S. Groen
V 1337 Irene
V 1337 Victoire
V 1338 Azimuth
V 1339 Stoomloodsvartuig 12
V 1340 Delft – was bombed and sunk at Noordwijk, North Holland on 27 November 1943.
14 Vorpostenflotille
14 Vorpostenflotille was established on 1 February 1943 and disbanded in 1945.
V 1401 Deister †
V 1402 Hermann Siebert
V 1403 B 1687
V 1403 Simone Marie
V 1404 B 1557
V 1404 Christiane Cécile
V 1405 Ritzebüttel †
V 1406 Frankfurt
V 1407 Kurland
V 1408 Aue ZRD 16 †
V 1408 Cyclop
V 1409 IJM 54
V 1409 Limburgia †
V 1410 IJM 6
V 1410 Norma Maria
V 1411 ZRD 19
V 1411 Zeemeeuw †
V 1412 Witte Zee
V 1413 IJM 19
V 1413 Adelante
V 1414 IJM 130
V 1414 J. S. Groen
V 1415 IJM 195
V 1415 Azimuth †
V 1416 IJM 89 †
V 1416 Irene
V 1417 Stoomloodsvartuig 11 †
V 1418 Frans Naerebout
V 1419 Victoire
V 1420 B 339
V 1420 Saint Joachim
V 1421 Deltra II
V 1422 B 1402
V 1422 Michel François
V 1423 B 3059
V 1423 Emmanuella
V 1424 Le Cid
V 1425 LR 3306
V 1425 Banderole
V 1426 Antoinette
† Losses:- V 1401 Deister suffered a boiler explosion and sank in the North Sea off IJmuiden, North Holland, Netherlands on 26 April 1944; a vessel designated V 1401 was bombed and sunk at IJmuiden on 24 August 1944. V 1405 Ritzebüttel (as V 2008 Ritzebüttel) struck a mine and sank in the Broad Fourteens off Westkapelle, West Flanders, Belgium on 25 February 1943. Ten crew were killed. V 1408 Aue was torpedoed and sunk in the North Sea off IJmuiden by Bristol Beaufighter aircraft of the Royal Air Force on 29 April 1943. V 1409 Limburgia was torpedoed and sunk in Seine Bay by HMMGB 38 and HMMGB 39 on 18 April 1943. V 1411 Zeemeeuw sank in the North Sea off IJmuiden on 5 July 1944. V 1412 Witte Zee was sunk in the North Sea in a battle with HMMTB 455, HMMTB 457, HMMTB 458, HMMTB 467, HMMTB 468, HMMTB 469 and HMMTB 470 on 14 July 1944. V 1415 Azimuth on 26 March 1944. V 1416 was sunk at IJmuiden by Martin B-26 Marauder aircraft of the United States Eighth Air Force. V 1417 Stoomloodsvartuig 11 was sunk in the North Sea off Terschelling, Friesland, Netherlands by British aircraft on 17 January 1945.
15 Vorpostenflotille
15 Vorpostenflotille was formed in September 1939. It was disbanded in 1945.
The unit also operated these Flower-class corvettes captured whilst under construction in France.
16 Vorpostengruppe
16 Vorpostengruppe was formed in July 1940. It was redesignated 16 Vorpostenflotille on 20 September 1940.
16 Vorpostenflotille
16 Vorpostenflotille was formed on 20 September 1940. It was disbanded in July 1945.
17 Vorpostenflotille
17 Vorpostenflotille was formed in June 1940. It was disbanded in 1945.
18 Vorpostengruppe
18 Vorpostengruppe was formed in July 1940. It was redesignated 18 Vorpostenflotille on 3 October 1940.
18 Vorpostenflotille
18 Vorpostenflotille was formed on 3 October 1940. It was disbanded in 1945.
19 Vorpostenflotille
19 Vorpostenflotille was formed in July 1940. It was redesignated 5 Sicherungsflotille on 1 October 1943. One vessel was redesignated within the unit.
20 Vorpostenflotille
20 Vorpostenflotille was formed in July 1940. It was renamed 20 Minensuchflotille post-war.
51 Vorpostenflotille
51 Vorpostenflotille was formed on 23 December 1940. It was disbanded in June 1945. A number of vessels were redesignated within the unit.
‡ Formerly named Hareidingen.
‡‡ Formerly named Aalesund.
53 Vorpostenflotille
53 Vorpostenflotille was formed on 23 December 1940. It was disbanded in June 1945. A number of vessels were redesignated within the unit.
One ship with the pennant number V 5304 was sunk at Lervik, Østfold, Norway by de Havilland Mosquito aircraft of 143 Squadron, Royal Air Force on 15 January 1945.
‡Formerly named Jim.‡‡ Formerly named Pol VIII.
55 Vorpostenflotille
55 Vorpostenflotille was formed in December 1940. It was disbanded in June 1945. A number of vessels were redesignated within the unit.
57 Vorpostenflotille
57 Vorpostenflotille was formed in November 1940. It was disbanded in June 1945. A number of vessels were redesignated within the unit.
59 Vorpostenflotille
59 Vorpostenflotille was formed in February 1941. It was disbanded in June 1945.
61 Vorpostenflotille
61 Vorpostenflotille was formed in November 1940. It was disbanded in June 1945. A number of vessels were redesignated within the unit.
63 Vorpostenflotille
63 Vorpostenflotille was formed in May 1944. It was disbanded in 1945.
64 Vorpostenflotille
64 Vorpostenflotille was formed in June 1944. It was disbanded in 1945.
65 Vorpostenflotille
65 Vorpostenflotille was formed in May 1944. It was disbanded in 1945.
66 Vorpostenflotille
66 Vorpostenflotille was formed in May 1944. It was disbanded in 1945.
67 Vorpostenflotille
67 Vorpostenflotille was formed on 1 July 1944. It was disbanded in 1945.
68 Vorpostenflotille
68 Vorpostenflotille was formed in May 1944. It was disbanded in 1945.
7 and 13 Sicherungsflotille
7 Sicherungflotille was formed in February 1943 and was expanded in March 1943. It was disbanded in October 1944 and its vessels transferred to 13 Sicherungflotille, which was disbanded on 24 April 1945.
References
= Sources
=Gröner, Erich (1988). Die deutschen Kriegsschiffe 1815–1945 (in German). Vol. V Hilfsschiffe II: Lazarettschiffe, Wohnschiffe, Schulschiffe, Forschungsfahrzeuge, Hafenbetriebsfahrzeuge (I). Koblenz: Bernard & Graefe. ISBN 3-7637-4804-0.
Gröner, Erich (1993). Die deutschen Kriegsschiffe 1815-1945 (in German). Vol. 8/I: Flußfahrzeuge, Ujäger, Vorpostenboote, Hilfsminensucher, Küstenschutzverbände (Teil 1). Koblenz: Bernard & Graefe. ISBN 3-7637-4807-5.
Jordan, Roger (1999). The World's Merchant Fleets, 1939. London: Chatham Publishing. ISBN 1-86176-023-X.
Karting, Herbert (2015). Itzehoer Schifffahrtschronik: Die maritime Geschichte der Stadt und ihres Hafens, ihrer Kaufleute, Schiffer, Reeder, Schiffbauer und deren Fahrzeuge bis zur Gegenwart (in German). Falkenburg. ISBN 978-3954940523.
Roche, Jean-Michel (2013). Dictionnaire des bâtiments de la flotte de guerre française de Colbert à nos jours [Dictionary of French Warships from Colbert to Today] (in French). Vol. II: 1870–2006 (2nd ed.). France. ISBN 978-2-9525917-3-7. OCLC 165892922.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)