Kriegsfischkutter Rückzug der 15. deutschen Armee Scheldemündung 1944

[TW]

what you mean by C.L.C. type boat

Französische Fischkutter (Chalutiers Typ C) nach einem Regierungsbauprogram.
Die Kutter hatten etwa 60-70 BRT, zwischen 16,5m und 21m lang
Gröner, DDK Band 8; S. 331/332

[Arjan]

Thanks for the explanation Thomas. Probably yet another KFK with armored bridge :



Gruss,

Arjan

[Arjan]

Spitzgatter KFK im Hafen von Emden 1950 :

https://www.alamy.com/stock-photo/Trawler-im-Hafen-von-Emden.html

I've found more photos from the same series and posted them here :

https://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/235157777-kriegsfischkutter/page/3/#comment-5313062

Arjan

[Arjan]

I've been working on my 1/35 KFK model for quite some time now and I would like to add a basic interior to the wheelhouse. Does anyone have a period photo of the steering wheel plus compass? I doubt if any original interiors have survived until recently.

I'm also looking for some info about the Russian submarines that were allegedly destroyed by the KFKs of 23.U-Jagdflottille.I have a photo of KFK UJ-2303 showing a "Bilanz" on the wheelhouse of three destroyed subs. I have some more photos of KFKs of this unit and they all show painted Croatian flags on the bow and an image of a dice on the wheelhouse. The number of the dots on this dice corresponds with the call sign of the KFK. UJ-2303, therefore, had an image of a dice with three dots on her wheelhouse.

An old thread mentioning 23.U-Jagdflottille :

https://forum-marinearchiv.de/smf/index.php?topic=4544.0

Arjan

[Arjan]

Scan showing Lieutenant Josip Mažuranić's KFK Uj 2303. Note the Bilanz on the wheelhouse :



The scan came from this book (I don't have this book though):

https://www.antikvarijatzz.hr/en/books/hrvatski-argonauti-20-stoljeca-povijest-hrvatske-pomorske-legije-na-crnom-moru-1941-1944/18263/

Some info about the unit in question from

https://www.wlb-stuttgart.de/seekrieg/km/ujaeger/uj21-23.htm#UJ23


23. U-Bootsjagdflottille

Aufgestellt im Mai 1944 in Konstanza. Aufgelöst im Juni 1944.

Operationsgebiet:

1944
Westliches Schwarzes Meer

Flottillenchef:

KKpt. Wolters (Gustav)    05.44 - 06.44

Einheiten:

2301    KFK 81   
= SM 101
2302    KFK 82   
2303    KFK 83   
= SM 102
2304    KFK 84   
2305    KFK 85   
2306    KFK 86   
= SM 103
2307    KFK 92   
2308    KFK 16   
2309    KFK 15   
= SM 104
2310    KFK 372   
= SM 130
2311    KFK 20   
= SM 106
2312    KFK 17   
= SM 107
2313    KFK 373   
2314    KFK 202   
2315    KFK 201   
= SM 111
2316    KFK 31   
= SM 105
2317    KFK 200   
= SM 108
2318    KFK 47   
= SM 109

The Croatian flag painted on both sides of the bow :




Arjan

[Arjan]

Some time ago I also downloaded a set of photos of UJ-2304. You can make out the Croatian ensign on the bow here as well, unfortunately the pic is not clear enough to see the 4-dot dice on the wheelhouse :



Regarding my earlier question about original photos showing the interior of the wheelhouse. I've only managed to find two pics showing a glimpse of the interior. This really bad photo showing the compass:



I wonder what is the thing on the rear wall of the wheelhouse in this scan ?



By the way, this scan also shows the pedestal with the mounted Peilscheibe .

Arjan

[Arjan]

The kill marking images of three subs on UJ-2303 makes me wonder if this is indeed the score of this particular boat or perhaps the tally of the whole 23.UJ-Flottille.I also wonder how these KFK vessels could possibly be successful in sinking subs since they only had 6 depth charges on board. What, if any, sub tracking gear did these KFKs have on board ? Could the apparatus on the rear wall of what I think is UJ-2306 have to do with some type of sonar equipment ? By the way, this pic also seems to show one or more sub kill markings (Bilanz).



Boat UJ-2305 ,however , did not seem to have any kill markings :



Arjan

[Arjan]

A German acquaintance of mine suggested the apparatus on the rear wall of UJ-2306's wheelhouse is probably a Behmlot Echolot :



https://www.geomar.de/fileadmin/content/entdecken/Print/pdfs_de/echolot_brochure_2018_web.pdf

I think he might well be correct.


Arjan

[Arjan]

For my 1/35 model I'm going to focus on KFK 55 (M 3663) because it was active on the Scheldt and it also sank there. And also because there are quite a few photos of this vessel (photos are very important to modelers like myself).

Her Lebenslauf from HMA :

- 01.04.1944 - 36.Minensuchflottille: M 3663
- 03.09.1944 - Flottille verlegt nach und nach in die Ostsee
- 04.09.1944 - Gruppe D (Oblt.z.S. Feller)
- 05.09.1944 - Übersetzverkehr auf der Schelde
- 14.09.1944 - Unterwasserschäden durch Bombensplitter
- 15.09.1944 - Reparatur Werft Vlissingen
- 18.09.1944 - Verlust durch Munitionsexplosion AF 89 auf der Schelde


Other KFKs in 36.Minensuchflottille (HMA) :


Kriegsmarine    M 3660 / KFK 50    HR    Kriegsfischkutter    03.05.1943    00.06.1947 §
Kriegsmarine    M 3661 / KFK 51    HR    Kriegsfischkutter    27.05.1943    00.06.1947 §
Kriegsmarine    M 3662 / KFK 52    HR    Kriegsfischkutter    24.06.1943    19.09.1944 +
Kriegsmarine    M 3663 / KFK 55    HR    Kriegsfischkutter    21.07.1943    18.09.1944 +
Kriegsmarine    M 3664 / KFK 56    HR    Kriegsfischkutter    30.12.1943    04.11.1945 §
Kriegsmarine    M 3665 / KFK 57    HR    Kriegsfischkutter    18.06.1943    04.11.1945 §
Kriegsmarine    M 3666 / KFK 58    HR    Kriegsfischkutter    01.04.1944   
Kriegsmarine    M 3667 / KFK 60    HR    Kriegsfischkutter    07.05.1943    00.06.1947 §
Kriegsmarine    M 3668 / KFK 61    HR    Kriegsfischkutter    30.07.1943    27.04.1944 +
Kriegsmarine    M 3669 / KFK 63    HR    Kriegsfischkutter    06.09.1943    00.06.1947 §
Kriegsmarine    M 3670 / KFK 64    HR    Kriegsfischkutter    29.06.1943    00.06.1947 §
Kriegsmarine    M 3671 / KFK 238    HR    Kriegsfischkutter    20.05.1943    00.06.1947 §
Kriegsmarine    M 3672 / KFK 342    HR    Kriegsfischkutter    04.09.1943    04.11.1945 §
Kriegsmarine    M 3673 / KFK 297    HR    Kriegsfischkutter        31.08.1946 §

By the way I found this 36.Minensuchflottille cap badge on the internet :



I only know one photo of another KFK from 36.Minensuchflottille which is this well-known one of KFK 61 M 3668 :



KFK 61 hit a mine off Ostend in April 1944 and sank. Here is an excerpt from a Belgian pdf that provides more info about this accident and the fate of her crew :

"De in Nederland gebouwde Kriegsfischkutter KFK 61, in dienst gesteld op 30 juli 1943 als mijnenveger M3668 bij de 36 e flottielje, loopt op 27 april 1944 om 22.55u op een mijn in positie 51°-02° 58 min en zinkt. Twaalf bemanningsleden laten het leven waarvan er acht te Oostende begraven worden. Het zijn: Friedrich Weber, geboren op 10 juni 1922, Heinz Liins, geboren op 25 december 1923, Ernst Bahlo, geboren op 03 februari 1925, Eberhard Prillwitz, geboren op 15 februari 1925, Heribert Thiel, geboren op 30 juni 1922, Heinz Drees, geboren op 06 oktober 1925, Georg Kuhn, geboren op 07 januari 1921 en Joachim Schmidt, geboren op 07 december 1922.


Back to KFK 55, some good quality photos of her can be found here :

https://history-classics.de/?page_id=16089

I wonder if anyone can tell where these pics were taken, the background suggests this was not a flat country like Holland or Belgium. France perhaps ?





Arjan

[Arjan]

Since I have little knowledge of either mine sweeping or commercial fishing I thought the baskets seen in the 1950 pics of Emden harbor which I mentioned earlier were lobster pods  .



Later I learned that these baskets were definitely part of KM mine sweeping gear and I also found this pic of a KM mine sweeper that also shows them :



Putting two and two together it seems the men and boats seen in Emden harbor must have belonged to Minenräumverband Cuxhaven :

https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minenr%C3%A4umverband_Cuxhaven

Arjan

[TW]

K.R.G. = Korbräumgerät (in Flachgewässern unter 12 m auf glattem Grund, kann von Motorfischkuttern oder ähnlichen Fahrzeugen gefahren werden). Als Suchgerät meines Erachtens nicht effektiv. Als Räumgerät geeignet für bereits aufgefundene Minen, die nicht gleich auf See abgeschossen werden sollen (um Fischfangverluste zu vermeiden). Daher wahrscheinlich bei den Räumverbänden nach dem Krieg bevorzugt im Einsatz.

[SchlPr11]

Hallo,
auf dem ersten Bild in # 24 sehen wir den vormaligen KFK 217 als Vermessungsboot WEGA des damaligen Deutschen Hydrographischen Institutes Hamburg bei seiner Arbeit mit entsprechendem Gerät.
Ein Griff zurück - die schöne Serie in # 9 vom Bau KFK in der Ukraine ist im Hafen von Cherson aufgenommen (KFK 38-49) im Frühjahr/Sommer 1944 - REINHARD

[Arjan]

Thanks a lot for the info Thomas and Reinhard. So it seems they were probably looking for wrecks rather than mines. In this pic a mast is seen sticking out of the water :



Gruss,

Arjan

[Darius]

For my 1/35 model I'm going to focus on KFK 55 (M 3663) because it was active on the Scheldt and it also sank there. And also because there are quite a few photos of this vessel (photos are very important to modelers like myself).

Her Lebenslauf from HMA :

[...]

Arjan

Hallo Arjan,

vielen Dank für diesen Beitrag - u.a. mit dem Wappen der Flottille und dem Link zu der Fotoserie.



Darius

[Urs Heßling]

hi,

I wonder if anyone can tell where these pics were taken, the background suggests this was not a flat country like Holland or Belgium. France perhaps ?

I think that it is the bridge of Sonderburg (Denmark)

greetings, Urs