Kriegsfischkutter Rückzug der 15. deutschen Armee Scheldemündung 1944

[Arjan]

I've just found some KFK footage which may already be familiar to some. It concerns one of the KFK's that were built in Greece and sailed from the Black Sea to the Aegean Sea through the Bosporus.The KFK footage starts at 10:01:59. Later also some footage of prisoners of war transported by Pilabos.

https://archiv-akh.de/filme?searchterm=Kriegsfischkutter

Arjan

[Darius]

Hallo Arjan,

sehr schöner Fund.
Wird bei 10:25:07:07 wird kurz das Wrack eines MFP gezeigt?

 

Darius

[Arjan]

Thanks Darius . Looks like the KFK in the footage also had two depth charge racks at the stern. So in total it seems to have carried 12 depth charges :




I think these additional stern dc racks also explains how the Croatian KFK UJ 2303 could have sunk three Russian subs. There is also a scan showing two Croatian KFKs which also have these additional dc racks.

This screen shot from the footage seems to show a speech tube :



Gruss,

Arjan

[Arjan]

I wonder which Flottille Heinz Rettig's KFK belonged to ? Apparently it belonged to a unit of 6 boats :

https://www.braunschweiger-zeitung.de/archiv/article150490996/Dramatische-Rettung-in-letzter-Minute.html

Arjan

[TW]

Gemäß Gröner (DDK) gab es keinen UJ 610.
KFK 610 war laut Gröner unfertig und wurde so am 9. Dez. 1945 von der Sowjetunion übernommen.
Infrage kommt VS 610 (= KFK 501) von der 6. Sicherungsflottille, die teils Minen räumte und teils U-Boote jagte.
KFK 501 war vorher (1944) U-Jäger 1445 gewesen. Die 6. Sicherungsflottille war 1945 in Swinemünde stationiert.
Die Flottille unterstand der 9. Sicherungsdivision
Viele Grüße, Thomas

https://www.wlb-stuttgart.de/seekrieg/km/sichverb/sifl-ost.htm

[Arjan]

Thanks a lot Thomas  . It strikes me that KFKs were often used for evacuations in desperate situations. The Crimea, the Scheldt Estuary, East Prussia and no doubt other regions as well. According to Herwig Danner KFKs were suitable vessels in these circumstances because they were small, nimble and could come close to the shore without running aground. Also they presented a small, hard to hit target for enemy artillery. Especially during the evacuation of the Crimea KFK losses were high, 23.U-Bootsjagdflottille was practically decimated in a very short time.

Gruss,

Arjan

[Rudergänger]

Guten Tag,
einen Heinz Rettig steht auch nicht in den Crewlisten nicht gefunden.

Viele Grüße

Harald

[Arjan]

Thanks Harald ! Today I found some more pics by Erich Andres made in Emden. KFK 214 "Atair":

https://www.alamy.com/schiffsarbeiter-pumpen-sauerstoff-fr-bojentaucher-emden-niedersachsen-deutschland-1950-ship-workers-pump-oxygen-for-buoys-diver-emden-lower-saxony-germany-1950-image334613104.html

At the bottom of the page there are usually more pics to be found.

https://www.alamy.com/bojentaucher-im-wasser-emden-niedersachsen-deutschland-1950-buoys-divers-in-the-water-emden-lower-saxony-germany-1950s-image334613468.html

https://www.bridgemanimages.com/en/noartistknown/ship-workers-put-buoy-emden-lower-saxony-germany-1950/photograph/asset/7098668

Looks like this man is still wearing a KM officer's cap ?

https://www.alamy.com/schiffsarbeiter-mit-hund-emden-niedersachsen-deutschland-1950-ship-worker-with-dog-emden-lower-saxony-germany-1950s-image334613472.html

Gruss,

Arjan

[Arjan]

Today I discovered more pics of KFKs on the IWM site. Post war mine sweeping in Norway and Kiel :

https://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/search?query=GERMANS%20CLEAR%20NORWEGIAN%20WATERS%20OF%20THEIR%20OWN%20MINES.%2011%20AUGUST%201945%2C%20MARVIKEN%2C%20FORMER%20GERMAN%20BASE%20AT%20KRISTIANSAND%2C%20NORWAY.%20UNDER%20NORWEGIAN%20ORDERS%20GERMAN%20MINESWEEPING%20FLOTILLAS%20ARE%20CLEARING%20NORWEGIAN%20WATERS%20OF%20MINES.&page=0

By the way, for my KFK model I'm looking for drawings/dimensions of this type of Fahrwasser Boje (on the left in the pic) :

GERMANS CLEAR NORWEGIAN WATERS OF THEIR OWN MINES. 11 AUGUST 1945, MARVIKEN, FORMER GERMAN BASE AT KRISTIANSAND, NORWAY. UNDER NORWEGIAN ORDERS GERMAN MINESWEEPING FLOTILLAS ARE CLEARING NORWEGIAN WATERS OF MINES.. Image: IWM (A 30094) IWM Non Commercial License

Arjan

[Arjan]

Last night I received another KFK book, it's this one :

https://www.amazon.de/Kriegsfischkutter-Vom-Wachboot-NORDWIND-Entstehung/dp/3885799081

It turns out to be much more interesting/useful than I had thought. A lot of extra info and pics on KFK construction and some accounts by KFK veterans. Also pics of some incredible models made by Herr Klaus Berges and Herr Lothar Wischmeyer. Highly recommended ! A nice surprise is a KFK veteran account of the retreat of the 15.Armee across the Scheldt  :





Arjan

 

[Roeland]

Dear Arjan,
The Dutch Maritime museum has very detailed drawings in their archives of the KFK. I photographed some of these in Rotterdam. They may be of use to better understand this beautiful kotter. I have drawn several parts for 3D printing in 1/35 scale, but it is still a work in progress.
Kind regards,
Roel

[Arjan]

Hallo Roel,

I have also downloaded some online drawings from this museum but unfortunately these copies were too small to read the texts and references. I would be especially interested in a bigger copy of this Gusto topview titled Sperrwaffen plan. Perhaps you've got a bigger copy of this plan :

https://mmr.adlibhosting.com/ais6V50/Details/collect/20014993

The other online drawings can be found here (type in KFK) :

https://mmr.adlibhosting.com/ais6V50/results

Groet,

Arjan

[Roeland]

Dear Arjan,
I have visited the museum itself to actually photograph the drawings from the archives. I had reserved them beforehand. I have contacted the museum archives to ask them for the image you are looking for. The version I have is very likely the same as yours. Among the 600 photos I took was sadly not the image you are looking for.
The people there are very helpful and friendly, so I have taken the liberty to ask them for a better quality image of the drawing you are looking for.
Kind regards,
Roel

[Roeland]

Dear Arjan,
I went through my archives again and I found it!! I have a high resolution image which I will send you.
Kind regards,
Roel

[Arjan]

Much obliged Roeland, these hd photos you've sent are great ! One of the things I wondered about are the two lockers under the forward gun platform. I can now read the texts and to my surprise the port one contained potatoes and the starboard one coal  .



By the way, I also noticed among the Gusto online drawings this one which shows armored visors (Panzerklappen) in the bridge :



Regards,

Arjan