Former Yugoslavian Customs boats- German service??

[PT Dockyard]

Here is information from an earlier post on small Yugoslavian customs boats taken over by the Italians and used as sub hunters:

"AS 127 bis AS 129: alle Baujahr 1940, 22 tons, "MB 38" ex "KM 3" und "MB 40" ex "KM 2".

A picture of KM 2 and 3 can be found here:
http://img189.imageshack.us/img189/3870/finans2.jpg

Did any of these see service with the Kriegsmarine? I cannot find any of these designations in Groener's, but many of the hafenschutzboote are not listed at all in this source.

Dave G
The PT Dockyard
http://www.ptdockyard.com

[de domenico]

AS 127 to 129 were the designations given to the Regia Guardia di Finanza MotoBarche MB 37, 38, 40, former Yugoslav KM 1, KM 3 and KM 2, respectively. On 31 Oct. 1942 they formed a part of the Sotto Gruppo Autonomo A.S. at Spalato (Split). The same was true at 8 Sept. 1943, when the skipper of AS 127 was (probably) Brig. RGdF Francesco Galleri. In the Spalato Sottogruppo there were at the time 9 boats (AS 2 to 4, all RGdF motovedette; AS 126 to 129, all RGdF MotoBarche; and AS 142/143, fishing vessels ex B.133 and 578).

According to USMM, "La Marina dall'8 settembre 1943 alla fine del conflitto" (1962), on 10 Sept. at 18:00 two TBs (GIOVANNINI and T.5), one motovedetta, two tugs, one minelayer, a tanker and 2 motovelieri left Spalato to reach Brindisi. Four other small craft and MAS 431, which was non-operational, fell later into German hands. The depot ship CURZOLA and the gunboat ILLIRIA sailed later, in the morning of Sept. 11, with Italian army troops on board but leaving behind ILLIRIA's commander, who tried in vain to rejoin his ship. ILLIRIA reached Brindisi on Sept. 17 via Bua, S.Andrea di Lissa, Pelagosa. At Lagosta there were the torpedo-boat T.5, 3 motovedette AS and the aux. M/S group from Ragusa, which sailed on the 13/14 Sept. night bound for Vieste and Brindisi (T.5). 3 more motovelieri sailed from Split on Sept. 18 evacuating Italian troops, under an agreement with the Yugoslav partisans; a fourth sailed on Sept. 22. On Sept. 23 a small merchant ship convoy arrived from Italy, and sailed in the same evening, with more troops on board. On Sept. 26 the partisans entered Split, while the first German units arrived on Sept. 27 and took over the town over the nex few days, capturing all the Italian personnel which could not be evacuated.