Type 343 Hameln Minelayer

The German mine warfare units were capable of minelaying, minehunting, and minesweeping. The Type 343 fast Minesweepers were also known as mine combat boats. This class of minesweeper were built to replace the aging Schuze and were ordered in July 1985. Five of the class were converted in the late 1990's to mine hunters. wiht the other five becoming control ships. The boats of this class were stationed in Olpenitz and belonged to the 5th Minesweeper Squadron.

The minesweepers of the "Hameln" class (343) were truly multi-talented. They could not only provide mines, but also track and tackle. The boats could accommodate 60 mounted on rails mines. They are equipped with mordernen command, control and communication systems, satellite navigation, LINK 11 - equipped command and information system and automatic course and train controllers. The main task of the Mine Search, based on a conventional mine clearance equipment and towed with a hose for reaming inserts against mines with magnetic and acoustic ignition system.

The German Ministry of Defense and the shipbuilding industry investigated the performance of non-magnetisable steel, wood and glass reinforced plastics (GRP) materials for the ships' hulls. The non-magnetisable steel was selected for performance, whole life cost, and mature proven shipbuilding processes. The ship structure is able to meet all minewarfare roles, including surveillance, minelaying, minehunting and minesweeping.

In order to minimise noise emission from the hull, the ship's equipment has been installed on low-frequency, vibration-resilient mountings. The engine components are mounted on an intermediate concrete block with double elastic bearings. The concrete block acts as a counterweight providing vibration attenuation.

Initial employment of the thirty-odd units in this mine force would be their rapid deployment of mines into the Warsaw Pact transit routes and expected amphibious objective areas and then a hasty return to allied SLOCS for mine clearing operations. The intent of this mining effort would be to funnel Pact shipping into more restricted areas and therefore into more advantageous positions for allied targeting. Additional German surface, air, and subsurface units would act to frustrate the Pact minesweeping effort.

German plans were for the introduction of the new Type 343 minelayer into the Baltic in 1988, the 10 ships of this class replaced the aging SCHUTZ 340 class. By 2000, although behind the original schedule, conversions continued on the ten amagnetic steel-hulled, decade-old Type 343 minesweepers, half to Type 352 drone mine countermeasures boat controllers and the others to Type 333 mine hunters.

Specifications

Class Units