S-Boats in the Federal German Navy 1956 - 1990

On completion of World War Two Germany was demilitarized. In the West former Kriegsmarine-members were sailing under allied Command in some units:

The German Minesweeping Administration (GMSA),

the British Baltic Fishery Protection Service (BBFPS) - also called Unit Klose,

both under British flag, and

the Labor Service Unit (LSU) under US flag,

under German flag  the Bundesgrenzschutz-See (BGS-See).

These formed the personnel and material basis for the Federal German Navy.

On 12.11.1955 the Bundeswehr was established. The formation of the Navy started on 02.10.1956 with a training company. On 01.04.1956 the S-Boat-Training-Squadron was formed under command of Korvettenkapitän Hans-Helmut Klose.

In fall 1957 the following S-boats belonged to the Federal German Navy (Bundesmarine):

Two S-boats of the Kriegsmarine-Type S 100  (UW 10, ex S 130, und UW 11, ex S 208) and six S-boats of the "Silbermöwe"-Class (Class 149)  (Eismöwe, Raubmöwe, Silbermöwe, Sturmmöwe, Wildschwan, Seeschwalbe).

According to the requirements of NATO (Schuyler-letter) teh German Navy was to 

- contribute to denying hostile naval forces the breaking through to the North Sea via the Baltic Approaches or the Kiel Kanal,

- to obviate to a highest possible extent the soviet sea lanes in the Baltic,

- to take part in the allied defence of the German coast of the Baltic and the Danish islands,

- contribute to the preservation of the allied sea lanes in the German coastal waters and the adjacent  sea areas.

In order to accomplish these goals NATO required inter alia 40 S-Boats.