German training ship Gorch Fock (1958)

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History
Germany
NameGorch Fock II
NamesakeJohann Kinau, AKA "Gorch Fock"
OwnerGerman Navy (Deutsche Marine)
Builder
Blohm & Voss
Yard number804
Launched23 August 1958
Commissioned17 December 1958
HomeportKiel
Identification
StatusIn active service, as of 2014
General characteristics
Class and typeType 441 training ship
Displacement1760 tons
Length81.2 m (266 ft)
Beam12 m (39 ft)
Draught5.2 m (17 ft)
Installed power1,220 kW (1660 hp)
PropulsionSail, auxiliary six-cylinder diesel engine
Sail planthree-masted barque
Speed13.7 knots (25.4 km/h; 15.8 mph) under power

The Gorch Fock is a tall ship of the German Navy (Deutsche Marine), built in 1958 as a replacement for the original Gorch Fock built in 1933 which was taken as war reparations by the Soviet Union after World War II, renamed Tovarishch, and returned to Germany in 2003.

Both ships are named in honour of the German writer

Naval Academy in Flensburg-Mürwik
.

The ship

Gorch Fock at a pier in the evening.
Verso of the German 10-Mark-banknote, 3rd series
Line art of the Gorch Fock

Germany lost all of its school ships as

Albert Leo Schlageter
, a slightly modified sister ship of the previous Gorch Fock.

The 1933 Gorch Fock had already been designed to be a very safe ship: she had a righting moment large enough to bring her back into the upright position even when heeling over to nearly 90°. Nevertheless some last-minute changes to the design were made in response to the Pamir disaster in 1957, especially concerning the strength of the body and the bulkheads as well as the lifesaving equipment, including the lifeboats.

The new ship was built by

Type 441 class naval ship with the NATO pennant number A60. Her international radio call sign
is DRAX.

Renovations and repair problems

Over the years, various modernizations have been applied to the ship. She was fitted with air conditioning, the asbestos used originally was removed and replaced by less dangerous materials in 1991, and in that year she also received a new auxiliary engine, a six cylinder diesel engine producing 1,220 kW (1660 hp), giving the ship a top speed of 13.7 knots (25.4 km/h; 15.8 mph) under power. The interior has also been modified multiple times; technological advances made it possible to reduce the size of the galley and enlarge the crew quarters.

In November 2015 the ship was brought to the German shipyard

executive board and the board of directors of the shipyard were released of their duty.[5]

While the Gorch Fock is under repair the Romanian sister ship Mircea has been used for training.[3]

On 1 September 2021 the Gorch Fock took to sea for the first time in six years for its first trial run after its extensive renovations.[6]

On 30 September 2021 the Gorch Fock will be returned to the German navy.[7]

The figurehead

Gorch Fock's figurehead (2006)

The ship's figurehead was designed by Heinrich Schroeteler[citation needed], a former World War II U-boat commander. The figurehead has been replaced on several occasions:

  • The first albatross from 1958 was lost after a few years; its replacement was made of wood, like the original.
  • In 1969, the replacement was removed and replaced by a figurehead made of polyester to save weight.
  • This albatross broke off when the Gorch Fock was being overhauled in 2000. It was replaced by a new one made of wood.
  • On 11 December 2002, the Gorch Fock figurehead was lost in a storm. The replacement was also made of wood.
  • Again, the figurehead broke off in a storm on 5 December 2003. On 24 February 2004, the ship was fitted with a new albatross, this time made of
    carbon fibre
    reinforced polyester.

The cruises

Naval Academy Mürwik
in Flensburg
Stern view of Gorch Fock, showing the German naval ensign and the ship's rigging.
Return of Gorch Fock from a training cruise to home port Kiel (2009)

The Gorch Fock has been in German Navy service as a training ship since 1958. Since she has been commissioned, more than 14,500 cadets have been trained on the Gorch Fock.[8] The Gorch Fock participates in sailing parades and Tall Ships' Races, where she is in amicable rivalry with the Italian vessel Amerigo Vespucci. Other ships of the same class include the USCGC Eagle, Sagres, Gorch Fock (1933) and Mircea. The Gorch Fock can host up to 350 passengers on board.

In 1987–88, she sailed around the world, with stopovers on five continents. Lasting 336 days, this was her second longest cruise, topped only by a training cruise in 1996–97 from Kiel to Bangkok and back that lasted 343 days.[8]

At least six sailors have died in accidents aboard the Gorch Fock, either by falling from the rigging or by going overboard. Recent fatalities include an 18-year-old officer-candidate who went overboard at night in the

Salvador da Bahia (Brazil).[9]

In the aftermath of the latest accident, naval cadets refused to climb the rigging (the highest position on the main mast being 45 metres or 148 feet), and four of them were subsequently accused of "inciting rebellion".[10] This was described as a mutiny in some accounts. Subsequently, officers' training on board the Gorch Fock was suspended, pending a thorough review of training protocols as well as the entire training program. According to a 19 November 2010 statement issued by the German Fleet Command, the officer candidates then on board were to be flown back to Germany to continue their training[9] while the ship was docked in Ushuaia, Argentina.[10] The commanding officer was suspended, and a commission was appointed to investigate claims of sexual harassment and improper conduct.[11] On 13 March 2011, all charges against the commanding officer were dismissed.[12]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e Matthias Gebauer (January 13, 2019). "Von der Leyen und das "Gorch Fock"-Debakel" (in German). Der Spiegel. Retrieved January 13, 2019.
  2. ^ Federal Ministry of Defense (BMVg) (January 26, 2017). "Von der Leyen: "Gorch Fock soll weitersegeln"". BMVg. Archived from the original on December 20, 2018. Retrieved January 13, 2019.
  3. ^ a b Christoph Prössl (20 March 2018). "135 Millionen Euro für ein Stück Tradition". Tagesschau.de (in German). Hamburg: ARD-aktuell. Retrieved 20 March 2018.
  4. ^ ""Gorch Fock" soll für bis zu 135 Millionen Euro saniert werden". Stern (in German). Hamburg: Gruner + Jahr. 20 March 2018. Retrieved 20 March 2018.
  5. ^ Vorstand entlassen, Der Spiegel, January 30, 2019
  6. ^ "Sanierte "Gorch Fock" schippert über die Weser zur Nordsee". Norddeutscher Rundfunk (in German). 2021-09-01. Retrieved 2021-09-01.
  7. ^ ""Gorch Fock" wird am 30. September an die Marine übergeben" (in German). Oldenburg: Norddeutscher Rundfunk. 8 June 2021. Retrieved 18 July 2021.
  8. ^ a b "Statistiken" (in German). German Navy. 25 August 2008.
  9. ^ a b "Woman sailor dies in Gorch Fock training accident"
  10. ^ a b "Germany investigates alleged Gorch Fock Mutiny"
  11. ^ "BBC News - Gorch Fock case: German navy cadets 'mistreated'". 25 January 2011. Retrieved 2011-01-25.
  12. ^ "Investigators clear Gorch Fock commander of allegations" The Local, 13 March 2011

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to IMO 5133644.
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