On Tuesday, 13 December 2022 at 10 a.m., the tender "Mosel" and one hour later, at around 11 a.m., the minehunter "Sulzbach-Rosenberg" will arrive in their home port of Kiel in time for the holidays.
Minehunting boat Sulzbach-Rosenberg arriving from the SNMCMG I in Kiel, 2021. photo: Bundeswehr
Both units left Kiel in July of this year for different areas of operation. While the minehunting boat "Sulzbach-Rosenberg" travelled to the eastern Mediterranean, the tender "Mosel" initially remained in the Atlantic coast off the Iberian Peninsula. But in these times, plans can change quickly. The 45-strong crew of the "Sulzbach-Rosenberg" also had to learn this. Prepared for warm temperatures in the Mediterranean, they were ordered by NATO to head north again. "The change from 38°C to 0°C was a bit of a challenge, at least as far as the choice of clothing we took with us was concerned," says Corvette Captain Florian Förster (37), commander of the minehunter. But here, too, the navy was flexible. During a short stop in Hamburg, the crew was able to quickly change their uniforms and civilian clothes from summer to winter clothing. After a total of 14,500 nautical miles and 17 ports in ten countries, the commander summarised the voyage as follows: "For the third deployment in three years, the performance was consistently very good and professional. We were able to show what we can do on an international scale."
The tender "Mosel" was the lead ship of NATO's standing mine countermeasures group (SNMCMG 1 - Standing NATO Mine Countermeasures Group 1) and travelled over 10,000 nautical miles during this time. In addition to the 68 servicemen and women of the regular crew, soldiers from up to six different nations from an international staff were embarked on board. "The absolute highlights of this voyage included arriving in London, passing Tower Bridge in the dark and docking at the famous cruiser HMS Belfast, which is moored in the Thames," says the commander of the tender, Corvette Captain Stefan Ladewich (32). But there were also difficult situations on the voyage, which were handled professionally by the entire crew. The first detonation of a mine by an embarked American EOD (Explosive Ordnance Disposal) team, for example, as well as the flight operation at short notice at night in the Finnish archipelago in order to fly an injured French comrade to hospital with a Finnish rescue helicopter, are among the commander's lasting memories.
But both crews and their commanders have one thing in common - they are all looking forward to spending Christmas with their families and loved ones before it's time to cast off again in 2023.
Background information
In addition to the missions mandated by the German Bundestag, the German Navy is continuously involved in NATO's four multinational naval organisations - such as SNMCMG 1.
The navy permanently deploys ships and boats to them. Participation in NATO organisations is part of Germany's obligations to the Alliance, even in peacetime. The NATO organisations have existed for decades. They are only very roughly limited regionally.
English 
German
0 Kommentare