SMS M68

Virsaitis in Latvian service
History
German Empire
NameSMS M68
BuilderA.G. Neptun, Rostock
Launched25 July 1917
Commissioned6 October 1917
FateSunk 29 October 1917
History
Latvia
NameVirsaitis
AcquiredSalvaged 1919
Commissioned10 November 1921
FateSeized by USSR August 1940
History
Soviet Union
NameT-297
FateSunk 2 December 1941
General characteristics
Class and typeM1916 type minesweeper
Displacement553 t (544 long tons) deep load
Length59.30 m (194 ft 7 in) o/a
Beam7.40 m (24 ft 3 in)
Draught2.2–2.3 m (7 ft 3 in – 7 ft 7 in)
Propulsion2 shaft reciprocating steam engines, 2 coal-fired boilers, 1,850 ihp (1,380 kW)
Speed16 knots (30 km/h; 18 mph)
Range2,000 nmi (3,700 km; 2,300 mi) at 14 kn (16 mph; 26 km/h)
Complement40
Armament

SMS M68[a] was a M1916 type minesweeper built for the Imperial German Navy during the First World War. She entered service on 6 October 1917, but was mined and sunk off Latvia on 29 October 1917. The ship was salvaged by Latvia and entered service with the Latvian Navy on 10 November 1921 under the name Virsaitis as its first vessel. She was taken over by the Soviet Navy in August 1940 when the Soviet Union occupied Latvia in August 1940, serving as T-297 and was sunk by a mine on 2 December 1941.

Design and construction

The M1916 Type minesweeper was an improved and slightly enlarged derivative of the M1914 and M1915 Type minesweepers which Germany had built since 1914. They were fleet minesweepers, seaworthy enough to operate in the open sea, and proved to be successful and reliable in service.[1][2]

M68 was 59.30 m (194 ft 7 in) long overall and 56.00 m (183 ft 9 in) at the waterline, with a beam of 7.40 m (24 ft 3 in) and a draught of 2.2–2.3 m (7 ft 3 in – 7 ft 7 in).[3] The ship had a design displacement of 500 t (490 long tons) and a deep load displacement of 539 t (530 long tons).[3][4] Two coal-fired water-tube boilers fed steam to two sets of 3-cylinder triple expansion steam engines, rated at 1,850 ihp (1,380 kW), which in turn drove two propeller shafts. Speed was 16 kn (18 mph; 30 km/h). 120 tons of coal was carried, sufficient for a range of 2,000 nmi (2,300 mi; 3,700 km) at 14 kn (16 mph; 26 km/h).[3][5]

As built, M68 had a main gun armament of two 8.8 cm (3.5 in) SK L/45 naval guns,[b] while 30 mines could be carried.[3][7] Armament in Latvian service was listed as two 2.9 in (74 mm) Canet guns[c] and one 2-pounder (40 mm) gun in 1931.[8] In Soviet service, the ship was armed with two 76.2 mm (3 inch) guns and two 45 mm guns, backed up by four 7.62 mm machine guns, and was rearmed in September 1941 with three 102 mm (4 inch) and two 37 mm guns, backed up with two 12.7 mm machine guns.[9] The ship had a crew of 40 in German service,[3] with a crew of 69 in Latvia service,[8] and 66 in Soviet service.[9]

M68 was laid down early in 1917 at A. G. Neptun's shipyard in Rostock as yard number 382,[4][9] was launched on 25 July 1917 and was commissioned on 6 October 1917.[10]

Service

Germany

M68 joined the 3rd Minesweeping half-flotilla of the 2nd Minesweeping Flotilla, operating in the Baltic.[11] Her service with the Imperial German Navy was short, however, as she was sunk after striking a mine off Riga on 29 October 1917.[10]

Latvia

In 1918, M68 was raised and taken to Riga for repair, but in January 1919 was seized by the forces of the Latvian Socialist Soviet Republic as they gained control of most of the country during the Latvian War of Independence. In May 1919, M68 changed hands again when Riga was captured by German Freikorps,[9] and in July control of Riga passed back to the forces of the Latvian Provisional Government.[12] With repairs complete, the ship was commissioned into the Latvian Navy as Virsaitis on 10 November 1921,[9][10] serving as a guardship.[13]

In October 1939, Latvia was pressured into signing a Mutual Assistance Treaty with the Soviet Union, permitting the Soviets to base troops on Latvian territory, and in June 1940 the Soviet Union occupied Latvia, with Latvia formally being incorporated into the Soviet Union on 3 August 1940.[14] As a result, the Latvian armed forces, including its Navy, became part of the Soviet armed forces.[13]

Soviet Navy

As part of this process, Virsaitis joined the Soviet Baltic Fleet on 19 August 1940 as a minesweeper, and was renamed T-297.[9] Germany invaded the Soviet Union on 22 June 1941.[15] T-297, which was redesignated as an escort vessel on 25 July 1941 (returning to the name Virsaitis), was used to defend naval bases and communication routes.[9] From 31 October 1941, the Baltic Fleet carried out a series of convoy operations to evacuate the garrison of the Hanko Peninsula, which the Finns had been forced to lease to the Soviets for use as a naval base following the Winter War between Finland and the Soviet Union, but was now besieged. Virsaitis took part in the fourth evacuation convoy on 24 November 1941 and the final operation, which left Hanko on the evening of 2 December. Virsaitis struck a mine later that day and sank[clarification needed].[16]

Wreck site

A sonar image of the wreck of Virsaitis

In 2011, the wreck of Virsaitis was found off the coast of Finland near Hanko.[17]

Notes

  1. ^ "SMS" stands for "Seiner Majestät Schiff" (German: His Majesty's Ship)
  2. ^ SK stood for Schnellfeuerkanone (German: quick-firing gun).[6]
  3. ^ Possibly ex-Russian 75mm 50 caliber Pattern 1892 guns.

References

  1. ^ Gardiner & Gray 1985, pp. 186–187
  2. ^ Lenton 1975, p. 336
  3. ^ a b c d e Gardiner & Gray 1985, p. 186
  4. ^ a b Gröner, Jung & Maass 1983, p. 160
  5. ^ Gröner, Jung & Maass 1983, pp. 160, 162
  6. ^ Gröner, Jung & Maass 1983, p. 17
  7. ^ Gröner, Jung & Maass 1983, p. 162
  8. ^ a b Parkes 1973, p. 173
  9. ^ a b c d e f g Berezhnoy 1994, p. 94
  10. ^ a b c Gröner, Jung & Maass 1983, p. 164
  11. ^ Gagen 1964, p. 416
  12. ^ Bennett 2002, pp. 139–140
  13. ^ a b Gardiner & Chesneau 1980, p. 353
  14. ^ Davies 1995, pp. 672–673
  15. ^ Rohwer & Hümmelchen 1992, pp. 68–69
  16. ^ Rohwer & Hümmelchen 1992, pp. 95, 99, 102
  17. ^ "Возле Финляндии найден первый военный корабль Латвии, затонувший в 1941 году". Delfi (in Russian). 10 October 2011. Retrieved 28 September 2019.

Bibliography

  • Bennett, Geoffrey (2002). Freeing the Baltic. Edinburgh: Birlinn. ISBN 1-84341-001-X.
  • Berezhnoy, Sergey (1994). Трофеи и репарации ВМФ СССР [Trophies and reparations of the Soviet Navy] (in Russian). Yakutsk: Sakhapoligrafizdat. OCLC 33334505.
  • Davies, Norman (1995). "Latvia". In Dear, I. C. B.; Foot, M. R. D. (eds.). The Oxford Companion to World War Two. Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-866225-4.
  • Gagen, Ernst von (1964). Der Krieg in der Ostsee: Dritter Band: Von Anfang 1916 bis zum kriegsende. Der Krieg zur See: 1914–1918 (in German). Frankfurt, Germany: Verlag von E. S. Mittler und Sohn.
  • Gardiner, Robert; Chesneau, Roger, eds. (1980). Conway's All The World's Fighting Ships 1922–1946. London: Conway Maritime Press. ISBN 0-85177-146-7.
  • Gardiner, Robert; Gray, Randal, eds. (1985). Conway's All The World's Fighting Ships 1906–1921. London: Conway Maritime Press. ISBN 0-85177-245-5.
  • Gröner, Erich; Jung, Dieter; Maass, Martin (1983). Die deutschen Kriegsschiffe 1815–1945: Band 2: Torpedoboote, Zerstörer, Schnellboote, Minensuchboote, Minenräumboote (in German). Koblenz: Bernard & Graef Verlag. ISBN 3-7637-4801-6.
  • Lenton, H. T. (1975). German Warships of the Second World War. London: Macdonald and Jane's. ISBN 0-356-04661-3.
  • Parkes, Oscar, ed. (1973) [First published 1931 by Sampson Low, Marston]. Jane's Fighting Ships 1931. David & Charles (Publishers) Limited. ISBN 0-7153-5849-9.
  • Rohwer, Jürgen; Hümmelchen, Gerhard (1992). Chronology of the War At Sea 1939–1945. London: Greenhill Books. ISBN 1-85367-117-7.

Read other articles:

دوري ساموا الأمريكية لكرة القدم 2001

هذه المقالة يتيمة إذ تصل إليها مقالات أخرى قليلة جدًا. فضلًا، ساعد بإضافة وصلة إليها في مقالات متعلقة بها. (نوفمبر 2019) دوري ساموا الأمريكية لكرة القدم 2001 تفاصيل الموسم دوري ساموا الأمريكية لكرة القدم  البلد الولايات المتحدة  دوري ساموا الأمريكية لكرة القدم 2000  دوري �...

 

Svalbard

SvalbardSvalbardSpitsbergen/Spitzbergen BenderaIbu kota(dan kota terbesar)LongyearbyenBahasa resmiNorwegiaKelompok etnik 72% Norwegia16% Rusia/Ukraina12% lainnyaPemerintahanWilayah Norwegia• Gubernur Odd Olsen Ingerø (2009–) Luas - Total61,022 km2Populasi - Perkiraan2,572 (2009)[1]Mata uangKrone Norwegia (NOK)Zona waktuCET (UTC +1)(CEST (UTC+2))Kode telepon47Ranah Internet.no (.sj dialokasikan namun tidak digunakan[2]) Sunting kotak info ...

 

Eparki Jagdalpur

Eparki Jagdalpurजगदलपुर के सूबाGereja Katolik Siro-Malabar LokasiNegaraIndiaProvinsi gerejawiRaipurMetropolitRaipurStatistikLuas39.176 km2 (15.126 sq mi)Populasi- Total- Katolik(per 2009)2.953.4697,869 (0.3%)Paroki28InformasiDenominasiGereja Katolik Siro-MalabarRitusRitus Siria TimurPendirian23 Maret 1972KatedralKatedral Santo Yosef di JagdalpurPelindungSanto YosefKepemimpinan kiniPausFransiskusUskup agung mayorMar George Alencherry...

Gingoog

Component city in Misamis Oriental, Philippines Component city in Northern Mindanao, PhilippinesGingoogComponent cityCity of GingoogFrom top, left to right: Skyline view, City Hall, Cebu Pacific Flight 387 Memorial Park FlagSealNickname: City of Good luckMap of Misamis Oriental with Gingoog highlightedOpenStreetMapGingoogLocation within the PhilippinesCoordinates: 8°49′N 125°06′E / 8.82°N 125.1°E / 8.82; 125.1CountryPhilippinesRegionNorthern MindanaoProvin...

 

Franco Civolani

Franco Civolani Nazionalità  Italia Calcio Ruolo Difensore, centrocampista Termine carriera 1955 Carriera Squadre di club1 1945-1946 Ardenza? (?)1947-1948 Pisa30 (1)1948-1949 Livorno2 (0)1949-1951 Anconitana62 (5)1951-1955 Arsenaltaranto32 (0)1955 Empoli3 (0) 1 I due numeri indicano le presenze e le reti segnate, per le sole partite di campionato.Il simbolo → indica un trasferimento in prestito.   Modifica dati su Wikidata · Manuale Franco Civolani...

 

Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter

1984 film by Joseph Zito Friday the 13th: The Final ChapterTheatrical release posterDirected byJoseph ZitoScreenplay byBarney CohenStory byBruce Hidemi SakowBased onCharactersby Victor MillerRon KurzMartin KitrosserCarol WatsonProduced byFrank Mancuso Jr.Starring Kimberly Beck Peter Barton Crispin Glover CinematographyJoão FernandesEdited byJoel GoodmanDaniel LoewenthalMusic byHarry ManfrediniProductioncompaniesFriday Four, Inc.[1]Distributed byParamount Pictures[1]Release da...

Interspecific competition

Form of competition Subadult male lion and female spotted hyena in the Masai Mara. The two species share the same ecological niche, and are thus in competition with each other. Interspecific competition, in ecology, is a form of competition in which individuals of different species compete for the same resources in an ecosystem (e.g. food or living space). This can be contrasted with mutualism, a type of symbiosis. Competition between members of the same species is called intraspecific compet...

 

The Baron (novella)

1942 postmodern novella by Branquinho da Fonseca O Barão redirects here. For the film adaptation, see The Baron (film). The Baron AuthorBranquinho da Fonseca (as António Madeira)Original titleO BarãoTranslatorFrancisco Cota Fagundes (1996)John Byrne (1997)CountryPortugalLanguagePortuguesePublication date1942 The Baron (Portuguese: O Barão) is a 1942 postmodern novella by Branquinho da Fonseca originally published under his pen name António Madeira.[1] The plot revolves aroun...

 

كريتي سانون

كريتي سانون (بالإنجليزية: Kriti Sanon)‏    معلومات شخصية الميلاد 27 يوليو 1990 (34 سنة)[1]  نيودلهي  مواطنة الهند  لون الشعر شعر أسود  الطول 1.77 متر[2]  الديانة هندوسية[3]  إخوة وأخوات نوبور سانون  [لغات أخرى]‏  الحياة العملية المهنة ممثلة[4]، ...

Diego Alves

Brazilian footballer (born 1985) In this Portuguese name, the first or maternal family name is Alves and the second or paternal family name is Carreira. Diego Alves Alves warming up with Flamengo in 2018Personal informationFull name Diego Alves Carreira[1]Date of birth (1985-06-24) 24 June 1985 (age 38)Place of birth Rio de Janeiro, BrazilHeight 1.87 m (6 ft 2 in)[2]Position(s) GoalkeeperYouth career2001–2003 Botafogo-SP2004 Atlético MineiroSenior ca...

 

Futebol Clube do Porto 1986-1987

Voce principale: Futebol Clube do Porto. F.C. PortoStagione 1986-1987Sport calcio Squadra Porto Allenatore Artur Jorge Presidente Pinto da Costa Primeira Divisão2º Taça de PortugalSemifinali Coppa CampioniVincitore Supercoppa di PortogalloVincitore Miglior marcatoreCampionato: Fernando Gomes (21)Totale: Fernando Gomes (26) 1985-1986 1987-1988 Si invita a seguire il modello di voce Questa voce raccoglie le informazioni riguardanti lo Futebol Clube do Porto nelle competizioni ufficiali...

 

Joseph Kellaway

Joseph KellawayNascitaKingston, 1º settembre 1824 MorteChatham, 2 ottobre 1880 Luogo di sepolturaMaidstone Road Cemetery Dati militariPaese servito Gran Bretagna Forza armataRoyal Navy Anni di servizio1841 - 1878 GradoCapo Nostromo GuerreGuerra di Crimea Decorazionivedi qui dati tratti da Joseph Kellaway VC[1] voci di militari presenti su Wikipedia Manuale Joseph Kellaway (Kingston, 1º settembre 1824 – Chatham, 2 ottobre 1880) è stato un militare britannico, insignit...

قائمة البلدان والتبعيات حسب الكثافة السكانية

الكثافة السكانية (نسمة لكل كم2) حسب البلد عام 2018 هذه قائمة الدول والتبعيات حسب الكثافة السكانية مرتبة حسب عدد الأشخاص في الكيلومتر المربع. المنهجية تشمل القائمة جميع الدول والتبعيات ذات الحكم الذاتي المعترف بها من قبل الأمم المتحدة، والمأخوذة من معيار الأيزو 3166-1. القائمة ت...

 

Whelk Point Fort

Part of the remains of the barracks of the Whelk Point Fort The Whelk Point Fort was a colonial fort erected on the southeast part of Tortola in the British Virgin Islands. The fort fell into disrepair and ruin, and relatively little of the original structure remains. In 1992 a house was built over the original foundations of the fort, but the remains of the barracks can still be seen on the land behind the house. The ruins are on private property and are not generally accessible to the publ...

 

哈萨克斯坦总统

此条目序言章节没有充分总结全文内容要点。 (2019年3月21日)请考虑扩充序言，清晰概述条目所有重點。请在条目的讨论页讨论此问题。 哈萨克斯坦總統哈薩克總統旗現任Қасым-Жомарт Кемелұлы Тоқаев卡瑟姆若马尔特·托卡耶夫自2019年3月20日在任任期7年首任努尔苏丹·纳扎尔巴耶夫设立1990年4月24日（哈薩克蘇維埃社會主義共和國總統） 哈萨克斯坦 哈萨克斯坦政府...

Acropolis Museum

Archaeological museum in Athens, Greece Acropolis MuseumΜουσείο ΑκρόποληςThe Acropolis Museum as seen from the top of the Acropolis of AthensInteractive fullscreen mapEstablished20 June 2009 (2009-06-20) [1]LocationDionysiou Areopagitou StreetAthens, GreeceCoordinates37°58′09″N 23°43′42″E / 37.969108°N 23.728299°E / 37.969108; 23.728299TypeArchaeological MuseumCollection size4,250+ objectsVisitors1,451,727 (2022)[...

 

Бертольд V Церинген

Бертольд Vнем. Berthold V. von Zähringen Профиль Бертольда V. Башня в Берне, Швейцария Герцог Церингенский 8 декабря 1186 — 18 февраля 1218 Предшественник Бертольд IV Церингенский Преемник герцогство ликвидировано Рождение ок.1160 Смерть 18 февраля 1218(1218-02-18)Фрайбург Место погребения Ф�...

 

James Kottak

American drummer (1962–2024) This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.Find sources: James Kottak – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (January 2024) (Learn how and when to remove this message) James KottakKottak performing in 2014Background informationBorn(1962-12-26)December 26, 1962Louisville, Kentucky...

Nikola Sibiak

Nikola SibiakNikola Sibiak en 2019InformationsNaissance 21 juin 2000 (24 ans)DarłowoNationalité polonaisemodifier - modifier le code - modifier Wikidata Nikola Sibiak (née le 21 juin 2000 à Darłowo) est une coureuse cycliste polonaise, spécialiste des disciplines du sprint sur piste. Palmarès sur piste Championnats du monde Épreuve / Édition Keirin Vitesse individuelle Vitesse par équipes Aigle 2018 (juniors) Argent Bronze Bronze Roubaix 2021 5e Coupe des nations 2021 2e de la ...

 

Gilles Tremblay (ice hockey)

Canadian ice hockey player Ice hockey player Gilles Tremblay Born (1938-12-17)December 17, 1938Montmorency, Quebec, CanadaDied November 26, 2014(2014-11-26) (aged 75)Montreal, Quebec, CanadaHeight 5 ft 10 in (178 cm)Weight 170 lb (77 kg; 12 st 2 lb)Position Left wingShot LeftPlayed for Montreal CanadiensPlaying career 1956–1969 Joseph Jean Gilles Tremblay (December 17, 1938[1] – November 26, 2014) was a Canadian ice hockey left winger wh...