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:

Camar-kejar

Camar-kejar Stercorariidae Camar-kejar pomarinTaksonomiKerajaanAnimaliaFilumChordataKelasAvesOrdoCharadriiformesFamiliStercorariidae Spesieslbs Camar-kejar adalah sekelompok burung laut tipe pemangsa dalam genus Stercorarius pada keluarga Stercorariidae. Dalam genus Stercorarius, ada tujuh spesies camar-kejar. Sebanyak tiga spesies camar-kejar berukuran lebih kecil dinamakan jaegers dalam bahasa Inggris Amerika. Camar-kejar bersarang di tanah di daerah beriklim sedang dan Arktik, dan merupaka...

 

Vicenza

Disambiguazione – Se stai cercando altri significati, vedi Vicenza (disambigua). Vicenzacomune Vicenza – Veduta LocalizzazioneStato Italia Regione Veneto Provincia Vicenza AmministrazioneSindacoGiacomo Possamai (PD) dal 29-5-2023 TerritorioCoordinate45°33′N 11°33′E / 45.55°N 11.55°E45.55; 11.55 (Vicenza)Coordinate: 45°33′N 11°33′E / 45.55°N 11.55°E45.55; 11.55 (Vicenza) Altitudine39 m s.l.m. Superfic...

 

Amy Acker

Amy AckerLahirAmy Louise Acker5 Desember 1976 (umur 47)Dallas, Texas, Amerika SerikatPekerjaanAktrisTahun aktif1998–sekarangSuami/istriJames Carpinello ​(m. 2003)​Anak2Situs webwww.amyackeronline.com Amy Louise Acker (lahir 5 Desember 1976) adalah aktris asal Amerika Serikat. Ia mulai dikenal sejak membintangi serial televisi Angel dan Kelly Peyton dalam serial televisi Alias. Saat ini, Amy memerankan Samantha Root dalam Person of Interest. Filmografi...

Final Piala FA 1971

Final Piala FA 1971TurnamenPiala FA 1970–1971 Arsenal Liverpool 2 1 setelah perpanjangan waktuTanggal8 Mei 1971StadionStadion Wembley, LondonWasitNorman BurtenshawPenonton100.000← 1970 1972 → Final Piala FA 1971 adalah pertandingan sepak bola antara Arsenal dan Liverpool yang diselenggarakan pada 8 Mei 1971 di Stadion Wembley, London. Pertandingan ini merupakan pertandingan final ke-90 Piala FA sebagai pertandingan penentu pemenang musim 1970–1971. Pertandingan ini dimenangkan...

 

Metropolis Part I

Metropolis Part I is an EP by American electronic music trio The M Machine. It was released on April 24, 2012,[1] and is the first part of a two-part concept album describing the story of a dystopian city known as Metropolis, as described by the digital liner notes available on their website. It was released on Owsla. The songs A King Alone and Faces feature vocals from the band members, while Shadow in the Rose Garden features vocals from Kelly Koval, which themselves are sampled fro...

 

Pro Display XDR

Computer monitor sold by Apple Inc. Pro Display XDRPro Display XDR with Pro StandDeveloperApple Inc.TypeComputer monitorRelease dateDecember 10, 2019; 4 years ago (2019-12-10)PredecessorApple Thunderbolt DisplayRelatedApple Studio DisplayWebsiteOfficial website The Pro Display XDR is a 32-inch flat panel computer monitor created by Apple, based on an LG supplied display,[1] and released on December 10, 2019. It was announced at the Apple Worldwide Developers Conferen...

Football 7-a-side at the 2012 Summer Paralympics

Football 7-a-sideat the XIV Paralympic GamesVenueOlympic Hockey CentreDates1 – 9 SeptemberCompetitors96 (8 teams)Medalists Russia  Russia Ukraine  Ukraine Iran  Iran←20082016→ Football 7-a-side at the 2012 Summer Paralympics[1] was held in London at the Olympic Hockey Centre, from 1 September to 9 September. Football 7-a-side is played by athletes with cerebral palsy, a condition characterized by impairment of muscular coordination. 96 footballers are expected to...

 

Mount Tom (California)

Mountain in eastern California Mount TomMount Tom from the northeastHighest pointElevation13,658 ft (4,163 m) NAVD 88[1]Prominence1,972 ft (601 m)[1]Parent peakMount Humphreys[2]ListingNorth America highest peaks 85thUS highest major peaks 68thCalifornia highest major peaks 12thSierra Peaks Section[3]Western States Climbers Star peak[4]Coordinates37°20′19″N 118°39′30″W / 37.3385441°N 118.6584...

 

Brocklebank Dock railway station

Disused railway station in England 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: Brocklebank Dock railway station – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (February 2009) (Learn how and when to remove this message) Brocklebank DockGeneral informationLocationLiverpool, Liverpool, MerseysideEnglandPlatf...

Federalism

Political concept This article is about the form of government. For other uses, see Federalism (disambiguation).   Federal states   Unitary states Part of the Politics seriesPolitics Outline Index Category Primary topics Outline of political science Index of politics articles Politics by country Politics by subdivision Political economy Political history Political history of the world Political philosophy Political systems Anarchy City-state Collective leadership Democracy...

 

جنوب إيطاليا

جنوب إيطاليا Mezzogiorno   الإحداثيات 41°11′39″N 15°14′33″E / 41.194189°N 15.242417°E / 41.194189; 15.242417   تقسيم إداري  البلد إيطاليا مناطق إيطاليا List أبروتسو بوليا بازيليكاتا كالابريا كامبانيا موليزي صقلية سردينيا خصائص جغرافية  المجموع 123٬024 كم2 (47٬500 ميل2) عدد الس...

 

الإجهاض في فرنسا

الولادات والإجهاض القانوني والإجهاض السري في فرنسا بين عامي 1968 و 2005. الإجهاض في فرنسا قانوني عند الطلب حتى 12 أسبوعًا بعد الحمل (14 أسبوعًا بعد آخر دورة شهرية). يُسمح بالإجهاض في مراحل لاحقة من الحمل إذا شهد طبيبان بأن الإجهاض سيتم لمنع حدوث إصابة دائمة خطيرة بالصحة الجسدية أو...

Massachusetts wine

MassachusettsWine regionOfficial nameCommonwealth of MassachusettsTypeU.S. stateYear established1788CountryUnited StatesSub-regionsMartha's Vineyard AVA, Southeastern New England AVAClimate regionContinental/maritime in Outer LandsTotal area10,555 square miles (27,337 km2)Grapes producedAurore, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cayuga, Chardonnay, Concord, Marechal Foch, Pinot noir, Riesling, Seyval blanc, Vidal blanc[1]No. of wineriesover 55 Massachusetts wine refers to wine made from grapes ...

 

Chromaticism

Compositional technique in music This article has multiple issues. Please help improve it or discuss these issues on the talk page. (Learn how and when to remove these template messages) This article may be too technical for most readers to understand. Please help improve it to make it understandable to non-experts, without removing the technical details. (November 2022) (Learn how and when to remove this message) This article may contain an excessive amount of intricate detail that may inter...

 

Gelombang radio

Gelombang radio Gelombang radio adalah salah satu jenis radiasi elektromagnetik dengan panjang gelombang dalam spektrum elektromagnetik lebih panjang dari radiasi inframerah. Pembentukannya dimulai ketika benda yang mengandung muatan listrik mengalami peningkatan frekuensi dengan tingkat frekuensi radio. Gelombang radio terbentuk pada suatu spektrum elektromagnetik. Perambatan gelombang radiasinya melalui osilasi secara kelistrikan maupun magnetik.[1] Pengiriman gelombang radio pertam...

Houlihan Lokey

American investment bank and financial services company Houlihan Lokey, Inc.Headquarters at Constellation PlaceCompany typePublicTraded asNYSE: HLI (Class A)S&P 400 componentIndustryInvestment bankingFounded1972; 52 years ago (1972)HeadquartersConstellation PlaceLos Angeles, California, United StatesKey peopleIrwin Gold (co-chairman)Scott Beiser (co-chairman)Scott Adelson (CEO)David Preiser (vice chairman)ProductsFinancial servicesInvestment bankingRevenue US$1.91 b...

 

Baseball5

WBSC-governed variation of baseball Baseball5Highest governing bodyWorld Baseball Softball ConfederationNicknamesB5CharacteristicsContactLimitedTeam members5 (plus 3 substitutes)Mixed-sexSingle or mixedTypeSafe haven gameEquipment(Rubber) Baseball5 ballGlossaryGlossary of Baseball5 termsPresenceOlympicYouth Olympics from 2026World ChampionshipsBaseball5 World Cup Youth Baseball5 World Cup Baseball5 (B5) is an internationally played safe haven game with many of the same rules as baseball ...

 

Kinetoscopio

Kinetoscopio Vista interna di un kinetoscopio Il kinetoscopio è un apparecchio prodotto da Thomas Edison nel 1888, precursore di un proiettore cinematografico. Fu sviluppato tra il 1889 e il 1892 dall'operatore di Edison William Dickson.[1] Indice 1 Descrizione 2 Note 3 Altri progetti 4 Collegamenti esterni Descrizione Si trattava di una sorta di grande cassa sulla cui sommità si trovava un oculare; lo spettatore poggiava l'occhio su di esso, inseriva una moneta, girava la manovella...

希臘州份

2011年年前，希腊行政区划包括13个大区，下辖51个州。另有三个大州，包括雅典-比雷埃夫斯大州，下辖雅典和比雷埃夫斯两个州；兹拉马-卡瓦拉-克桑西大州下辖兹拉马、卡瓦拉、克桑西三个州和罗多彼-埃夫罗斯大州下辖罗多彼和埃夫罗斯两个州。2011年的行政改革，州被廢除，以大區下轄的專區取代。 根据希腊宪法，州为二级行政机构（單數：νομός，nomos；眾數：νομο...

 

Woman Key

Woman KeyWoman Key is an uninhabited mangrove island about 10 nautical miles from Key WestWoman KeyWoman KeyShow map of FloridaWoman KeyWoman Key (Caribbean)Show map of CaribbeanGeographyLocationGulf of MexicoCoordinates24°31′28″N 81°58′25″W / 24.524333°N 81.973722°W / 24.524333; -81.973722Administration United StatesStateFloridaCountyMonroe Woman Key is an island in the Florida Keys in Monroe County, Florida, United States. It is within the boundaries...