Sperrbrecher Flotillas
Sperrbrecher units were all under the command of FdM.
1st Sperrbrechergruppe
Established in September 1939; redesignated in July 1940 1st Sperrbrecherflottille.
Sperrbrecher X ‘Vigo’ – (redesignated Sperrbrecher 10, 1 July 1940). Sunk 7 March 1944 near
Norderney.
Sperrbrecher XI ‘Petropolis’ — damaged in April 1940 and returned to merchant navy.
Sperrbrecher XII ‘Stolzenfels’ – (redsignated Sperrbrecher 12, 1 July 1940). Transferred to 3 Sp-Flotilla
On 16 November 1940.
2nd Sperrbrechergruppe
Established in September 1939; redesignated in July 1940 2nd Sperrbrecherflottille.
Sperrbrecher I ‘Bahia Camarones’ – (returned to merchant service in Junly 1940)
Sperrbrecher II ‘Karl Leonhardt’ — (returned to merchant service 1 February 1940)
Sperrbrecher III ‘Robert Bornhofen’ – (redsignated Sperrbrecher C, 17 May 1940). Transferred to 1st
Sp-Flotilla on 1 September 1940.
4th Sperrbrechergruppe
Established October 1939; redesignated in July 1940 4th Sperrbrecherflottille.
Sperrbrecher IV ‘Oakland’ – (redesignated Sp.4 on 1 July 1940, transferred to 2nd Sp-Flotilla) Sperrbrecher V ‘Schwanheim’ — (redesignated Sp.5 on 1 July 1940, transferred to 2nd Sp-Flotilla) Sperrbrecher VI ‘Magdeburg’ – — (redesignated Sp.6 on 1 July 1940, transferred to 2nd Sp-Flotilla)
6th Sperrbrechergruppe
Established October 1939; redesignated in July 1940 6th Sperrbrecherflottille.
Sperrbrecher VII ‘Sauerland’ – (redesignated Sp.7 on 1 July 1940, transferred to 2nd Sp-Flotilla) Sperrbrecher VIII ‘Neckar’ — (redesignated Sp.8 on 1 July 1940, transferred to 2nd Sp-Flotilla) Sperrbrecher IX ‘Lüneburg’ – — (redesignated Sp.9 on 1 July 1940, transferred to 2nd Sp-Flotilla)
1st Sperrbrecherflottille
Established in July 1940. Disbanded 1946. Operational within the Baltic and German Bight.
Flottilla Commanders:
K.K. Richard von Stosch September 1939 – May 1941
K.K. Christian Schmidt-Prestin May 1941 – April 1942
FK Dipl. Ing. Gustav Frhr von Liebenstein May 1942 – February 1943
KKdR Wilhelm Frank February 1943 – 1946
Hilfsperrbrecher C ‘Robert Bornhofen’ – transferred to 3 Sp-Flotilla 15 November 1940.
Sperrbrecher X ‘Vigo’ – (redesignated Sperrbrecher 10, 1 July 1940). Sunk 7 March 1944 near
Norderney.
Sperrbrecher XII ‘Stolzenfels’ – (redsignated Sperrbrecher 12, 1 July 1940). Transferred to 3 Sp-Flotilla
On 16 November 1940.
Hilfsperrbrecher A ‘Waldtraut Horn’ – (redesignated Sperrbrecher A, 1 September 1940. Transferred
to 3rd Sp-Flotilla on 15 Nobvember 1940).
Hilfsperrbecher B ‘Ingrid Horn’ – (redesignated Sperrbrecher B, 1 September 1940. Transferred to 3rd
Sp-flotilla 15 November 1940)
Vorpostenboot 108 ‘Porjus’ – (redesignated Sperrbrecher 38, 1 October 1940. Sunk in collision with
Steamer Tilsit on 1 December 1940 near Brunsbuttel. Raised an under repair in Hamburg as
Sp133 when she was hit by bombing and sunk).
Vorpostenboot 104 ‘Falke’- (redesignated Sperrbrecher 34, 1 October 1940. Transferred to 2nd Sp-
flotilla on 11 November 1940).
Vorpostenboot 107 ‘Botilla Russ’ – (redesignated Sperrbrecher 37 on 1 October 1940. Transferred to 2nd
Sp-flotilla on 11 November 1940)
Sperrbrecher 11 ‘Zeus’ — (damaged by mine 9 September 1940. Repaired and redesignated Sperrbrecher
22 and transferred to 3rd Sp-flotilla 1 April 1943.
Vorpostenboot 105 ‘Adolph Kirsten’ — redesignated Sperrbrecher 35 on 1 October 1940. Transferred to
2nd Sp-flotilla on 11 November 1940.
Vorpostenboot 106 ‘ Phoenix’ —Redesignated Sperrbrecher 36 on 1 October 1940. Transferred to
2nd Sp-flotilla on 11 November 1940.
Sperrbrecher 13 ‘Minerva’ — transferred to 3rd Sp-flotilla on 16 November 1940.
Sperrbrecher 17 ‘Templar’.
Sperrbrecher 33 ‘Silvia’ —sunk by aircraft 25 May 1941.
Sperrbrecher 11 ‘Belgrano’ — severely damaged by mine 23 October 1942 near Ameland. Not returned
for service until after war’s end.
Sperrbrecher 60 ‘Elster’— redesignated Sperrbrecher 160 on 1 August 1941. Beached after mined near
Den Helder, 16 August 1942
Sperrbrecher 15 ‘Taronga’ — damaged by bomb hit near Scharhörn 8 June 1942.
Sperrbrecher 69 ‘Ceres’ — redesignated Sperrbrecher 169 on 1 August 1941. Sunk by mine near
Norderney, 19 November 1942.
Sperrbrecher 64 ‘Bitsch’ — redesignated Sperrbrecher 164 on 1 August 1941. Transferred to
Hafenschutzflottille Wilhelmshaven on 6 May 1942 (sunk by mine 2 August 1942)
Sperrbrecher 138 ‘Friedrich Karl’ —sunk by mine near Borkum, 23 December 1942.
Sperrbrecher 163 ‘Friesland´—sunk by mine 20 March 1944 near Cuxhaven.
Sperrbrecher 161 ‘Iris’ — sunk by mine near Schiermonnikoog, 4 July 1942.
Sperrbrecher 173 ‘Westland’ — wrecked after mine hit near Ameland, 25 May 1943.
Sperrbrecher 176 ‘Valeria — sunk by aerial torpedo 29 August 1944 in ‘Elbe 1’
Sperrbrecher 177 ‘Kepler’
Sperrbrecher 27 ‘H. C. Horn’ — Severely damaged by air attack 2 May 1945, Lübecker Bucht.
Sperrbrecher 167 ‘Malmedy’ — sunk by mine 27 April 1945 near Elbe I lightship.
Sperrbrecher 29 ‘Algol’
Staatsyacht Hamburg —Tender and Geleitkontrollschiff (June 1942 — December 1944)
Simon von Utrecht — Flakjäger 28
K4 —cannon boat
Möwe — Geleitschiff
2nd Sperrbrecherflottille
Established on 1 July 1940 from the 2nd, 4th and 6th Sperrbrechergruppe. Divided into 2nd and 6th Sperrbrecherflottille on 1 July. Disbanded September 1944.Operational within Dutch waters (1940), Bay of Biscay (1940-1944).Sperrbrecher 7 was temporarily assigned to the Baltic and Great Belt.
Flotilla Commanders:
FK Lothar Köhler July 1940 – April 1941
K.K. Rudolf Körner (deputy) March 1941 – May 1941
K.K. Rudolf Körner May 1941 – October 1942
FK Fritz Drevin October 1942 – September 1944
Sperrbrecher 4 ‘Oakland’ — sunk by bombing 27 August 1944 in Brest.
Sperrbrecher 5 ‘Schwanheim’ — sunk by bombing 13 August 1944 at Royan.
Sperrbrecher 6 ‘Magdeburg’ — transferred to 6th Sp-flotilla 1 July 1941.
Sperrbrecher 7 ‘Sauerland’ —Sunk by bombing and destroyer torpedo, La Pallice, 12 August 1944.
Sperrbrecher 8 ‘Neckar — transferred to 6th Sp-flotilla 1 July 1941.
Sperrbrecher 9 ‘Lüneburg’ — transferred to 6th Sp-flotilla 1 July 1941.
Sperrbrecher 3 ‘Belgrad’ —scuttled Bordeaux 26 August 1944.
Sperrbrecher 1 ‘Saar’ — transferred to 6th Sp-flotilla 1 July 1941.
Sperrbrecher 2 ‘Athen’ —blown in half at Boulogne 22 September 1940.
Sperrbrecher 14 ‘Bockenheim’ — scuttled as blockship, Gironde 25 August 1944.
Sperrbrecher 16 ‘Tulane’ — damaged by mine La Pallice 8 August 1943. Hit by bombing August 1944.
Sperrbrecher 34 ‘Falke’ — redesignated Sperrbrecher 134 and transferred to 6th Sp-flotilla, 1 August 1941.
Sperrbrecher 35 ‘Adolph Kirsten’ —redesignated Sperrbrecher135 and transferred to 6th Sp-flotilla 1 August 1941.
Sperrbrecher 36 ‘Phoenix’ — redesignated Sperrbrecher 136 1 August 1941. Scuttled at St Nazaire 25
August 1944.
Sperrbrecher 37 ‘Botilla Russ´— redesignated Sperrbrecher 137 on 1 August 1941. Sunk by mine near St
Nazaire 28 January 1944.
Sperrbrecher 19 ‘Rostock’ — transferred to 6th Sp-flotilla 1 July 1944.
Sperrbrecher 68 ‘Flora’ — redesignated Sperrbrecher 168 on 1 August 1941. Transferred to 4th Sp-flotilla between 30 June 1942 and 31 March 1943 then returned. Scuttled at St Nazaire on 25 August
1944.
Sperrbrecher 20 ‘Kolonté’ — unfinished conversion. Scuttled Nantes 18 August 1944.
Sperrbrecher 175 ‘Baden’ — scuttled La Pallice, 7 September 1944.
Sperrbrecher 178 ‘Gauss’ — sunk by destroyers 12 December 1942 near Le Tréport.
Sperrbrecher 122 ‘Cap Hadid’ — scuttled at St Nazaire 25 August 1944.
Sperrbrecher 68 ‘Flora’ — redesignated Sperrbrecher 168 on 1 August 1941.Transferred to 4th Sp-flotilla between 30 June 1942 and 31 March 1943 then returned. Scuttled at St Nazaire on 25 August
1944.
Sperrbrecher 146 ‘Havik’ — sunk by bombing at Pauillac on 4 August 1944.
Sperrbrecher 153 ‘Tantalus’ —transferred to 8th Sp-flotilla on 1 August 1944.
Sperrbrecher 32 ‘Mur’ — redesignated hospital ship in September 1944.
F4 — Geleitboot