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7)SUPPLY SHIP NORDMARK



Nordmark seen as Bulawayo circa 1947 Photo RFA Northmark - Wikipedia


Built 1936


Launched 1937 as Westerwald


Commissioned Jan 1939 as Nordmark


Fate Captured May 1945


Tonnage 22,800 tons full load


Length 584 ft


Beam 72 ft


Draught 30 ft


Propulsion: Steam turbine with double reduction gearing, 21,590 shp (16,100 kW) 2 shaft


Speed 21 kt


Complement 133


To support naval operations in the Atlantic Ocean, the German Navy ran trials with various vessels in the 1920s and early 1930s. After testing two vessels of an intermediate type, the design evolved into the Dithmarschen-class. Six were built altogether, one of which was never completed. As Germany did not possess any ports on the Atlantic Ocean or any overseas bases, the Dithmarschen-class combined the roles fulfilled by tanker, repair ship, ammunition ship and dry cargo ship. The ships were even equipped with a small hospital. The main cargo were almost 9,000 tons of fuel oil and 400 tons of lubricating oil. As it was probable that the ships were underway for an extended time, the range was 12,500 nm at 15 knots. The maximum speed was 23 knots. A heavy armament was fitted, consisting of three 15 cm/L48 guns, two 3,7 cm and four 20 mm anti-aircraft guns and eight machine guns.


In October 1940 the Nordmark sailed from Gotenhaven disguised as the American tanker “Prairie” to avoid detection. In November she rendezvoused with U66 in mid Atlantic and carried out replenishment operations between the 14 to the 16 Nordmark then refuelled Admiral Scheer and whilst this was taking place the ship sent some of her engineers over to the Eurofeld to help repair her engines.  On December the 14 Nordmark refuelled and re-stored Admiral Scheer in the South Atlantic before taking POW’s off the ship and turning north to rendezvous and replenish the German raider Thor and other ships at a secret location.


On the 4 January the captured Norwegian tanker “Storstad” arrived to transfer her cargo to Nordmark, the next day she took the captured prize “Duquesa” in tow after she ran out of fuel.  On the 13 January 1941 she transferred some of her POW’s to the Eurofeld in preparation for a rendezvous with the Admiral Scheer on the 24, when she replenished the capital ship again and took off more POW’s, four days later the ship met the prize “Sandefjord” and transferred her prisoners along with some victualling stores.  On 7 February she met the raider “Kormoran” and after replenishing her with 1,338 tons of fuel and food supplies including 100 quarters of chilled beef, 216,000 eggs and took 170 prisoners on board.


On the 18 February the ship refuelled the German raider “Pinguin” and on the 9 March achieved her final rendezvous with Admiral Scheer. Taking off more prisoners who were later transferred to her sister “Ermland” before heading to Hamburg.  Nordmark had spent a total of 212 days at sea in which she had steamed 33,664 miles.


Nordmark had done the majority of her refuelling at sea using her astern position; there had been no need for her to refuel a ship travelling alongside.  She was always waiting in a known fixed position and the ship or U Boat to be supplied had plenty of time.  The ships of the Dithmarschen class carried a small float plane, an Arado 196 which was used as a spotter plane to enable them to see enemy ships and the vessels they were rendezvousing with.


In 1942 after a number of months spent in Hamburg, the ship was allocated for service in Norwegian waters in 1942 where she spent the next three years, supporting German Naval units at various bases along the Norwegian Coast.  Following the loss of most of the German heavy ships in Norway, the Nordmark was sent to Trondheim in 1944 as a Training ship for coastal craft.  At the beginning of 1945 she was again on the move, this time to Trondheim where she was to become a Harbour Depot Ship, though by the end of April 1945 she was at Copenhagen where she was captured by the allies on the 9th May 1945


Only two ships of the “Dithmarschen” class survived the war, “Ermland” struck a mine and was severely damaged off Nantes in 1942.  She was eventually sunk there as a block ship.  “Uckermark” exploded whilst tank cleaning at Yokohama in November 1942 and had to be scrapped, whilst “Franken” was bombed and sunk in the Baltic in April 1945.  The two surviving ships “Dithmarschen” and Nordmark” were both captured by British troops at the end of the war.


Both of the surviving ships were captured, “Nordmark” at Copenhagen and “Dithmarschen” at Bremerhaven.  “Nordmark” was given to Great Britain and “Dithmarschen” to the United States by the Inter-Allied Reparations Commission.


By One stop replenishment is history (historicalrfa.org)


Chronology

May 16 1940. Nordmark replenished raider Widder in South Atlantic


Jul 24 1940.  Nordmark rendezvoused with Widder for replenish in South Atlantic


Nov 10 1940. Nordmark  replenished U-65 in South Atlantic.


Nov 29 1940. Nordmark replenished U-65 in South Atlantic.


Dec 7 1940. Nordmark replenished U-105 and U-106


Dec 14 1940. Nordmark refuelled Admiral Scheer in the South Atlantic and received 150 prisoners from ships sunk.


Dec 15 1940. Admiral Scheer transferred prisoners to Nordmark


Dec 22 1940. Admiral Scheer, Nordmark and Captured British Duquesa rendezvoused in South Atlantic


Dec 25 1940. Admiral Scheer, Nordmark, Tanker Eurofeld, Duquesa and raider Thor rendezvoused in South Atlantic


Jan 02 1941. Nordmark replenishes raider Thor in South Atlantic.


Jan 24/28 1941. Nordmark rendezvoused with Adm. Scheer, captured Norwegeian tanker Sandefjord and raider Thor at Andalusien point 16º 00'S 18º 00' W when 200 prisoners were transferred to Sandefjord which sailed to France with a prize crew having arrived France on 27 Feb 41.


Feb 07 1941. Raider Kormoran, Nordmark and Duquesa rendezvoused in South Atlantic and transferred prisoners. During a three-day replenishment operation, Kormoran topped up Nordmark's supply of spare U-boat parts with components brought from Germany, and transferred 170 of the 174 prisoners acquired so far. The four Chinese sailors from Eurylochus were hired to stay aboard the raider as laundrymen, and the British Union crew left their pet monkey aboard as thanks for their treatment while in captivity. A piano was taken from Normark's companion Duquesa, a captured coal-burning ship that was to be scuttled when her fuel ran out, but Detmers warned that if the piano caused any problems among the crew, it would be pushed overboard.


Feb 18 1941. Duquesa is scuttled by Nordmark in mid South Atlantic.


Mar 09/10 1941. Nordmark rendezvoused with raider Kormoran and cruiser Adm. Scheer at Andalusien point in South Atlantic 15º 00'S 18º 00'W where Adm Scheer received supplies.


29 Mar 1941. Nordmark replenished U- 105 and U-106 in South Atlantic


Apr 8 1941. Nordmark replenished U- 105 and U-106 in South Atlantic.


Apr 16 1941. Nordmark rendezvoused with Italian submarine Archimedi for replenishing in 25º 00 'S 26º 00' W


Apr 20 1941. Nordmark replenishes raider Atlantis in South Atlantic


Apr 23 1941. Italian submarine Perla enroute from Eritrea to France is replenished by Nordmark.


May 3/4 1941. Nordmark replenished U-105 and U-107 off Freetown.


Apr 19 1942. Nordmark rendezvoused in mid South Atlantic with raider Atlantis and supply ship Alsterufer.


 

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