Kleines Räumboot
The
Minesweeper mothership of the Z-Plan also called for the creation of a 'small minseweeping boat' (Kleines Räumboot/Small R-boat). In one configuration, the mothership would carry up to ten of them and deliver them to the minefield. With the cancellation of the mothership, construction of the small ships was cancelled as well, but before that, three of them had been finished.
The first two, built in 1938 by Abeking & Rasmussen, Lemwerder, had turnable ducted propeller and rudders.
KR 1 was a light metal construction, while
KR 2 had a mahagoni hull. The ducted propellor construction did not prove satisfying (the actual top speed was 9,8-10 kn, less than the projected 11,5 kn).
KR 3 was built in 1938 by the Roland-Werft in Hemelingen and was a bit larger with a composite metal-mahagoni-hull and had traditional propeller contrsuction for a top speed of 12 kn.
KR 1 and
2 had a four cyl. Diesel engine,
KR 3 a six-cylinder one.
All ships were given to the mine trial command,
KR 2 was still active for the German Minesweeping Administration in 1946. No other records are available.
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