Hans Albrecht Wedel-class Seaplane Tender
| Country | Germany |
| Ships in Class | 5 |
| Builders | F. Schichau Königsburg: 3 |
| Displacement | 1,215 tons standard; 1,375 tons full |
| Length | 275 feet |
| Beam | 35 feet |
| Draft | 12 feet |
| Machinery | Four 12-cyl MAN diesel engines, two shafts |
| Bunkerage | 120t fuel oil, 20t aviation fuel |
| Power Output | 8,800 shaft horsepower |
| Speed | 22 knots |
| Range | 4,100nm at 16 knots |
| Crew | 66 |
| Armament | Various |
| Aircraft | 3 operational, 0 in reserve |
| Aircraft Crane | 1 |
Contributor: C. Peter Chen
This article refers to the entire Hans Albrecht Wedel-class; it is not about an individual vessel.
ww2dbaseThe Hans Albrecht Wedel-class ships were small seaplane tenders with similar, though larger, design as the earlier Karl Meyer-class ships. Five ships were originally planned, but only two of them were completed: Hans Albrecht Wedel, which was launched in 1940, and Richthofen, which was launched in 1942. A third ship, Hermann Köhl, was laid down in 1942 and cancelled in 1944. All three of these were laid down by the F. Schichau yard in Königsburg, Germany. The final two ships of the five planned were never started.
Last Major Revision: Feb 2021
Hans Albrecht Wedel-class Seaplane Tender Interactive Map
Hans Albrecht Wedel-class Seaplane Tender Operational Timeline
| 2 Sep 1940 | Seaplane tender Hans Albrecht Wedel was launched at the F. Schichau yard in Königsburg, Germany. |
| 22 Sep 1941 | Seaplane tender Hans Albrecht Wedel was completed at the F. Schichau yard in Königsburg, Germany. |
| 19 Mar 1942 | The keel of seaplane tender Hermann Köhl was laid down by the F. Schichau yard in Königsburg, Germany. |
| 26 Sep 1942 | Seaplane tender Richthofen was launched at the F. Schichau yard in Königsburg, Germany. |
| 1 May 1943 | Seaplane tender Richthofen was commissioned into service. |
| 15 Aug 1943 | Before dawn, German seaplane tender Richthofen, torpedo boat T24, minesweeper M275, minesweeper M385, and Sperrbrecher 157 were caught by British cruiser Mauritius, destroyer HMS Ursa, and destroyer Iroquois in the Bay of Biscay off Les Sables d'Olonne, France. T24 laid a smoke screen and fired torpedoes at Iroquois, but all of them missed. British ships fired, sinking Sperrbrecher 157, and damaging all other ships; M385 was forced to beach to prevent sinking. HMS Iroquois suffered light damage in the engagement. |
| 20 Apr 1944 | Seaplane tender Richthofen was interned at Pasaia (Spanish: Pasajes), Basque Country, Spain. |
| 8 Apr 1945 | At about 1220 hours, Seaplane tender Hans Albrecht Wedel was sunk during a Soviet air raid in Danzig (Polish: Gdańsk) Bay; 10 were killed. |
| 16 Mar 1946 | Seaplane tender Richthofen was given to the Soviet Union, which renamed her Chibiny. |
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James Forrestal, Secretary of the Navy, 23 Feb 1945
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