German tanker Spessart

Spessart (A1442) is the second ship of the Rhön-class tankers of the German Navy. She was commissioned at Kiel, Germany on 5 September 1977.

Spessart replenishes USS Vicksburg on 10 May 2015.
History
Germany
Name: Spessart
Namesake: Spessart
Owner: Deutsche Marine
Port of registry: Hamburg, Germany
Builder: Kröger, Rendsburg
Launched: 13 February 1975
Acquired: 1976
Commissioned: 5 September 1977
Renamed: Okapi
Homeport: Kiel, Germany
Identification:
Status: Active
General characteristics
Type: Rhön-class tanker
Tonnage:
Displacement: 14,396 t (14,169 long tons)
Length: 130.2 m (427 ft 2 in)
Beam: 19.3 m (63 ft 4 in)
Draught: 8.7 m (28 ft 7 in)
Installed power:
Propulsion: 1 shaft, controllable pitch propeller
Speed: 16 knots (30 km/h; 18 mph)
Range: 3,250 nmi (6,020 km; 3,740 mi) at 12 knots (22 km/h; 14 mph)
Capacity:
  • 11,000 m3 (390,000 cu ft) (fuel)
  • 400 m3 (14,000 cu ft) (water)
Complement: 42 (civilian)

Construction and career

Spessart was originally built for civilian service by Kröger of Rendsburg in 1974. On 5 September 1977 she was commissioned into the German Navy, based at Kiel, Germany.[1]

On 29 March 2009, as she was taking part in Operation Atalanta, Spessart was attacked by a 7-man pirate boat.[2][3] In addition to the regular 40-man civilian crew, Spessart carried a 12-man security detail which exchanged small arm fire with the pirates, and repelled the assault.[4] The German frigate Rheinland-Pfalz intervened, along with vessels from several other navies: HNLMS De Zeven Provinciën, Psara, Victoria, and USS Boxer. The pirates were captured after a chase lasting a few hours.

  • Spessart gallery
  • Spessart alongside to replenish Lütjens on 31 July 1980.
  • Spessart alongside to replenish Lütjens on 31 July 1980.
  • Spessart entering New York Harbor on 13 October 2004.
  • Spessart at the deperming range in Wilhelmshaven on 20 January 2016
  • HMS St Albans, Spessart and HNoMS Roald Amundsen replenishing on 26 January 2017.
  • Spessart underway on 18 February 2019.

References
  1. "FGS Spessart". NATO. Retrieved 25 March 2010.
  2. Gros-Verheyde, Nicolas (30 March 2009). "Erreur fatale: les pirates attaquent un navire... d'Atalanta!" (in French). Bruxelles 2. Retrieved 18 November 2014.
  3. Perry, Tony (30 March 2009). "GULF OF ADEN: Pirates fire on German ship, leading to five-hour chase". Babylon & Beyond. Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 18 November 2014.
  4. "Deutsche Marine setzt Angreifer vor Somalia fest" (in German). Franffurter Allgemeine. 31 March 2009. Retrieved 18 November 2014.
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