PA class patrol ships (Germany)
Encyclopedia
The PA class patrol ships was a class of vessels commissioned into the Kriegsmarine
(German Navy) in the Second World War
.
The ships were under construction in French shipyards that were seized by the Germans in 1940 at the Fall of France. Work on them continued under German control but progressed slowly, being subject to reluctance, or even sabotage, by the French workforce. Eventually only four were completed.
The ships were commissioned in 1943–44 and deployed as escort vessels. Three were bombed and sunk by RAF
aircraft in 1944; the fourth was sunk as a block ship at Le Havre
later the same year.
vessels to a British design, called Flower class corvette
s in the Royal Navy
. They were adapted from a merchant ship design and were suitable for building at merchant yards.
Of the 18 ships ordered, 12 were under construction at British and six at French yards, four of which were at Chantier de St Nazaire-Penhoët. The order was overtaken by events, and none of the ships ordered was completed before the fall of France in June 1940. Saint-Nazaire
, with four ships still under construction, fell into German hands, and as the town was in the occupied zone the Germans decided to complete the vessels for use by the German Navy.
design, and therefore from the Flower class corvettes in service with the Allies. This reflects their construction history and their intended use.
The PA’s retained the short forecastle which was a feature of the original design, but which the Royal Navy found impractical in heavy weather. Later Allied vessels were given a longer fo'c'sle, and the early ships were altered as they refitted. This did not happen with the PA’s, which retained the un-weatherly short fo'c'sle throughout their service careers.
The PA's had another original feature, the enclosed merchant-style bridge, though it was abandoned in Allied ships.
The focus of the PA's role was as inshore and coastal escorts, where the chief danger was from mines or attack by aircraft and small craft, such as motor torpedo- and gun-boats. A number of changes to their armament and layout were made to reflect this.
The PA’s were equipped with mine-sweeping gear, and to accommodate these items the upswept stern gunwhale, a characteristic of the original design, was cut away, producing a flat quarterdeck and simple wire rails.
The PA’s also had an enhanced anti-aircraft (AA) armament; two sets of twin 37 mm AA guns were fitted in a flying bridge amidships and a set of quadruple 20 mm guns was fitted aft.
They also had a 20 mm quadruple mount in a tub set on the roof of the bridge; given the Flower's reputation for rolling in any seas, putting such a weight so high up would have done no good for their seaworthiness.
The first to be completed, PA-2, joined 15. Vorpostenflotille ("15th Outpost Flotilla") in September 1943, and took part in general patrol and escort duties, protecting coastal traffic against air and small craft attack in the Channel
. She was joined by PA-3 in November 1943 and PA-1 in April 1944.
The ships took part in a number of naval actions. In September 1943 PA-2 was part of a force escorting the freighter Maladi in the Channel when they were attacked by Allied motor torpedo- and motor gun-boats. One escort was damaged in this action and the Maladi sunk.
In January 1944 PA-3 was part of a force that escorted the blockade-runner Munsterland up the Channel. In February PA-2 and PA-3 were with a force that successfully fought off an attack on the tanker Reckum, bringing her safely to Le Havre.
In June 1944, during the Allied invasion of Europe, German naval units in the area came under persistent air attack. During RAF air raids at Le Havre PA-2 was sunk on 15 June and PA-3 was irreparably damaged on 15–16 June. PA-1 survived until August, but was abandoned when the flotilla fled the town ahead of the Allied advance. PA-4 was unfinished when Nantes was liberated. She was launched as La Telindiére and sunk as a blockship
in April 1945. She was raised and scrapped in 1946.
Kriegsmarine
The Kriegsmarine was the name of the German Navy during the Nazi regime . It superseded the Kaiserliche Marine of World War I and the post-war Reichsmarine. The Kriegsmarine was one of three official branches of the Wehrmacht, the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany.The Kriegsmarine grew rapidly...
(German Navy) in the Second World War
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
The ships were under construction in French shipyards that were seized by the Germans in 1940 at the Fall of France. Work on them continued under German control but progressed slowly, being subject to reluctance, or even sabotage, by the French workforce. Eventually only four were completed.
The ships were commissioned in 1943–44 and deployed as escort vessels. Three were bombed and sunk by RAF
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
aircraft in 1944; the fourth was sunk as a block ship at Le Havre
Le Havre
Le Havre is a city in the Seine-Maritime department of the Haute-Normandie region in France. It is situated in north-western France, on the right bank of the mouth of the river Seine on the English Channel. Le Havre is the most populous commune in the Haute-Normandie region, although the total...
later the same year.
Background
The PA class patrol vessels were originally laid down as part of a 1939 order by the French navy for anti-submarine warfareAnti-submarine warfare
Anti-submarine warfare is a branch of naval warfare that uses surface warships, aircraft, or other submarines to find, track and deter, damage or destroy enemy submarines....
vessels to a British design, called Flower class corvette
Flower class corvette
The Flower-class corvette was a class of 267 corvettes used during World War II, specifically with the Allied navies as anti-submarine convoy escorts during the Battle of the Atlantic...
s in the Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
. They were adapted from a merchant ship design and were suitable for building at merchant yards.
Of the 18 ships ordered, 12 were under construction at British and six at French yards, four of which were at Chantier de St Nazaire-Penhoët. The order was overtaken by events, and none of the ships ordered was completed before the fall of France in June 1940. Saint-Nazaire
Saint-Nazaire
Saint-Nazaire , is a commune in the Loire-Atlantique department in western France.The town has a major harbour, on the right bank of the Loire River estuary, near the Atlantic Ocean. The town is at the south of the second-largest swamp in France, called "la Brière"...
, with four ships still under construction, fell into German hands, and as the town was in the occupied zone the Germans decided to complete the vessels for use by the German Navy.
Design
The PA class ships differed in several respects from the original Smiths DockSmiths Dock Company
Smiths Dock Company, Limited, often referred to simply as Smiths Dock, was a British shipbuilding company.-History:The company was originally established by Thomas Smith who bought William Rowe's shipyard at St. Peter's in Newcastle upon Tyne in 1810 and traded as William Smith & Co. The company...
design, and therefore from the Flower class corvettes in service with the Allies. This reflects their construction history and their intended use.
The PA’s retained the short forecastle which was a feature of the original design, but which the Royal Navy found impractical in heavy weather. Later Allied vessels were given a longer fo'c'sle, and the early ships were altered as they refitted. This did not happen with the PA’s, which retained the un-weatherly short fo'c'sle throughout their service careers.
The PA's had another original feature, the enclosed merchant-style bridge, though it was abandoned in Allied ships.
The focus of the PA's role was as inshore and coastal escorts, where the chief danger was from mines or attack by aircraft and small craft, such as motor torpedo- and gun-boats. A number of changes to their armament and layout were made to reflect this.
The PA’s were equipped with mine-sweeping gear, and to accommodate these items the upswept stern gunwhale, a characteristic of the original design, was cut away, producing a flat quarterdeck and simple wire rails.
The PA’s also had an enhanced anti-aircraft (AA) armament; two sets of twin 37 mm AA guns were fitted in a flying bridge amidships and a set of quadruple 20 mm guns was fitted aft.
They also had a 20 mm quadruple mount in a tub set on the roof of the bridge; given the Flower's reputation for rolling in any seas, putting such a weight so high up would have done no good for their seaworthiness.
Service history
On completion the four PA's had relatively short service careers. After a four year building period, none of the ships was in serviced longer than nine months.The first to be completed, PA-2, joined 15. Vorpostenflotille ("15th Outpost Flotilla") in September 1943, and took part in general patrol and escort duties, protecting coastal traffic against air and small craft attack in the Channel
English Channel
The English Channel , often referred to simply as the Channel, is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that separates southern England from northern France, and joins the North Sea to the Atlantic. It is about long and varies in width from at its widest to in the Strait of Dover...
. She was joined by PA-3 in November 1943 and PA-1 in April 1944.
The ships took part in a number of naval actions. In September 1943 PA-2 was part of a force escorting the freighter Maladi in the Channel when they were attacked by Allied motor torpedo- and motor gun-boats. One escort was damaged in this action and the Maladi sunk.
In January 1944 PA-3 was part of a force that escorted the blockade-runner Munsterland up the Channel. In February PA-2 and PA-3 were with a force that successfully fought off an attack on the tanker Reckum, bringing her safely to Le Havre.
In June 1944, during the Allied invasion of Europe, German naval units in the area came under persistent air attack. During RAF air raids at Le Havre PA-2 was sunk on 15 June and PA-3 was irreparably damaged on 15–16 June. PA-1 survived until August, but was abandoned when the flotilla fled the town ahead of the Allied advance. PA-4 was unfinished when Nantes was liberated. She was launched as La Telindiére and sunk as a blockship
Blockship
A blockship is a ship deliberately sunk to prevent a river, channel, or canal from being used.It may either be sunk by a navy defending the waterway to prevent the ingress of attacking enemy forces, as in the case of HMS Hood at Portland Harbour; or it may be brought by enemy raiders and used to...
in April 1945. She was raised and scrapped in 1946.
Table
| Ship | Builder | Re-named | Completed | Fate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PA-1 | Penhoët | ex-L'Arquebuse | 5 April 44 | abandoned 24 Aug. 44 |
| PA-2 | Penhoët | ex-L'Hallebarde | Sept 43 | sunk, air attack 15 June 44 |
| PA-3 | Penhoët | ex-Sabre | 16 Nov. 43 | damaged beyond repair, air attack 15–16 June 1944 |
| PA-4 | Penhoët | ex-Poignard | not completed | sunk as blockship, April 1945 |