German tanker Spessart
The German tanker Spessart (A1442) is a Rhön-class tanker of the German Navy. She was commissioned at Kiel on 5 September 1977.
Spessart entering New York harbour on 13 October 2004 | |
History | |
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Name: | Spessart |
Owner: | Deutsche Marine |
Builder: | Kröger, Rendsburg |
Launched: | 1974 |
Commissioned: | 5 September 1977 |
Identification: |
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General characteristics | |
Class and type: | Rhön-class tanker |
Displacement: | 14,169 tonnes |
Speed: | 16 knots (30 km/h) |
Complement: | 46 |
History
Spessart was originally built for civilian service by Kröger of Rendsburg in 1974. On 5 September 1977 she was commissioned into the Deutsche Marine, based at Kiel.[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 (Netherlands), Psara (Greece), Victoria (Spain), and USS Boxer. The pirates were captured after a chase lasting a few hours.
Sources and references
Wikimedia Commons has media related to A1442 Spessart (ship, 1975). |
- "FGS Spessart". NATO. Retrieved 25 March 2010.
- Gros-Verheyde, Nicolas (30 March 2009). "Erreur fatale: les pirates attaquent un navire... d'Atalanta!" (in French). Bruxelles 2. Retrieved 18 November 2014.
- 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.
- "Deutsche Marine setzt Angreifer vor Somalia fest" (in German). Franffurter Allgemeine. 31 March 2009. Retrieved 18 November 2014.