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
Germany
Name: Spessart
Owner: Deutsche Marine
Builder: Kröger, Rendsburg
Launched: 1974
Commissioned: 5 September 1977
Identification:
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
  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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