Luftwaffe Catapult vessels/Seaplane tenders
The Luftwaffe used 7 catapult vessels during the war, 3 were built directly for the Luftwaffe, and 4 were taken over from Lufthansa. They were frequently used as floating bases, for BV 138 Ketten deployed in northern waters, away from the principal seaborne aircraft bases.
Sperber (SP 11)
| Building Yard | H.C. Stülcken & Sohn, Hamburg |
| Launched | 1938 |
| Completed | 26.11.38 |
| Weight | 1086 tons |
| Dimensions | 70,25 x 14,55 x 1,80 m |
| Engines | Two 8-cyl diesels, 2 shafts, 640 hp, 8 knots |
| Range, nautical miles | 7850 at 7.2 knots, 14100 at 2.9 knots |
| Armament | Two 20mm AA |
| Catapult equipment | One 18-ton crane, One 18-ton Heinkel catapult for Do 18, Do 24 and BV 138 |
| Crew | 20 + 14 airmen |
Career:
26.11.38 at Grossenbrode; from 9.39 at Seefliegerhorst Hörnum/Sylt; 2.45 to Copenhagen, supporting 3.(F)/Aufklärungsgruppe 22. Surrendered there 5.45; In late 11.49 stationed at Wilhelmshaven, as a floating crane. Subsequent fate unknown.
Bussard (SP 21)
| Building Yard | F. Schichau, Königsberg |
| Launched | 1940 |
| Completed | 1.5.42 |
| Weight | 2040 tons |
| Dimensions | 98,3 x 14,0 x 2,33 m |
| Engines | Two 8-cyl diesels, 2 Voith-Schneider propellers, 1800 hp, 12 knots |
| Range, nautical miles | 5800 at 12 knots using 230-tons oil, 8800 at 10 knots |
| Armament | Three 20mm AA (2 more added later) |
| Catapult equipment | One 20-ton crane, One 20-ton Heinkel catapult for Do 18, Do 24 and BV 138, 120 tons aircraft fuel |
| Crew | 54 |
Career:
1.5.42 at Aalborg; 8.5.44 - 25.9.44 at Trondheim for 1./SAGr.125; 1944/45 at Tromsö for 3./SAGr.130; also served 1./SAGr.131; The 1000th launch was a BV 138 from 2./Kü.Fl.Gr.406 in 1944; On 22.2.46 taken over by the US Navy in Kristiansand, Norway; 1947 sold to Fa. Heygen in Gent, Belgium; Summer 1950 bought by Boele & Osterwijk N.V., Rotterdam; Converted to suction dredger during the summer 1950 by N.V. Scheepswerven v/h Fa. Schram & Zn., and was renamed Ahoy; Subsequent fate unknown.
Falke (SP 22)
| Building Yard | F. Schichau, Königsberg |
| Launched | 29.7.40 |
| Completed | 22.11.42 |
| Weight | 2040 tons |
| Dimensions | 98,3 x 14,0 x 2,33 m |
| Engines | Two 8-cyl diesels, 2 Voith-Schneider propellers, 1800 hp, 12 knots |
| Range, nautical miles | 5800 at 12 knots using 230-tons oil, 8800 at 10 knots |
| Armament | Three 20mm AA (2 more added later) |
| Catapult equipment | One 20-ton crane, One 20-ton Heinkel catapult for Do 18, Do 24 and BV 138, 120 tons aircraft fuel |
| Crew | 54 |
Career:
From 14.1.43 stationed at Bergen, Norway, under SNDF5 (Nord); 3.1.44 - end 2.44 at Tromsö and 15.10.44 at Trondheim for 1./SAGr.125; also served 1./SAGr.131; In 1946 to USSR, seen in Riga spring 1946; Commissioned 25.10.46 as salvage vessel Aeronaft, Northern Fleet. Decommissioned 1968.
Westfalen
| Building Yard | Joh. C. Tecklenborg, Geestemünde |
| Launched | 14.11.05 |
| Completed | 30.12.06 |
| Weight | 5367 BRT, 10700 tons |
| Dimensions | 130,54 x 16,08 x 8.52 m |
| Engines | One 4-cyl 4-stroke expansion-engine, 1shafts, 4 boilers, 3000 ihp, 12 knots |
| Range, nautical miles | ? |
| Armament | Two 20mm AA |
| Catapult equipment | One 15-ton crane, One 14-ton Heinkel catapult. |
| Crew | 54 |
Career:
Into service as S/S Westfalen (NDL, Bremen); Sold to Deutsche Lufthansa AG in 1933, and was converted to catapult ship by Deschimag (AG Weser), completed 3.5.33; Taken over by the Luftwaffe in 1940, and was stationed at Seefliegerhorst Hörnum/Sylt; 1.5.41 to Trondheim; 1942 to Altafjord and 1943 back to Trondheim; Hit a mine 7.9.44 in Skagerrak (near Stora Pölsan), and sank, 150 dead.
Schwabenland
| Building Yard | Deutsche Werke, Kiel |
| Launched | 14.3.25 |
| Completed | 16.7.25 |
| Weight | 8188 BRT, 16200 tons |
| Dimensions | 147,0 x 18,41 x 9,95 m |
| Engines | Two DWK 6-cyl diesels, 2 shafts, 3600 hp, 11 knots |
| Range, nautical miles | ?, 1600-tons oil |
| Armament | Eight 20/37 mm AA |
| Catapult equipment | One 15-ton crane, One 14-ton Heinkel catapult. |
| Crew | 65 |
Career:
Into service as S/S Schwarzenfeld (DDG Hansa, Bremen); Sold to Deutsche Lufthansa AG in 1934, and was converted to catapult ship Schwabenland, completed 1934; Taken over by the Luftwaffe in 12.10.39, and served under Luftzeuggruppe See in Kiel; 9.42 to Tromsö; On 24.3.44 torpedoed by the Bristish submarine HMS Terrapin, near Egersund and was beached; Towed free May/June 1944, but was never fully repaired; 7.2.45 stores hulk, MAST Oslofjord; 1.46 accommodation hulk at Oslo-Sandvika; Scuttled 31.12.46 in Skagerrak with gasmunitions
Ostmark
| Building Yard | Howaldtswerke, Kiel |
| Launched | 15.4.36 |
| Completed | 16.5.36 |
| Weight | 1280 BRT, 2500 tons |
| Dimensions | 79,8 x 11,25 x 4,72 m |
| Engines | Two MAN 10-cyl diesels, 2 shafts, 2000 hp, 13,5 knots |
| Range, nautical miles | 9800 at 13 knots with 235-tons oil |
| Armament | - |
| Catapult equipment | One 15-ton crane, One 15-ton Heinkel catapult. |
| Crew | 29 + 18 airmen |
Career:
Taken over by the Luftwaffe 1.9.40 while in Las Palmas, Spain; soon sailed for France, but was torpedoed by the Bristish submarine HMS Tuna SW of St. Nazaire, on 24.9.40 (05.42 hrs) with 1 dead; the vessel sank at 08.10hrs at 47.01N x 03.02W.
Friesenland
| Building Yard | Howaldtswerke, Kiel |
| Launched | 23.3.37 |
| Completed | 13.5.37 |
| Weight | 5434 BRT, 11500 tons |
| Dimensions | 140,5 x 15,56 x 8,24 m |
| Engines | Two MAN 9-cyl diesels, 2 shafts, 5800 hp, 16 knots |
| Range, nautical miles | ?, 1620-tons oil |
| Armament | Four 20mm AA |
| Catapult equipment | One 20-ton crane, One 18-ton Heinkel catapult. |
| Crew | 49 + 34 airmen |
Career:
Taken over by the Luftwaffe 9.39; 5.9.39 at Seefliegerhorst Hörnum/Sylt; 4.40 at Seefliegerhorst Travemünde; 9.40 to Trondheim; 10.40 to Brest and later Bordeaux; 9.41 back to Trondheim; 11.41 to Tromsö; 2.43 to Trondheim; 7.43 to Billefjord; torpedoed by Soviet aircraft 19.9.44 in Billefjord, and was beached (2 dead); freed 10.44 and towed into Bogen Bay, repaired; 11.44 MAUREB Narvik; 3.45 repair ship in Trondheim; 4.46 to UK, 19.3.47 to R.A.F.; 7.8.47 laid-up at Burnt Island; 1949 converted to a refrigerated cargo vessel; 3.50 into service as Panamanian M/B Fairsky; 1952 sold to Italy, M/B Castel Nevoso; 1968 to Panama, M/B Argentina Reefer; 17.6.69 sold to Shipbreaking Industries Ltd., Faslane, and was scrapped.