German trawler V 213 Claus Bolten

Claus Bolten was a German fishing trawler which was requisitioned by the Kriegsmarine in the Second World War for use as a vorpostenboot, serving as V 213 Claus Bolten. She was sunk in a battle in the English Channel in July 1944.

History
Name	Claus Bolten
Owner	Cuxhavener Hochseefischerei (1926–29) Nordsee Deutsche Hochseefischerei Bremen-Cuxhaven AG (1929–41) Kriegsmarine (1941–44)
Port of registry	Cuxhaven, Germany (1926–33) Cuxhaven, Germany (1933–41)  Kriegsmarine (1941–44)
Builder	Schiffsbau Unterweser mbH
Yard number	218
Launched	18 November 1926
Completed	12 December 1926
Commissioned	18 June 1941
Out of service	28 June 1944
Identification	Code Letters RGCK (1926–34) Fishing boat registration HC 186 (1926–41) Code Letters DHED (1934–41) Pennant Number V 213 (1941–44)
Fate	Sunk 28 June 1944
General characteristics
Class & type	Fishing trawler (1926–41) Vorpostenboot (1941–44)
Tonnage	282 GRT, 109 NRT
Length	45.75 metres (150 ft 1 in)
Beam	7.40 metres (24 ft 3 in)
Draught	3.34 metres (10 ft 11 in)
Depth	4.22 metres (13 ft 10 in)
Installed power	Compound steam engine, 57nhp
Propulsion	Single screw propeller
Speed	11 knots (20 km/h)

Description

The ship was 45.75 metres (150 ft 1 in) long, with a beam of 7.40 metres (24 ft 3 in). She had a depth of 4.22 metres (13 ft 10 in) and a draught of 3.34 metres (10 ft 11 in).^[1] She was powered by a four-cylinder compound steam engine, which had two cylinders of 32 centimetres (12+5⁄8 in) and two of 66 centimetres (26 in) diameter by 66 centimetres (26 in) stroke. The engine was made by Christiansen & Mayer, Harburg. It was rated at 57nhp. The engine powered a single screw propeller.^[2] It could propel the ship at 11 knots (20 km/h).^[1] She was assessed at 282 GRT, 109 NRT.^[2]

History

Claus Bolten was built as yard number 219 by Schiffbau-Gesellschaft Unterweser m.b.H, Wesermünde, Germany.^[1] She was launched on 25 September 1937 and completed on 17 December. She was built for the Cuxhavener Hochseefischerei, Cuxhaven.^[1] The Code Letters RGCK were allocated,^[2] as was the fishing boat registration HC 186. On 8 March 1929, she was sold to the Deutsche Hochsee Fischerei Bremen-Cuxhaven AG.^[1] On 22 January 1932, she was one of seven trawlers that put in to Reyjkjavík, Iceland having been damaged by severe weather. Claus Bolten had her funnel carried away.^[3] In 1934, her Code Letters were changed to DHED.^[4]

On 18 June 1940, Claus Bolten was requisitioned by the Kriegsmarine for use as a vorpostenboot. She was allocated to 2 Vorpostenflottille as V 213 Claus Bolten.^[1] On 28 June 1944, she was sunk in the English Channel north west of Saint-Malo, Ille-et-Vilaine, France (48°41′N 2°05′W) in an engagement with HMS Eskimo and HMCS Huron.^[1] V 209 Carl Röver was severely damaged and the minesweeper M 4611 was sunk in the engagement.^[5]