The Bundesmarine (English: Federal Navy) is the navy of Germany and is part of the Bundeswehr (the German Armed Forces). It is deeply integrated into the Allied Pact. Its mission is protection of German and Allied territories as well as peace-keeping and peace enforcement operations.
The Bundesmarine traces its roots back to the Reichsflotte (Empire Fleet) of the revolutionary era of 1848–52. The Reichsflotte was the first German Navy to sail under the black-red-gold flag. Founded on 14 June 1848 by the orders of the democratically elected Frankfurt Parliament the Reichsflotte's brief existence ended with the failure of the revolution and was disbanded on 2 April 1852; thus, the modern Bundesmarine celebrates its birthday on 14 June. The first navy of a united Germany was the Kaiserliche Marine of the German Empire, which was succeeded by the Reichsmarine of the Weimar Republic, which was itself succeeded by the Kriegsmarine during the period of Nazi rule, until it was disbanded after the end of the Second World War. The Bundeswehr, including the Bundesmarine, was reestablished in 1961.
History
The German navy has operated under several different names in its history:
- Prussian Navy (1701-1867)
- Reichsflotte (1848–52)
- Norddeutsche Bundesmarine (1867–71)
- Kaiserliche Marine (1871-1919)
- Reichsmarine, (1919–35)
- Kriegsmarine, (1935–4?)
- Bundesmarine, (1956-)
Current operations
The German navy maintains at least two warships in Canada at all times as part of Allied Forces Canada. As of May 2012, the Sachsen-class destroyers BMS Pommern and BMS Schliesen were stationed in RCNB St. John's.
Fleet
Ships operated by the Bundesmarine include:
- 2 x Invincible-class carriers
- 10 x Barbe-class Utility Landing Craft
- BMS Flunder (L760)
- BMS Karpfen (L761)
- BMS Lachs (L762)
- BMS Plötze (L763)
- BMS Rochen (L764)
- BMS Schlei (L765)
- BMS Stör (L766)
- BMS Tümmler (L767)
- BMS Wels (L768)
- BMS Zander (L769)
- 3 x Nautilus-class guided missile cruisers
- BMS Nautilus (CM 01)
- BMS Albatross (CM 02)
- BMS Frauenlob (CM 03)
- 3 x Atlantis-class guided missile cruisers
- BMS Atlantis (CM 04)
- BMS Kormoran (CM 05)
- BMS Orion (CM 06)
- 14 x Sachsen-class destroyers
- BMS Sachsen (DM 191)
- BMS Bayern (DM 192)
- BMS Thüringen (DM 193)
- BMS Pommern (DM 194)
- BMS Schleswig-Holstein (DM 195)
- BMS Niedersachsen (DM 196)
- BMS Hessen (DM 197)
- BMS Mecklenburg (DM 198)
- BMS Schliesen (DM 199)
- BMS Saarland (DM 200)
- BMS Sachsen-Anhalt (DM 201)
- BMS Rheinland-Pfalz (DM 202)
- BMS Nordrhein-Westfalen (DM 203)
- BMS Silesia (DM 204)
- 16 x Potsdam-class frigates
- BMS Potsdam (FM 219)
- BMS Munich (FM 220)
- BMS Dresden (FM 221)
- BMS Bonn (FM 222)
- BMS Frankfurt (FM 223)
- BMS Offenbach am Main (FM 224)
- BMS Cologne (FM 225)
- BMS Stuggart (FM 226)
- BMS Hanover (FM 227)
- BMS Augsburg (FM 228)
- BMS Bremerhaven (FM 229)
- BMS Karlsruhe (FM 230)
- BMS Reutlingen (FM 231)
- BMS Solingen (FM 232)
- BMS Aachen (FM 233)
- BMS Rostock (FM 234)
- Burchardi-class Corvette x 6
- BMS Theodor Burchardi (K254)
- BMS Albin Köbis (K255)
- BMS Rudolf Egelhofer (K256)
- BMS Fritz Globig (K257)
- BMS Paul Eisenschneider (K258)
- BMS Hans Beimler (K259)
- 12 x Braunschweig-class Corvette
- BMS Braunschweig (K260)
- BMS Magdeburg (K261)
- BMS Erfurt (K262)
- BMS Oldenburg (K263)
- BMS Ludwigshafen am Rhein (K264)
- BMS Göttingen (K265)
- BMS Saarbrücken (K266)
- BMS Wiesbaden (K267)
- BMS Oberhausen (K268)
- BMS Hildesheim (K269)
- BMS Darmstadt (K270)
- BMS Wilhelmshaven (K271)
- 10 x Gepard-class Fast Attack Craft
- BMS S-71 Gepard (P6121)
- BMS S-72 Puma (P6122)
- BMS S-73 Hermelin (P6123)
- BMS S-74 Nerz (P6124)
- BMS S-75 Zobel (P6125)
- BMS S-76 Frettchen (P6126)
- BMS S-77 Dachs (P6127)
- BMS S-78 Ozelot (P6128)
- BMS S-79 Wiesel (P6129)
- BMS S-80 Hyäne (P6130)
- 18 x Type 212 submarines
- BMS U-31 (S181)
- BMS U-32 (S182)
- BMS U-33 (S183)
- BMS U-34 (S184)
- BMS U-35 (S185)
- BMS U-36 (S186)
- BMS U-37 (S187)
- BMS U-38 (S188)
- BMS U-39 (S189)
- BMS U-40 (S190)
- BMS U-41 (S191)
- BMS U-42 (S192)
- BMS U-43 (S193)
- BMS U-44 (S194)
- BMS U-45 (S195)
- BMS U-46 (S196)
- BMS U-47 (S197)
- BMS U-48 (S198)
- 4 x Walchensee-class Tanker
- BMS Walchensee (A1424)
- BMS Ammersee (A1425)
- BMS Tegernsee (A1426)
- BMS Westensee (A1427)
- 2 x Helgoland-class Tug
- BMS Helgoland (A1457)
- BMS Fehmarn (1458)
- 6 x Wangerooge-class Tug
- BMS Wangerooge (A1451)
- BMS Spiekeroog (A1452)
- BMS Langeoog (A1453)
- BMS Baltrum (A1454)
- BMS Norderney (A1455)
- BMS Juist (A1456)
- 2 x Rhön-class Tanker
- BMS Rhön (A1443)
- BMS Spessart (S1444)
- 3 x Oste-class Intellegence Ship
- BMS Oste (A52)
- BMS Oker (A53)
- BMS Alster (A54)
- 6 x Elbe-class Replenishment Oiler
- BMS Elbe (A511)
- BMS Mosel (A512)
- BMS Rhein (A513)
- BMS Werra (A514)
- BMS Main (A515)
- BMS Donau (A516)
- 6 x Berlin-class fleet replenishment vessel
- BMS Berlin (A1411)
- BMS Hamburg (A1412)
- BMS Essen (A1413)
- BMS Bremen (A1414)
- BMS Lübeck (A1415)
- BMS Kessel (A1416)
- 5 x Endsdord-class Minesweeper
- BMS Pegnitz (M1090)
- BMS Hameln (M1092)
- BMS Auerbach/Oberpfalz (M1093)
- BMS Ensdorf (M1094)
- BMS Siegburg (M1098)
- 5 x Kulmbach-class Mine Hunter
- BMS Kulmbach (M1091)
- BMS Überherrn (M1095)
- BMS Passau (M1096)
- BMS Laboe (M1097)
- BMS Herten (M1099)
- 12 x Frankenthal-class Minehunter
- BMS Fulda (M1058)
- BMS Weilheim (M1059)
- BMS Weiden (M1060)
- BMS Rottweil (M1061)
- BMS Sulzbach-Rosenberg (M1062)
- BMS Bad Bevensen (M1063)
- BMS Grömitz (M1064)
- BMS Dillingen (M1065)
- BMS Frankenthal (M1066)
- BMS Bad Rappenau (M1067)
- BMS Datteln (M1068)
- BMS Homburg (M1069)
- 2 x Bottsand-class Oil Recovery Ship
- BMS Bottsand (Y1643)
- BMS Eversand (Y1644)