German destroyer Mölders
{{Short description|German naval ship and museum ship}}
| {{Infobox ship begin}}
{{Infobox ship image |Ship image= File:D186 Mölders Marinemuseum.JPG |Ship caption=Museum ship Mölders }} {{Infobox ship career |Hide header= |Ship country=Germany |Ship flag={{shipboxflag|Germany|naval}} |Ship name= Mölders |Ship namesake=Werner Mölders |Ship ordered=3 March 1965 |Ship awarded= |Ship builder=Bath Iron Works, Bath, Maine |Ship original cost= |Ship yard number= |Ship way number= |Ship laid down=12 April 1966 |Ship launched=13 April 1967 |Ship sponsor= |Ship christened= |Ship completed= |Ship acquired= |Ship commissioned=23 February 1969 |Ship decommissioned=28 May 2003 |Ship in service= |Ship out of service= |Ship renamed= |Ship reclassified= |Ship refit= |Ship struck= |Ship reinstated= |Ship homeport= |Ship identification= |Ship motto= |Ship nickname= |Ship honours= |Ship status=Museum ship at Wilhelmshaven |Ship notes= |Ship badge= }} {{Infobox ship characteristics |Hide header= |Header caption= |Ship class= {{sclass|Lütjens|destroyer}} |Ship tonnage= |Ship displacement= {{Convert|4800|t|LT|0|abbr=on}} standard |Ship length={{Convert|134|m|ftin|abbr=on}} |Ship beam={{Convert|14.5|m|ftin|abbr=on}} |Ship height= |Ship draught={{Convert|6.5|m|ftin|abbr=on}} |Ship depth= |Ship hold depth= |Ship decks= |Ship deck clearance= |Ship power= |Ship propulsion=*2 × turbines
|Ship speed= {{Convert|33|kn|lk=in}} |Ship range= |Ship endurance= |Ship boats= |Ship complement=334 |Ship time to activate= |Ship sensors= |Ship EW= |Ship armament= 2 × 127 mm/54 Mk 42 mod 10 guns 2 × Rheinmetall Rh202 20 mm autocannons 1 × Mk 13 Model 4 Missile Launcher (32 SM-1MR Missiles and 8 Harpoon Missiles) 2 × Mk 49 Rolling Airframe (RAM) Missile Launcher (21 RAM surface-to-air missiles) 6 × 324 mm torpedo tubes, DM4A1 and Mark 46 torpedoes 1 × RUR-5 ASROC launcher (8 ASROC Missiles) |Ship aircraft= |Ship aircraft facilities= |Ship notes= }} |
Mölders (D186) was one of three {{sclass|Lütjens|destroyer|0}} guided-missile destroyers, a modified version of the American {{sclass|Charles F. Adams|destroyer|4}}, built for the Bundesmarine (West German Navy) during the 1960s.
Design and description
The Charles F. Adams class was based on a stretched Forrest Sherman-class destroyer hull modified to accommodate an RUR-5 ASROC Launcher and all their associated equipment. The ships had an overall length of {{convert|134.4|m|ftin|sp=us}}, a beam of {{convert|14.4|m|ftin|sp=us}} and a deep draft of {{convert|4.5|m|ftin|sp=us}}. They displaced {{convert|4526|t|LT|sp=us}} at full load. Their crew consisted of 333 officers and enlisted men.
The ships were equipped with two geared General Electric steam turbines, each driving one propeller shaft, using steam provided by four D-V2M water-tube boilers. The turbines were intended to produce {{convert|70000|shp|lk=in}} to reach the designed speed of {{convert|36|kn|lk=in}}. The Lütjens class had a range of {{convert|4500|nmi|lk=in}} at a speed of {{convert|20|kn}}. Unlike their half-sisters, the ships had two macks.Gardiner, Chumley & Budzbon, p. 143
They were armed with two 5-inch/54-caliber Mark 42 gun, one each forward and aft of the superstructure. The ships were fitted with an eight-round ASROC launcher between the funnels. Close-range anti-submarine defense was provided by two triple sets of {{convert|12.75|in|adj=on|order=flip}} Mk 32 torpedo tubes. The primary armament of the ships was the Tartar surface-to-air missile system designed to defend a carrier battle group. They were fired via the single-arm Mk 13 missile launcher and the ships stowed a total of 40 missiles for the launcher.
Construction and career
{{stack|File:Informationsschild im Zerstörer Mölders im Deutschen Marinemuseum Wilhelmshaven.jpg of destroyer Mölders at the German Naval Museum Wilhelmshaven]]}}
On 3 March 1965 Bath Iron Works got the order to build Mölders and her keel was laid down on 12 April 1966 with the hull number DDG-29. On 13 April 1967 Mölders was launched and christened for Luftwaffe Oberst (Colonel) Werner Mölders by his mother Anne-Marie Mölders. Mölders was commissioned on 23 February 1969 into the 1. Zerstörergeschwader (first destroyer squadron) based in Kiel.
During her 33 years in commission 14,000 sailors served on her under 16 commanders, and she traveled {{convert|675,054.6|nmi}}. Mölders was decommissioned 28 May 2003 in Wilhelmshaven.
Unlike her sisters {{ship|German destroyer|Lütjens|D185|2}} and {{ship|German destroyer|Rommel|D187|2}}, Mölders was preserved and is now on display as museum ship at the Deutsches Marinemuseum at Wilhelmshaven, although she was never stationed in Wilhelmshaven during her active career. She is the sole surviving member of the Charles F Adams-class destroyers.
Notes
{{Reflist|30em}}
References
- {{cite book|last=Friedman|first=Norman|title=U.S. Destroyers: An Illustrated Design History|publisher=Naval Institute Press|location=Annapolis, Maryland|year=1982|isbn=0-87021-733-X}}
- {{cite book|last1=Gardiner|first1=Robert|last2=Chumbley|first2=Stephen|last3=Budzbon |first3=Przemysław|title=Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1947-1995|year=1995|publisher=Naval Institute Press|location=Annapolis, Maryland|isbn=1-55750-132-7|name-list-style=amp}}
External links
{{Commons}}
- [https://www.marinemuseum.de/ausstellungen/freigelande/die-molders/ Zerstörer Mölders] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190504153952/https://www.marinemuseum.de/ausstellungen/freigelande/die-molders/ |date=2019-05-04 }} {{in lang|de}}
- [http://www.zerstoerer-moelders.de Zerstörer Mölders] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20051217072142/http://www.zerstoerer-moelders.de/ |date=2005-12-17 }} {{in lang|de}}
- [http://www.maritimequest.com/warship_directory/germany/pages/destroyers/molders_d186.htm MaritimeQuest Mölders D-186 photo gallery]
- {{Navsource|05/01029|Mölders}}
{{Charles F. Adams class destroyer}}
{{coord|53|30|49|N|8|8|19|E|type:landmark_region:DE-NI_source:dewiki|display=title}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Molders (D186)}}
Category:Lütjens-class destroyers
Category:Ships built in Bath, Maine