German training ship Gorch Fock (1958)
{{Short description|Training ship in the German Navy}}
| {{Infobox ship begin}}
{{Infobox ship image | Ship image=Gorch Fock unter Segeln Kieler Foerde 2006.jpg | Ship caption= }} {{Infobox ship career | Hide header= | Ship country=Germany | Ship flag={{shipboxflag|Germany|naval}} | Ship name=Gorch Fock | Ship namesake=Johann Kinau, AKA "Gorch Fock" | Ship owner=German Navy | Ship operator= | Ship registry= | Ship route= | Ship ordered= | Ship awarded= | Ship builder=Blohm & Voss | Ship original cost= | Ship yard number=804 | Ship way number= | Ship laid down= | Ship launched=23 August 1958 | Ship sponsor= | Ship christened= | Ship completed= | Ship acquired= | Ship commissioned=17 December 1958 | Ship maiden voyage= | Ship in service= | Ship refit= | Ship homeport=Kiel | Ship identification=*NATO pennant number A60
| Ship motto= | Ship nickname= | Ship honours= | Ship fate= | Ship status=In active service | Ship notes= | Ship badge= }} {{Infobox ship characteristics | Hide header= | Header caption= | Ship class=Type 441 training ship | Ship type= | Ship tonnage= | Ship displacement=1760 tons | Ship length={{convert|81.2|m|ftin|abbr=on}} | Ship beam={{convert|12|m|ftin|abbr=on}} | Ship height= | Ship draught={{convert|5.2|m|ftin|abbr=on}} | Ship depth= | Ship hold depth= | Ship decks= | Ship deck clearance= | Ship ramps= | Ship ice class= | Ship power={{cvt|1220|kW}} | Ship propulsion=Sail, auxiliary six-cylinder diesel engine | Ship sail plan=Three-masted barque | Ship speed={{convert|13.7|kn}} under power | Ship range= | Ship endurance= | Ship test depth= | Ship boats= | Ship capacity= | Ship troops= | Ship complement= | Ship crew= | Ship time to activate= | Ship sensors= | Ship EW= | Ship armament= | Ship armour= | Ship notes= }} |
Gorch Fock is a tall ship of the German Navy, launched in 1958 as a replacement for the original {{ship||Gorch Fock|1933|3}} launched in 1933 which was taken as war reparations by the Soviet Union after World War II, renamed Tovarishch, and returned to Germany in 2003.
Both ships are named in honour of the German writer Johann Kinau who wrote under the pseudonym "Gorch Fock" and died in the battle of Jutland/Skagerrak in 1916. The modern-day Gorch Fock was launched in 1958 as a delayed sister ship to five ships built in the 1930s, and has since then undertaken 146 cruises (as of October 2006{{Update inline|date=August 2016}}), including one tour around the world in 1988. She is sometimes referred to (unofficially) as Gorch Fock II to distinguish her from her older sister ship. Gorch Fock is assigned to the Naval Academy at Flensburg-Mürwik.
The ship
Image:Gorch-Fock 2 HFX 2007.jpg
Image:German tallship Gorch Fock.png
Germany lost all of its school ships as war reparations after World War II to the Allies, so the West German {{lang|de|Bundesmarine}} decided in 1957 to have a new training vessel built following the plans for the original Gorch Fock of 1933 which by that time was owned by the Soviets, and renamed to Tovarishch. The new ship was a modernized repeat of the Albert Leo Schlageter, a slightly modified sister ship of the previous Gorch Fock.
The 1933 Gorch Fock had already been designed to be a very safe ship: she had a righting moment large enough to bring her back into the upright position even when heeling over to nearly 90°. Nevertheless some last-minute changes to the design were made in response to the {{ship||Pamir|ship|2}} disaster in 1957, especially concerning the strength of the body and the bulkheads as well as the lifesaving equipment, including the lifeboats.
The new ship was built by Blohm & Voss at Hamburg, and launched on 23 August 1958. The vessel was commissioned on 17 December of that year. Her home port is Kiel. Gorch Fock is a three-masted barque with a steel hull {{convert|81.2|m|ftin}} long (without the bowsprit) and {{cvt|12|m|ftin}} wide. She has a draught of {{cvt|5.2|m|ftin}} and a full load displacement of {{convert|1760|t|LT|lk=on}}. Originally, she carried {{convert|1952|m2}} of canvas sails; later, she received slightly larger sails made of synthetic materials. The tops of her fore and main masts can be lowered so that she can navigate the Kiel Canal, otherwise she would be too tall for some of the bridges spanning the canal. Officially Gorch Fock is a Type 441 naval ship with the NATO pennant number A60. Her international radio call sign is DRAX.
=Renovations and repair problems=
Over the years, various modernizations have been applied to the ship. She was fitted with air conditioning, the asbestos used originally was removed and replaced by less dangerous materials in 1991, and in that year she also received a new auxiliary engine, a six-cylinder diesel engine producing {{convert|1220|kW|lk=on}}, giving the ship a top speed of {{convert|13.7|kn|lk=in}} under power. The interior has also been modified multiple times; technological advances made it possible to reduce the size of the galley and enlarge the crew quarters.
In November 2015 the ship was brought to the German shipyard Elsflether Werft at Bremerhaven because of hull problems with a first cost estimate of 9.6 million euro.{{cite news| url=http://www.spiegel.de/politik/deutschland/gorch-fock-warum-die-kosten-fuer-die-renovierung-so-explodierten-a-1247801.html |author=Matthias Gebauer |title=Von der Leyen und das "Gorch Fock"-Debakel| publisher=Der Spiegel |language=de |date=January 13, 2019 |access-date=January 13, 2019}} With the discovery of more problems the estimate was stepwise raised to 64.5 million euro within a year. Despite concerns about the rising costs the Ministry of Defense approved a continuation of the repairs.{{cite web |url=https://www.bmvg.de/de/mediathek/von-der-leyen-gorch-fock-soll-weitersegeln--15216 |title=Von der Leyen: "Gorch Fock soll weitersegeln" |author=Federal Ministry of Defense (BMVg) |publisher=BMVg |date=January 26, 2017 |access-date=January 13, 2019 |archive-date=December 20, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181220231518/https://www.bmvg.de/de/mediathek/von-der-leyen-gorch-fock-soll-weitersegeln--15216 |url-status=dead }} In 2017 it was determined that the amount of work required was much greater; this included the almost complete replacement of the hull plating, renewal of decks and refurbishment of the engine with a cost estimated at 135 million euro. In January 2018 repairs were stopped while a review was carried out by the Ministry of Defence, including consideration of replacing Gorch Fock with a new vessel. In March 2018 it was announced that the project would continue, noting that a new vessel could not be delivered until 2025, and that the existing vessel would re-enter service in 2019.{{cite news|author= Christoph Prössl|title=135 Millionen Euro für ein Stück Tradition|url=https://www.tagesschau.de/inland/gorch-fock-111.html|access-date=20 March 2018|work=Tagesschau.de|publisher=ARD-aktuell|date=20 March 2018|location=Hamburg|language=de}}{{cite news|title="Gorch Fock" soll für bis zu 135 Millionen Euro saniert werden|url=https://www.stern.de/news/-gorch-fock--soll-fuer-bis-zu-135-millionen-euro-saniert-werden-7908112.html|access-date=20 March 2018|work=Stern|publisher=Gruner + Jahr|date=20 March 2018|location=Hamburg|language=de}} However, in January 2019 the ship was reported to be in a "completely dismantled" state. A review by the Bundesrechnungshof (Federal Audit Office) was sharply critical of the procurement process by the Ministry of Defense. Also, at the end of January 2019, the executive board and the board of directors of the shipyard were released of their duty.[http://www.spiegel.de/wirtschaft/soziales/gorch-fock-debakel-vorstand-der-elsflether-werft-entlassen-a-1250832.html Vorstand entlassen], Der Spiegel, January 30, 2019 While Gorch Fock was under repair, her Romanian sister ship {{ship||Mircea|ship|2}} was used for training.
On 1 September 2021 Gorch Fock took to sea for the first time in six years for her first trial run after her extensive renovations.{{Cite web|last=|date=2021-09-01|title=Sanierte "Gorch Fock" schippert über die Weser zur Nordsee|url=https://www.ndr.de/nachrichten/niedersachsen/oldenburg_ostfriesland/Sanierte-Gorch-Fock-schippert-ueber-die-Weser-zur-Nordsee,gorchfock2390.html|access-date=2021-09-01|website=Norddeutscher Rundfunk|language=de}} On 30 September 2021 Gorch Fock returned to the German Navy.{{cite news|title="Gorch Fock" wird am 30. September an die Marine übergeben|url=https://www.ndr.de/nachrichten/niedersachsen/oldenburg_ostfriesland/Gorch-Fock-wird-am-30-September-an-die-Marine-uebergeben,gorchfock2376.html|access-date=18 July 2021|publisher=Norddeutscher Rundfunk|date=8 June 2021|location=Oldenburg|language=de}}
The figurehead
Image:Gorch-Fock Figurehead2.jpg
The ship's figurehead was designed by Heinrich Schroeteler{{citation needed|date=August 2017}}, a former World War II U-boat commander. The figurehead has been replaced on several occasions:
- The first albatross from 1958 was lost after a few years; its replacement was made of wood, like the original.
- In 1969, the replacement was removed and replaced by a figurehead made of polyester to save weight.
- This albatross broke off when Gorch Fock was being overhauled in 2000. It was replaced by a new one made of wood.
- On 11 December 2002, Gorch Fock{{'}}s figurehead was lost in a storm. The replacement was also made of wood.
- Again, the figurehead broke off in a storm on 5 December 2003. On 24 February 2004, the ship was fitted with a new albatross, this time made of carbon fibre-reinforced polyester.
The cruises
Image:Gorch Fock II liegt an der Pier vor der Marineschule Mürwik (Flensburg).jpg in Flensburg]]
File:Gorch Fock, Einlaufen in den Heimathafen Kiel (2009).jpg (2009)]]
Gorch Fock has been in German Navy service as a training ship since 1958. Since she has been commissioned, more than 14,500 cadets have been trained on Gorch Fock.{{cite web|url=http://www.marine.de/portal/a/marine/kcxml/04_Sj9SPykssy0xPLMnMz0vM0Y_QjzKLNzKON3RzNgFJgjneZiH6kQjhoJRUfV-P_NxUfW_9AP2C3IhyR0dFRQDjCV-j/delta/base64xml/L3dJdyEvd0ZNQUFzQUMvNElVRS82XzIzXzFGQzU! | title=Statistiken |language=de |publisher=German Navy |date=25 August 2008}} Gorch Fock participates in sailing parades and Tall Ships' Races, where she is in amicable rivalry with the Italian vessel {{ship|Italian training ship|Amerigo Vespucci||2}}. Other ships of the same class include {{USCGC|Eagle|WIX-327|6}}, {{NRP|Sagres|1937|6}}, the first Gorch Fock and Mircea. Gorch Fock can host up to 350 passengers on board.
In 1987–1988, she sailed around the world, with stopovers on five continents. Lasting 336 days, this was her second longest cruise, topped only by a training cruise in 1996–1997 from Kiel to Bangkok and back that lasted 343 days.
At least six sailors have died in incidents aboard Gorch Fock, either by falling from the rigging or by going overboard.[http://www.thelocal.de/national/20101108-31037.html "Woman sailor dies in Gorch Fock training accident"] In the aftermath of the latest accident, naval cadets refused to climb the rigging (the highest position on the main mast being {{convert|45|m|disp=or}}), and four of them were subsequently accused of "inciting rebellion".[https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-12248501 "Germany investigates alleged Gorch Fock Mutiny"] This was described as a mutiny in some accounts. Subsequently, officers' training on board Gorch Fock was suspended, pending a thorough review of training protocols as well as the entire training program. According to a 19 November 2010 statement issued by the German Fleet Command, the officer candidates then on board were to be flown back to Germany to continue their training while the ship was docked in Ushuaia, Argentina. The commanding officer was suspended, and a commission was appointed to investigate claims of sexual harassment and improper conduct.{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-12278841 |title=BBC News - Gorch Fock case: German navy cadets 'mistreated' |access-date=2011-01-25 |date=25 January 2011}} On 13 March 2011, all charges against the commanding officer were dismissed.[http://www.thelocal.de/national/20110313-33691.html "Investigators clear Gorch Fock commander of allegations"] The Local, 13 March 2011
References
{{reflist}}
External links
{{commons category|IMO 5133644}}
- [http://www.marine.de/portal/a/marine/!ut/p/c4/04_SB8K8xLLM9MSSzPy8xBz9CP3I5EyrpHK93MQivfLEtLTUvNI8vYzMnLTitMQMveLU9NSc4uQM_YJsR0UAIJp1Lg!!/ Official homepage] of the Gorch Fock at the German Navy web site. In German. {{Google translation|en|de|http://www.marine.de/portal/a/marine/!ut/p/c4/04_SB8K8xLLM9MSSzPy8xBz9CP3I5EyrpHK93MQivfLEtLTUvNI8vYzMnLTitMQMveLU9NSc4uQM_YJsR0UAIJp1Lg!!}}
- [http://www.esys.org/gofo/index.html ESYS] - unofficial home page; in German. {{Google translation|en|de|http://www.esys.org/gofo/index.html}}
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20110903082351/http://www2.gorchfock.de/ Gorch Fock Homepage] Another Gorch Fock home page in German.
- [http://simonsships.com/ships/gorchfock.php?lan=en English website] of the Gorch Fock
{{Ship classes of the Deutsche Marine}}
{{Blohm + Voss}}
{{Authority control}}
Category:Individual sailing vessels
Category:Ships built in Hamburg
Category:Training ships of the German Navy
Category:Tall ships of Germany
Category:Maritime incidents in 2010
Category:German military scandals