German Navy Berlin Class Replenishment Ship FGS Frankfurt Am Main In Plymouth May 2023 With Tugs

The ‪@Bundeswehr‬ German navy Berlin Class Replenishment Ship FGS Frankfurt Am Main is filmed both entering and departing from HMNB (His Majesty's Naval Base) Devonport, under control of the Serco Tug fleet.

Frankfurt am Main (A1412) is the second ship of the Berlin-class replenishment ships of the German Navy. Ordered in 1997, the vessel was constructed in Hamburg by Flensburger Schiffbau-Gesellschaft and was launched on 5 January 2001. Frankfurt am Main was commissioned on 27 May 2002.

The ship supports German naval units away from their home ports. The ships carry fuel, provisions, ammunition and other materiel and also provide medical services. The ships are named after German cities where German parliaments were placed.

The Berlin-class replenishment ships are the largest vessels of the German Navy. The Berlin-class replenishment ships are 173.7 metres (569ft 11in) long overall with a beam of 24 m (78ft 9 in) and a draught of 7.4 m (24ft 3 in). The vessels have a displacement of 10,115 tons when light and 20,243 tons at full load and measure 18,640 gross tonnage (GT). Constructed with a double hull, they have a pronounced bow bulb. The ships have capacity for 7,600 tons of marine diesel fuel, 490 tons of aviation fuel, 126 tons of lube oil, 100 tons of spare parts, 230 tons of provisions and 195 tons of ammunition, 71 tons of fresh water, 100 tons of consumables, 1,075 tons of supplies and 230 tons of provisions. The vessels have two replenishment at sea stations, one per side of the ship and two electro-hydraulic container and cargo cranes. The Berlin class have capacity for 86 TEUs of shipping containers and can stack 26 TEUs in two layers on the upper deck. The ships have provision for a Marineeinsatzrettungzentrum (MERZ) unit which is a modular operations rescue centre aboard the ship. The MERZ is capable of holding 50 patients and providing them with emergency surgery, intensive care, internal medicine and dental services.

The initial plan for the Berlin class comprised four ships. However, in 1994, the number of ships to be ordered was cut back to just one. A second ship was authorized in the 1996 budget and Frankfurt am Main was ordered in June 1998. The ship was constructed by a consortium composed of Flensburger Schiffbau-Gesellschaft which constructed the hull, Lürssen the electrictal systems and Krügerwerft the superstructure, outfitting and sea trials. The ship was laid down on 28 August 2000 and launched on 5 January 2001 at Hamburg. The ship was christened by sponsor Petra Roth, the mayor of Frankfurt am Main. Frankfurt am Main then underwent sea trials beginning on 19 February 2002. She was commissioned on 27 May 2002.

Her first home port was Kiel,[2] since 26 September 2012, she has been stationed at the Heppenser Groden naval base in Wilhelmshaven. Frankfurt am Main worked with USS Mesa Verde during mock underway replenishment in the 50th iteration of UNITAS Gold on 26 April 2009.

In 2012, the ship was sent to Canada ahead of that nation's procurement of future replenishment ships. This was an attempt to draw Canadian interest in acquiring ship's of a similar design. In 2013, the mission was successful, as the Canadians chose the Berlin class as the basis for their new auxiliary ships.

On 16 March 2017, she was damaged in the evening when entering homeport Wilhelmshaven. When reversing in the port, Frankfurt am Main's stern collided with the concrete porch of the lock island. The ship was repaired at Kiel from June to September. After returning to service, Frankfurt am Main sailed for the Aegean Sea to join Standing NATO Maritime Group 2, remaining with the unit until March 2018.

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