Vorpostenboot

Vorpostenboot (plural Vorpostenboote), also referred to as VP-Boats, flakships or outpost boats, were German patrol boats which served during both World Wars. They were used around coastal areas and in coastal operations, and were tasked with – among other things – coastal patrol, ship escort, and naval combat.

Characteristics

Armament

Vorpostenboote typically carried one or two medium-calibre guns (e.g., 88 mm), many light automatic anti-aircraft guns (20–40 mm), and a varying number of machine guns. For anti-submarine warfare they were also fitted with depth charges. They were crewed by sixty to seventy men, most of whom were weapons personnel taken from the naval reserve. While Vorpostenboote were able to engage and defeat light naval forces – such as small motor gun boats – they were not powerful enough to effectively combat destroyers or larger warships.

Some Vorpostenboote (and submarine chasers) were given heavier anti-aircraft guns and re-rated as Flakjaeger or Flakkorvetten.

History

World War I

At the outset of World War I, the Imperial German Navy lacked sufficient numbers of warships to perform auxiliary tasks like coastal patrol and convoy escort. As such, the navy requisitioned a large portion of civilian fishing trawlers to perform these tasks, converting them into Vorpostenboote.

Interwar

After World War I, Germany's shipbuilding industry suffered because of the Great Depression, and many of the larger shipbuilders were unable to continue construction.