List of German Navy ship classes


This is a list of naval ship classes that were in service with the []Bundesmarine, or are still in service with the German Navy. Some projects, that were not built or future designs are also present.

The type codes

The post-war navy of western Germany introduced a three digit code system to designate every class of vessel they ordered to design or acquired from foreign nations. Even some classes that were only built for export got such codes, most prominently the Type 209 submarine. After reunification the German Navy kept the system, codes for ships from the former forces of East Germany were added..
The code is sometimes prefixed with a letter according to the category of the ships, e.g.:
Upgrades to the design or major refits of already built ships are marked with a postfixed letter, beginning with A for the first modification. This letter is usually spoken and sometimes written according to the NATO Phonetic Alphabet, e.g. class 206 alpha for the upgraded Type 206 submarine.
The codes are grouped with a two-level categorization, the first digit defines the first category. Categories are usually further subdivided in blocks.
In each block of type codes, the numbers were assigned chronologically for designed types. Classes acquired from foreign nation or from World War II were given numbers near the end of their block. Sometimes a block is further divided, e.g. Types 120-139 have apparently been split in frigates and corvettes with the upcoming Type 130 corvette.
The type codes starting with 0 are not used, and also the digit 0 is skipped at the start of a category, i.e. codes 000-099, 100, 200… are not used.
Individual ships in a class are designated with two digit number following a slash, e.g. 123/02 for the frigate F216 Schleswig-Holstein, second ship of the Type 123 Brandenburg class.

List of classes

100-199 [surface combatant]s

TypeClassPennant
numbers		NumberIn serviceNotes/Fate
120KölnF220-22561961~19891 used as hulk, 1 scrapped, 4 sold to Turkey
121Fregatte 70cancelled project
122BremenF207-21481982-presentmulti-purpose frigate, 6 retired, 2 active
123BrandenburgF215-21841994-presentAnti-submarine warfare frigate
124SachsenF219-22132003-presentAnti-aircraft warfare AEGIS frigate
125Baden-WürttembergF22242016-present1 in commission, 3 currently building
130BraunschweigF260-F2645Corvette, 5 ships active
138Hunt/Black SwanF212-21871958~1967Former British frigates and sloops, used for training, all scrapped
139IsleA50-5121956~???Former British naval trawlers, converted and redesignated Type 752

TypeClassPennant
numbers		NumberIn serviceNotes/Fate
179La Fouguex11958French design, Licence built for NATO

200–299 subsurface combatants

Type numbers 250-299 are not assigned.

300–399 mine">naval mine">mine warfare vessels

TypeClassPennant
numbers		NumberIn serviceNotes/Fate
320LindauM1070-1087181958-198012 upgraded to type Type 331, 6 to 351
321VegesackM1250-125561959-1969French Origin, sold to Turkey

TypeClassPennant
numbers		NumberIn serviceNotes/Fate
331Fulda121972-20001 museum ship, 2 scrapped, 2 each to Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, 1 to Georgia, 1 to Gibraltar
332FrankenthalM1058-1069121992-present
333KulmbachM1091-10965upgraded Type 343 boats
33961956-1970former French Navy vessels, Canadian origin, all scrapped

TypeClassPennant
numbers		NumberIn serviceNotes/Fate
370A1403-140531961-1971Former USN LSTs, 1 scrapped, 2 to Turkey

Type numbers 380-389 Netzleger und Netzleichter were cancelled projects.
TypeClassPennant
numbers		NumberIn serviceNotes/Fate
390M265111966-presenttransformed to Type 740, two boats cancelled
391NiobeM26611transformed into Type 740
392HansaM26621transformed into Type 732
393AriadneM2650-265781961-19921 hulk, most scrapped
394FrauenlobM2658-2667101966-20014 to Estonia, 1 museum ship

400–499 auxiliary ships

TypeClassPennant
numbers		NumberIn serviceNotes/Fate
420ThetisP6052-605651961-1992Sold to Greece
421Hans BürknerA144911963-1990Fleet service ship, scrapped
422A50,52,5331957-1988Former Type 753 ships, Fleet service ships, 1 scrapped, one sold to Turkey, other to Greece
423OsteA50,52,5331988-presentConfusingly share same Pennant number and name combinations as Type 422 class

TypeClassPennant
numbers		NumberIn serviceNotes/Fate
430Type 43091966-present6 upgraded to 430A, most sold to Greece, 1 maybe still in service
438Type 43871959-1989Former Kriegsmarine boats
439Type 439181956-1976Some of them redesignated as Type 740 or 945, used as patrol boats

TypeClassPennant
numbers		NumberIn serviceNotes/Fate
440DeutschlandA5911963-1990Upgraded to 440A, scrapped
441Gorch Fock IIA6011958-presentSailing ship
4422Sailing ship

500–599 landing craft

TypeClassPennant
numbers		NumberIn serviceNotes/Fate
540Task force support ship
550LSML750-75341958-1973Former USN LSMs
551LSML754,75521958-1967Former USN LSMs
552LCA91958-1964Formar RN LCAs
553LCM111960-1973Former USN LCMs
554LCULCU111959-1967Former USN LCU, used as LCA leader
555City of HavannaWS111961-1965Former USN LSD, used as ferry and swimming barrack, sold to Greek Shipping company

600–699 small combatants

This category was formally not used. Small NVA combatants were assigned here.

700–799 support vessels, docks, tugs, special vehicles

800–899

This range of Type numbers is not allocated.

900–999 Safety, rescue, liaison & boats for special purposes

TypeClassPennant
numbers		NumberIn serviceNotes/Fate
91026assorted small yachts, some sunk, most decommissioned
911Star8At least 2 decommissioned, named after Gemstones
91211Pirate class dinghy at least 1 decommissioned, have female given names
91312
91426another class of Pirat dinghies, have male names, all decommissioned
91517another class of Pirat dinghies, have male names,

920-929 Sportboote are unassigned.
TypeClassPennant
numbers		NumberIn serviceNotes/Fate
93032old Kriegsmarine barges, 45-100PS motors, some with cabins, out of service
93181958-1993barges, 70/90PS motor
932151958-1981liaison boats, 70/120PS motor
93323pinnaces, with cabin, 70PS motor
93420barges, with cabin
93524pinnaces, wooden, without cabin, 70PS motor
93615pinnaces, wooden, cabin, 47-75PS motor
9372pinnaces, wooden, 70 or 54PS motor
9386motor dinghies
939Lindau1motor dinghy, 5m, wooden/GRP hull, 75PS pump-jet
94060cutter, wooden, with 20PS motor
94192cutters, wooden, with sail, no motor
94216dinghies, wooden, with sail and sword
9435dinghies, GRP hull, with sail
94475dinghies, wooden, with sail
945Y16xx16assorted harbour barges, diver service boats, motor barges, tug barges
946Y16xx51985-presenttug barges
94765motor cutters, 20PS motor, GRP hull
94816pinnaces with cabin, GRP hull, 70PS motor, GRP hull
94948cutters, without motor, GRP hull
9502dinghies, GRP hull
95116utility motorboats, GRP hull
95212two types of open lifeboats for tankers 6.5 m or 6.0 m long, steel hull
953Emsland1prototype of closed lifeboat for tankers, GRP hull
95428pinnaces without cabin, 70PS motor, GRP hull

TypeClassPennant
numbers		NumberIn serviceNotes/Fate
960partly closed
961partly closed, self erecting
962fully closed
963with air supply
964fire protected
965assorted stand-by boats

Type numbers 966-999 are not allocated.

Former NVA units

After the unification of the German Navies, the Eastern German ship classes got Type codes of the Western system. Especially for those that were soon sold afterwards to foreign navies, this process did not strictly follow the previous rules. Sometimes already allocated codes were reused or the previously spared x00 codes were assigned. But the vast majority was categorized in the previously unused 600-699 range, but even here the same Type code is often used more than once. And sometimes, ships of the same class are spread over different Type codes.
TypeClassPennant
numbers		NumberIn serviceNotes/fate
140Parchim IP6167—617041984—1991sold to Indonesia
300Projekt 89.2M2670—267151973—19912 sold to Indonesia, 3 to Uruguay
391Projekt 89.1BG31—333—19961 to each Tunisia, Malta, Cape Verde
420Parchim213—214
222—224
231—233
242—244		11—1991submarine hunters, sold to Indonesia, see also Type 140
600K41—433-1991ELINT ships, 2 to Estonia, 1 to Spain
600Wilhelm PieckS411—1996scrapped in Spain
600Project 600?C112, C6612—1991Tanker, scrapped?
600A441, A1142—1991salvage vessels, 1 to Uruguayan Navy, 1 scrapped
600Koni I142, F22521986—1991Koni I, scrapped?
610RostockF22411978—1991another Koni I, sold to United Kingdom
620Balcom 10P616511990—1991to Bundesgrenzschutz
621Tarantul I571—575
P6166		61985—19912 to USN, 3 scrapped, 1 ??
630GrevesmühlenP616411984—1991Parchim I, sold to Indonesia
640TangerhütteM266911972—1991Project 89.2 minesweeper, ??
650Project 162Y890—89561984—2002Swimming base, habitat
660assorted tugboatsY1650—1651
Y1654—1656
...		???, two still in service
660assorted salvage vessels?????
670Gustav KönigsY1652, Y16572—1994Tankers, scrapped
680Y1653, D442—1991Sea mark boats, scrapped
690Project 602A1430—1434
V816		61983—1991Replenishment ships, Scrapped in Belgium