A Vorpostenboot (plural Vorpostenboote) was an auxiliary warship used by Germany in both World Wars. Many vorpostenboote also served in other roles, such as sperrbrecher (mine clearance) and weather ships. During World War II, the Vorpostenboote were organized into several surface flotillas which were in turn attached to various German ports. Over 30 Vorpostenflotillas were established to operate off the German, Channel, Baltic and Scandinavian coasts.
1 Vorpostenflotille 1 Vorpostenflotille was active in the western Baltic from 1 October 1939 to 1 October 1940, when it was redesignated 3 Sperrbrecherflotille. ShipArmamentDisplacementPropulsionServiceLaunchedCommissionedFateV 101 Schwan, .Compound steam engine, single screw propeller.1938.1 October 1939.Later served as Sperrbrecher 31 and Sperrbrecher 131. Survived the war, used by German Mine Sweeping Administration. Claimed by United Kingdom as a prize in 1947, renamed Weltonwold, later Rhineland. Sold to South Africa in 1956. Renamed Herriesbrook, later Inyoni. Scrapped 1962.V 102 Cressida, .Compound steam engine, single screw propeller.1939. 1 October 1939.Survived the war and returned to civilian service, ran aground and sank off Karpathos, Greece on 23 December 1962.V 103 Sylvia.1 October 1939.Survived the war, transferred to German Mine Sweeping Administration. V 104 Falke, .Triple expansion steam engine, single screw propeller.31 July 1909.1 October 1939.Bombed and sunk off Lorient, Morbihan, France, 8 August 1944.V 105 Cremon, .Triple expansion steam engine, single screw propeller.1922.1 October 1939.Struck a mine and sank in the Norwegian Sea off Bergen, Norway on 11 April 1940.V 106 Phönix, .Triple expansion steam engine, single screw propeller.28 January 1913.1 October 1939.Scuttled at Saint-Nazaire, Loire-Inférieure, France on 25 August 1944.V 107 Botilla Russ, .Triple expansion steam engine, single screw propeller.1922.1 October 1939.Struck a mine and sank off the coast of Finistère, France on 28 January 1944.V 108 Friedrich Karl, .Triple expansion steam engine, single screw propeller.1938.Struck a mine and sank off Borkum on 23 December 1942.V 108 Porjus, .Diesel engine, single screw propeller.24 April 1937.1 October 1939.Survived the war and returned to civilian service, wrecked off the coast of "Cheka" on 27 November 1976.V 109 Flamingo, , .Triple expansion steam engine, single screw propeller.1909.1 October 1939.Struck a mine and sank off Lindesnes, Norway on 18 February 1945.
2 Vorpostenflotille 2 Vorpostenflotille existed from September 1939 to December 1944, when it was disbanded. Many vessels were redesignated within the unit, later designations are shown in brackets ShipArmamentDisplacementPropulsionServiceLaunchedCommissionedFateV 201 Seydlitz (V 211) , . Triple expansion steam engine, single screw propeller. 1936. 1 October 1939.Sunk in the English Channel off Barfleur, Manche, France by British aircraft on 20 March 1944.V 202 Franz Westermann (V 205), .Triple expansion steam engine, single screw propeller.1937.1 October 1939.Sunk in an Allied air raid on St. Peter Port, Guernsey on 15 June 1944.V 203 Heinrich Buermann (V 207)Sunk in an Allied air raid on Le Havre, France on 14 June 1944.V 204 Dorum , .Triple expansion steam engine, single screw propeller.1937.10 September 1939.To 4 Vorpostenflotille, October 1939V 205 Hermann Bösch (V 202) , .Triple expansion steam engine, single screw propeller.1937.10 September 1939.Shelled and sunk in the English Channel off La Hague, France by and on 28 July 1942.V 206 Gauleiter Telschow (V 209), .Triple expansion steam engine, single screw propeller.1937.12 September 1939.Torpedoed and sunk in the North Sea off Heligoland by on 20 November 1939. V 207 Otto Bröhan (V 206)1 x 88mm gun, 1 x 20mm cannon (1939–43),1 x 88mm gun, 5 x 20mm cannon (1943–44)., .Triple expansion steam engine, single screw propeller.28 December 1937.6 October 1939.Scuttled at Caen, Calvados, France on 12 June 1944. V 208 Gebrüder Kähler (V 201), .Triple expansion steam engine, single screw propeller.20 October 1937.>24 September 1939.Struck a mine and sank in the Westerschelde on 5 September 1940.V 209 Carl Röver (V 203), .Triple expansion steam engine, single screw propeller.July 1933.28 September 1939.Severely damaged in an engagement with and in the English Channel on 13 July 1944. Withdrawn from service September 1944.V 209 Dr. Rudolf Wahrendorff, .Triple expansion steam engine, single screw propeller.17 September 1928.23 December 1939.Sunk by Allied aircraft at St. Peter Port on 24 July 1944.V 210 R. Walther Darré (V 208), .Compound steam engine, single screw propeller.July 1933.28 September 1939.Sunk in the English Channel off the coast of Normandy on 4 July 1944 by British MTBs.V 211 Friedrich Busse (V 212), .Triple expansion steam engine, single screw propeller.7 November 1934.16 September 1939.Scuttled at Caen on 12 June 1944. V 212 Hinrich Hey (V 210), .Triple expansion steam engine, single screw propeller.6 October 1934.24 September 1939.Sunk in the English Channel off the coast of Normandy, by British Motor Torpedo Boats on 4 July 1944. V 213 Claus Bolten, .Compound steam engine, single screw propeller.25 September 1937.18 June 1940.Sunk in an engagement with and by the Channel Islands on 28 June 1944.V 213 Zieten (V 204), .Triple expansion steam engine, single screw propeller.16 October 1934.17 September 1939.Scuttled at Nantes, Loire-Inférieure, France in 1945. Subsequently, raised, repaired and became the French Navy survey ship and later merchant fishing trawler Astrolabe. Scrapped 1953.V 214 Spica, .Compound steam engine, single screw propeller.5 November 1930.17 September 1939.To 8 Vorpostenflotille, 21 October 1939.V 214 Teutonia, .Triple expansion steam engine, single screw propeller.17 June 1937.28 September 1939 (as M 1507).Became a French fishing trawler post-war. Scrapped 1961.V 215 Baden, .Triple expansion steam engine, single screw propeller.June 1930.23 September 1939.To 4 Vorpostenflotille, 21 October 1939.V 215 HelaSunk in the Baltic Sea off Hel, Danzig-West Prussia by Soviet aircraft on 16 April 1945.V 215 Oliva, .Triple expansion steam engine, single screw propeller.25 March 1920.1 June 1942 (as V1523).Scuttled at Saint-Malo, Ille-et-Vilaine on 6 August 1944. Raised and repaired post war, returned to owners. Scrapped 1957.V 216 GoëlandSunk at Saint-Malo, France on 6 August 1944.V 222Scuttled at Brest, France on 18 August 1944.V 223Scuttled at Brest, France on 18 August 1944.V 224Scuttled at Brest, France on 18 August 1944.V 225Scuttled at Brest, France on 18 August 1944.V 226Scuttled at Brest, France on 18 August 1944.V 227Scuttled at Brest, France on 18 August 1944.
3 Vorpostenflotille 3 Vorpostenflotille was established in September 1939. ShipArmamentDisplacementPropulsionServiceLaunchedCommissionedFateV 301 Weser, .Triple expansion steam engine, single screw propeller.September 1938.27 September 1939.Struck a mine and sank in the Baltic Sea off Langeland, Denmark on 25 November 1939. Subsequently, raised, repaired and returned to service. Returned to owners December 1941. Scrapped in 1962.V 302 Bremen, .Triple expansion steam engine, single screw propeller.April 1929.30 September 1939.Returned to owners post-war. Scrapped in 1953.V 303 Tannenberg, .Triple expansion steam engine, single screw propeller.May 1935.23 September 1939.Sunk on 5 January 1941. Raised, repaired and returned to service. Returned to owners post-war. Converted to cargo ship in 1958. Wrecked in 1978.V 304 Breslau, .Triple expansion steam engine, single screw propeller.May 1925.30 September 1939.Wrecked at the entrance to the Noordzeekanaal, 17 September 1940.V 305 Ostpreussen, .Triple expansion steam engine, single screw propeller.June 1935.30 September 1939.Returned to owners post-war. Converted to cargo ship 1957, scrapped 1958.V 306 Fritz Hincke, .Triple expansion steam engine, single screw propeller.August 1929.23 September 1939.Struck a mine and sank in the North Sea off IJmuiden, Netherlands on 5 January 1940.V 307 Württemberg, .Triple expansion steam engine, single screw propeller.26 November 1929.25 September 1939.Returned to owners post-war. Scrapped July 1957.V 308 Oscar Neynaber, .Compound steam engine, single screw propeller.30 October 1929.17 September 1939.Torpedoed and sunk in the Baltic Sea by the Soviet Motor Torpedo Boat on 23 September 1941.V 309 Martin Donandt, .Triple expansion steam engine, single screw propeller.August 1927.28 September 1939.Struck a mine and sank in the Baltic Sea off Ventspils, Latvia on 28 October 1941.V 310 Rosemarie, .Triple expansion steam engine, single screw propeller.September 1924.29 April 1941.Returned to owners post war. Scrapped in 1953.V 311 Osdorf, .Triple expansion steam engine, single screw propeller.1 September 1921.20 April 1941.Returned to owners post war. Sold to Norway in 1951 and rebuilt as a coaster. Lost in a collision in 1956.V 312 Hanseat, .Triple expansion steam engine, single screw propeller.5 August 1926.3 May 1941.Ran aground and was wrecked on 20 August 1942.V 313 Eifel, .Triple expansion steam engine, single screw propeller.1929.20 April 1941.Returned to owner post-war. Scrapped 1955.V 314 Heinrich Lehnert, . Triple expansion steam engine, single screw propeller.September 1918.27 April 1941.Redesignated Vs 314 Heinrich Lehnert on 1 October 1943. Returned to owners post-war, scrapped 1950.V 315 Bris1 x 75 or 88mm cannon, 2 x 37mm anti-aircraft guns, 4 to 10 x 20mm machine guns, 6 x depth charge throwers., displacement 1,250 tons.Triple expansion steam engine, single screw propeller.14 June 1941.3 February 1942.Collided with and sank in the Baltic Sea off Großendorf, Danzig-West Prussia on 12 March 1945. V 316Torpedoed and sunk in the North Sea off Den Helder, Netherlands by Allied aircraft on 25 September 1943.V 317 Wega, .Compound steam engine, single screw propller.23 December 1931.29 November 1939.Returned to owners post-war. Scrapped 1955.
4 Vorpostenflotille 4 Vorpostenflotille was formed in September 1939 and was disbanded in September 1944. Many vessels were re-designated within the unit. Later designations are shown in brackets.