10th February 1941
'Arkona'

The first piece of correspondence is sent to an address in Wilhelmshaven, whilst subsequent envelopes are addressed to FPN 09200.

FPN 09200 relates to Schwimmende Flak-Batterie 'Arkona' (Floating anti-aircraft battery ‘Arkona’).

Correspondence dates:

10th February 1941

14th February 1941

16th February 1941

20th February 1941

23rd February 1941

1st March 1941

'Arkona' (Arcona)

Keel laying: 1901; Launched: 22nd April 1902; Commissioned: 12th May 1903

The light cruiser 'Arcona' is the ninth ship of the 'Gazelle' class. The ships of this class were the first modern small cruisers of the German Imperial Navy and were built as additional ships based on the first naval law of 1898. As a ship class, they had no predecessors, but were designed based on the avisos of the Meteor class (1890/92) and the single ship SMS Hela (1895). The general specifications and lines of the Hela were adopted and the hull was increased in width so that more powerful armament could be installed. The class is the forefather of a series of other classes of small cruisers, which culminated in the Kolberg class of 1910.

The small cruiser 'Arcona' was commissioned on 12th May 1903. After the trial runs, the ship was integrated into the reconnaissance ship group on 18th July 1903. The small cruiser took part in several foreign voyages. In 1907, she was prepared for foreign voyages at the Imperial Shipyard in Wilhelmshaven. For this purpose, she was given a white coat of paint, among other things. The conversion was completed on 14th August 1907.

The ship then undertook a voyage to East Asia. When she reached Singapore on 23rd October, the cruiser entered the area of ​​the East Asian Station and the Cruiser Squadron. The small cruiser undertook further voyages here and visited the USA at the end of 1909.

On 17th January 1910, the 'Arcona' set off for home and reached Wilhelmshaven on 24th March 1910, where the ship was decommissioned on 30th March 1910. The cruiser went to the Imperial Shipyard for basic repairs, where it was converted into a mine cruiser. The two middle 10.5 cm guns were removed and facilities were created to accommodate 200 mines. The stern was also flattened and the ship was given a second chimney.

On 31st October 1912, the cruiser was recommissioned and assigned to the inspection of coastal artillery and mines. Training and maneuvering trips in the German Bight followed.

With the outbreak of the First World War, the two removed 10.5 cm guns were reinstalled and the ship became the lead ship of the Ems coastal defence division there, from autumn 1915 coastal defence flotilla and from autumn 1917 outpost flotilla of the Ems.

In spring 1919, the ship was converted and from then on served as the mother ship for UZ boats for the 5th Minesweeping Flotilla. During the conversion, all guns were removed from the ship except for the light forecastle guns for mine shooting. In February 1920, this task for 'Arcona' also ended and the small cruiser was dismantled. The ship was converted to a fleet cruiser, but no major conversion work was carried out.

On 25th May 1921, the cruiser was recommissioned and joined the North Sea forces. On 1st December 1923, 'Arcona' was finally decommissioned and transferred to the reserve.

On 15th January 1930, the ship was struck from the list of warships and used as a barracks for ship's crews, first in Wilhelmshaven, then in Swinemünde and Kiel.

At the beginning of 1940, 'Arcona' was converted into a floating anti-aircraft battery. For this purpose, she received four 2-cm anti-aircraft guns, one 3.7-cm anti-aircraft gun and four 10.5-cm anti-aircraft guns. A fifth 10.5-cm anti-aircraft gun was installed in 1941. The five 10.5-cm guns were divided into two batteries.

In order to achieve the greatest possible distance between the port and starboard guns, they had to be installed close to the ship's side. The bridge and part of the rear deck superstructure were converted into a control station and each received a 4-meter basic rangefinder. During a final conversion, the 'Arcona' was given a platform that extended over the stern, on which a 2 cm anti-aircraft gun was mounted.

On 18th September 1940, she moved into her firing position on the Jade without her own propulsion. On 7th May 1942, the ship moved to its new position at 53° 39'8 north and 8° 9'33 east. At the end of the war, the ship was sunk in the second entrance to Wilhelmshaven on 3rd May 1945, and scrapped in 1948/49.

Source: lexikon--der--wehrmacht-de

NOTES ON OTTO L. VON SPIES

Taken from an on-line catalogue selling items belonging to Otto von Spies (the same?):

Extensive estate of the officer, travelled on His Majesty's ship ‘Emden’, among others. Military passport, officer's pay book and command book, numerous entries such as promotions and missions in the First World War (Flanders, sinking on ship ‘G 96’, time on board ‘Freya, Emden, Kaiserin Augusta’). Identity card from the harbour commandant's office in Bruges in Belgium, photos of a coastal battery on the beach in Flanders. Two large-format portrait photos of officers of the Emden. Document folder made of wine-red leather with applied insignia for deck officers. Enamelled badge ‘Deutscher Flottenverein’. Imperial war flag of the kaiserl. Navy made of printed flag fabric, dimensions 52 x 74 cm. Naval binoculars made by Carl Zeiss in Jena. Plus photos, postcards and other documents. Otto von Spies was born on 5 November 1898 in Würzburg. He served on the torpedo boat ‘G 96’, among others. The boat ran into a mine on 26 June 1917 and sank with the loss of four men. He also served on SMS Emden (1916), named after the well-known predecessor ship that sank near the Cocos Islands on 9 November 1914.

The images accompanying the sale.

It may well have been Spies was given the job of commander of the 'Acona'? At this time Spies would be aged 42. Was he in the reserve? (See below)

Marineartilleriearsenalinspektion (Naval Artillery Arsenal Inspection)

Formed in August 1943 from the re-naming of the Inspektion der Marineartilleriezeugämter (Z.J.). The Inspektion was based in Bad Segeberg until March 1945 when it was moved to Flensburg. It was subordinate to OKM for technical matters and to Stationskommando Nordsee for all other matters. The Inspektion had technical, troop servicing & admimistrative control of all Marineartilleriearsenale in Germany. For the Marineartilleriearsenale in occupied lands it only had technical and administrative control with troop servicing granted to the local Befehlshabern. After the surrender the Marineartilleriearsenale continued use under British control until 1946.

Chef des Stabes

Kapitän zur See Hermann Hansing (00 Jul 1943-00 Aug 1943)Kapitän zur See Karl Arthur Freiherr von Killinger (00 Apr 1944-00 May 1945)

InspizientKapitän zur See (W) Bruno Woiczinski (00 Aug 1943-00 Feb 1944)Kapitän zur See (W) Emil Stegelmann (00 Feb 1944-00 May 1945)

Stab

Stabsoffizier beim Stabe: Fregattenkapitän der Reserve Ernst von Voigt (00 Aug 1943-00 May 1945)

Militärische Referent: Korvettenkapitän der Reserve Dipl.Agr. Otto von Spies (00 Aug 1943-00 Apr 1944)

etc., etc......

Source: axishistory-com

Contact Brief History to inform us of additional information regarding this page