French ship Molène

The ship 35.76 m (117 ft 4 in) long, with a beam of 7.49 metres (24 ft 7 in). She had a depth of 3.28 m (10 ft 9 in). She was assessed at 269 GRT, 121 NRT. She was powered by a diesel engine, which had 8 cylinders of 28 centimetres (11 in) diameter by 44.9 centimetres (17+11⁄16 in) stroke. The engine was built by Klöckner-Humboldt-Deutz AG, Köln, Germany and was rated at 94 nhp or 500 bhp.^[1][2] It drove a single screw which could propel the ship at 11 knots (20 km/h).^[1][3]

Molène was built as yard number 117 by Schulte & Bruns, Emden, Germany.^[3] She was launched as the fishing vessel Köln on 15 April 1937 and completed on 17 June. She was owned by the Emder Heringfischerei AG, Emden.^[4] Her port of registry was Emden. She was allocated the Code Letters DGKY,^[1] and the fishing boat registration AE 22.^[4]

On 9 October 1939, Köln was requisitioned by the Kriegsmarine, serving with 14 Minensuchflotille as the minesweeper M 1405. On 12 April 1942, she was reallocated to 44 Minensuchflotille and her pennant number was changed to M 4416. On 1 January 1943, she was designated as a vorpostenboot. She was allocated to 6 Vorpostenflotille as V 624 Köln. On 31 July 1943, she struck a mine at the mouth of the Loire (47°04′N 2°37′W / 47.067°N 2.617°W / 47.067; -2.617) and was severely damaged, with her stern destroyed. She as taken in to Saint-Nazaire, Loire-Inférieure, France and laid up.^[4]

In 1944, Köln was seized by the French. Her pennant number was changed to Na 81. In 1946, she was repaired, entering service with the 28ème Division de Drageurs. On 17 August, her pennant number was changed to B 262. On 5 December 1947, she was taken out of service and rebuilt as a transport ship for naval personnel, renamed Molène and based at Brest. She was decommissioned and condemned in 1963 and allocated the disposal number Q 340, then sold on 9 July.^[4][2]

• Gröner, Erich (1993). Die deutschen Kriegsschiffe 1815-1945 (in German). Vol. 8/I: Flußfahrzeuge, Ujäger, Vorpostenboote, Hilfsminensucher, Küstenschutzverbände (Teil 1). Koblenz: Bernard & Graefe. ISBN 3-7637-4807-5.
• Roche, Jean-Michel (2005). Dictionnaire des bâtiments de la flotte de guerre française de Colbert à nos jours [Dictionary of French Warships from Colbert to the Present Day] (in French). Vol. II: 1870–2006. Group Retozel-Maury Millau. ISBN 978-2-9525917-0-6. OCLC 165892922.