×
Home Intro People Events Equipment Places Maps Books Photos Videos Other Reference FAQ About
     

World War II Database


M612

CountryGermany
Ship ClassM-class Minesweeper
BuilderNeptun Schiffswerft und Maschinenfabrik Gmbh
Yard Number546
Launched23 Mar 1945
Commissioned1 Apr 1945
Displacement582 tons standard; 821 tons full
Length222 feet
Beam30 feet
Draft9 feet
MachineryTwo 3cyl triple expansion engines
Power Output2,150 shaft horsepower
Speed17 knots
Range4,000nm at 10 knots
Crew101
Armament2x10.5cm L/45 guns, 2x3.7cm L/83 SK C/30 guns, 8x2cm L/65 C/30 machine guns, 1x7.3cm Föhn rocket launcher, 24 mines
Armor10mm

Contributor:

ww2dbaseMinesweeper M612 as commissioned into service very late in the war, on 1 Apr 1945, and was assigned to 12th Minesweeper Flotilla. On 4 May 1945, the ship was ordered to set sail for the German Baltic coast line to evacuate German troops surrounded by the Soviets. On the next day, some of the crew mutinied, locking the officers in a cabin. Suspecting that the end of the war was imminent, they set sail for Flensburg, Germany, the temporary capital of Nazi Germany after the death of Adolf Hitler, so that the crew would not needlessly lose their lives when the end was near. They were stopped by a German torpedo boat off the coast of southeastern Denmark, and the crew members responsible for the mutiny were arrested. A quick military trial was held, with 11 crew members found guilty, and all 11 were executed aboard M612 in the evening. Their bodies were dumped into the sea; 7 bodies would drift ashore later and were given a proper burial. After the war, M612 remained in service, clearing mines under the German Mine Sweeping Administration, an organization under the control of the Allied occupation administration. She was broken up for scrapping in the United Kingdom in 1948.

ww2dbaseSource: wehrmacht-history.com

Last Major Revision: May 2023

Minesweeper M612 Interactive Map

M612 Operational Timeline

23 Mar 1945 M612 was launched by Neptun Schiffswerft und Maschinenfabrik Gmbh in Rostock, Germany.
1 Apr 1945 M612 was commissioned into service.
4 May 1945 M612 was ordered to sail to the eastern Baltic Sea to evacuate German troops surrounded by the Soviets.
5 May 1945 Some of the crew members of M612 mutinied, locking their officers in a cabin, so the entire crew would not needlessly lose their lives when the end of the war was near. They were stopped by a German torpedo boat near Sønderborg, Denmark, and 11 of the crew members responsible for the mutiny were arrested. After a quick military trial, all 11 were found guilty and were executed on the ship. Their bodies were dumped into the sea.




Did you enjoy this article or find this article helpful? If so, please consider supporting us on Patreon. Even $1 per month will go a long way! Thank you.

Share this article with your friends:

 Facebook
 Reddit
 Twitter

Stay updated with WW2DB:

 RSS Feeds




Visitor Submitted Comments

1. Commenter identity confirmed Alan John Chanter says:
21 Mar 2023 05:47:26 AM

On Saturday 5th May 1945, eleven German sailors were executed at Sonderborg. They had committed mutiny aboard the minesweeper M612 by locking their officers inside to sail to Flensburg. But they were discovered by German torpedo boats and captured. Although the war was only hours away from ending, Grand Admiral Karl Dӧnitz, Hitler’s successor, still needed to display harsh discipline over his armed forces.

All visitor submitted comments are opinions of those making the submissions and do not reflect views of WW2DB.

Posting Your Comments on this Topic

Your Name
Your Email
 Your email will not be published
Comment Type
Your Comments
 

Notes:

1. We hope that visitor conversations at WW2DB will be constructive and thought-provoking. Please refrain from using strong language. HTML tags are not allowed. Your IP address will be tracked even if you remain anonymous. WW2DB site administrators reserve the right to moderate, censor, and/or remove any comment. All comment submissions will become the property of WW2DB.

2. For inquiries about military records for members of the World War II armed forces, please see our FAQ.

Change View
Desktop View

Search WW2DB
Famous WW2 Quote
"I have returned. By the grace of Almighty God, our forces stand again on Philippine soil."

General Douglas MacArthur at Leyte, 17 Oct 1944


Support Us

Please consider supporting us on Patreon. Even $1 a month will go a long way. Thank you!

Or, please support us by purchasing some WW2DB merchandise at TeeSpring, Thank you!