F-2

The steel escort vessel F-2 was launched form the Kiel yard of Krupp Germaniawerft (Yard No 527) on 2nd April 1935. She was powered by 2 x oil fired steam turbines delivering 14,000 shaft horse power. She was built for the German Navy as an escort ship (Geleiteboot) in the years before the Second World War as the Germans built up their fleet in preparation for the conflict. She was the second boat of ten built in the class. However, the experimental design, which incorporated high pressure boilers, proved problematic resulting in very poor handling at sea. As a result the ship was lengthened and converted to a torpedo recovery vessel at Wilhelmshaven prior to the outbreak of war. She now measured 249′ x 29′ x 11′ and displaced 790 tons. Details of her war service are not known but, as the war ended, the vessel was transferred to the Royal Navy as part of war reparations.

One year later, on 30th December 1946, she sank in a storm while in Gutter Sound, Scapa Flow. The wreck lay undisturbed where she sank until she was purchased for salvage by Metrec Engineering in the late 1960s. The company carried out extensive salvage operations before abandoning the remains.

The wreck of the F-2 lies where she sank in in position 58° 50.755’N, 003° 11.616’W in Gutter Sound and, despite the attentions of the salvage company in the 1960s, she is still fairly in tact and recognisable. The ship lies on her port side in 18 metres with the bow section almost complete. The forward gun is clearly visible at this part of the wreck. Towards the mid section and stern the wreck is more broken.