The German guard boat V-1605 was laid down in Wesermünde in 1937 as a trawler for Hans Kunkel with the name Mosel, but was immediately requisitioned by Kriegsmarine in September 1939 and put in service in 19. Minesweeper squadron in Kiel... Mosel now received military crew and armament, and the name M-1903. The first large mission for this former trawler came in April 1940 and the invasion of Norway. In these days Mosel got more than enough to do, and participated in the rescuing of the cruiser Lützow and the rescue work after the loss of M-1101\ Foch & Huburt in the Oslofjord. In 1943 Mosel was transferred to 16.Vorpostflotilje in Fredrikshavn with the name V-1605. The task for this squadron was to escort and provide protection for convoys and merchant ships, and Mosel was armed with a lot of antiaircraft guns and depth charges. On 15 October 1944 Mosel was ordered to escort Nachschubtanker Norwegen 15 between Kristiansand and Arendal. At the same time 27 airplanes of the type Beaufighter and 17 Mosquito's from 144 and 404 squadron ( Banff Strike Wing ) in Scotland to attack possible naval targets between Denmark and Norway. On the afternoon the airplanes spots Mosel and Inger Johanne and initiates the assault. Mosel opens fire with her heavy 88mm antiair gun, and soon after follows the sounds from the other 37mm and 20mm antiair guns onboard. Within minutes the tanker Inger Johanne which is loaded with petroleum explodes, and also Mosel is heavily damaged from the 20mm grenades that hits the hull and the boiler room. But Mosel fight on, and when the airplanes abort the assault at 1537, the ship is on fire from bow to stern. At 1540 Mosel disappears in the deep, and the little convoy has seized to exist. Under the attack 21 persons perished onboard Mosel. The wreck of Mosel was found in the summer 2001 on a depth of fifty meters in a relatively good condition. The wreck rests on her keel with a slight listing, and you can still see antiairguns and other details from the days of Second World War. Bjarte and Siri Skar who found the wreck of Mosel in the summer 2001, whishes to hold the position to the wreck
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