View source for Elbe-class replenishment ship

{{Short description|German naval support ships}}
{{no footnotes|date=January 2013}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2025}}

{|{{Infobox ship begin}}
{{Infobox ship image
|Ship image=Tender Donau A516.jpg
|Ship caption= ''Donau'' in [[Warnemünde]]
}}
{{Infobox ship class overview
|Name=''Elbe'' class
|Builders=[[Bremer Vulkan]]
|Operators={{Navy|Germany}}
|Class before=
|Class after=*{{Sclass|Berlin|replenishment ship|4}} 
|Subclasses=
|Cost=
|Built range=
|In service range=
|In commission range=1993–present
|Total ships building=
|Total ships planned=
|Total ships completed=6
|Total ships cancelled=
|Total ships active=6
|Total ships laid up=
|Total ships lost=
|Total ships retired=
|Total ships preserved=
}}
{{Infobox ship characteristics
|Hide header=
|Header caption=
|Ship class=
|Ship type= [[Replenishment ship]]
|Ship displacement=3,586 tonnes
|Ship length= {{convert|100.55|m|ftin|abbr=on}}
|Ship beam= {{convert|15.40|m|ftin|abbr=on}}
|Ship height=
|Ship draft= {{convert|4.05|m|ftin|abbr=on}}
|Ship depth=
|Ship hold depth=
|Ship power=
|Ship propulsion=*1 × [[Deutz-MWM]] SBV [[diesel engine]]s
*2,562 kW, [[Bow thruster]]
|Ship speed= {{convert|15|kn}}
|Ship range= {{convert|2600|nmi|lk=in|abbr=on}}
|Ship endurance=
|Ship capacity=*24 standard 6.2&nbsp;m [[containerization|containers]] (maximum)<!-- these numbers vary widely on the net, maybe the layout is not uniform in the class, depending which type of ships they support (minesweepers, FAC...) -->
*''Supplies:''
*700&nbsp;m³ fuel
*60&nbsp;m³ aviation (helicopter) fuel
*280&nbsp;m³ fresh water
*160&nbsp;tonnes ammunition
*40&nbsp;tonnes supplies
*''Disposal:''
*5&nbsp;tonnes solid waste
*180&nbsp;m³ waste water
*32&nbsp;m³ waste oil
|Ship troops=
|Ship complement=40 (standard) + >38 (repair party, passengers, squadron staff)
|Ship sensors=
|Ship EW=
|Ship armament=*2 × [[FIM-92 Stinger|Fliegerfaust 2]] [[surface-to-air missile]] stands ([[MANPADS]])
*2 × [[Rheinmetall Rh202]] 20&nbsp;mm [[autocannon]]; being replaced by 2 × [[Mauser BK-27|MLG-27]] 27&nbsp;mm remote controlled autocannons 
|Ship armor=
|Ship aircraft=
|Ship aircraft facilities=No [[hangar]], but a heli deck was added for [[SH-3 Sea King|Sea King]] sized or larger helicopters
|Ship notes=
}}
|}
The '''Type 404 ''Elbe''-class replenishment ships''' of the [[German Navy]] were built to support its [[Squadron (naval)|squadrons]] of [[Fast Attack Craft]], [[submarine]]s and [[Minesweeper|minesweeper/hunter]]s, as such they are usually referred to as [[Ship's tender|tenders]].

The ships carry [[fuel]], [[fresh water]], [[food]], [[ammunition]] and other [[matériel]]. They also have a [[sick bay|medical station]] aboard but [[Physician|doctor]]s are not part of their standard complement and will have to be flown in. The tender also manage [[waste management|waste disposal]] for the ships they support at sea and can carry out minor repairs of assigned ships. For this purpose ''Elbe''-class tenders assigned to [[fast attack craft]] squadrons, for example, carry the SUG repair and support shop specialized for these boats on their deck in a set of 13 standard containers.

Extensive communication gear and accommodations enable them to serve as squadron flagship.

While in general all ''Elbe''-class tenders are quickly configurable to be reassigned to support other squadrons, one of the six ships is usually modified to support German submarines - carrying batteries for reloading for example. This ship - currently ''Main'' - while still being of the same class, and easily reconfigurable - is often named as a separate "sub-class" due to this larger modification.

==List of ships==
{|class="wikitable"
![[Pennant number|Pennant<br />number]]
!Name
![[Call sign|Call<br />sign]]
!Commissioned
!Base
!Unit
|-
|A511||[[German ship Elbe (A511)|''Elbe'']]||DRHJ|| 28 January 1993
|[[Warnemünde]]||7th [[Fast Attack Craft|FAC]] squadron
|-
|A512||''[[German ship Mosel (A512)|Mosel]]''||DRHK|| 1 July 1993
|[[Kiel]]||5th Minesweeper squadron
|-
|A513||''[[German ship Rhein (A513)|Rhein]]''||DRHL|| 1 September 1993
|[[Kiel]]||[[Einsatzflottille 2#3rd Minesweeper squadron|3rd Minesweeper squadron]]
|-
|A514||[[German ship Werra (A514)|''Werra'']]||DRHM|| 9 December 1993
|[[Kiel]]||[[Einsatzflottille 2#3rd Minesweeper squadron|3rd Minesweeper squadron]]
|-
|A515||''[[German ship Main (A515)|Main]]''||DRHN|| 10 June 1994
|[[Eckernförde]]||[[Einsatzflottille 1#1st Submarine Squadron|1st Submarine squadron]]<ref>{{Cite web |title=1 Submarine Squadron |url=https://www.bundeswehr.de/en/organization/navy/organization/flotilla-1/1-submarine-squadron |access-date=11 August 2024 |website=www.bundeswehr.de |language=en}}</ref>
|-
|A516||''[[German ship Donau (A516)|Donau]]''||DRHO|| 15 November 1994
|[[Warnemünde]]||[[Einsatzflottille 1#1st Corvette Squadron|1st Corvette squadron]]
|}

The ships were named after [[:Category:Rivers of Germany|German rivers]].

==Gallery==
<gallery perrow="4">
Image:Tender Elbe A511.jpg|Tender ''Elbe'' in [[Warnemünde]].
Image:Cuxhaven marine 02.jpg|Tender ''Elbe''.
Image:Tender A 513 Rhein.jpg|Tender ''Rhein'' in [[Eckernförde]]
File:German Navy replenishment ship Werra in London.jpg|''Werra'' in [[London]]
File:Elbe-class_A515.jpg|''Main'' in [[Catania]]
File:Autocannon MLG27.jpg|[[Mauser BK-27|MLG-27]] onboard ''Elbe''-class tender ''Rhein''.
File:A516 Cv53NjXfVR.png|''Donau'' in the [[Belgian Navy]] Base of [[Zeebrugge]].
</gallery>

==References==
{{reflist}}
{{Commons category|Elbe class replenishment ships}}
* [http://www.marine.de/portal/a/marine/!ut/p/c4/04_SB8K8xLLM9MSSzPy8xBz9CP3I5EyrpHK93MQivfLEtLTUvNI8vYzMnLTitMQMvZLUvJTUotQc_YJsR0UAKgjBXw!!/] - German Navy, official homepage {{in lang|de}}
* https://web.archive.org/web/20050130085054/http://www.tender-elbe.de/seiten/typenbla.htm {{in lang|de}}

{{Elbe-class replenishment ship}}
{{Ship classes of the Deutsche Marine}}

[[Category:Auxiliary replenishment ship classes]]
[[Category:Elbe-class replenishment ships| Elbe class replenishment ship]]
[[Category:Auxiliary ships of Germany| Elbe class replenishment ship]]