German corvette Hiddensee facts for kids

Hiddensee in US Navy service
Quick facts for kids History
East Germany
Name	Rudolf Egelhofer
Namesake	Rudolf Egelhofer
Builder	Petrovsky Shipyard, Almaz Shipbuilding Company, Leningrad
Laid down	1984
Commissioned	1985
Fate	Removed museum status and sent for scrap in October 2023
Germany
Name	Hiddensee (P6166)
Namesake	Hiddensee
Acquired	1990
Decommissioned	April 1991
Fate	Transferred to United States, November 1991
United States
Name	USNS Hiddensee (185NS9201)
Acquired	November 1991
Commissioned	14 February 1992
Decommissioned	18 April 1996
Fate	Museum ship from 14 June 1997 Scrapped in October 2023
General characteristics
Class and type	Tarantul-class corvette
Displacement	480 long tons (488 t) standard 540 long tons (549 t) full load
Length	56 m (183 ft 9 in)
Beam	10.50 m (34 ft 5 in)
Draught	2.50 m (8 ft 2 in)
Propulsion	COGOG 2 × DR077 12,000 hp (8,948 kW) gas turbines 2 × DM076 4,000 hp (2,983 kW) gas turbines
Speed	42 knots (78 km/h; 48 mph)
Range	1,650 nmi (3,060 km; 1,900 mi) at 14 knots (26 km/h; 16 mph)
Endurance	10 days
Complement	50
Armament	1 × 76 mm AK-176 dual purpose main gun 2 × AK-630 30 mm gatling guns 4 × KT-138E P-15 Termit (SS-N-2 Styx) anti-ship missile launchers 1 × quad FAM-14 Strela 2 (SA-N-5) surface-to-air missile launcher 2 × PK-16 chaff launchers

The Hiddensee was a special kind of warship called a Tarantul-class corvette. A corvette is a small, fast warship. This ship had an interesting journey. It started in the Soviet Union, then served in the East German navy, and later the unified German Navy. Finally, it became a ship for the United States Navy for testing. After its time in the navy, it became a museum ship at Battleship Cove in Fall River, Massachusetts. However, it was eventually taken apart for scrap in 2023.

The Story of the Hiddensee

From East Germany to the US Navy

The Hiddensee was built in 1984 at a shipyard in Leningrad, which was then part of the Soviet Union. It was a Tarantul I-class missile corvette. This means it was a small, powerful ship designed to carry missiles.

In 1985, the ship joined the East German navy, known as the Volksmarine. Its first name was Rudolf Egelhofer. When Germany became one country again in 1990, the ship was transferred to the new German Navy and renamed Hiddensee.

Hiddensee as a museum ship

In April 1991, the ship was taken out of service by Germany. Soon after, in November 1991, it was given to the United States Navy. In the US, it was called USNS Hiddensee (185NS9201). The US Navy used it for important tests and training exercises. They wanted to learn more about how this type of ship worked.

A Museum Ship's Final Journey

After several years of testing, the US Navy stopped using the Hiddensee in April 1996. On June 14, 1997, it found a new home at Battleship Cove. There, it became a museum ship, allowing visitors to explore a real warship.

However, keeping old ships in good condition is very expensive. The Hiddensee's hull, which is the main body of the ship, started to wear out. It needed costly repairs to fix it. Because of these problems and the high cost, the people at Battleship Cove decided they could no longer keep the ship.

In October 2023, the Hiddensee was quietly towed away to be taken apart for scrap in Bridgeport, Connecticut. It was a sad end for a ship that had served many navies and then taught visitors about naval history.