German corvette Hiddensee facts for kids
Hiddensee as a museum ship
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Quick facts for kids History |
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 East Germany |
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| Name | Rudolf Egelhoffer |
| Builder | Petrovsky Shipyard, Leningrad |
| Laid down | 1984 |
| Commissioned | 1985 |
| Fate | Transferred to Germany, 1990 |
 Germany |
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| Name | Hiddensee (P6166) |
| Namesake | Hiddensee |
| Acquired | 1990 |
| Decommissioned | April 1991 |
| Fate | Transferred to United States, November 1991 |
 United States |
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| Name | USNS Hiddensee |
| Acquired | November 1991 |
| Commissioned | 14 February 1992 |
| Decommissioned | 18 April 1996 |
| Fate | Museum ship from 14 June 1997 |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type | Tarantul-class corvette |
| Displacement |
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| Length | 56 m (183 ft 9 in) |
| Beam | 10.50 m (34 ft 5 in) |
| Draught | 2.50 m (8 ft 2 in) |
| Propulsion |
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| 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 |
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The Hiddensee is a special ship with a long history. It started as a powerful warship and is now a museum ship that you can visit. This ship, a type of small warship called a corvette, traveled through three different navies.
Today, the Hiddensee is part of the Battleship Cove museum in Fall River, Massachusetts. It helps people learn about naval history and how ships work.
Contents
A Ship's Journey: From East Germany to the USA
The Hiddensee began its life in 1984. It was built in Leningrad, Russia, which was then part of the Soviet Union. This ship belongs to a group known as the Tarantul I-class. These ships were designed to be fast and carry missiles.
Serving East Germany
In 1985, the ship was finished and joined the Volksmarine, which was the navy of East Germany. Its first name was Rudolf Egelhofer. It served East Germany for several years.
In 1990, something big happened in Germany. East and West Germany reunited into one country. Because of this, the Rudolf Egelhofer was transferred to the new, combined German Navy. Its name was changed to Hiddensee, after a beautiful island in Germany.
However, the Hiddensee did not serve in the German Navy for very long. It was taken out of service, or decommissioned, in April 1991. This means it was no longer an active warship.
Moving to the United States
After being decommissioned, the Hiddensee went on another journey. In November 1991, it was transferred to the United States Navy. It was given the name USNS Hiddensee.
The US Navy used the ship for important tests and training. They wanted to learn about its design and how it worked. This evaluation took place at the Naval Air Warfare Center in Solomons, Maryland. The ship also took part in naval exercises, which are like practice battles.
Becoming a Museum Ship
In April 1996, the US Navy decided to stop using the Hiddensee. This was due to changes in their budget. The ship was then prepared for its final role.
On June 14, 1997, the Hiddensee arrived at Battleship Cove. This is a museum in Fall River, Massachusetts, where many historic ships are preserved. Now, the Hiddensee is a museum ship. Visitors can explore it and learn about its unique history and the different navies it served.
