Labor Service Unit A, B, C
US-Navy
pictures Part 4
Labor Service Unit A, B, C US-Navy
1950 the US Navy decided to also set up, like Army and Air Force, a working unit similar to the Navy, to support their tasks,. This was done according to the guide lines of the US Ministry of Defence for foreign groups of helpers. The men were considered as civilian employees of the mobile working units of the US Forces in Europe.
The LSU was divided in 3 sections:
| LSU A | German liaison officer at Commander US Naval Forces Germany with headquarters in Heidelberg. |
| LSU B | Minesweeping unit, tug boat group, auxiliary vessels and a vessel repair department in Bremerhaven. |
| LSU C | was connected to the Rhine River Patrol of the US Navy with locations Schierstein, Mannheim and Karlsruhe. |
At the US Naval Advanced Base Bremerhaven a responsible American officer was in charge of the LSU B, directly subordinated to him the oldest German officer Commander LSU Hans John, the chiefs of the flotillas, the officers of the staff with the subject areas operation, administration, shipping technology, navigation, personnel, training and supply.
For each of the 3 locations of the LSU C an American officer was responsible, the German division officers were subordinated to him.
Basis for vessels and personnel of the LSU B was the already existing tug boat group. They had besides the tug service already been responsible of the technical service of 4 minesearchers type 40 and some auxiliary vessels. These had been given to shipyards for overhaul.They got a further boat type 40 as well as one type 43 which had been given on loan to a private shipping company. 15 minesweepers which had partly been chartered privatly or which were unused in different harbours or shipyards, had also been given for overhaul.
On 1st July 1951 arrived at the destroyer quay, the base of the LSU B Bremerhaven,12 minesweepers of the Minesweeping Unit Cuxhaven, given back from the English, together with 18 officers and 220 petty officers and ratings - nearly all former personnel of the Kriegsmarine -.
They had been welcomed by the commander of the US Naval Advanced Base Bremerhaven Captain USN Quinby. An Army band played the march "Alte Kameraden". The flag of the Control Commission of Germany was taken down and the star-spangled banner was hoisted.
The extensive stock of minesweeping devices was brought from Cuxhaven to Bremerhaven. The tug boats Pellworm and Passat tugged the magnetic field simulators (Hohlstabfernräumgeräte) from Cuxhaven to the destroyer quay and they were moored there in the boat harbour.
In summer 1952 already, after the building up phase, the LSU B had following units:
1 Flottilla minesearching boats (M-Boote)
5 Boats typ 40, 1 boat typ 43, (all with coal fired boilers)
2 Flottillas minesweeper boats (R-Boote)
21 Boats with Voith-Schneider-propulsion, 5 boats with propellers
2 Tender ship Puddefjord and Harle (former ocean tugs)
2 Sea tugs Pellworm and Passat
3 Motor torpedo boats (1 german, 2 american)
1 Submarine hunter (french new construction)
3 Aviation rescue boats
1 Tanker Borkum
1 Cran ship Memmert (former aircraft rescue ship)
1 Dormitory ship Knurrhahn
The LSU C had:
22 Landing craft medium (LCM)
4 Landing craft tender (LCT)
The main task of the LSU C consisted in supporting the US troups during river crossings and river transports.
All LSU vessels carried the star-spangled banner.
The US Navy employment plan comprised:
LSU A — 1 officer
LSU B — 88 officers, 902 petty officers and ratings
LSU C — 7 officers, 192 petty officers and ratings
The ships repair department at the destroyer quay employed civilian workers.
First, personnel was employed which had already served in the Kriegsmarine, but soon young men with no prior service had been employed by the German personnel officer, because of the expansion of the LSU. Those men got a six week basic training as seaman or fireman apprentice and then they went on board, to land sections or to units of the LSU C.
The ranks of the LSU were according to the ones of the US Navy, this were officers from Ensign to Captain, the highest rank of this unit, the petty officers and ratings from recruit to Chief Petty officer.
When the LSU had been set up, it had also been decided to introduce a new uniform. The black dyed working uniform of the US army, which first was worn by all US service groups, was gradually abolished. It was replaced by a blue naval uniform style US Navy with golden stripes on the sleeves for the officers, with blue - in summer white - peaked cap, with golden chin strap and an anchor. The same uniform was worn by the chiefs but with a black chin strap at the cap. The badges of rank were red and worn on the left upper arm. Petty officers and ratings wore a blue blouse with a silk cloth, but no light blue collar. The head was covered with the well known forage cap with embossed letters LSU. All ranks had on the right upper arm a red edged insignia with anchor and the letters USN/LSU. All ranks had blue coats of cloth or jackets. Working clothing for petty officers and ratings were shirts and trousers of blue Dungery cloth.
In addition, LSU C members got a complete field uniform, hand weapons included.
On good conduct and performance the Good Conduct Badge could be awarded, a clasp in German and American colours. It was worn with the uniform on the right chest side.
By taking over the ships of the minesweeping unit Cuxhaven, the US Navy had also taken over the responsibility to continue minesweeping. Coordination was still made by the Royal Navy Cuxhaven. The position of a liaison officer for minesweeping concern US Navy/LSU with Royal Navy was created.
The major part of minesweeping first did the minesweeping flotilla (R boats), as the minesearching flotilla (M boats) was only fully fit for action from middle 1952 on.
In the North Sea the existing obligatory waterways were widened and new ways were opened. After the island Helgoland was given back, the ways to the Elbe River and the surroundings of the island were sweeped.
The obligatory waterways in the Baltic Sea were also widened and new ways opened. For the first NATO manoeuvre in 1952 the anchorage in the bay of Skagen was sweeped.
Besides minesweeping the LSU units had also other tasks.
Despite bad weather, the tug boat Passat transported a huge floating crane from Bordeaux to Bremerhaven, which was urgently needed for the handling of heavy goods.
In 1952 the UDSSR returned about 60 motor torpedo-boats (MTB), which they had got as loan and lease from the USA. They had been handed over in Kiel. The LSU transferred the boats to Bremerhaven, a part of them had to be towed, because of bad condition.
In 1953 the tug boat Pellworm took part in the first trip abroad of the Weser-River-Patrol to Holland and England, as escort ship with LSU crew. The Weser-River-Patrol had six patrol boats, -built on German shipyards according to US specifications - with US Navy crews.
From 1953 on the passenger ships SS United States and SS America put regularly into Bremerhaven, when they reached the Weser River mouth they were escorted by boats of the LSU.
The motor torpedo boats of the LSU carried out secret special tasks in the Baltic Sea. This was of such an interest for the UDSSR that they put 2 spies among the LSU on the little unit
From 1954 on minesweeping was no more so important. The rearmament of the Federal Republic of Germany became apparent. Although it was not officially expressed, it was settled, to take the LSU as basis for a new German Navy.
The USNAB supported actively the transformation of the Education Department of the LSU to a Marine school in the barracks in Bremerhaven, Elbestraße. Courses in electronics, telecommunications, navigation, shipping technique and arms were held. Nearly all teachers were members of the LSU, supported by some specialist subject teachers.
About one third of the LSU members attended always courses, whereas a part of the boats was in the harbour with the remaining crew.
About by the end of the year 1955 they began to arm the ships and boats which until then were unarmed, with the exception of some carabines to shoot drift mines. Each M-boat got a 40 mm double maschine gun (Doppellafetten) on the back and on the quarterdeck as well as one 76,2 mm cannon on the quarterdeck. Each R-boat got a 20 mm maschine gun on the back and on the quarterdeck.
In spring 1956 the new established German Federal Navy began to take over personnel and vessels. About 60 officers and 520 petty officers and ratings of the LSU B had been taken over by the German Federal Navy, from the LSU C 3 officers and 120 petty officers and ratings had been taken over. The German Federal Navy took on the applicants according to the old ranks of the Kriegsmarine. The ranks acquired with the LSU had not been acknowledged. Therefore many applicants - especially young men with no prior service - abstained from employment and joined the merchant navy.
The German Federal Navy made of the M boats the Second Deep Sea Minesearching Squadron . The R boats changed to the the 1st and 3rd Rapid Minesweeping Squadron. Some R boats and auxiliary vessels had been given to different schools and bases of the German Federal Navy.
Partly the LSU personnel remained on board, together with new employed volunteers of the German Federal Navy.
From now on the service flag of the German Federal Navy waved over the ships and boats.
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Handing over of the docks of the destroyer quay and of the barracks Elbestraße was delayed until spring 1957.
On 1st July 1958 the LSU C had been disbanded, after the barracks, devices and vessels had been handed over to the pioneering troup of the German Federal Army.
Thus the LSU existed no more.