The American naval attaché at Berlinan, Germany reported on 17 July 1939 No. R-439 that he was informed by an informant that several trawlers at Hamburg, Germany were taken over by the navy, being renovated, armed and manned with naval ratings. The attaché went to Hamburg over the past-weekend and visited the harbour while on board of a pleasure steamship making a harbour tour. The shipyards Stülcken Werft and Deutsche Werft (Reihersteig branch) lying adjavent to each other were six trawlers sighted undergoing overhaul and being painted into war color. On one of the ships was a naval sailor seen, There was no evidence of fitting out with guns as far as he could determine. The involved trawlers all fitted out with reciprocating engines and exhaust gas turbines were:
Steiermark, built 1938, 446 tons tonnage, lenght 50.68 metres/166.23 feet and 750 hp.
Berlin, built 1937, 472 tons tonnage, length 50.85 metres/166.79 feet, 800 hp.
Mecklenberg, built 1938, 472 tons tonnage, length 50.85 metres/166.79 feet, 800 hp.
Franken, built 1937, 435 tons tonnage, length 49.55 metres/162.52 feet, 750 hp.
Franz Dankworth, built 1936, 464 tons tonnage, length 49.81 metres/163.38 feet, 750 hp.
Jochum, not listed in the GermanischerLloyd so probably not correctly observed.
During his stay at Hamburg another source confirmed that the trawlers were taken over by the navy and to be used as minesweepers.
Source
National Archives USA. Record Group 38: Records of the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations. Series: Secret Naval Attaches Reports. selected naval attaché reports relating to the world crisis, 1937-1943. Probability of an Outbreak of War (pt.). Berlin. Roll M975-003.
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