EML ''Wambola'' (M311) is a
''Lindau''-class minehunter
A minehunter is a naval vessel that seeks, detects, and destroys individual naval mines. Minesweepers, on the other hand, clear mined areas as a whole, without prior detection of mines. A vessel that combines both of these roles is known as a ...
of the
Estonian Navy
The Estonian Navy ( et, Merevägi) are the unified naval forces among the Estonian Defence Forces.
With only six commissioned ships and displacement well under 10,000 tonnes, the Estonian navy is one of the smallest navies in the world. Its sh ...
Mineships Division, formerly the German warship ''Cuxhaven''. The commanding officer of the vessel is
Captain Jaanus Antson.
The minehunter ''Wambola'' is the first vessel of the Estonian Navy Mineships Division and also the first modernized ''Lindau''-class minehunter. A black
keel
The keel is the bottom-most longitudinal structural element on a vessel. On some sailboats, it may have a hydrodynamic and counterbalancing purpose, as well. As the laying down of the keel is the initial step in the construction of a ship, in Br ...
on a silver background with a golden
battle-axe
A battle axe (also battle-axe, battle ax, or battle-ax) is an axe specifically designed for combat. Battle axes were specialized versions of utility axes. Many were suitable for use in one hand, while others were larger and were deployed two-h ...
is on the
coat of arms
A coat of arms is a heraldic visual design on an escutcheon (i.e., shield), surcoat, or tabard (the latter two being outer garments). The coat of arms on an escutcheon forms the central element of the full heraldic achievement, which in its ...
of the vessel. The battle-axe is a weapon used by the ancient Estonians which also symbolizes their fighting spirit and strength. The ships motto is the
Latin
Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power of the ...
"''Ad unquem''" which is in English "Onto the nail head". The coat of arms was designed by Priit Herodes. In 2000 a cooperation contract was signed between the
Pärnu
Pärnu () is the fourth largest city in Estonia. Situated in southwest Estonia, Pärnu is located south of the Estonian capital, Tallinn, and west of Estonia's second largest city, Tartu. The city sits off the coast of Pärnu Bay, an inlet ...
city council and the minehunter ''Wambola'' which gave the vessel a right to wear the Pärnu town coat of arms and to introduce the city in all foreign harbors across the world.
History
EML ''Wambola'' (M311) was built in
West Germany
West Germany is the colloquial term used to indicate the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG; german: Bundesrepublik Deutschland , BRD) between its formation on 23 May 1949 and the German reunification through the accession of East Germany on 3 O ...
, in a Burmester
shipyard in
Bremen. The vessel was launched on 11 March 1959 and she entered service in the same year. The ship's name comes from the city of
Cuxhaven
Cuxhaven (; ) is an independent town and seat of the Cuxhaven district, in Lower Saxony, Germany. The town includes the northernmost point of Lower Saxony. It is situated on the shore of the North Sea at the mouth of the Elbe River. Cuxhaven has ...
in Germany. Originally ''Cuxhaven'' was a minesweeper but was transformed into a minehunter in late 1970s. The
German Navy
The German Navy (, ) is the navy of Germany and part of the unified ''Bundeswehr'' (Federal Defense), the German Armed Forces. The German Navy was originally known as the ''Bundesmarine'' (Federal Navy) from 1956 to 1995, when ''Deutsche Mari ...
decommissioned ''Cuxhaven'' and one of her twin sisters ''Lindau'' on 9 October 2003 and gave the vessels to the Estonian Navy to operate. On the ceremony the vessel received an Estonian name ''Wambola''.
[http://www.mil.ee/?menu=merevagi&sisu=wambola ENS Wambola (M311)] Estonian Navy decommissioned ''Wambola'' on 26 March 2009.
See also
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BALTRON project
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References
External links
Estonian Navy
{{DEFAULTSORT:Wambola (M311)
Ships built in Bremen (state)
1959 ships
Cold War minesweepers of Germany
Lindau-class minesweepers of the Estonian Navy
Estonian Mineships Division