The ''Bottsand''-class oil recovery ships (Type 738) of the

German Navy The German Navy (, ) is part of the unified (Federal Defense), the German Armed Forces. The German Navy was originally known as the ''Bundesmarine'' (Federal Navy) from 1956 to 1995, when ''Deutsche Marine'' (German Navy) became the official ...

are intended for seawater pollution control. The twin hull ships feature a bow which can be opened by 65 degrees. This creates an area of more than to collect oil-polluted seawater. The water is pumped into the ship's tank, where it will be cleaned and the oil separated. Per hour one ship can clean up to of ocean surface polluted with a oil slick. The two ships in the class entered service in 1984 and 1987. The ships are auxiliary ships of the navy. They are used to contain

oil spill An oil spill is the release of a liquid petroleum hydrocarbon into the environment, especially the marine ecosystem, due to human activity, and is a form of pollution. The term is usually given to marine oil spills, where oil is released into th ...

s from German ships in the sea. They are crewed by civilians and not naval personnel.

List of ships

References

{{Ship classes of the Deutsche Marine Bottsand class oil recovery ship