Gorch Fock
Three years ago, the BBC published an article with the clickbait title of “Why is the US still using a Nazi tall ship?” The article was about the USCG Cutter Eagle and was OK as far as it went. The title itself was absurd and was largely ignored in the body of the text.
The Eagle was built as the Horst Wessel, one for five sail training ships built at Blohm & Voss, Hamburg, largely for the German Kriegsmarine prior to World War II. They were all near sisters of the Gorch Fock, a three-masted barque, delivered in 1933. And yes, they served as school ships under the Nazis, before being divided up as war reparations at the end of World War II. Despite the ignoble first owners, these five ships have had an oversized impact on sail training in the world’s navies. Remarkably, the four of the original ships which saw service all survive to this day and three are still actively sailing. The Gorch Fock design has also influenced training ship designs around the globe.
Gorch Fock ex Tovarishch ex Gorch Fock Continue reading
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