German destroyer Mölders (D186)

Museum ship Mölders
Career
Name:	Mölders
Namesake:	Werner Mölders
Ordered:	3 March 1965
Builder:	Bath Iron Works, Bath, Maine
Laid down:	12 April 1966
Launched:	13 April 1967
Commissioned:	23 February 1969
Decommissioned:	28 May 2003
Status:	Museum ship at Wilhelmshaven
General characteristics
Class and type:	Lütjens-class destroyer
Displacement:	4,800 t (4,724 long tons) standard
Length:	134 m (439 ft 8 in)
Beam:	14.5 m (47 ft 7 in)
Draught:	6.5 m (21 ft 4 in)
Propulsion:	2 × turbines 4 × high-pressure steam boilers 2 × shafts 70,000 PS (51 MW)
Speed:	33 knots (61 km/h; 38 mph)
Complement:	334
Armament:	• 2 × single 5"/54 caliber Mark 42 guns • 1 × RIM-24 Tartar SAM • 1 × RUR-5 ASROC anti-submarine missile launcher • 6 × Mk 32 12.75 in (324 mm) torpedo tubes (2×3)

D186 Mölders was a guided missile destroyer of the Bundesmarine (West German Navy) and later the Deutsche Marine (Navy of reunited Germany). It was the second ship of the Lütjens class, a modification of the Charles F. Adams class.

On March 3, 1965 Bath Iron Works got the order to build Mölders and her keel was laid down on April 12, 1966 with the hull number DDG-29. April 13, 1967 Mölders was launched and christened for Luftwaffe Oberst (Colonel) Werner Mölders by his mother Anne-Marie Mölders. Mölders was commissioned on February 23, 1969 into the 1. Zerstörergeschwader (first destroyer squadron) based in Kiel.

During her 33 years in commission 14,000 sailors served on her under 16 commanders, and she traveled 675,054.6 nautical miles. The Mölders was decommissioned May 28, 2003 in Wilhelmshaven.

Unlike her sisters Lütjens (D185) and Rommel (D187), Mölders was preserved and is now on display as museum ship at the Deutsches Marinemuseum at Wilhelmshaven, although she was, ironically, never stationed in Wilhelmshaven during her active career.

References

• Zerstörer Mölders (German)
• Zerstörer Mölders (German)

External links

• MaritimeQuest Mölders D-186 photo gallery
• Photo gallery of Mölders at NavSource Naval History

Coordinates: 53°30′49″N 8°8′19″E / 53.51361°N 8.13861°E / 53.51361; 8.13861