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activities. The most important is Wolgast, site of a large shipyard and a naval supply depot.

East German commercial maritime ports are under direct administration of the state enterprise, the People-owned Enterprise, Seaports (VEB Seehafen). Separate enterprises subordinate in this organization exist for administration of each of the three most important ports: VEB Seehafen-Rostock, -Wismar, and -Stralsund. VEB Seehafen is in turn under the Ministry for Transport's Directorate of Sea Traffic and Port Economy. Dredging, icebreaking, tug, and salvage operations for maritime ports are conducted by the People-owned Enterprise for Dredging, Towing, and Salvage Operations. Additional state enterprises under direction of the Directorate of Sea Traffic and Port Economy manage specialized port-related shipping operations. These enterprises include the East German Sea Shipping Company (DSR) which manages the maritime shipping lines, the International Chartering and Shipping Company, and the People-owned Enterprise, Ship Chandlers. Predominantly naval ports are under jurisdiction of the East German Navy. The major commercial ports—Rostock, Wismar, Sassnitz, and Stralsund—are adequate for normal shipping requirements and are adaptable for military use.

H. Merchant marine (C)

As of 1 April 1972 the merchant marine comprised 138 ships over 1,000 gross registered tons (g.r.t.) totaling 1,043,247 g.r.t. and 1,392,260 deadweight tons (d.w.t.). This represented an increase since 1 July 1969 of 10% in the number of ships, 23% in g.r.t., and 25% in d.w.t. The fleet is now the fifth largest of the Communist countries, following the U.S.S.R., the People's Republic of China, Yugoslavia, and Poland; in terms of deadweight tonnage it ranks 23d among the merchant fleets of the world. The composition of the fleet was as follows:

The training ship, the Fritz Huekert, was removed from the active merchant fleet in December 1970 and is moored at Rostock where it houses a specialist school to train 2d and 3d officers.

Local shipyards built 72 (52%) of the 138 ships, and the remaining 66 ships were built abroad, principally in Sweden, West Germany, Norway, the Netherlands, and Denmark.

About 38% of the fleet deadweight tonnage comprises 20 ships of over 10,000 g.r.t. each; and seven ships representing 315,857 d.w.t. or almost 23% of the total d.w.t., are over 21,000 g.r.t. each.

The age of the fleet is indicated in the following tabulation:

Except for the training vessel, which is powered by a gas-fired turbine, all ships have diesel propulsion (136 diesel, one diesel electric).

Speed of the fleet is indicated in the following tabulation:

Equipped with large hatches (50 feet or more) are 24 ships totaling 115,593 d.w.t. 30 ships totaling 323,311 d.w.t. have a heavy-lift capability (10 tons or more), and 20 ships totaling 170,784 d.w.t. have both a large-hatch and a heavy-lift capability.

The merchant marine is owned by the government, and operational control is exercised by two shipping companies, the East German Sea Shipping Company (DSR), and Deutfracht. DSR operates 103 merchant ships (91 dry cargo, one container, seven timber carriers, three combination passenger/caro, one passenger), plus four ferries (two of which carry railroad cars) owned by the German State Railways. Deutfracht operates the combination tanker/ore carriers, bulk cargo ships, tankers, and refrigerator cargo ships.

Also under operational control of DSR is a coastal fleet of ships under 1,000 g.r.t. and consisting of 42 dry-cargo ships, 13 container ships, and three tankers. The fleet totals 26,700 g.r.t. and 42,285 d.w.t. Built during the period 1956 to 1972, these vessels are equipped with diesel engines, and their speeds range from 9.5 to 12 knots. East German shipyards built 43 of the ships, 12 were purchased from the Netherlands, and three were built in Poland.

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