The Hamburg convoy scheme was founded following the capture of eight merchant vessels of North German shipping companies on their way to Spain on the 22 June 1662 by Algerian pirates.
The first convoy ship LEOPOLDUS PRIMUS was sent on her first voyage in 1668. A year later followed by her sister ship WAPEN VON HAMBURG (I). In the following decades the LEOPOLDUS PRIMUS completed 35 voyages (most probably she had the same tonnage, dimensions and armament as the WAPEN VON HAMBURG (I).
The WAPEN VON HAMBURG a three-mast sailing vessel was built on a shipyard on the Deichtor at Hamburg by Dutch and German shipbuilders between 1663 and 1669. She was also used as a naval escort vessel protecting German merchant shipping.
For the first time in the history of naval engineering on this ship a rudimentary system of a steering wheel (probably as an experiment) was fitted in. The system consisted of a simple capstan with cables that worked direct from the capstan to the rudder helm. The steering wheel we know today was invented a few years later.
She had three decks. Tonnage 897 tons displacement. Dim. 43.80 x 8.70 x 5.10m (draught).
Armament: 3 – 30 pdr., 18 – 24 pdr., 4 – 9 pdr. guns.
Escorted between 1669 and 1683 ten convoys, nine to the Mediterranean and one to Greenland.
From 1674 was she commanded by Captain Martin Holste. On coastal voyages she carried a crew of 140 men and 40 soldiers, on long voyages 220 – 250 men.
On her last voyage under command of the 33 year old Admiral? Berend Jacobsen Karpfanger which had served under the Dutch admiral De Ruyter, the WAPEN VON HAMBURG sailed on 03 October 1683 from Livorno in a convoy with German merchant vessels bound for Cadiz, Spain to add additional ships to the convoy for the homeward bound voyage.
During the night of 10 October by a careless lit fire on board on the road of Cadiz, which rapidly spread to the powder room, she was blown up, killing Admiral Karpfanger, 42 sailors and 22 soldiers.
The next morning the body of Admiral Karpfanger was found hanging on an anchor cable of a British vessel.
A monument was erected by King Charles II of Spain near Puntales (Cadiz) in memory of the valiant German Admiral and his crew.
In 1897 the town of Hamburg erected a monument on the Koster Miles Bridge in honour of the Captain and crew.
Paraguay 1976 2g sg?, scott1686.
Uganda 1989 250s sg775, scott?
Source: Navicula. http://www.historical-ships.de/ewapl.htm