''Shahin'' ( fa, شاهین), named ''Pahlavi'' ( fa, پهلوی) from 1926 to 1935, was an Iranian naval gunboat sunk in the World War II. She was built in Germany as ''FM24'' in 1917 and served in the German navy during World War I as a minesweeper.

History

''FM24'' was built by German Frerichs & Co. at Einswarden, near Nordenham. A , she was launched in 1918 and was commissioned by Imperial German Navy on 15 March 1919. ''FM24'' continued to serve in the Reichsmarine until 29 April 1922. She was sold on 7 April to an unknown buyer in Hamburg, who renamed her ''Fatiya'', for M650,000. When Uzbeks attacked Persian customs and military posts stationed near Farahabad, killing the customs chief and stealing wives and belongings of the men by sea, the Persian government sought to reinforce its forces in the Caspian Sea. A Persian military procurement agent in Germany was ordered to buy a vessel, and in 1923, ''Fatiya'' was purchased by Iran for a reported fee of £4,000. The government then armed her with a 48 mm canon and a 37 mm heavy machine gun, and hired a skilled Persian-Armenian marine in the German service to bring her via Volga to Enzeli. The Soviet Union refused to let Persia pass the vessel through Volga because it was "inconsistent with Soviet interests". The Persians decided to disarm the ship and send it as a civilian ship, while its armaments were diverted and passed via a different route. However, the Russians refused entry again, but offered to provide the Persian government with its vessels to fight contraband. Although the denial of the vessel was not against the Russo-Persian Treaty of Friendship, it was described as "an act of bad faith and ill will". She was eventually brought to serve in the Persian Gulf. In 1926, she was renamed ''Pahlavi'' after the royal name. She was renamed ''Shahin'' in 1935 after a bird after being judged unworthy of carrying the Shah's name. ''Shahin'' was reportedly broken up in the early 1940s. Reports indicate that she was sunk by the Royal Navy in

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during 1941 British invasion of Iran. American magazine '' Proceedings'' wrote that, as of 1944, she was "no longer serviceable, her plates being rusted through and her engines in even worse case".

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Shahin 1918 ships Ships built in Germany Ships of the Imperial Iranian Navy Gunboats Mine warfare vessels of the Reichsmarine Minesweepers of the Imperial German Navy World War I minesweepers of Germany World War II gunboats World War II shipwrecks

History

See also

References