German frigate Augsburg (F222)

Augsburg (F222) is the third ship of the Köln-class frigates of the German Navy.

Design
The Type 120 or Köln-class frigates were built as smooth-deckers and had very elegant lines. The very diagonally cut bow and the knuckle ribs in the foredeck made it easy to navigate. The hull and parts of the superstructure were made of shipbuilding steel, other superstructure parts were made of aluminum. Due to the installation of gas turbines, large side air inlets were necessary, which could be closed by lamellas. The stern was designed as a round stern. The large funnel was sloped and skirted. Behind the bridge superstructure stood the tall lattice mast with radar and other antennas. The hull was divided into 13 watertight compartments.

On the forecastle was a 10 cm gun, behind it, set higher, a 4 cm twin gun. Behind it stood two quadruple anti-submarine missile launchers 37.5 cm from Bofors. A 4 cm Bofors single gun on each side of the aft superstructure and another 4 cm double mount at the end of the superstructure. There was a second 10 cm gun on the quarterdeck. In addition, there were two 53.3 cm torpedo tubes behind the front superstructures. They were used to fire Mk-44 torpedoes. Mine rails were laid behind the torpedo tubes and ran to the stern.

Construction and career
Augsburg was laid down on 29 October 1958 and launched on 15 August 1959 in Stülcken & Sohn, Germany. She was commissioned on 7 April 1962.

One of the last deployments of the ship was an official visit to the Dutch municipality of Den Helder in 1987. As of October 1 of the same year, the ship was out of service and was decommissioned on 30 August 1988.

After that it was mothballed at naval arsenal Wilhelmshaven and was on sale. The ship was sold for demolition via the Vebeg, towed to Hamburg on 17 November 1989 and scrapped there in December.