Emden

Emden was a Bremen-class frigate of the German Navy. She was the fourth ship of the class, and the fifth ship to serve with one of the navies of Germany to be named after the city of Emden, in Lower Saxony. Her predecessor was the frigate Emden of the Bundesmarine, one of the Köln class. Construction and commissioning Emden was laid down in June 1980 at the yards of Nordseewerke, Emden and launched on 17 December 1980. Her sponsor was Elfriede Klinkenborg, the wife of the Lord Mayor of Emden. After undergoing trials Emden was commissioned on 7 October 1983 . During her later career she was based at Wilhelmshaven as part of 4. Fregattengeschwader, forming a component of Einsatzflottille 2. The Emden continued the tradition of her predecessors in the German navies, in carrying a large Iron Cross decoration, in honour of the achievements of the first during the First World War. The Iron Cross was displayed at the front of the bridge until her removal from active service. It was then presented to Australia by Inspector of the Navy Vizeadmiral Axel Schimpf on 6 October 2013, at the Royal Australian Navy's International Fleet Review marking the centenary of the Royal Australian Navy's establishment at Sydney. Service In 1984 Emdens crew won the "Barbarian Prize" for the best gunnery of the fleet. Later that year she carried out combat training in the UK, at the Isle of Portland. From January to March 1994 Emden was the flagship of Kapitän zur See , the commander of 4. Fregattengeschwader, during Destroyer Exercise (DESEX) 1/94 in the South Atlantic. The Emden, the tanker Rhön, the supply ship and the frigate Bremen sailed to Dakar, accompanied at times by ships of the Royal Navy and the French Navy. The German ships continued on to call at Buenos Aires, Montevideo, Mar del Plata and Recife. At Roosevelt Roads Naval Station they were joined by the frigate Niedersachsen for gunnery practice. In 1995 and 1996 she was the flagship of Flottillenadmiral . In June 1996 Emden was active in the Adriatic Sea as part of NATO's Operation Sharp Guard, the maritime blockade of the former Yugoslavia during the Yugoslav Wars. In early October 1998 she collided with the Kaiser Wilhelm Bridge.