This kind of warship has the highest status in the world, no one can fire at him, and the aircraft carrier must sound its horn to greet it when it sees it

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There is a famous joke during World War II in Wilhelmshaven, a North Sea port in northern Germany. The German minesweepers would go to the open sea every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday to lay mines to prevent the British navy from approaching the port, while the British minesweepers would go out to clear mines every Friday, Thursday, and Saturday, and everyone would rest.

However, one day the British minesweeper did not go out to carry out the mission due to overhaul and maintenance, and as a result, the German ship that went to lay mines the next day was sunk by its own mines. British minesweepers were dispatched to rescue the crew of the German minesweepers. As a result, the first thing the German captain did after being rescued was to scold the British sailors, asking why the British could be so irresponsible, which was definitely going to be shot in the German army. After the British army, who knew that they were wrong, could only bow their heads and be scolded, they let this shipload of Germans eat and drink well during their captive life, and let them go back intact after the war.

Although it is only a paragraph, it also illustrates the powerful concealment of mines and the importance of minesweepers from the side. You must know that mines, like landmines, still have tens of thousands of undetonated mines in many important sea areas in the world. As a matter of fact, during the War of Liberation, the Kuomintang reactionaries deployed mines in the waters near Fujian, which seriously damaged the economic construction of New China, and a single mine costing a few hundred dollars could paralyze a high-ranking warship costing hundreds of millions of dollars for several hours. If a civilian ship were attacked, the consequences would be even more disastrous.

According to international conventions, all warships that encounter minesweepers during cruises and non-emergency missions must sound their horns in greeting, regardless of nationality. It is important to know that minesweepers carrying out minesweeping tasks on the high seas are basically carrying out the work of compulsory minesweeping, and this is making a major contribution to the safety of world navigation. Therefore, among the navies of various countries, the minesweeper can be said to be absolutely important, and this small ship, which may have a displacement of less than 1,000 tons, has a higher status than an aircraft carrier.