Their main task was to transport ammunition and material for warships at sea.

As part of the auxiliary ship program of 1959, drafts for the construction of Type 706 ammunition transporters were drawn up in 1963/64.

At the end of 1964, the Orenstein & Koppel shipyard in Lübeck received the order to build two Type 706 ships.

In the mid-1980s, the two ammunition transporters received the complete package for maneuvering, consisting of a transverse thrust system, Becker rudder and GUY reduction gear.

The supply stations on the Westerwald were subsequently enlarged, and external platforms that could be folded out to the side were installed.