SS Lichtenfels

SS Lichtenfels was an early example of a modern heavy-lift ship. She was launched in 1929 in Germany for DDG Hansa. She was equipped with a 120 t (118 long tons; 132 short tons) boom crane capable of lifting fully assembled railway locomotives, which were shipped to India.

History
NameLichtenfels
OwnerDDG Hansa
Operator DDG Hansa
Port of registryBremen
BuilderDeschimag, Bremen
Yard number878
Launched12 June 1929
In service1929–41
Identification
Fate
  • Scuttled 4 April 1941;
  • Wreck raised and scrapped 1950
Notes[1]
General characteristics
Typeheavy-lift ship
Tonnage7,457 GRT, 4,521 NRT
Length160.45 m (526.4 ft)
Beam18.94 m (62.1 ft)
Draught8.49 m (27.9 ft)
Installed power785 NHP
Propulsion
Speed13.7 knots (25.4 km/h)
Capacity12 passengers
Crew64
Notes

In 1941 Lichtenfels was scuttled in the Red Sea as a blockship. In 1950 her wreck was raised and scrapped.

Building

After the First World War a Norwegian company, Skibs A/S Christen Smiths Rederi, developed heavy-lift ships to carry locomotives from Great Britain to Belgium. The company began by having existing ships adapted, but in 1924 Armstrong Whitworth completed the first purpose-built heavy-lift ship for Christen Smith.[2] By the end of 1926 Christen Smith had a fleet of several heavy-lift ships.

Lichtenfels' boom crane lifting a locomotive

With Lichtenfels DDG Hansa began to compete in the heavy-lift market to take fully-assembled locomotives to India.[1][3] Deschimag built Lichtenfels at its "Weser" yard in Bremen.[4]

Lichtenfels was built with a Maierform bow with a convex profile, which was meant to improve both her speed and her handling.[5] She had a three-cylinder triple-expansion engine plus a Bauer-Wach low-pressure exhaust steam turbine. Exhaust steam from the low-pressure cylinder of the triple-expansion engine powered the turbine. The turbine drove the same shaft as the piston engine by double-reduction gearing and a Föttinger fluid coupling. The combined power of her piston engine and turbine was 785 NHP.[4]

As demand for locomotives from India continued, DDG Hansa ordered three sister ships from Deschimag: Freienfels launched in 1929, Geierfels launched in 1930 and Uhenfels launched in 1931.[1][3]

Identification

Lichtenfels' code letters were QMKB until 1933.[4] In 1934 they were superseded by the call sign DOFY.[6]

Scuttling

On 25 October 1939, while off the Port Sudan Lichtenfels was ordered to Massawa in Italian Eritrea. During the East African campaign she stayed here for 18 months with nine other German merchant ships: Bertram Rickmers, Coburg, Crefeld, Frauenfels, Gera, Liebenfels, Oder, Oliva and Wartenfels.

On 4 April 1941 Lichtenfels and other German and Italian merchant ships were scuttled in an attempt to blockade the harbour.[1][7] Her wreck was raised and scrapped in 1950.[1]

References
  1. Kiehlmann, Peter. "Lichtenfels". DDG Hansa. Retrieved 15 November 2013.
  2. Dunn, Laurence (1973). Merchant Ships of the World in Colour 1910–1929. London: Blandford Press Ltd. p. 191. ISBN 0-7137-0569-8.
  3. Fisch, Raymond, "The Roots of Heavy Lift Shipping", Anchored by Excellence (BBC Chartering Group) 1 (2011) pp. 10–13 (pdf) p. 10 (based on Holger Patzer, Die zusammengefasste Geschichte der D.D.G. „Hansa" (1881–1980), ddg-hansa.de, December 2005 (in German))
  4. "Steamers & Motorships". Lloyd's Register (PDF). Vol. II. London: Lloyd's Register. 1930. Retrieved 18 November 2013 – via Plimsoll Ship Data.
  5. Hoppe, Klaus. "Maierform: Historie und Leistungen" (in German). Retrieved 10 November 2020.
  6. "Steamers & Motorships". Lloyd's Register (PDF). Vol. II. London: Lloyd's Register. 1934. Retrieved 18 November 2013 – via Plimsoll Ship Data.
  7. Kindell, Don. "Naval Events, April 1941, Part 1 of 2, Tuesday 1st – Monday 14th". British and Other Navies in World War 2 Day-by-Day. Naval History. Retrieved 18 November 2013.

15.6108°N 39.4744°E / 15.6108; 39.4744

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