Lübecker Flenderwerke AG file photo [32633]

Lübecker Flenderwerke AG

Type   232 Shipyard
Historical Name of Location   Lübeck, Schleswig-Holstein, Germany
Coordinates   53.897778000, 10.785389000

Contributor:

ww2dbaseThe German firm Brückenbau Flender AG of Benrath am Rhein (now a district of Düsseldorf), Germany established a new steelworks in the city of Lübeck in 1878. After the founder's son, Hermann August Flender, took the helm, it became known for building bridges and steel structures. In 1914, it started building prefabricated floating dry docks that were shipped to customers' shipyards for final assembly. In 1917, expanding shop became known as Flenderwerke. In 1918, the city of Lübeck approved Flenderwerke's request to purchase additional land to build a modern shipyard. By the end of 1921 it would possess five slips (each capable of building a ship up to 15,000 tons and up to 150 meters in length), four small slips (each up to 1,200 tons), a horizontal slip (3,500 tons, 400 meters long, capable of multiple ship constructions at a time), a floating drydock, and various shops and factories; at this time, it employed 2,290 workers. In 1923, it opened its own design office. In 1926, Flenderwerke formally broke off from Brückenbau Flender AG as an independent company known as Lübecker Flenderwerke AG. In 1937, it began building facilities east of the slips for the sole purpose of submarine construction after being informed by the German Navy that they were being considered for the construction of an expanded submarine fleet. The order for four Type VII B submarines was issued on 9 Jun 1938, followed by larger orders for Type VII B and C submarines in 1939 and 1940. In 1943, two smaller freighters were built under the Hansa program. In the summer of 1943, a night shift was introduced to speed up the delivery of submarines for the war effort. During the war, Flenderwerke designers participated in a study of one-man submarines, which ultimately resulted in the Biber-class midget submarines. The Biber prototype was ready in Mar 1944, and the first operation took place in Aug 1944; a total of 324 Biber midget submarines were built by Flenderwerke during the war. After the war, the shipyard remained in operations for building merchant ships. In 1973, it was renamed Flender Werft AG. It closed after becoming bankrupt in 2002.

Last Major Update: Oct 2023

Ships Constructed at Lübecker Flenderwerke AG

Ship NameYard NoSlip/Drydock NoOrderedLaid DownLaunchedCommissioned
Carl Zeiss29 Nov 193817 Mar 1941
M724222 Nov 193517 Oct 193629 Sep 193731 Oct 1938
M824322 Nov 193517 Oct 193629 Sep 193711 Jan 1939
M924422 Nov 193520 Mar 193716 Nov 19375 May 1939
M122491 Sep 19364 Oct 19376 Aug 193821 Aug 1939
U-120V28 Aug 193731 Mar 193816 Mar 194020 Apr 1940
U-121V28 Aug 193731 Aug 193820 Apr 194028 May 1940
M202573 Mar 193710 Sep 193816 Jun 193911 Dec 1939
M212583 Mar 193710 Sep 19386 Sep 193918 Apr 1940
M222593 Mar 193720 Jan 193920 Mar 194030 Jul 1940
M232603 Mar 193720 Jan 193911 Jul 194026 Oct 1940
M242613 Mar 193731 Jul 193912 Oct 194022 Feb 1941
U-832919 Jun 19395 Oct 19399 Dec 19408 Feb 1941
U-842809 Jun 19399 Nov 193926 Feb 194129 Apr 1941
U-852819 Jun 193818 Dec 193910 Apr 19417 Jun 1941
U-862829 Jun 193820 Jan 194010 May 19418 Jul 1941
U-872839 Jun 193818 Apr 194021 Jun 194119 Aug 1941
U-8829225 Jan 19391 Jul 194016 Aug 194115 Oct 1941
U-8929325 Jan 193920 Aug 194020 Sep 194119 Nov 1941
U-9029425 Jan 19391 Oct 194025 Oct 194120 Dec 1941
U-9129525 Jan 193912 Nov 194030 Nov 194128 Jan 1942
U-9229625 Jan 193925 Nov 194010 Jan 19423 Mar 1942

Slip/Drydock Utilization

[Con]: Construction; [FO]: Fitting Out



Lübecker Flenderwerke AG Interactive Map

Photographs

Lübecker Flenderwerke shipyard, Lübeck, Germany, date unknownLübecker Flenderwerke shipyard, Lübeck, Germany, circa 1930sAerial view of Lübeck, Germany, 1945, seen from an American aircraft; Lübecker Flenderwerke shipyard located just right of center in this photo

Maps

Shipyard plan of Lübecker Flenderwerke shipyard, Lübeck, Germany, circa 1930

Lübecker Flenderwerke AG Timeline

2 Sep 1920 Brückenbau Flender AG's shipbuilding site in Lübeck, Germany launched its first ship since the 1918 expansion, coastal freighter Orantes.
9 Jun 1938 Lübecker Flenderwerke AG received the order from the German Navy to build four Type VII B submarines.




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Modern Day Location
WW2-Era Place Name Lübeck, Schleswig-Holstein, Germany
Lat/Long 53.8978, 10.7854
Lübecker Flenderwerke AG Photo Gallery
Lübecker Flenderwerke shipyard, Lübeck, Germany, date unknown
See all 3 photographs of Lübecker Flenderwerke AG


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