World War II Database

Contributor: Al Griffis

ww2dbaseThe Deutsche Schiff- und Maschinenbau (Deschimag) shipyard in Bremen, Germany had its beginnings in the firm Eisengiesserei & Maschinenbau-Anstalt Waltjen und Leonhard, which was founded in 1843. Waltjen und Leonhard had produced a myriad of products such as iron parts for bridges, floodgates, cranes, steam boilers, steam engines, and various other marine necessities. It also provided services such as an iron foundry. Waltjen und Leonhard's slogan was "for everything that can be manufactured from iron". In 1847, it completed its first passenger ship, the side-paddle steamer Roland. Founder Heinrich Leonhardt retired in 1848, and the company was renamed C. Waltjen & Co. Shortly after, the first slip, a horizontal slip of 145 meters in length by 50 meters wide, was constructed. During this time, the company also built dredgers and barges. In 1857, the second side-paddle steamer, the Werra, was completed. In 1871, the shipyard received its first order from the German Navy, which was for the torpedo boat "I", Spierentorpedoboat18. In 1872, as the German Navy indicated that it would be placing orders every year for an indefinite period of time, several Bremen merchants, bankers, politicians, and ship owners jointly started the firm Actien-Gesellschaft "Weser" (AG Weser); owner of C. Waltjen & Co., Carsten Waltjen, became a member of the AG Weser board. In 1876, AG Weser completed its first navy warship, gunboat Wespe, the lead ship of the class with ten more to be delivered. In 1883, with orders arriving from the navy, the shipyard started specializing in torpedo boat construction. By 1884, orders were arriving at an ever increasing rate and it became apparent that one slip was not enough. Between 1875 and 1884 the navy placed 29 orders for gunboats. Between 1901 and 1905, the shipyard moved from Stephanikirchenweide to a 116-acre piece of land that it would occupy until 1983. Between 1908 and 1910, one of the existing slips was expanded to include an awning of 50 meters in length and 15 meters in width, which included electric cranes. Between 1910 and 1914, in order to continue building newer vessels, especially those for the navy, the second upgrade and modernization effort of the shipyard took place. Between 1914 and 1918, during WW1, the shipyard built tankers, trawlers, patrol boats, and cargo ships, mainly for the navy; additionally, 81 submarines were built. After the conclusion of WW1, it suffered financially, much like all other German shipyards. In 1920, a 2,000-square meter shipbuilding hall was completed. In 1921, the company was transformed into a joint stock company. In Dec 1926, AG Weser stopped accepting orders as it planned to merged with other companies which were also suffering financially. In 1928, Deschimag was established, and the former AG Weser took a leadership position in the new company. Overnight, the new company became the largest shipbuiding company in Germany, its 15,000 employees representing 28% of the total workforce in that particular industry in Germany. The companies that had joined to form Deschimag were:

• AG Weser, Bremen
• Vulkan-Werke Hamburg AG, Hamburg
• Joh. C. Tecklenborg AG, Wesermünde
• AG Vulcan Stettin, Stettin
• G. Seebeck AG, Geestemünde
• AG Neptun, Rostock
• Nüscke & Co. AG, Stettin
• Frerichswerft AG, Einswarden

ww2dbaseIn Jul 1929, the Bremen, arguably the most famous of all German passenger ships, was completed at Deschimag, but the lack of new orders after this large project meant that the company had no choice but to release 5,000 workers, which represented over 40% of the company. In 1933, after almost three years, Norddeutschen Lloyd, which had placed the order for the Bremen, finally returned to place another order, the Cairo. In 1933, the Weser Flugzeugbau GmbH (Weserflug) was founded to build aviation components (and later aircraft); this company would be spun off in 1936. In 1934, shipbuilding orders from the German Navy Department began to flow in, starting with the 1934 order to build six 1935-type torpedo boats, four 1936- and 1936A-type destroyers, and an artillery training ship. This was followed by orders for eight submarines. Between 1935 and 1937, Deschimag began studies to see if additional slips could be added; the conclusion, however, was that an expansion was impossible due to the location of slips I through V (Va). In 1938, work began on two large construction dry docks. In 1939, Deschimag received the first orders from the Nazi-era Germany Navy, and for the next several years the majority of work was building minesweepers and patrol boats. In 1941, the Krupp conglomerate acquired the majority of shares in both AG Weser and G. Seebeck AG, the two main companies within Deschimag. In the summer of 1943, work stopped on the construction docks, but keel laying began again in 1944. Construction for a number of submarines were underway in 1945 when British 3rd Infantry Division captured the city in late Apr 1945. During WW2, Deschimag had a size of 604,400 square meters, and employed an average of 12,000 employees. Deschimag was dissolved after war but AG Weser and G. Seebeck AG lived on separately. AG Weser suffered furthered losses as much of its surviving heavy equipment were plundered by the Soviets. In 1949, US occupation administration allowed Seebeck to resume shipbuilding, and AG Weser followed in 1951. After a few periods of poor performance in the 1970s and 1980s, AG Weser was declared bankrupt in 1983, and G. Seebeck AG was bought out by the firm Bremer Vulkan Verbund AG.

Ships Constructed at Deutsche Schiff- und Maschinenbau AG

* Projected dates; not actual

Slip/Drydock Utilization

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

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