World War II Database

Contributor: Al Griffis

ww2dbaseIn Jul 1853, the Kingdom of Prussia and the Grand Duchy of Oldenburg signed the Jade Treaty (German: Jadevertrages), which saw the transfer of 340 hectares of land on the western shore of the Jade Bight to Prussia for the construction of a naval port. In 1869, the area being developed was officially inaugurated as Wilhelmshaven, on the occasion of the visit of King Wilhelm I of Prussia. By the end of the year, dry dock I, dry dock II, dry dock III, slip I, and slip II were all completed. In 1871, the Kaiserliche Werft Wilhelmshaven shipyard was officially operational. In 1873, Wilhelmshaven was granted city status and received a municipal constitution. Between 1876 and 1880, the shipyard underwent a period of modernization. In 1880, the construction of the Ems-Jade Canal began; it would be completed in Jun 1888. By the end of 1880, the shipyard employed approximately 3,000 workers. In 1886, entrance No. 2 was completed, with larger locks. As Wilhelmshaven became a major base of the German High Seas Fleet, a new dike between the first driveway and Mariensiel to the west was authorized. Between 1905 and 1909, slip I and slip II of the shipyard were enlarged to 380 meters by 340 meters. Between 1906 and 1908, dry dock IV, dry dock V, and dry dock VI were built. In 1907, the Kaiser Wilhelm Bridge was built; it was the largest double-pivot bridge in Europe. In 1909, the third entrance was completed. In 1910, the shipyard employed approximately 8,000 workers. In 1912, a 40,000-ton floating dry dock was completed. By 1916, the shipyard employed about 15,000 workers. During WW1, the shipyard employed approximately 21,000 workers. The shipyard briefly closed at the end of WW1, and re-opened under the new name Reichsmarinewerft Wilhelmshaven in 1919. It constructed civilian vessels in the early 1920s, but by the mid-1920s it would return to building warships, launching light cruiser Emden in 1925, six torpedo boats between 1926 and 1928, light cruiser Königsberg in 1929, light cruiser Köln in 1930, gunnery training ship Bremse in 1931, and heavy cruiser Admiral Scheer in 1934, among others. In 1935, with the rise of the Nazi Party, the shipyard was renamed Kriegsmarinewerft Wilhelmshaven. In Feb 1936, the plans for the North Yard (German: Nordwerft) expansion was authorized, and construction began in Jun 1936. In the same year, the shipyard launched heavy cruiser Admiral Graf Spee. By Jul 1937, 7,000 workers were involved in the North Yard expansion. By 1938, it was increase of 13,000 workers. In Jan 1939, the shipyard launched battleship Scharnhorst. During WW2, it launched battleship Tirpitz and many Type VII submarines. On 18 Dec 1939, the British Royal Air Force dispatched 22 Wellington bombers to attack the shipyard and surrounding facilities; 12 of them were shot down. In Nov 1942, the fourth entrance (east chamber) was completed; it was the largest lock in the world at that time, with two chambers each 390 meters in length, 60 meters in width, and 12 meters in depth. At the end of WW2, the shipyard employed approximately 17,000 workers. Immediately after the end of hostilities, Kriegsmarinewerft Wilhelmshaven remained in operations, repairing ships destined to be transferred to the Allied nations as reparations. In 1946, various shipbuilding facilities began to be dismantled or destroyed, although it would remain active as a military port.

Ships Constructed at Kriegsmarinewerft

* Projected dates; not actual

Slip/Drydock Utilization

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

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