Unterweser file photo [32030]

Schiffbau Gesellschaft Unterweser Gmbh

Type   224 Shipyard
Historical Name of Location   Bremerhaven, Weser-Ems, Germany
Coordinates   53.526431000, 8.580406000

Contributor:

ww2dbaseIn 1895, Bernhard W. Riedmann started up the small shipyard on 18,300 acres of land in the lower Bremerhaven area in Germany, building coastal vessels, barges, and sailing ships. Merely years later, he began enlarging and modernizing all facets of his shipyard. In 1903, the company Delphin Riedemann und Co. was formed to manage the shipyard. Between 1908 and 1910, the shipyard expanded one of the existing slips to include a 50-meter by 15-meter awning and electric cranes. In 1910, the shipyard was renamed Schiffbau Gesellschaft Unterweser GmbH. Between 1910 and 1914, a second modernization effort took place in order to build newer vessels, especially for the German Navy. Bewteen 1914 and 1918, Unterweser built tankers, trawlers, patrol boats, and cargo ships, mainly for the navy. In 1918, a small shipyard was opened in the Geestemünde area of Bremerhaven, on the eastern shore of Fishing Port I, for repairing trawlers; three small slips were in operation at the new shipyard. Between 1920 and 1923, Unterweser underwent a major upgrade and modernization which included a 2,000 square meter shipbuilding hall, new coppersmiths, paint shops, improved roads and railroad tracks, and improved slips. In 1921, the company was transformed into a joint stock company. In 1939, Unterweser received its first naval orders in the WW2 era, and for the next several years the majority of work was building minesweepers, patrol boats, and trawlers for the German Navy. After WW2, Unterweser underwent two major mergers, and the resulting company operates in shipbuilding and steel industries at the time of this writing in 2022.

Last Major Update: Sep 2022

Ships Constructed at Schiffbau Gesellschaft Unterweser Gmbh

Ship NameYard NoSlip/Drydock NoOrderedLaid DownLaunchedCommissioned
M301298
M302299
M303300
M304301
M305302
M306303
M307304


Schiffbau Gesellschaft Unterweser Gmbh Interactive Map

Photographs

Painting of Unterweser shipyard of Bremerhaven, Germany showing the awning over two slips and workshops in the background, 1914View of Unterweser shipyard, Bremerhaven, Germany, 1922; note coppersmith building at the left edge of photoUnterweser shipyard, Bremerhaven, Germany, 1933; note administrative building on the left and shipbuilding hall and the forge in the backgroundLaunching of the fisheries research vessel Makrele, Unterweser shipyard, Bremerhaven, Germany, 1936

Maps

Map of the shipbuilding district at the bend of the Geeste River in Bremerhaven, Germany, circa 1940s; note Rickmers, Tecklenborg, Seebeckwerft, and Schiffsbau Gesellschaft Unterweser




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Modern Day Location
WW2-Era Place Name Bremerhaven, Weser-Ems, Germany
Lat/Long 53.5264, 8.5804
Schiffbau Gesellschaft Unterweser Gmbh Photo Gallery
Painting of Unterweser shipyard of Bremerhaven, Germany showing the awning over two slips and workshops in the background, 1914
See all 4 photographs of Schiffbau Gesellschaft Unterweser Gmbh


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