Marine ferry cream
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| Type | Landing craft | |
| Shipyard | various | |
| number | about 700 (all subtypes) | |
| class | Marine ferry cream type A | Marine ferry cream type D |
| length | 47.04 m | 49.84 m |
| width | 6.53 m | 6.59 m |
| Draft | empty: 0.97 m max .: 1.45 m |
empty: 1.18 m max .: 1.35 m |
| displacement | Const .: 155 t max .: 220 t |
Const .: 168 t max .: 239 t |
| Payload | normal: 85 t / max .: 105 | max .: 140 t |
| Armament | 2 × 20 mm flak | 2 × 20 mm Flak Twin 2 × 3.7 cm Flak 1 × 7.5 cm Pak |
| drive | 3 diesel engines with an additional 390 HP | 3 diesel engines totaling 375 hp |
| speed | 10.5 kn (empty) | 10.3 kn (empty) |
| Bunker capacity | 4.1 t | 4.1 t |
| Range | 640 nm at 10 kn 1340 nm at 7 kn |
520 nm at 10 knots 1120 nm at 7 knots |
| crew | 17th | 25th |
Marinefährprahme ( MFP ) were the largest landing craft in the German navy during the Second World War . They were developed starting in 1941 for Operation Sea Lion (Invasion of the British Isles) and built in various types over 700 times during the entire war. In many roles that were not originally intended, they turned out to be versatile and robust constructions.
Depending on the type, marine ferry frames had a transport capacity of around 85 to 140 t and were equipped with a folding ramp at the bow that enabled direct access to the cargo hold. The majority of the MFPs were approximately 47 meters long and 6.5 meters wide. The boats had a total height of around 4.7 m and a maximum draft of around 1.4 m. Their IDs consisted of the letter F and a three-digit number.
history
development
From 1940 the Navy carried out tests with various vehicles for amphibious landing operations . This resulted in a catalog of requirements for a vehicle that should be suitable for landing operations and general replenishment tasks. To do this, it should be provided with a ramp for landing on beaches. The boats should be usable up to a swell of strength 5 (3 m wave height). During production, as little strategically important material as possible should be required and construction should also be feasible by less qualified personnel.
Initially, in addition to a diesel engine for cruising , two disused aircraft engines were to be used for maximum speed. However, these had too short a service life and proved to be too prone to failure and too high in consumption, which is why three diesel engines of the same type were used, with which only a good 10 kn (compared to almost 13) was achieved. However, this loss was accepted in favor of greater reliability and range.
In the course of the war, various variants were developed and, depending on the availability of material, individual conversions of existing MFPs were carried out. From the first version "Type A" to "Type D", in particular the loading space height and load capacity were increased and the armament reinforced. The basic version had the identifier "F" with a number from 100, specialized versions had different identifiers in some cases. Around 1200 identification numbers were assigned. However, entire series of these were never used and other numbers were reassigned to these after the conversion of boats into artillery carriers, for example. About 700 MFPs are said to have been completed. The exact number is not known.
From the beginning of 1944 there was no further development of the MFP. All efforts were used on the newly designed unit landing craft (EL), but production continued. At the end of the war , MFPs were still under construction in various shipyards throughout the Reich and in occupied areas.
For a similar use, but smaller and with significantly different design features , naval supply lighters , naval artillery lighters and sieve ferries were in use in the Kriegsmarine .
commitment
After Operation Sea Lion was abandoned, the Prahme were used as supply vehicles in almost all sea areas. If they were not built on site, they were also laid over inland waterways. They were grouped into transport flotillas, landing flotillas, coastal defense flotillas and artillery carrier flotillas or were assigned to mixed units such as security divisions.
In their originally intended function as landing craft, they were mainly used in the occupation of the Greek islands. In addition to supplying supplies, MFPs were also used as transporters for the wounded, as tankers, to secure ports and convoy trains , to lay mines and as artillery carriers. Despite their low speed, they were even used for submarine hunting and attempts were made to use them to search for mines, which, however, did not succeed due to their insufficient engine power. MFPs have also been largely rebuilt for special functions.
With a maximum load, the seaworthiness of the boats was restricted and use in more than strength 2 sea no longer possible. Marine ferry frames that survived the war were partly used for civilian purposes as cargo ships, working platforms or ferries, some were also temporarily taken over by the allied authorities such as the GMSA or OMGUS .
Use in the Black Sea
From May 1941 onwards, 93 MFPs were built for the Kriegsmarine in Bulgarian shipyards in Varna (state shipyard, Koralowag shipyard, naval arsenal), with many components and equipment being delivered from Germany. During the fighting in the Black Sea at least 32 MFP and AF were sunk, on the Danube another 19 at the end of August 1944 were 28 MFP self- scuttled off Varna . Some of them were lifted after the war and incorporated into the Soviet fleet under the designation BDB. Six MFPs were given over to the Bulgarian Navy . Eleven MFPs that were still under construction in Varna also became Soviet spoils after their completion.
crew
The basic version should be operated with two NCOs and ten crews. Due to the increasing armament, additional personnel was necessary. The crew increased to 17 and finally 25 men, in the version as an artillery ferry even more, depending on the armament.
technology
The various types of MFP differed in details, but the basic concept remained largely the same: MFPs were flat pontoon-like vehicles made of a riveted steel construction with a raised floor at the rear and above all at the front. The engine compartment was in the stern of the boat, in front of which the control stand was placed, and both the engine compartment and the control stand were protected with 20 to 25 mm armored steel. In front of the operator's platform there was a fixed hall roof over the rear part of the cargo hold; the front part of the roof could be opened upwards using removable corrugated iron covers. The loading space could be accessed directly via the mechanically operated loading ramp.
To protect against sea mines , the MFPs were equipped with an MES system. However, this impaired the accuracy of the compasses and made it necessary to build special guide boats or to use the boat in conjunction with other units that could navigate safely.
In addition to a bow anchor, the boat carried two anchors in davits at the stern for casting off after a landing on the beach .
drive
The MFP were equipped with three six-cylinder Deutz truck diesel engines, each working on a propeller. With a total of 390 hp (287 kW), version A achieved a top speed of 10.5 kn (about 19 km / h). Towards the end of the war, some fuel-saving plans were equipped with generator gas systems for the external engines.
When cruising with only the medium engine, the boats still reached approx. 7.5 kts (approx. 13.5 km / h), but with a full load and depending on the sea, the actually achievable speed was significantly lower. It was steered via a center rudder.
Armament
To support the troops to be landed and to protect themselves, especially against air attacks, the MFP were initially armed with two 20 mm anti-aircraft guns. Soon a 7.5 cm gun was added in front of the operator's position, initially often provisionally set up on wheel mounts. In the course of the war, the armament was constantly strengthened, so for the last versions two 20 mm double mounts on the stern, a 3.7 cm flak each on the hall roof and in an elevated position behind the control stand, a 7, 5 cm anti-tank gun on a marine mount in front of the control stand and two rocket launcher racks. Uniform armament was no longer possible at that time, and retrofits and conversions were therefore often done individually depending on the availability of weapons and material, in some cases also with prey weapons. Among other things, 2-cm quadruple anti-aircraft guns and 8.8 cm submarine guns were installed in addition to or instead of other guns, and boats used in the Mediterranean regularly received machine guns as additional armament.
variants
Marine ferry frames were manufactured in dozens of shipyards inland and in occupied territories. This alone resulted in numerous deviations from the standard. In addition, there were consumption boats that were converted and rebuilt locally depending on the situation.
Basic types
The first version Type A was further developed in three steps.
- Type B: The loading space floor was lowered in order to increase the clearance height of the loading space from 2.74 m to 3.19 m. This shortened the horizontal length of the cargo hold floor, and the tanks, which were located in the double floor of type A, had to be relocated to the side walls. Loading capacity and displacement remained unchanged.
- Type C: Here the cargo space height has been increased by a further 10 cm to 3.29 m. Here, too, loading capacity and displacement remained unchanged.
- Type D: The previously completely riveted construction was converted to a partially welded sectional construction . The fuselage was lengthened and widened with a wider entrance width. The load capacity has been increased to up to 140 t. The operator's platform and engine compartment were moved a little forward and armor and armament were reinforced. The boats received accommodations for a crew of up to 25 men and a radio room.
Artillery ferry cream
The artillery ferry frames mostly had the identification AF and were created by converting the basic types. Towards the end of the war, some boats were given AT (artillery carriers). A distinction is to be made between this and MFPs that have not been specially converted with relatively strong armaments in the context of the uneven equipping, which in the Mediterranean were designated as combat ferries with the code KF. This was just an organizational identifier.
The conversions varied depending on the time and depending on the executing shipyard and the available material. When converting to an artillery ferry, the control stand was moved forward, often almost in the middle of the boat. The fixed deck above the hold and the stern was reinforced to accommodate guns and the bow hatch closed. The crew quarters for the gun operators have been expanded and ammunition storage space has been created. The armoring of the engine room, the ammunition rooms and the superstructures was reinforced, with some of the bulwarks being filled with 10 cm of concrete. The intended standard armament consisted of two 2-cm anti-aircraft quadruples, one 7.5-cm and two 8.8-cm guns.
A total of 70 to 80 t of additional material was usually built in, so that the artillery ferry frames only reached a speed of around 8 kn due to the higher construction weight and lost seaworthiness.
They were primarily intended as security vehicles, but were also used for artillery support for land operations and for laying mines. The crew increased with the gun operations to over 30 men.
Mine ferry cream
In the Black Sea in particular , the navy had to perform many tasks with just a few units for which no specialized vehicles were available. This z. B. MFP used to lay mines, driving backwards to bring 36 mines over the lowered ramp, which was only feasible in calm seas and only very slowly. Based on this experience, a specialized mine-laying version of the MFP was developed.
Depending on the initial type, they were given the additional designation "Type AM", "CM" or "DM" (type B boats were not used).
In the largest "DM" version, 54 mines could be brought out over the stern using rails installed along the sides. As an alternative, 16 assault boats could be carried on the mine rails . The assault boats could be launched and picked up again directly via additional slides that could be installed. Due to the higher weight of the MFP in the mine-laying version, the payload and the top speed were reduced in the unloaded state.
Type "MZ"
The Italian Navy developed for the planned cooperation with the German occupation of Malta landing craft based on the plans for the German MFP type A. Of these "Motozattera" with the identifier "MZ" nearly 100 pieces were built from the 1942nd After the German occupation of Italy at the end of 1943, the remaining boats were taken over by the Navy and continued to be operated as MFPs with the previous Italian ID. The Italian MZ were very similar to the German naval ferry frames. Their dimensions were slightly different and an Italian motorization and armament were used.
literature
- Jürgen Gebauer, Egon Krenz: Marine encyclopedia from A – Z. Tosa, Vienna 2003, ISBN 3-85492-757-6 .
- Jack Greene, Alessandro Massignani: The Naval War in the Mediterranean 1940-1943. Chatham Publishing et al., London et al. 1998, ISBN 1-86176-057-4 .
- Erich Gröner : The ships of the German Navy and Air Force 1939–45 and their whereabouts. JF Lehmanns Verlag, Munich 1954.
- Randolf Kugler: The landings in Germany since 1900. Book center Empfingen, Empfingen 1989, ISBN 3-86755-000-X .
- Tullio Marcon: I Mule del Mare. 3a edition. Albertelli, Parma 1998, ISBN 88-87372-02-0 .
- James J. Sadkovich: The Italian Navy in World War II (= Contributions in Military Studies. 149). Greenwood, Westport CT et al. 1994, ISBN 0-313-28797-X .
- Gerd-Dietrich Schneider: "Plattbugkreuzer". Navy artillery carriers in action. Mittler & Sohn, Hamburg et al. 1998, ISBN 3-8132-0555-X .
- Peter Schenk: Battle for the Aegean. the navy in Greek waters 1941–1945. Mittler & Sohn, Hamburg et al. 2000, ISBN 3-8132-0699-8 .
- Stefan Semerdjiev: The mysterious fate of Adolf Hitler's "Black Sea Fleet". In: Sea Classics. Vol. 40, No. 11, November 2007, ISSN 0048-9867 , pp. 42-49.
Web links
- Marine ferry description / technical data
- (Italian) ( Memento from June 5, 2008 in the Internet Archive ) (Italian)
- Marine ferry prehistory in the Historical Marine Archive (detailed chronicles, photos, drawings)
