Medium-sized Lake Constance ships of the Deutsche Reichsbahn

The Deutsche Reichsbahn (DR) commissioned six medium-sized motor ships between 1926 and 1932 to replace old steamships and to use them on less frequented routes on Lake Constance . In 1936 a seventh ship, originally not planned, followed.

history

After 1920, the Reichsbahn met the need for additional ships by purchasing smaller passenger motor boats . In 1926, with the construction of the medium-sized motor ships, an extremely fruitful cooperation began between the Bodan shipyard, founded in 1919 in Kressbronn on Lake Constance, and the Deutsche Reichsbahn. Characteristic for these ships were usually a slender, 30–40 meter long hull, twin screw drive and one and a half decks for 200–500 passengers. From their home port of Constance , they were only used on Untersee and Überlinger See because the Obersee was too rough for them. The names therefore refer to places, islands and peninsulas in these two western parts of Lake Constance.

The larger of these ships were designed in the tradition of the one-and-a-half-deck half-saloon steamships of the time: A long foredeck above a bow cabin was used to transport goods; Amidships was a low deck structure with attached or built-on wheelhouse and aft a half saloon lowered in the hull, above that a sun deck. Cost comparison calculations showed the economic advantages over steamships. Apart from the Friedrichshafen and Reichenau , medium-sized motor ships were mainly used by the Swiss shipping company Untersee and Rhein after the war .

Ships

City of Radolfzell

In 1926, the one-and-a-half-deck motor ship was the first medium-sized motor ship to replace its predecessor , a small screw steamer , and was stationed in Radolfzell on the Untersee. It was the smallest of the seven ships. Because the engine system caused unrecoverable difficulties, it was taken out of service in 1934 and sunk by the Bodan shipyard instead of a planned conversion in the Obersee . The city Radolfzell in 1936 by the Radolfzell replaced (see below).

Höri (from 1964 Überlingen )

Höri , from 1964 Überlingen (1927)

The one-and-a-half- deck motor ship Höri was used from 1930 to 1969 on the Überlinger See, in the last five years as Überlingen . As a result of war damage, it was repaired, rebuilt and upgraded several times so that the capacity rose from 300 to 400 people.

Mainau

She was the sister ship of the Höri and, named after the flower island Mainau , also used on the Überlinger See. But it was only rebuilt once, to increase the capacity to 400 people. Although it was used as a residential ship in the air defense of Friedrichshafen at sea during the Second World War , it remained undamaged and retained its original appearance until it was decommissioned in 1965. Mainau was scrapped in 1967, its ship's bell was preserved as a port bell in Meersburg.

Mettnau

Schienerberg in its original condition in 1930

The single-deck motor ship named after the Mettnau peninsula with only one screw was specially designed for the Untersee. The wheelhouse, chimney and mast could be folded down to pass under the Rhine bridge in Constance . A cabin on the foredeck was removed to allow goods to be transported. The ship, undamaged during World War II , was confiscated by the French occupying forces in 1945 and used as a courier ship. In 1963 the ship was decommissioned, which today lies dry in Überlingen near the thermal baths and is used by a sailing school.

Schienerberg (from 1964 Meersburg )

The Schienerberg was the largest of the seven ships. It operated, mostly as a special ship, from 1930 to 1961 on the Untersee, then as a Meersburg on the Überlinger See. Between Meersburg and Konstanz it provided the last year-round course until 1973. It was rebuilt and modernized several times and retired in 1994.

Hegau (before 1935 Baden )

Hegau in the port of Constance

The motor ship, which was commissioned as Baden in 1932, was used all year round until 1960 on the Überlinger See. It had to give the name of Baden to the new Konstanz flagship in 1935 and was given the name of the volcanic landscape west of Lake Constance. After the good experience that the Reichsbahn was able to gain with the Voith-Schneider drive of the three winter ships, the ship was the only one of the seven to be equipped with this drive on a trial basis, but with only one engine and a Voith-Schneider propeller (VSP). The original diesel-electric version turned out to be too heavy and difficult to steer, leading to a number of accidents. The mechanical version with VSP type 16 M, which was installed as a replacement, did not have any advantages for this medium-sized ship compared to the twin screw drive with fixed propeller . That is why Voith-Schneider propellers were only used in larger units and in pairs. The ship, undamaged during World War II , was confiscated by the French occupying forces in 1945 and used as a courier ship. The Hegau was retired at the end of 1964 and scrapped in 1968.

Radolfzell

The last ship of the group of seven was not originally planned: it replaced the town of Radolfzell in 1936 , which was taken out of service prematurely due to defects in the machinery (see above). The single deck ship with only one propeller was similar to the Mettnau . It was the only one in the group that was not built by the Bodan shipyard, but rather by the Theo Hitzler shipyard in Regensburg on the Danube because of the cheaper offer . The area of operation of the ship stationed in Radolfzell was the Untersee, all year round until 1959. Because of the frequent ice formation there, it was equipped with a reinforced bow and a powerful engine. After it had received a new machine system with 300 hp in 1966, it was retired and scrapped in 1968.

Data on the ships

	City of Radolfzell	Mainau	Mettnau	Hegau	Radolfzell
renaming				to bathe
Shipyard	Bodan shipyard	Bodan shipyard	Bodan shipyard	Bodan shipyard	Th. Hitzler
Commissioning	1926	1928	1929	1932	1936
Retirement	1933	1965	1963	1964	1968
Whereabouts	sunk	scrapped	Überlingen	scrapped	scrapped
Length overall	27.50 m	38.00 m	30.10 m	35.00 m	32.00 m
Width o.a.	4.60 m	6.80 m	5.80 m	6.80 m	6.10 m
Draft	1.35 m	1.28 m	1.22 m	1.42 m	1.23 m
machine	2 diesel engines	2 diesel engines	Diesel engine	Diesel engine	Diesel engine
power	220 hp	480 hp	180 hp	275 hp	300 hp
speed	11 kn (21 km / h)	14 kn (25.5 km / h)	11 kn (21 km / h)	13 kn (24.5 km / h)	13.5 kn (25 km / h)
propeller	2	2	1	1 VSP	1
Passengers	185	400	200	200	200

Data on Höri and Schienerberg : see their main article. All seven ships sailed under the German flag, were passenger ships and had their home port in Constance. The owner was the Deutsche Reichsbahn ( Reichsbahndirektion Karlsruhe ) until 1945, the General Directorate of the Southwest German Railways from 1945 to 1952, and the Deutsche Bundesbahn (Railway Directorate Karlsruhe ) from 1952 to 1993 .

Web links

Pictures of the ships on bodenseeschifffahrt.de (Heimathafen Konstanz / Radolfzell)

literature

All information is taken from the following sources:

Michael Berg: Motor shipping on Lake Constance under the Deutsche Reichsbahn and in the post-war period. Planning, construction and use of the White Fleet from 1920 to 1952 . regional culture publisher, Ubstadt-Weiher 2011, ISBN 978-3-89735-614-6 .

Michael Berg (editor): The former Bodan shipyard in Kressbronn on Lake Constance 1919–2011. On the history of an important inland shipyard , regional culture publisher, Ubstadt-Weiher 2019, ISBN 978-3-95505-135-8 .

Klaus v. Rudloff, Claude Jeanmaire: Shipping on Lake Constance , Volume 3: Beginning of Motor Shipping , Verlag Eisenbahn, Villigen AG 1987, ISBN 3-85649-072-8 .

References and comments

↑ In these years three so-called winter ships and the large three-deck ships Allgäu , Baden and Germany were put into service.
↑ On Lake Constance, watercraft with a capacity of up to 125 people are referred to as "boats" and above that as "ships". Rudloff / Jeanmaire (lit.) p. 4
↑ There was also the Reichenau motorboat built in 1928 for only 90 passengers.
↑ Renamed ships are referred to here by the name they have had the longest.
↑ For more information: The source presents the planning and construction history of these ships in great detail.

[1] In these years three so-called winter ships and the large three-deck ships Allgäu , Baden and Germany were put into service.

[2] On Lake Constance, watercraft with a capacity of up to 125 people are referred to as "boats" and above that as "ships". Rudloff / Jeanmaire (lit.) p. 4

[3] There was also the Reichenau motorboat built in 1928 for only 90 passengers.

[4] Renamed ships are referred to here by the name they have had the longest.

[5] For more information: The source presents the planning and construction history of these ships in great detail.