Siebelferry
The sieve ferries were provisional landing craft of the German Wehrmacht , which were to be used during the Second World War as part of the Seelöwe company .
It was named after Friedrich Siebel , owner of Siebel Flugzeugwerke , who had the idea of equipping pontoons and temporary bridges with platforms and aircraft engines in order to create the urgently needed transport capacity for the planned invasion of England (Sea Lion Company).
The ferries were powered by two machines and up to three BMW aircraft engines with propellers. Later models were not equipped with aircraft engines. Of the 400 units originally planned, around 200 ships were completed, some of which differed significantly in terms of task and equipment. In addition to the transport vehicle, there were also variants that were used for landing support and air defense ( combat ferry ).
After the Seelöwe company was discontinued, the Siebelfhren were used in many theaters of war, including in the Black Sea and the Mediterranean . Thanks to their modular structure, they could be transported quickly to the respective combat areas, including overland. Especially during operations in the Mediterranean, the ferries were used in their original function as landing vehicles in addition to transport and mine-laying tasks.
After the war, surviving sieve ferries were used as transporters and ferries in many countries . Up until the 1960s, three Sieve ferries provided ferry service on the Rhine near Bonn and Nierstein .
Versions
The sieve ferries were built in different versions:
Siebelfehre 40
- Displacement: 130 t
- Length: 21.6 m
- Width: 13.9 m
- Draft: 1.2 m
- Capacity: 150 men
- Drive: 2 × 75 PS, 3 x BMW aircraft engines with 300 PS
- Top speed: 6.5 kn
Siebelfehre 41
- Displacement: 130 t
- Length: 24.3 m
- Width: 13.9 m
- Draft: 1.2 m
- Capacity: 250 men
- Drive: 1 BMW VI engine with 210 hp
- Top speed: 6.5 kn
Siebelfehre 43
- Displacement: 143 t
- Length: 32.0 m
- Width: 14.7 m
- Draft: 1.75 m
- Capacity: 169 t
- Drive: 2 × 280 PS, BMW
- Top speed: 5.4 kn
Siebelfehre 44
- Displacement: 130 t
- Length: 26.0 m
- Width: 13.7 m
- Draft: 0.9 m
- Capacity: 169 t
- Drive: 2 × 280 PS, BMW
- Top speed: 7.4 kn
