Shipbucket

Although ships are just a relatively minor part of FD-scale output, I wanted to suggest creating a dedicated thread for them (analogically to threads about Aircraft, ground Vehicles, rail vehicles a.k.a. Trainbucket and Submarines). So far ships were typically posted in ad hoc dedicated threads, and of course it doesn't mean that they couldn't be posted in such threads in the future if they are meant to show some kind of "collection", but I thought that for one-off entries such "combined thread" could be practical.

Word of explanation why it's called "FD Ships 2" - there was a very short-lived thread named "FD Ships" in 2011 (so IMHO bit too old to necromance it).

And to start the thread with some content...
(This boat has been already posted by me in SB scale some time ago)

Stefano Türr was a mid-1930s attempt of Regia Marina to build a large (in the 50-ton range, instead of hitherto typical 15-20-ton range) motor torpedo boat (capable of being also used as minelayer and submarine chaser). Differently from these smaller boats, which were classed as "motoscafo armato silurante", new vessel was classed as "mototorpediniera" ("torpediniera" was a designation of large torpedo boats). Ship was laid down in May 1935 at CMA shipyard in Marina-di-Pisa and launched on 9 of May 1936 r.

It's standard displacement was 51,5 t, normal 61,68 t, total length 32 m. It was powered by 4 FIAT V-1616 diesel engines with total power 3000 hp and was armed with 4 450 mm torpedo launchers, 2 Breda 13,2 mm machine guns, 1 FIAT 6,5 mm machnie gun and 2 depth charge launchers.

Although modern-looking, due to large amount of new technologies applied in its construction it failed to met it's promise. Although it was hoped that it would achieve speeds in range of 40 knots, during trials it never exceeded 34,62 knots, and when fully laden only 32 knots. Main reason for that were engines, as FIAT had no previous experience with making diesels of that size and with such performance envelope. Modified engines were installed in April of 1937, but then, in turn, it suffered from a string of crankshaft breaks, which led to its new modification, which lasted for another year (and next series of trials for several further months).

Only on 9 January 1939 Stefano Türr was officially commissioned into operational service in Regia Marina, as part of 1ª Flottiglia MAS in La Spezia. Unfortunately, it was plagued by further malfunctions of engines, plus the corrosion of the underwater hull made of supposedly-corrosion-resistant alloy. As the vessel was spending more time in repairs than in service, it was finally decided to decommission it, which formally took place on 27 July 1941. By then Regia Marina has already obtained several (captured from Yugoslavia) Lürssen-type large MTB's, which confirmed that basic concept behind such category of vessels was perfectly sound (in fact, was the way to go), but it's execution in form of Stefano Türr was too flawed to bother. Empty hull, with all valuable equipment removed, remained on shore at Spezia arsenal until it was finally scrapped in 1947-1948.

Italy, Stefano Türr

Will be interesting to see Titanic in FD Scale

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- Ukraineball

some of the smaller vessels you see on shipbucket are to small to do them justice. one I'd like to see is the Tamar class lifeboat

Ferries operating between Schiewenhorst (now Świbno, easternmost district of Gdańsk) and Nickelswalde (now Mikoszewo) - just approximately 2 kilometers from the sea, across the man-made (1891-1895) canal of Wisła river

First of them, the Schiewenhorst, for road vehicles, begun operation in 1895. Ferry was built at J. W. Klawitter shipyard in Danzig according to design made at Schichau shipyard from Elbling (Elbląg). It was 24m long and was powered by 2 95hp steam engines. Apparently in 1920s it was rebuilt, replacing the centerline engine arrangement with two funnels, one on each side of the vessel and with pilot's cabin installed on the bridge. (unfortunately, although there are photograps from this period, I found them insufficient to attempt to draw them) In the spring of 1945 the remnants of German 2. Army were encircled in the area encompassing Schiewenhorst and Nickelswalde, southeast of Danzig (itself liberated on 30 March) and both ferries were heavily used in support of surrounded troops. On 8 May, around 23:00 large group of smaller German vessels, including both these ferries, loaded with soldiers and German refugees left to see, first towards Hel (still in German hands and from there they undertook risky cruise towards Bornholm, during which the group was attacked numerous times by Soviet aviation. Near Bornholm engine on Schiewenhorst failed and it had to be taken on tow by German patrol craft. Shortly afterwards the group received radio orders from British military authorities to sail to Kiel, where the whole group (by then numbering 27 vessels) arrived in the evening of 11 May 1945. There, the Schiewenhorst remained and was apparently scrapped fairly soon afterwards.

Germany, Schiewenhorst


Second ferry - aptly named Schiewenhorst II - was a rail one. It's harbours were located approximately 350m south from these for the first ferry, to serve the 750mm narrow-gauge rail line between Danzig and Stutthof (Sztutowo) (now only the Sztutowo-Mikoszewo line is still operated). It was built 1903-1904 at Leopold Zobel, Maschinen- und Dampfkesselfabrik in Bromberg (now Bydgoszcz) but it reached it's service area only in 1905. Hull length was 29,27m and it was powered by 2 120hp steam engines. For the next four decades it served reliably if fairly uneventfuly (except for accident in 1919 where, due to rail engineers fault, the locomotive fell into water) and in 1940 it was renamed Ägir. It's fate in 1945 is bit unclear: according to some sources it was sunk by Germans at Einlage (now Przegalina), but that account is disputed, and by other sources it served until the last days of war, when it attempted to sail to Borholm together with it's half-sister, but for technical reasons was forced to turn back after just several kilometers of sea cruise. What's known for sure is that it ended up sunk in the mouth of Wisła, from which it was raised in 1946. Thereafter it was repaired, renamed Świbno and returned to service in July 1948. In 1952 it's technical condition was so poor, though, that it necessitated complete refit, but it was considered not cost-effective enough and the ferry was put in retirement (or semi-retirement, as some sources claim it was occasionaly used to transport cargo, mainly wood) until 1959, when the decision was made to scrap it by 1961.

Germany, Schiewenhorst II (Ägir)


Currently there's still a ferry service operating between Świbno and Mikoszewo, but it's using different ship and different harbour, located between old ones, not far from the old road ones.
(remains of old harbours can be seen as 'dents' in the river banks)
https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@54.33200 ... a=!3m1!1e3

(These ferries have been already posted in SB scale some time ago)

German icebreaker Weichsel (german name of the Wisła river) was first icebreaker on that river. It was built in 1880 at Danziger Schiffswerft & Kesselschmiede F. Devrient & Co. at a price of 74900 Reichsmark, had a length of 26,5 meters overall, deadweight tonnage of 34,1 tons and was powered by a 120 hp double-expansion steam engine (made at F. Schichau Werft at Elbing) giving it a maximum speed of 15 kilometers per hour. Originally it was operated by Königlich Preussische Weichsel-Strombauverwaltung, Danzig (Royal Prussian Wisła Water-engineering administration, Gdańsk) until 1919 when, due to post-Great War border changes it was transferred to Reichswasserbauinspektion Marienburg (Reich Waterworks Inspectorate Malbork) in then-German East Prussia. In early 1930s it was transferred again to Wasserbauamt Elbing (Waterworks Department Elbląg). It seems that in late 1930s the boat was already effectively out of serivice, although in 1940 it was still mentioned as being nominally "on the books".

Germany, Weichsel



Second icebreaker from the Gdańsk (Danzig) was Montau, built in 1882, also at Danziger Schiffswerft & Kesselschmiede F.Devrient & Co. It was 33,1m long, had a deadweight tonnage of 64,7 tons and a 200hp double-expansion steam engine (also from F. Schichau Werft) giving it a speed of 17 kilometers per hour. Until the post-Great War border changes it served at Königlich Preussische Weichsel-Strombauverwaltung and in 1920 was transferred to Der Hafen und die Wasserwege von Danzig (Harbour and Waterways of Gdańsk) agency of the then-Free City of Gdańsk. Although in early 1920s it underwent a series of refits (not a general one, but a series of partial ones, of varios elements), it's age started to show seriously and it became somewhat malfunction-prone. Despite that it remained in operation throughout the inter-war period and in 1940 (by then Gdańsk was already re-incorporated to the Reich) was renamed Fuchs (Fox). In March 1945 it took part in evacuation of German civilian population from Gdańsk to Gdynia (under German occupation named Gotenhafen). After the war, now in Polish service, it was renamed Żóraw (Crane - note that current way of writing this word is Żuraw) and served in Gdynia harbour as tugboat and makeshift ferry on the Gdynia-Hel route. In 1946 ship returned to it's original icebreaking duties, but frequence of it's breakdowns (and structural damages) increased. During the general overhaul in 1947 it was renamed Lis (Fox), serving (still, with constant breakdowns) until 1952 when it was finally scrapped.

Germany, Montau


(These icebreakers were already posted in SB scale: here and here)

Lovely work, these have come out great in FD scale.

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Hood's Worklist
English Electric Canberra FD
Interwar RN Capital Ships
Super-Darings
Never-Were British Aircraft

Thanks Hood!

Ossa was 3rd icebreaker built for Königlisch Preuβische Staat Weichsel-Strombauverwaltung. Named after a tributary river of Wisła (now its name is Osa), launched in 1884 at J. W. Klawitter Werft, Danzig for a price of 115000 Reichsmark, it had length of 31,8 meters, deadweight tonnage of 65 tons and was powered by a 200hp double-expansion steam engine (made locally at Klawitter shipyard) which gave her a speed of 16,6 kilometers per hour. After a quarter of a century of useful but fairly uneventful service it had it's engine replaced with triple-expansion 275hp one from Schihau, which increased it's speed to 18 km/h. In 1920 it was transferred to Der Hafen und die Wasserwege von Danzig, and upon Danzig's incorporation to German Reich in 1939 it followed there. In 1941 it was renamed Wolf and in March 1945 was deliberately scuttled at Einlage (now Gdańsk-Przegalina). After the was it was raised by Polish waterways administration, repaired and pressed into service at Państwowy Zarząd Wodny (State Waterways Administration) as Wilk (Wolf) in 1947. Already in 1948 it sunk due to malfunction of the bilge pump, forcing another raising and repair. Afterwards it had very useful if relatively uneventful service until April 1964 and was scrapped year later.

Germany, Ossa


Poland, Wilk


(This icebreaker was already posted in SB scale: here)

Ferse (named after now-named Wierzyca river) was built in 1884 at Danziger Schiffswerft & Kesselschmiede F.Devrient & Co. It s 30,6 meters long and has deadweight tonnage of 75 tons. Until 1920 it was used by Königlich Preussische Weichsel-Strombauverwaltung, and afterwards was transferred to relevant agency of Freie Stadt Danzig (Free City of Gdańsk). In 1939 it was taken over by german autorities and year later renamed Marder (Marten). Spring of 1945 saw it participateing in evacuation of German population of Danzig, during which it sailed to Kiel and Hamburg, where it was taken over by British occupation authorities until 1947. Then it was returned to Poland, namely to Państwowy Zarząd Wodny at Tczew and renamed Kuna (which is Polish word for Marten). The ship served in the lower Wisła area for nearly two more decades and was retired in 1965. Year later all equipment and superstructures were removed awaiting disposal, and in 1970s hull was towed ot Gorzów Wielkopolski and used as pontoon. In 1981 it sunk and remained submerged until 2000 when group of enthusiasts (Stowarzyszenie Wodniaków Gorzowskich 'Kuna'), after acquiring necessary permits, gathering funds etc. raised it and, over the next 6 years, gradually rebuilt (although not with original steam engine, but with 165hp internal combustion engine SW-680). Currently Kuna is a functioning museum ship and used for short cruises along the river. It is the oldest preserved riverine icebreaker in the World.

Germany, Ferse


Poland, Kuna, 1948


Poland, Kuna, 2012


(This icebreaker was already posted in SB scale: here)

Again, very nice work eswube!
I'm hoping FD might catch on for smaller ships. Might have to try one myself.

_________________
Hood's Worklist
English Electric Canberra FD
Interwar RN Capital Ships
Super-Darings
Never-Were British Aircraft

Thank You Hood. I'll be looking forward for Your additions here!

Drewenz (a german name of Drwęca river, which between 1815 and World War 1 was border between Prussia/Germany and Russia) was built in 1896 at F. Schichau, Maschinen- und Lokomotivfabrik, Schiffswerft und Eisengießerei GmbH in Elbing (Elbląg) for a price of 122500 Reichsmark, had a length of 34,5 meters and was powered by two triple-expansion steam engines (also made by Schichau) with a powere of 400 hp and a speed of 20,37 kilometers per hour. Originally operated by Königlich Preussische Weichsel-Strombauverwaltung until 1920, and afterwards by Der Hafen und die Wasserwege von Danzig. In 1928 and in 1931 it suffered collisions with other icebreakers. When Danzig was incorporated to German Reich in 1939, Drewenz was taken over by Der Staatskomissar für den Hafen und Wasserwege von Danzig. In 1941 ships name was changed to Panther and in March 1945 it was sunk by Soviet aviation. Raised in 1946 and repaired in Gdańsk (temporarily named Drwęca), it returned to service as Pantera (Panther) in 1948 at Państwowy Zarząd Wodny at Tczew. In 1952 was subjected to hull repair after hitting unmarked navigational obstacle, and in 1954 underwent general refit. It served in Tczew area until 1969 and was scrapped in 1971.

Germany, Drewenz


Poland, Pantera


(This icebreaker was already posted in SB scale: here)