Hi,
Several news reports have surfaced of German ships scuttled in 1944 in the Danube having recently been exposed by falling water levels. Some (including the famed Washington Post) have described these as "battleships" filled with "ordinance." So much for journalists understanding of warship matters.
Anyway, does anyone have a listing of what these ships might be. The reports indicate they were part of the German Black Seas Fleet.
Thanks
Marty
German Ships Exposed in Danube
-
mjbollinger
- Posts: 50
- Joined: Tue Jul 09, 2019 12:57 pm
Re: German Ships Exposed in Danube
I have not been particularly impressed by the press on these vessels either. This is what I've pieced together of the events over the last few weeks:
These ships are the sad remnants of Kampfgruppe Zieb, under the command of rear admiral Paul Willy Zieb (1892-1972), an engineer in charge of the Konstanz shipyards, who found himself the highest ranking officer in charge of the German forces in the Black sea in August 1944. He promptly gave the command for all German forces to retreat before the Russian could surround them, without being ordered to do so by the German High Command. One source refers to this as "Operation Donau Elf", but that name is not mentioned elsewhere.
On the 25. August, the "Kampfgruppe Zieb" was formed in Galati, Braila and Macon.
Amongst others, the convoy consisted of:
* Oberwerftstab "Schwarzes Meer" (Mix of Kriegstransporter, MFP, Siebelfähren, barges, tugboats.)
* Bewährungsbatallion/Disciplinary Batallion under Hauptman Müller
* 7th Landungsflotille under Kapitain Stelter (At least 13 MFPs)
* Landungs-Pionier-Batallion 214 (26 Pionier-landungs-Boote, 16 Sturmboote - 42 ships in all) under Hauptman Schöbel
* 1. Küsten-Sicherungs-Flottille „Schwarzes Meer“ under Kapitan Wolters (2 KFK)
* Artillery-carrier-Detachment/Minesweeping Unit "Untere Donau" uder Kapitänleutnant Brouwer (3 Artillery Barges with 88mm guns)
* Hospital ship Bamberg
* Tugboat Uskok
As well as barges and ships containing women, children and wounded, making the total more than 172 vessels trying to make their way back to German-occupied territories closer to Italy.
25. August - Order is given to prepare the ships for scuttling, if the convoy is trapped by Russian forces.
26. August - Kampfgruppe Zieb destroyed the Cernavoda fortress, destroying the defenders with huge Russian losses. The convoy lost 11 Ships with 480 people.
31. August - Kampfrgruppe Zieb passed the Calafat fortress in heavy fighting. 6 Barges sunk underway, 9 further riverine artillery barges joined convoy, now consisting of 194 ships with 4000 people; 1600 civilians and 2500 soldiers and sailors. Command ship Kt-110 is sunk, as is 21 other ships, 400 people killed, 500 injuried.
01/02. September The convoy arrives in Prahovo on the eastern side of Serbia, and found that they could not proceed through the Iron Gates (Eiserne Tor) of the Canyon separating Romania the Carpathian Mountains and the Balkan Mountains. 1600 injured embarked and evacuated with civilians.
03/07. September - Four attacks by Kampfgruppe Stelter (Artillery Barges and MFPs) on the Iron Gates. None prove successful.
06/07. September - Orders are given to scuttle the remaining vessels in Prahovo, some of the vessels are sunk immediately, in order to deny the Russians use of the river for transport. The wrecks are to this day an hinderance to river shipping. Hospital ship Bamberg scuttled.
D ms Baden XV 34 L 31 + R/- Donau km 861 S
D ma Bamberg 35 895 + R/- Cogos Mdg S
D lt BL 779 20 773 + R/- Prahovo S
D la BL 1000 601 + R/- Prahovo S
D la BL 1065 22 853 + R/- Prahovo S
D lk DDSG 10020 793 + R/- Prahovo S
D LC F 122 41 220 + R/- Prahovo S
D LC F 137 41 220 + R/- Prahovo S
D LC F 142 42 220 + R/- Prahovo S
D LC F 332 42 220 + R/- Prahovo S
D LC F 337 42 220 + R/- Prahovo S
D LC F 342 42 220 + R/- Prahovo S
D LC F 401 42 220 + R/- Prahovo S
D LC F 476 42 220 + R/- Prahovo S
D LC F 534 42 220 + R/- Prahovo S
D LC F 537 42 220 + R/- Prahovo S
D LC F 558 43 220 + R/- Prahovo S
D LC F 574 43 220 + R/- Prahovo S
D LC F 578 43 220 + R/- Prahovo S
D LC F 899 44 239 + R/- Prahovo S
D mt Joseph Wallner 33 660 + R/- Prahovo S
D ms Kehl 30 185 + R/- Prahovo S
D ms Kronos VIII 30 150 + R/- Prahovo S
D ms Mosel 28 L 35 + R/- Prahovo S
D mt Siemens 28 324 + R/- Prahovo S
D ma Ucking 542 + R/- Prahovo S
D PE UJ 106 KT 23 44 700 + R/- Prahovo S
D PE UJ 110 KT 38 44 700 + R/- Donau km 860 S
14. September - Another round of vessels are scuttled in Prahovo.
16/17. September - More vessels are scuttled near Brza-Palanka.
20. September - Last of the vessels are scuttled. Kampfgruppe is dissolved. Survivors flee on foot.
28. September - Zieb is decorated with the German Cross in gold.
November - Russian forces start to salvage many of the ships for their own use.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iron_Gates
https://www.oocities.org/~orion47/WEHRM ... WILLY.html
https://forum.axishistory.com/viewtopic ... 7&start=15
https://www.feldgrau.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=6377
Remains of the German Fleet Sunken near Prahovo, The Danube in Serbia - A Journey Through Technical Museums, Museum of Science and Technology, Belgrade 2018, 185-193., - https://www.academia.edu/38300004/Remai ... 18_185_193
These ships are the sad remnants of Kampfgruppe Zieb, under the command of rear admiral Paul Willy Zieb (1892-1972), an engineer in charge of the Konstanz shipyards, who found himself the highest ranking officer in charge of the German forces in the Black sea in August 1944. He promptly gave the command for all German forces to retreat before the Russian could surround them, without being ordered to do so by the German High Command. One source refers to this as "Operation Donau Elf", but that name is not mentioned elsewhere.
On the 25. August, the "Kampfgruppe Zieb" was formed in Galati, Braila and Macon.
Amongst others, the convoy consisted of:
* Oberwerftstab "Schwarzes Meer" (Mix of Kriegstransporter, MFP, Siebelfähren, barges, tugboats.)
* Bewährungsbatallion/Disciplinary Batallion under Hauptman Müller
* 7th Landungsflotille under Kapitain Stelter (At least 13 MFPs)
* Landungs-Pionier-Batallion 214 (26 Pionier-landungs-Boote, 16 Sturmboote - 42 ships in all) under Hauptman Schöbel
* 1. Küsten-Sicherungs-Flottille „Schwarzes Meer“ under Kapitan Wolters (2 KFK)
* Artillery-carrier-Detachment/Minesweeping Unit "Untere Donau" uder Kapitänleutnant Brouwer (3 Artillery Barges with 88mm guns)
* Hospital ship Bamberg
* Tugboat Uskok
As well as barges and ships containing women, children and wounded, making the total more than 172 vessels trying to make their way back to German-occupied territories closer to Italy.
25. August - Order is given to prepare the ships for scuttling, if the convoy is trapped by Russian forces.
26. August - Kampfgruppe Zieb destroyed the Cernavoda fortress, destroying the defenders with huge Russian losses. The convoy lost 11 Ships with 480 people.
31. August - Kampfrgruppe Zieb passed the Calafat fortress in heavy fighting. 6 Barges sunk underway, 9 further riverine artillery barges joined convoy, now consisting of 194 ships with 4000 people; 1600 civilians and 2500 soldiers and sailors. Command ship Kt-110 is sunk, as is 21 other ships, 400 people killed, 500 injuried.
01/02. September The convoy arrives in Prahovo on the eastern side of Serbia, and found that they could not proceed through the Iron Gates (Eiserne Tor) of the Canyon separating Romania the Carpathian Mountains and the Balkan Mountains. 1600 injured embarked and evacuated with civilians.
03/07. September - Four attacks by Kampfgruppe Stelter (Artillery Barges and MFPs) on the Iron Gates. None prove successful.
06/07. September - Orders are given to scuttle the remaining vessels in Prahovo, some of the vessels are sunk immediately, in order to deny the Russians use of the river for transport. The wrecks are to this day an hinderance to river shipping. Hospital ship Bamberg scuttled.
D ms Baden XV 34 L 31 + R/- Donau km 861 S
D ma Bamberg 35 895 + R/- Cogos Mdg S
D lt BL 779 20 773 + R/- Prahovo S
D la BL 1000 601 + R/- Prahovo S
D la BL 1065 22 853 + R/- Prahovo S
D lk DDSG 10020 793 + R/- Prahovo S
D LC F 122 41 220 + R/- Prahovo S
D LC F 137 41 220 + R/- Prahovo S
D LC F 142 42 220 + R/- Prahovo S
D LC F 332 42 220 + R/- Prahovo S
D LC F 337 42 220 + R/- Prahovo S
D LC F 342 42 220 + R/- Prahovo S
D LC F 401 42 220 + R/- Prahovo S
D LC F 476 42 220 + R/- Prahovo S
D LC F 534 42 220 + R/- Prahovo S
D LC F 537 42 220 + R/- Prahovo S
D LC F 558 43 220 + R/- Prahovo S
D LC F 574 43 220 + R/- Prahovo S
D LC F 578 43 220 + R/- Prahovo S
D LC F 899 44 239 + R/- Prahovo S
D mt Joseph Wallner 33 660 + R/- Prahovo S
D ms Kehl 30 185 + R/- Prahovo S
D ms Kronos VIII 30 150 + R/- Prahovo S
D ms Mosel 28 L 35 + R/- Prahovo S
D mt Siemens 28 324 + R/- Prahovo S
D ma Ucking 542 + R/- Prahovo S
D PE UJ 106 KT 23 44 700 + R/- Prahovo S
D PE UJ 110 KT 38 44 700 + R/- Donau km 860 S
14. September - Another round of vessels are scuttled in Prahovo.
16/17. September - More vessels are scuttled near Brza-Palanka.
20. September - Last of the vessels are scuttled. Kampfgruppe is dissolved. Survivors flee on foot.
28. September - Zieb is decorated with the German Cross in gold.
November - Russian forces start to salvage many of the ships for their own use.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iron_Gates
https://www.oocities.org/~orion47/WEHRM ... WILLY.html
https://forum.axishistory.com/viewtopic ... 7&start=15
https://www.feldgrau.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=6377
Remains of the German Fleet Sunken near Prahovo, The Danube in Serbia - A Journey Through Technical Museums, Museum of Science and Technology, Belgrade 2018, 185-193., - https://www.academia.edu/38300004/Remai ... 18_185_193