Schnellboote bei "Weserübung"

[Urs Heßling]

moin,

Have I got the signal flags right?

8 und 2 - ja
die anderen - ? - könnte die oberste Flagge "Schwarz" sein ?

Gruß, Urs

[alo41]

Hi Urs,

Yes, I now think the flags are:  "Schwarz 82" and "H".

The Signal book has:
"Schwarz 82" = (Gefechtsstörung, III Machine und Kessel) Kesselhaverie (Schiff muss stoppen)
"H" = Gefahrsignal "Halt"

It was probably not that bad. I could not find anything in HMA on S 21, Wuppermann.

/Alo

[alo41]

Both S 24 and S 22 are white on the 9th April photo. The grey "Mikey Mouse" ventilator boat must then be S 23 if we assume that S 22 was not repainted in Norway.

Thank you Alo.
regards
PS

Hi PS

I found another photo that I think is showing the painting of two Schnellboote grey in Norway. The S 22/S 23 boat to the right is ready and they are working on the front of S 19(?) from a small boat. S 25 is the next to the left with the long air intakes.
Is it in Bergen?

/Alo

[PS]

Is it in Bergen?

Interesting photo Its in Bergen, at Dokkeskjærskai. Not far from your other photos(800/900m), weserübung9a.jpg, norge3a,4a,5a and others. Im also quite certain that your photo weserubung4a is taken at the same place as you last photo Norway 1sftl.jpg.
regards
PS

[alo41]

Hej PS,

Yes, you are right. The weserubung4a is at Dokkeskjærskai, Bergen. It explains why I could not find that shed in List, Sylt. They are probably from the S 21 crew.

Thank You
Alo

[Urs Heßling]

moin,

They are probably from the S 21 crew

Könnte der Obermaschinist der uns schon bekannte Pralle sein ?

Mögliche Tätigkeit : Routinemäßige Kontrolle der Vollzähligkeit des Maschinenwerkzeugs

Auch ich sage Danke für die Fotos

Gruß, Urs

[alo41]

Hi Urs,

It looks like it could be Pralle from S 29 in Finnland. If he was with Mirbach in 1940 as well then he was on S 18 when it crashed. He could then have continued to Bergen on one of the other boats or he might have joined later with Mirbach on S 12.

/Alo

[PS]

I found another photo that I think is showing the painting of two Schnellboote grey in Norway.

In april 1940 a norwegian man was arrested suspected to be a spy for the german forces. He had been in Stavanger, arrived there 9th of april. When he was arrested he had som german papers, some ammuntion, and some hand made drawings of norwegian airfields. When interrogated he had a lot of information on german forces in Stavanger. He claims that in the Stavanger area there are four schnellboote(motortorpedobåter). Two painted green and two painted blue. Is this a colour used on schnellboote ? Just wonder if the grey ones used in Bergen could be of green or blue in colour, not grey.
regards
PS

[alo41]

Hi PS,

I think he is has seen two white boats with (blue)grey decks (his blue) and two green (our grey) boats. The green is then correct and the blue not. We should probably call the "grey" boats green from now on.

There are new Tsingtau photos including Weserübnung on Ebay.

I can not read the full text here. "S-Boote beim..... "  What are they doing? Is it Weserübnung or training in Swinemünde?

/Alo

[Hägar]

S.Boote beim Aale einfangen
This makes me believe that we see an excercise situation somewhere in the Baltic.
Regards - Hägar

[alo41]

Thanks Hägar,

Yes, torpedo training makes sense. There are other photos from Danzig and Swinemünde showing training.

There are three Tsingtau photos said to be from Kristiansand and Weserübnung. I think it is correct?

There is also photos showing a Devil painted on the Tsingtau chimney. I have seen this before but I can not find the photo at the moment. Do anyone know when it was painted?

Text: Unsere Talisman am Schornstein......?

/Alo

[PS]

There are three Tsingtau photos said to be from Kristiansand and Weserübnung. I think it is correct?

The two first are from Kristiansand, cant say for sure about the third one.
regards
PS

[Hägar]

The text given in #86 is orthographically a bit 'non-conformistic'.
It reads:
Unser Talismann [Talisman]
am Schornstein
Stierische[r] Dienst (oben)
das Herz die Freihzeit

In my opinion the meaning is:
The devil's horns and swords resemble the service performed in the aggressive mood of a bull - 'stierisch' is an invented word, meaning: acting like a bull.
The word of 'Freihzeit' does not exist in German.
If not a simple writing error, it perhaps combines 'Freizeit' (leisure time) and 'Freiheit' (freedom).
For my part, I tend to believe in an error, and the word meaning 'Freizeit'.

Gruß - Hägar

[alo41]

Thank you Hägar,

A very thorough explanation that I would have a very hard time to do myself.

I have now found the other "Devil" Tsingtau photo (note sword handhelds on the chimney). It looks like it was taken in the warmer part of a year. Other photos in this serie mainly shows 4 SFtl training. It could be from June 1941 but there is no proof. The "Devil" is probably not from Weserübnung.

/Alo

[alo41]

There are three Tsingtau photos said to be from Kristiansand and Weserübnung. I think it is correct?

The two first are from Kristiansand, cant say for sure about the third one.

Hi PS,

The Ebay seller has put more Tsingtau photos on the market. One is showing three typ S 30 Schnellboote with the same back ground as the "third one".

I think the back ground is Kristiansand. The two big buildings are still there in a 1950ies photo.

/Alo