On 12 August 1940 wrote the board of the Dutch shipyard De Schelde a very interesting letter to the management of the Soviet Machinoimport Shipbuilding Management at Moscow in response of their question dated 17 December 1939. Unfortunately I have not been able yet to find that request. The shipyard offered to built a floating workshop included motor-installation and various workshops for the price of 5.970.000 Dutch guilders to be delivered at Flushing. Dealing with the exact time of delivery that point was later to be discussed regarded what was going on in the world. The yard pointed out to the delivery of the needed materials and the equipment of the wanted workshops on board. Even more important was the possibility that military measures would produced ‘force majeures’ at the yard wrote.(1) The letter continued with other ‘ifs’, for instance the possibility that Germany would seize/confiscate the shipyard and the consequences of this.
Sadly there are no drawings left or still to be find. The preliminary specification of this quite large self-propelling vessel supplied a lot of interesting details. With a displacement of 6.500 (with a draught of 6.500)-7.000 (full load) and a deadweight (with a draught of 5,10 metres) of 2.000 tons were her dimensions 110 (between perpendiculars) x 18,5 (moulded) x 5,10 (trial)-5,41 (maximum) metres and a depth of 7,25 (to bulkhead deck=C deck)-10 (upper deck=B deck)-12,75 (to strength deck=A deck) metres. The quite large breadth was caused to compensate the considerable height of the vessel and her extended superstructures and still obtaining a sufficient stability. Was to be fitted out with a double bottom. She was to be fitted out with an ice breaker type stem forged with grooves to fasten the shell plating and an so-called ice belt along the whole length of the ship. This belt was strengthened via a stringer of the whole length and of course was also the bow ice-strengthened.
She was to be fitted out with two 2-stroke 6 cylinder Schelde-Sulzer oil engines supplying 1.800 shp at 225 rpm allowing a speed of 12,8 knots during the trials with a draught of 5,10 metres and 3 balls weather conditions. Further more were 3 2-stroke Sulzer oil engines to be placed each driving a 500 kW generator. The latter engines were auxiliary engines.
The accommodations for the crew was logical divided, officers near the navigating bridge, engineers near the engine room and workshop personnel near the several workshops. For the crew of 227 men were 85 cabins available. For the captain and workshop manager were for each a separate day room, a sleeping room and bathroom available. There were single cabins available for officers (4x), wireless operators (2x), doctor (1x), chief engineer (1x+seprate sleeping room), engineers (3x) and technicians (4x) and double cabins for engineers (2x), technicians (8x), sailors, greasers and stewards (15x) and reserve (2x) and finally for workmen 5x3 and 35x4 persons cabins. Of course there were also wash places included toilets and showers available. There were also three salons projected, one for the officers and technicians, one for the crew and one for the workmen.
On board were a woodwork shop, a shell and boiler shop, a mechanical shop, a smithy, a foundry, a tool and ‘thermic’ shop, a shop for copper articles and water piping, an electric repairing shop, a shop for electric welding, a galvanising shop, an battery repair ship and a gauge and apparatus repair shop. The contract also specified which tools were available for each shop. The stores (woodwork and battery repair), casting shop and blacksmiths shop were located above the double bottom. On C-deck were mechanical shops, shell and boiler ship, tool and ‘thermic’ shop, electric mounting shop, tool room, store and galvanizing shop and the chemical laboratory. On B deck were the refrigerating room, cool room, showers, lavatories and photographers’ laboratory, mechanical shop, shop for copper articles and water-piping, instrument-store, general store, carpenters’ shop, shoemakers’ shop and boatswains’ store, provision rooms and accommodations for crew and workmen. On A deck were deckhouses, laundry, drying room, galleys, lavatories, bakery, showers, pantries and accommodations for crew and workmen. On the bridge deck were the emergency dynamo room, fan room, lavatories and bathrooms.
Note
1. German troops invaded the Netherlands on 10 May 1940. After the bombardment of the city Rotterdam and the German threat to bombard other towns capitulated the Dutch armed forces in the night of the 15th. In the province Zealand continued the fighting some days until the bombardment of the town Middelburg on the 17th. Despite the Molotov-Ribbentrop pact (a non-aggressive pact dated 24/24 August 1939)) invaded Germany on 22 June 1941 (Operation Barbarossa).
Source
Archive shipyard Kon.Mij. De Schelde at Flushing 1875-1970 (Municipality Archive Flushing archive no. 214) inventory number 822.
Sadly there are no drawings left or still to be find. The preliminary specification of this quite large self-propelling vessel supplied a lot of interesting details. With a displacement of 6.500 (with a draught of 6.500)-7.000 (full load) and a deadweight (with a draught of 5,10 metres) of 2.000 tons were her dimensions 110 (between perpendiculars) x 18,5 (moulded) x 5,10 (trial)-5,41 (maximum) metres and a depth of 7,25 (to bulkhead deck=C deck)-10 (upper deck=B deck)-12,75 (to strength deck=A deck) metres. The quite large breadth was caused to compensate the considerable height of the vessel and her extended superstructures and still obtaining a sufficient stability. Was to be fitted out with a double bottom. She was to be fitted out with an ice breaker type stem forged with grooves to fasten the shell plating and an so-called ice belt along the whole length of the ship. This belt was strengthened via a stringer of the whole length and of course was also the bow ice-strengthened.
She was to be fitted out with two 2-stroke 6 cylinder Schelde-Sulzer oil engines supplying 1.800 shp at 225 rpm allowing a speed of 12,8 knots during the trials with a draught of 5,10 metres and 3 balls weather conditions. Further more were 3 2-stroke Sulzer oil engines to be placed each driving a 500 kW generator. The latter engines were auxiliary engines.
The accommodations for the crew was logical divided, officers near the navigating bridge, engineers near the engine room and workshop personnel near the several workshops. For the crew of 227 men were 85 cabins available. For the captain and workshop manager were for each a separate day room, a sleeping room and bathroom available. There were single cabins available for officers (4x), wireless operators (2x), doctor (1x), chief engineer (1x+seprate sleeping room), engineers (3x) and technicians (4x) and double cabins for engineers (2x), technicians (8x), sailors, greasers and stewards (15x) and reserve (2x) and finally for workmen 5x3 and 35x4 persons cabins. Of course there were also wash places included toilets and showers available. There were also three salons projected, one for the officers and technicians, one for the crew and one for the workmen.
On board were a woodwork shop, a shell and boiler shop, a mechanical shop, a smithy, a foundry, a tool and ‘thermic’ shop, a shop for copper articles and water piping, an electric repairing shop, a shop for electric welding, a galvanising shop, an battery repair ship and a gauge and apparatus repair shop. The contract also specified which tools were available for each shop. The stores (woodwork and battery repair), casting shop and blacksmiths shop were located above the double bottom. On C-deck were mechanical shops, shell and boiler ship, tool and ‘thermic’ shop, electric mounting shop, tool room, store and galvanizing shop and the chemical laboratory. On B deck were the refrigerating room, cool room, showers, lavatories and photographers’ laboratory, mechanical shop, shop for copper articles and water-piping, instrument-store, general store, carpenters’ shop, shoemakers’ shop and boatswains’ store, provision rooms and accommodations for crew and workmen. On A deck were deckhouses, laundry, drying room, galleys, lavatories, bakery, showers, pantries and accommodations for crew and workmen. On the bridge deck were the emergency dynamo room, fan room, lavatories and bathrooms.
Note
1. German troops invaded the Netherlands on 10 May 1940. After the bombardment of the city Rotterdam and the German threat to bombard other towns capitulated the Dutch armed forces in the night of the 15th. In the province Zealand continued the fighting some days until the bombardment of the town Middelburg on the 17th. Despite the Molotov-Ribbentrop pact (a non-aggressive pact dated 24/24 August 1939)) invaded Germany on 22 June 1941 (Operation Barbarossa).
Source
Archive shipyard Kon.Mij. De Schelde at Flushing 1875-1970 (Municipality Archive Flushing archive no. 214) inventory number 822.
