Panzerkanonenboot WEICHSEL -

[Hektor]

German Panzerboot WEICHSEL operated by Freiwilligen Motorboot-Korps (FMK) operated on Danube River from January 1916 under a tactical command of K.u.k. Donauflottille. According to some sources, prior to Danube service, the boat was on the Vistula River. I am looking for more specific information about the Vistula service. Was the boat was part of German or Austro-Hungarian Vistula Flotilla ?. Did she took part in combat on the Vistula ?

Hektor

[kalli]

Hallo Hektor,

vielleicht hilft Dir folgender Link weiter

http://www.militaria-fundforum.de/showthread.php?t=73413

[Peter K.]

Unfortunately I can´t provide you with the desired information, but I am able to add some details concerning the WEICHSEL.

The boat was commanded by Hauptmann Ernst von DÜCKER.

According to the opinion of Austrian officers, only WEICHSEL - among the numerous boats of the "Kaiserlichen Motorbootskorps" situated on the Danube - offered some fighting capabilities.
Therefor WEICHSEL was not only under the tactical command of the Austrian-Hungarian Danube Flottila, but get a part of it in january 1916 flying the Austrian-Hungarian flag since this date!

The German boats on the Danube formed the "Deutsche Donauflottille" on 03.04.1916, renamed into "Kaiserlich deutsche Motorbootsflottille auf der Donau" on 21.05.1916 and into "Kommando der Donauwachtbootsflottille! in september 1918.
In this context Gröner´s information, that WEICHSEL was part of the "Kaiserlich deutsche Motorbootsflottille auf der Donau" since 01.05.1916 and of the "Donauwachtflottille" since 09.09.1918, should be used very carefully ...

sources:

Friedrich Prasky,
Donaumonitoren Österreich-Ungarns
ISBN 3-7083-0124-2

Georg Pawlik/Heinz Christ/Herbert Winkler,
Die K.u.K. Donauflottille 1970 - 1918
ISBN 3-900310-45-9

Erich Gröner,
Die deutschen Kriegsschiffe 1815 - 1945
Band 8/1
ISBN 3-7637-4807-5

Perhaps you could find more information in (I am not owning it):

Olaf Richard Wulff,
Die österreich-ungarische Donauflottile im Weltkriege 1914-18
published in 1934, no ISBN
(The author was a highly decorated former commander of the Austria-Hungarian Danube Flottille.)

[Hektor]

Regarding Panzerboot WEICHSEL,
I do have Wulff's book (Die Osterreichisch-ungarische Donauflottille im Weltkriege 1914-18- issued in 1934). He stated that "Im Ferbuar 1916 befanden sich bei der k.u.k. Donauflottille die kais. Patrouillenboote "Weichsel", "66", und "72" vor Rustschuk, "D" vor Kladovo. My notes indicate that she was transfereed to Danube in January 1916. But there is nothing about her earlier service.

I am looking for any information on her activity before January 1916. There is some information published in "Motorboote im Militarischen Einsatz- Versuch einer kritischen Betrachtung des Freiwilligen Motorboot-Korps (FMK) by Von Christian Ostersehlte (in Zeitschrift des Deutschen Schiffahrtsmuseums), issued in 2002.

WEICHSEL was completed in late 1915 and immediately became a flag boat for entire FMK. She was named WEICHSEL because FMK was found useful and quite succesful on the Masurian Lakes and Vistula in 1914-15. I found only one reference on internet (part of book), which I am not able to locate now, that she was transfered from the Vistula (Weichsel) River to Danube. In article titled "Die J.u.K. Weichselflotille 1914-1918"by S. Danielski and M. Kamienski (Arge Schiffspost -October 1994) there is a reference to motorboat named WEICHSEL as part of the Austro-Hungarian Wechsel Flotilla. In addition, they show postmark used on the crew correspondence "Kommando S.M. Patroullienboote A.D. Weichsel" I do not know what "A.D." stands for). The same boat designation is used in Wulff's book.
Is the same boat ? I doubt.
If she was transfered to Vistula it would came after the fall of Warsaw and Fortress of Modlin. The Russian were pushed to east to Bug River line. There is a possibility, however, that she could have been used on the Bug River.

Problem is a lack of quality article on FMK on the Eastern front. There are some reports published by members of FMK in Die Yacht during WWI, but they lack of details  such as names of places and crew, probably for security reason.
So, any help will be appreciated.
Regards
Hektor

[kgvm]

Just a guess:
A. D. = auf der (on the)

[Karsten]

Theo gave me the hint that there are photos of the WEICHSEL which are marked "Archiv Daimler-Benz AG, Stuttgart-Untertürkheim".

As I am living in Stuttgart, just a few hundreds meters away from Stuttgart-Untertürkheim (on the other side of the river Neckar), I posed an inquiry to the archives of the Daimler AG, wether they have some more information about the WEICHSEL.

I will report as soon as I ave an answer ...

Karsten

[Hektor]

Those pictures are from "Motorboote im Militarischen Einsatz- Versuch einer kritischen Betrachtung des Freiwilligen Motorboot-Korps (FMK) by Von Christian Ostersehlte (in Zeitschrift des Deutschen Schiffahrtsmuseums), issued in 2002.
I think you are getting closer. But you might find more information about the order for engines and related equipment.
It would be interesting to find who paid for those and the weaponry. I suspect the army, which operated in Prussia and on the Eastern Front.
Problem is that from the beginning the German Navy distanced itself from the FMK, and treated them as a bunch of cowboys (read -not professionals).  Information about them, their organization, structure and activity, more likely, can be find in army files. For this reason, FMK disappeared from the radar screen of German naval historians.
In other countries similar system was set up, including Great Britain and USA called reserve naval forces, but they were part of the navy.
Volunteer Motorboat Corps was set up by highly motivated individuals who wanted to serve their country, and this phenomena occuerred in many other places. They were, somehow, stigmatized for being rich (they brought their own boats), and according to some information, even the construction of WEICHSEL was paid from their pocket.
Hektor

[kgvm]

Sometimes collateral damage, this time a collateral finding:
Warship International, Special reprint, Winter 1966, p. 80:
"The exception, rated as a gunboat, was the WEICHSEL. She was an iron built covered motor-boat owned by Kaiserlicher Motorjachtklub of Berlin. Built by Gebr. Engelbrecht at Zeuthen, she measured 24m x 3.25m x 0.8m and had 2 Kamper motors of 75HP each, driving 2 shafts. Speed was 22 K.P.H. Armed with 1-75mm howitzer and 2 MG, she was the best-armed boat and was also provided with some thin sheeting of armour. She was scuttled on the Danube, near Oltenita, on 11-11-1918 at 1500 hours.
The above based on Volkerringen Um Die Donau (H. Schmidtke), Berlin, 1927. The book Kampf Um Flusse (O. Regele), Berlin, 1925, might also perhaps give further information on the Danube flotilla."

[Hektor]

Very interesting.
I am intrigued by your information about the book Kampf Um Flusse by Oskar Regele (Berlin, 1925). I wonder if the book covers only Danube or other rivers ?
On the internet there is information that Oskar Regele was an Austrian officer. Is that mean that the book describes Austrian riverine activities ?
Hektor

[kgvm]

Sorry, Hektor, I don't know. I just copied an answer given in Warship International which included the sources.
Regards
Klaus Günther

[Karsten]

I got an answer from the Daimler-Benz-Archiv in Stuttgart (Untertürkheim): They have no information about the "Weichsel", except the two photos, which Theo have posted.

Kind regards,

Karsten

[Hektor]

Hmmm.
Some information on German Volunteer Motorboat Corps can be found using just keyboard. The members of the flotilla published their accounts regularly in sailing magazine DIE YACHT. I give you some issues where you can find: 2/1918; 49/1914; 11/1915; 39/1919; 41/1914; 44/1914; 29/1916; 4/1916; 10/1915; 11/1915; 12/1915; 13/1915, 14/1915 and more.
The archived issues of DIE YACHT can be found on line:
http://www.yacht.de/yo/powerslave,id,127,nodeid,127,ps_lo,.html
Unfortunately, I can't read German.
From my partner inquiry done many years ago in West German Archives, we were told that this material is related to Prussian Army, at that time ,was located in Eastern Germany, mainly Postdam. In fact, Freiwiligen Motorboot Korps operated in Eastern Prussia and Poland were under command of the Prussian Army.
So that's might explain why is so little know about them.
Thanks for your efforts.
Hektor

[kgvm]

Vielleicht ist jemand an dieser Karte vom Freiwilligen Motorboots-Korps interessiert:
http://ansichtskarten.delcampe.net/page/item/id,135507875,var,FREIWILLIGES-MOTORBOOTS-KORPS-CHARLOTTENBURG-LITHO,language,G.html

[Peter Strasser]

Bitte den Pfad in den richtigen Bereich verschieben. Kriegsmarine passt hier nicht.

Gruß
Piet

[t-geronimo]