IMPERIAL DOCKYARDS: CUXHAVEN

By: Dreadnought & AP

 

 

Chapter 54:

 

THE PHOTO TOUR

10

 

 

 

THE REPAIR AND REPLENISHMENT DOCKS

Repair and replenishment of warships was an everyday task, and they were – perhaps – the two most important duties aboard ship. Regularly scheduled maintenance was necessary to keep these huge steel machines functioning smoothly, but there was always the unanticipated break-down to deal with. If you stop to think about the systems on a battleship or battlecruiser – electrical, hydraulic, freezer systems for frozen goods, boilers, turbines, turret machinery – they wouldn’t be there if they were not vital to the function of the ship. If the necessary repairs did not require the ship to be taken out of the water (a dry dock), then the Repair Dock was just the ticket. Mooring the ship to a large, permanent dock provided stability for big jobs, and easy access to machine shops and repair materials ashore.

 

Replenishment, on the other hand, was an entirely different ballgame. Keeping 800 to 1,200 men properly fed, clothed, and housed on a daily basis was an enormous job, requiring close cooperation between a number of different departments aboard ship. If managed properly, ships at anchor could bring aboard small amounts of fresh provisions and ship’s stores from lighters alongside. It was relatively clean work, and a lighter could be emptied and the goods stowed away in less than two hours. If your Kapitan disliked lighters coming and going daily, then as little as two deliveries per week could be arranged. When the ships were deployed on extended maneuvers, the larders, bins, and freezers were packed full before departure and over the course of several weeks, the meals would dwindle down to brown “Brotchen” and canned meats and vegetables. Upon returning to harbor, the cupboard would be bare, so getting a berth at the Replenishment Dock was an absolute necessity.

 

 

This is an overview of the Repair and Replenishment Docks (the berthing spaces could be used interchangeably). The docks were constructed at a right angle across the mouth of the Inner Basin. The docks were convenient to the ships in the Roadsted, and would separate the activity in the Inner Basin from ship traffic.

 

To the right of the docks is yet another tug station. This one is very small compared to the others, but fits into the tiny space available – thanks to the “modular” components.

 

 

Same station – different view. The “Paeng” grunge concrete overhanging prop pieces really came in handy to fill in along the railroad line.

 

 

The tugs are – front to back – one Nordwind, two Thor Class, an Asgard, and three steam harbor tugs from “WolfZe”.

 

 

Here you see an Ersatz Yorck Class battlecruiser moored to the dock. While undergoing her final speed trials, a vibration was noted in her port high speed turbine. A team of mechanics from Blohm & Voss is below decks making the necessary adjustments. A machinists barge has been brought alongside to deal with the more delicate aspects. The old steam tug Goliath is standing by the barge. The docks are from the “PEG SNM Battleship” series – considerably modified. They are 10x2, with the front lined by “WMP” seawalls acting as wooden buffers. The three tiles between the docks and the rail line are filled in with a wide variety of custom-made 1x1 fillers, many of which were modified from the “IRM Industrial Filler” set or the “NBVC Container Port” kit.

 

 

The machinists barge was put together with two warehouses from the “NOB 1905” naval series, a barge created by “AP”, and filled out with some of “AP’s” sailors, barrels, and other assorted props. The steam tug Goliath is courtesy of Barroco Hispano, while the small boat coming alongside is by “AP”. The fabulously scratch-built SMS Ersatz Yorck is the flawless work of “AP”.

 

The featured scene at this end of the dock is a work detail preforming maintenance and repair on a group of deck winches. Most capital ships were equipped with deck winches for any number of reasons. If one broke down or burnt-out (electric motors), they were sent ashore to be repaired or replaced with one that was functional. On this 1x2 custom-made lot, “AP” has provided a 10-ton steam crane with a winch ready to be lifted, a basic winch model, and the sailors gathered around working on them.

 

 

The docks are dressed-out with a great many props of all sorts – anything that looks like it might be found on a working dock. In keeping with the “busy harbor” theory, I have tried to make the dockside scenes just as busy. The train preparing to unload cargo is a “PEG Tank Engine” modified for steam, with a cargo consisting of steam pipes, crates, and two diesel engines – which were used to power the electric dynamo’s aboard ships.

 

 

Since Ersatz Yorck’s repairs are estimated to take two weeks, a harbor watch will be left aboard while others will be allowed either 24-hour “liberty passes”, or ten days leave – depending upon their supervising officer’s evaluation. About a quarter of the ship’s company has been mustered ashore to either receive their reward – or wish they were that lucky.

 

 

This is the heavy cruiser USS Houston. She is not German, nor is she from the WW I era, but the model is a faithful recreation of some of the most handsome cruisers ever built for the US Navy (the Northampton Class). Commissioned in 1930, under the terms of the Washington Naval Treaty she was a bit light on armor, but qualified as a “heavy” cruiser because of her nine 8-inch, 55 caliber guns. Houston was capable of 32.7 knots and was a personal favorite of President Franklin D. Roosevelt, who cruised aboard her several times during the years between the wars. Assigned as the flagship, Asiatic Squadron, she was known far and wide as “The galloping ghost of the Java Coast”. Houston was sunk by the Japanese Navy at the Battle of Sunda Strait on the night of 28 February 1942.

 

 

The Northampton Class cruisers were long and sleek, with a clipper bow, and capable of outrunning many contemporary destroyers. This shot provides a close-up of the excellent detail on the model provided courtesy of @Barroco Hispano. At center top of the picture, you can see an anchor maintenance enclosure, with a 10-ton steam crane, both new and rusty anchors with chains, and sailors chipping the rust and sanding them down. Crane, anchors, and sailors by “AP”. Next to the anchor enclosure, an Admiral is being greeted by a “side party” from Houston. He will lunch with the Kapitan and officers before their 2pm sailing time. Sailors and Admiral by “AP”.

 

 

This is a close-up of the detail down at the end of the dock, next to the channel into the inner Basin. Most of the props should be familiar to you by now, but the 100-ton cranes on the docks are by “AP”, and on the left is a propeller maintenance pad. The lot is a custom-made 1x2 with a handful of old Maxis industrial props scattered around a 10-ton steam crane by “AP”. The bronze propellers, seamen, and workmen are also by “AP”.

 

 

The battlecruiser SMS Mackensen would have been a slightly heavier and longer version of SMS Derfflinger – if she had ever been commissioned. (See Chapter 42 for details of the ship.) As battlecruisers got longer, they suffered from steering problems at low speeds and in shallow water (harbors). Mackensen has two tugs up forward, towing – two tugs astern “working drag” – and a tug on either beam in case she veers off course. The tugs and battlecruiser were all “plopped” individually.

 

 

This view clearly shows the width of the Inner Basin channel, and on the right is the receiving pier where commercial goods are brought into the naval base. The Pier is re-lotted and modified from the “PEG Pier One” set. At the time this pier was assembled, models of merchant vessels were in short supply, so I had to use a model of the SS Red Oak Victory, a “Liberty Ship” commissioned into the US Merchant Marine in 1944 (Courtesy of “Barroco Hispano”).

 

 

Here is an overview of the rear of the Repair and Replenishment Docks (inside the Inner Basin). Repairs of an extensive nature are usually made at the docks inside the Inner Basin, where there is less ship traffic. Three docks were “re-lotted” from the “PEG” materials, in 12x4 sections, and can be “plopped” in any sequence required.

 

 

On the right end of the dock, the tug Thor has moved a lighter loaded with barrels against the dock. Once unloaded, the barrels will be moved to the warehouses at left for storage. These docks were taken from one of the “PEG SNM” series (can’t remember exactly which one), but just for the sake of variety, I did not face them with the “WMP Seawalls” as usual. The small white warehouses are from the “NOB 1905” naval series. You will note the transparency of the “Brigantine” water MOD allows you to see the seabed at 30 meters, so there is some barely discernible landscape down there – mostly “Girafe” cattails, feather grass, and some “NBVC” small rocks.

 

 

The steam paddle tug Esmeralda has pulled a lumber lighter alongside the dock and the paddle tug Sophia is nudging it into place for unloading. Balk timber is always carried aboard warships for use in emergency repairs – plugging shell holes, shoring-up weak bulkheads, and patching holes in damaged decks. With heavy repair work, as performed at the docks, quantities of timber was used to build scaffolding for overhead work above decks, while timber could also be used to support weakened overhead decks while bulkhead partitions were repaired or replaced. Timber was just as essential to workmen as their hammers. Note the beautiful detail work on “AP’s” lighter and paddle tugs. It is a true pleasure to work with such fine models.

 

 

This is a depiction of the extensive repair work done on SMS Seydlitz after the Battle of Jutland (See Chapter 38 for full details). Both aft turrets on the battlecruiser were burned out during the engagement. The floating crane is lifting out the damaged turrets and trunk apparatus and placing them on the adjacent barge. A machinists barge is alongside, and standing off, is a motor lighter with a new turret to be installed. From left to right, there are – two tugboats – the Langer Heinrich crane – a working barge with tugboat – a machinists barge with tugboat and small boat -- the Motor Lighter Ajax – and the battlecruiser. The two tugs and the crane were “plopped” as individual lots. The adjacent barge and tug were another lot. The machinists barge, tug, and small boat was a single lot. And the motor lighter and battlecruiser were also individual lots. Much like a jig-saw puzzle, all the lots were created for other purposes, but could also be assembled to create one large scene. The steam tug Goliath, standing by the machinists barge, is courtesy of “Barroco Hispano”, while all the remaining ships and boats visible in the picture are by @AP.

 

 

This is a shot of the Motor Vessel Rian – typical of hundreds of small coastal trading vessels plying the waters of Europe in 1910 -- still numerous today. Easily maneuvered in small harbors and shallow channels, they require only a small crew to operate, and still perform invaluable service moving cargo to overlooked destinations. MV Rian by “Barroco Hispano”.

 

 

Coastal trading vessels are much like hand-crafted Italian shoes – they come in all shapes and sizes, and fit the owner like a glove. The slightly larger MV Seeadler can be seen “working cargo” at the end of the dock, using her own cargo booms to hoist the goods ashore. If you look closely, you will notice the crewmen in the hold, rigging the crates. Yet another detailed model by “AP”.

 

 

A close-up view of the docks, warehouses, and some of the activity.

 

 

This is an overview of the area just beyond the docks. The Munitions Pier can be seen in the lower left. In the center of the picture, there is a group of ships moored to “dolphins”. Docks were very expensive to build and there were never enough to go around. It was not uncommon for large harbors to have rows of mooring dolphins constructed out in the open areas where ships could be moored without tying-up the available dock space. Our “dolphin row” was inspired by those found in old photos of the port of Hamburg. This is a first effort at this type of scene – and it will get better with practice.

 

 

This shows the close-up detail of a “dolphin row”, with a Nordwind tug (right, outboard) – a Passat tug (moored inboard) – two Sophia Class steam paddle tugs – and a pair of sailing luggers. The first step to creating the dolphin row is to create a “base lot” with two pairs of dolphins, spaced slightly apart, in the middle of the lot tile, and overhanging the opposite sides of the tile. There are always empty mooring dolphins in a harbor, and you will need this lot to fill-in gaps between dolphin lots with moored ships. My harbors are 30 meters deep, so my dolphins are elevated 30 meters above the lot tile. Oddly enough, that is just adequate to cover the slanting bases of the dolphins with water.

 

 

This is a slightly expanded view of the dolphin row, with a Prometheus Class collier in the foreground, and a Proteus Class collier in the background. Note the line of empty dolphins (base lots) trailing astern of the two ships. The next step is to populate the dolphin row with ships. The small paddle tugs only require a 1x2 lot – one tile for the centered dolphins, and one tile for the paddle tugs. ALWAYS use your “base lot” as the starting point for your “lot scene” – that way the dolphins will always match-up with each other.

 

 

This shot gives you a view of the continuous dolphin row. If you tried to make this in one big lot – it would measure roughly 17x3. Anyone who has ever opened the Maxis “Lot Reader” to change the “lotconfigproperty” on a lot that size – usually winds up in a “rest home”. Make the row lots modular – one for paddle tugs -- one for luggers – others as single ships. All of the @AP models are well balanced with tight “LOD’s” and can always be lotted as overhanging props. Smaller ships (tugs – lighters) can be lotted as 1x2’s. Larger ships are usually 2x2’s – and no more than a 3x3 – unless you want more than one ship per lot. You can make big, complicated lots – but I highly recommend modular lots that can be assembled into a larger scene on the map tile.

 

 

 

NEXT TIME……

CUXHAVEN:

THE PHOTO TOUR

11

 

 

MANY THANKS to @Barroco Hispano for his beautiful warship models.

SPECIAL THANKS to my friend and partner, @AP, for his talents, meticulous models, colorful imagination, and extreme dedication.

 

If you enjoyed anything – please punch the “like” button so WE will know. A comment would be even more informative.

Comments and critiques requested and gratefully accepted. All questions answered promptly to the best of our ability.

THANK YOU for your visit!

 

 

You may wish to visit these CJ’s as well……

 

SERIES I:

IMPERIAL DOCKYARDS: WILHELMSHAVEN

 

SERIES II:

IMPERIAL DOCKYARDS: CUXHAVEN

Appearing – Work In Publication

 

SERIES III:

IMPERIAL DOCKYARDS: BREMERHAVEN

Appearing -- ???

 

And please feel free to drop in at…

THE SIMTROPOLIS SHIPYARD

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