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Chapter 65: The Photo Tour 21
Dreadnought posted a City Journal entry in IMPERIAL DOCKYARDS: CUXHAVEN
IMPERIAL DOCKYARDS: CUXHAVEN By: Dreadnought & AP Chapter 65: THE PHOTO TOUR 21 EAST BREAKWATER Picking up where we left off, this is an overview of the eastern half of the breakwater. You will note a visiting British squadron anchored along the outer breakwater wall. Unable to find a space where the three British warships could be berthed together, it was thought best to anchor the “guests” just offshore. Anchored just astern of SMS Hindenburg are two of the four Mackensen Class battlecruisers. (See Chapter 42 for complete design and construction details.) Design work on these ships was started in 1912 and the first two were laid down in 1915. Though intended to be nearly identical to the Derfflinger’s, they were actually an improvement, with an increase in tonnage, more powerful engines, and a main battery up-gunned to 14-inch rifles. It is fair to say they would have given the British Queen Elizabeth Class fast-battleships a “run for their money”. Had they been completed, they would have joined the fleet in 1919. As in previous mooring scenes along the breakwater, this one is composed of seven modular lots plopped to create a vignette. Two of the @mattb325 mooring points were plopped against the breakwater, and then the two battlecruisers (courtesy of @Barroco Hispano) were plopped adjacent to them. The two lighters and the harbor tug standing by to come alongside are a fifth lot – and the two small boat lots were then added. The white harbor tug was “gifted” by “WolfZe“, while the two lighters and the small boats were the detailed work of @AP. Next astern we have two of the four planned Ersatz Yorck Class battlecruisers. These were not the last battlecruisers designed by the Kaiserliche Marine – but they were the last to actually start construction. (See Chapter 43 for complete design and construction details.) Unfortunately, the Ersatz Yorck Class were the only ships ever designed to mount 15-inch rifles. In this scene, the collier SS Erlangen has come alongside and is preparing cargo nets to hoist sacks of coal across to the battlecruiser. This view gives you a good idea of the long, fine, hull lines of the battlecruiser design. This vignette was composed of five modular lots. Two mooring points, two battlecruisers, and a single lot with the collier and three tugs. The wonderful model of SMS Yorck is courtesy of @AP, while the collier and tugs are his superbly detailed work as well. The breakwaters are, of course, by “Yuki”. Though not actually part of the Kaiserliche Marine of the great War era, the very last battlecruisers designed and built by Germany were the KM Scharnhorst (1939) and Gneisenau (1938). They were directly descended from the Ersatz Yorck Class but, oddly enough, the two ships did not mount 15-inch guns. Designed in 1933-1934, it was feared mounting the larger main guns would unsettle the somewhat precarious political climate in Europe – so only three triple turrets with 11-inch guns were mounted. However, the designers kept their options open for the future, and the barbettes were designed to be big enough to accommodate 15-inch guns and turrets at some later date. In the event, war broke out in Europe sooner than expected and no convenient time was ever found to make the change. This is a view of KM Gneisenau as she would have looked with her intended armament of three twin turrets mounting 15-inch rifles. This scene was created using six modular lots. Two “Mattb325” mooring points and the battlecruiser (by Barroco Hispano). The boat boom deployed on the port side is a stand-alone-lot” plopped alongside the ship. The Esmeralda Class tug and lighter alongside are a fifth lot, and the small boat off the starboard quarter is number six. The paddle tug, lighter, boat boom, and small boat are all the work of “AP”. This is the last chapter of Imperial Dockyards: Cuxhaven, and though there will be an ”Imperial Dockyards: Bremerhaven” in future – I do not have the slightest idea when that one will begin. The forthcoming third entry in the “Kaiserliche Marine Trilogy” will deal with the birth of the Imperial German Navy and its growth and evolution up until about 1910 – basically – the Pre-Dreadnought Era. But before I close this second installment in the series, I would like to say a few words…… In the first two series we have, considering the technology of the early 20th Century, thoroughly analyzed and dissected the most complex and destructive weapons ever conceived by the mind of man – battleships and their rivals, the battlecruisers. I have recounted the courage, honor, and devotion to duty of the men who sailed and fought them. And I have touched, briefly, upon the horror and death of the Great War at sea. It has long been the warrior’s creed that “glory” can only be won in battle. But that is true -- only if you believe it to be true. William Tecumseh Sherman said...”War is Hell. War is cruelty and you cannot refine it.” On a later occasion, he added...”There is no glory in war.” Say what you will about W.T. Sherman -- he was an immanently practical man with a firm grasp of reality. I am an Old Soldier – I did my warrior’s duty some fifty years ago – and sleep peacefully knowing that I did not disgrace myself, my men, or my Country. And I tell you -- there is no glory in war. But my proudest moments were when I was privileged to salute, and shake the hand, of men holding the Congressional Medal Of Honor. I honor the grit and determination of all men -- of every nation -- that have, throughout history, done their duty. But make no mistake – I do not glorify war. Having said all that – we can now shift to a lighter note…… In the years leading up to the Great War, while the diplomats schemed for political advantage, the Royal Navy and the Kaiserliche Marine shared, for the most part, a friendly rivalry. The British had, in the past, viewed the nations of Europe as weights on a balance scale – and her diplomats spent all their time trying to keep the scales evenly balanced. Goodwill visits by the Royal Navy to German ports was an important part of this balancing act. These visits were swapped back and forth, from nation to nation, and generated friendly feelings between the two navies as well as providing festive occasions for the civilian populations. A port call at Kiel by the Royal Navy was always an occasion of great ostentation and merry-making. A Royal Navy squadron usually appeared around 6am, emerging from the mists about ten miles offshore. Word of the sighting passed quickly around the busy port and crowds began to gather within minutes. By 8am, the British Battle Squadron would arrive at the mouth of the fjord, secure the services of a harbor pilot, and begin steaming up the Kielerhaffen. The visit would have been announced in the newspapers several days before, and it was an event that could not be missed – even the Kaiser, himself, would be in attendance. Shopkeepers closed-up, offices were shut down, and restaurants (especially those without a view of the harbor) closed during mid-day. Even the school children were dismissed at noon. Special “tourist” trains were laid-on to bring in sightseers from far out in the countryside, and as far away as Hamburg and Berlin. The shore, promenades, and overlooking hillsides, were literally black with spectators. The Kielerhaffen, itself, was crowded with small craft, yachts, and packet steamers jammed to the railings with sightseers. Once the British battleships anchored, many of these tourist boats would crowd around the ships and anchor as near as possible, while others continually circled around the big ships. It was a great public spectacle replete with gold-braided admirals, Royal princes and princesses, and Kaiser Wilhelm wearing the uniform of a British Admiral Of The Fleet (an honor bestowed on him by Queen Victoria). The pictures below are my own homage to the happier days before the Great War…... The 1st Cruiser Squadron of the Home Fleet lies moored at buoys just outside the Cuxhaven roadsted breakwater. They are returning a courtesy port call circa 1911. (Left to right – HMS Invincible, Inflexible, Indomitable.) These port calls by foreign navies were always festive occasions, with much “show and ceremony”. A large number of civilian small craft have gathered to see the big British cruisers up close. The tourists are immensely entertained by such simple things as “morning and evening color” ceremonies – when the ship’s bands play the national anthem while the flag is raised in the morning and lowered in the evening, with a detachment of sailors assembled to “salute the colors”. The steamer SS Lorena (foreground) has come out from the city docks with a boatload of sightseers on a “day trip”. In the evenings, the British captains might even have the ship’s band serenade the small craft anchored nearby. These ostentatious shows of courtesy were quite common in the Edwardian Age. Here we have two views of the SS Lorena. She was, in reality, a British packet steamer out of the Humber, sometime in the late 1930’s and early 1940’s. When I came across the photo of Invincible and the tourist small craft (See the “banner” photo at top.) Lorena seemed too good an opportunity to pass up. The model is provided by @Barroco Hispano, and is a prefect little gem of detail. The sailing ketch in the upper right is by @Mattb325, while the remaining small craft are from NBVC’s marina sets. (Please excuse the “modern” motorboats.) Here you have an excellent view of the squadron flagship –HMS Invincible. The ship’s boat boom has been extended, with a motor launch tied on. The Port Admiral has placed the motor launch and crew at the disposal of the squadron commander (Rear Admiral Sir Horace Hood) for the duration of the visit. During these “courtesy visits” the ships were often festooned with strings of electric lights in the rigging and along the decks to provide the tourists with a “night show”. Awnings were usually spread on both sides of the aft turret reaching back to the stern. Guests were often invited aboard for afternoon teas, complete with a string quartet providing music. In the evening, a cold buffet supper was provided, with a dance band to entertain the guests. These were, indeed, social occasions that would be fondly remembered for many years. The very fine armored cruiser models are courtesy of @Barroco Hispano. (It should be noted the British did not officially adopt the term “battlecruiser” until late in 1911.) The boat boom, motor launch, and small cutter are the finely detailed work of @AP. As a point of interest -- amidships you see a problem common to many capital ships prior to WW I. In their desperation to maximize the number of guns on a warship (before superimposed turrets came into fashion), designers often used “wing turrets” placed amidships. In this instance, the two center turrets have been placed in such a manner that they might, possibly, be able to fire cross-deck on either beam. Theoretically, this would allow an eight gun broadside. In reality, the port side turret, firing cross-deck to starboard, would have a very narrow arc of fire (unless you were willing to fire over the top of the starboard wing turret – not recommended.) And – the blast over-pressure of a 12-inch gun would rip the planking right off the deck, buckle the steel deck plates beneath it, buckle any superstructure plates within 40 feet, and make toothpicks out of nearby ship’s boats. The fact was, though Invincible carried eight main battery guns, she only had a fully effective broadside of six guns. This is the chief reason broadside fire was so important and why battle formations were “single-line-ahead” – to maximize broadside firing arcs. (Note: If you examine the cutter hooking onto the boat boom, you will see the boat crew has their oars raised to the “oars up” position for docking. “AP” likes everything done “ship-shape” and proper.) FINALLY…… IN MEMORY OF "ODAINSAKER” I was greatly saddened when I learned of “Odainsaker’s” passing. He had always been a great help to me when searching for pictures and anecdotes on the German Imperial period. He, too, was fascinated with the Edwardian Era, and we exchanged e-mails so that we might have many long conversations about an enormously wide range of topics…... ”The time has come, the Walrus said, To talk of many things: Of shoes — and ships — and sealing-wax — Of cabbages — and kings — And why the sea is boiling hot — And whether pigs have wings.” I found him to be a man of jovial nature, who’s comments were witty, urban, and occasionally a tad pithy -- backed by a vast lexicon of knowledge – which he freely shared. A sharing of fact-based-knowledge is a rare thing these days, and I honor his memory. “Odainsaker” was especially interested in the Imperial Austrian Navy and the battleships of the Tegetthoff Class. I present a few photos of them and hope that wherever he is – they will please him. He is sorely missed…… “Hail and farewell” -- May God hold you in the palm of his hand, Old Friend…... The 1st Division of the Austrian battle fleet as they might have looked moored along the breakwater at Pola – circa 1914. Left to right – SMS Prinz Eugen, Viribus Unitis, and Tegetthoff. SMS Prinz Eugen with a machinist’s barge alongside. SMS Viribus Unitis is seen preparing to coal ship. SMS Tegetthoff taking on fresh provisions for the flagship. The two steam launches tied-up at the boat boom would indicate an admiral aboard. Battleships courtesy of Barroco Hispano. Another overview of the division at their moorings. NEXT TIME…… ???? I’ll keep you posted as to when you can expect the third installment of the trilogy. 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. This installment would not have been possible without his kindness and generosity. 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 https://community.simtropolis.com/forums/topic/761469-simtropolis-shipyard/?tab=comments#comment-1766496- 4 Comments
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- odainsaker memorial
- island lighthouse
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Version 1.0
714 Downloads
SM2 Tetrapods MMP Build your own breakwater barrier! Place them near the shore (in the water and out). In port areas or any other shoreline facilities. For best results use single clicks when plopping them. They cost nothing and need no dependencies. You will find them in your Mayor menu. Simmer2 -
Version 2.0
8,657 Downloads
A set of 9 breakwater wall LOTs which can be plopped in water. They are only eyecandy and can be used to complete your seaports and marinas. They are located in the seaport menu. DEPENDENCIES: None DLL DEPENDENCIES: In order for the contents of this package to display correctly by taking advantage of the new DLL Mods requires the complete installation of the following dependencies (the below listed dependencies are covering a full install): Submenus DLL - You need it to get the package submenu working. Compatible only with the digital version (1.1.641) of SimCity 4 (Microsoft Windows and Linux only).- 44 Comments
- 102 Reviews
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- 16
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- breakwater
- seaport
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Version 1.0
5,945 Downloads
Thesecool-looking breakwaters were designed by a Japanese SC4 player, knownonly as "National Aviation Club Member". As far as Navy BATs go,he's a genius! There are two lots included. One is a straight piece of breakwater,and the other is an endcap that has a beacon on the end, to guide shipsthrough. Both lots are 1x3, but the breakwaters themselves extend past theedges. Consequently, boats occasionally sail beneath thewall. I have modded the original lots to appear in the WaterTransit menu. I have also modded them to consume no water orpower, so that they will not dilapidate in the water. Lastly, I apologize to the creator - I could not contact him about thelots, and his personal site is down, along with the download for these. I will gladly remove it as soon as you ask.
