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F. Schichau, Elbing and Danzig

The shipyards of this firm - works established by Ferdinand Schichau in the year 1837 in Elbing, and those established by him in 1891 at Danzig - take rank among the foremost establishments in Germany which are engaged in the construction of warships. This is the unique and largest shipbuilding yard in Germany which was not a limited company, but remained in private hands. The Schichau works were founded in 1837 by Ferdinand Schichau at Elbing, and was later owned by his son-in-law, Geheimrath Zeiss. Ferdinand Schichau was a man whose abilities may not unjustly be compared with those of Alfred Krupp, founder of the works of that name.

Ferdinand Schichau (1814-1896), German engineer and shipbuilder, was born at Elbing, where his father was a smith and ironworker, on the 3O January 1814. He studied engineering at Berlin and then in England, and returning to Elbing in 1837 started works of his own, which from small beginnings eventually developed into an establishment employing some 8,000 men. He began by making steam engines, hydraulic presses and industrial machinery, and, by concerning himself with canal work and river or coast improvement, came to the designing and construction of dredgers, in which he was the pioneer (1841). Henceforward the works developed more and more in the direction of shipbuilding, and began with building dredges, which were later one of the specialities of the firm.

In the early 1850s the Prussian Government approached the Schichau works as to building the engines and boilers for the corvette Dantzig. This otherwise unimportant fact showed the intimate connection which has existed between the firm of Schichau and the Prussian, later the German, Government - relations which proved of the greatest importance, both in matters of shipbuilding and torpedo-boat construction. Later, the firm confined itself to its original engine building, until, in 1855, the iron ship Borussia was built in their newly-established shipyard. His "Borussia," in 1855, was the first screw-vessel constructed in Germany. The first German iron steamer was built at the Schichau Works at Elbing in 1855, and from 1859 to 1862 the machinery for wooden gunboats was supplied. Shipbuilding now developed apace, and in the early seventies a second ship was constructed in partnership with the engineer Zeiss, the present owner.

Among the notable construction work done by this firm mention must be made of the first high-pressure engine built in 1840 ; the first steam dredger. 1841 ; the first screw steamer, Borussia, 1855 '. the first sea-going torpedo-boat, which was built for the Russian Navy, 1877 ; the first compound engine fitted to a ship, built for the German Navy, 1878 ; the first compound locomotive made in Germany, 1880 ; the first triple expansion engine built on the Continent, 1881 ; the first triple expansion engine built for a torpedo-boat, 1883 ; the first sea-going torpedo-boat, Adler, built for the Russian Navy, 1888, which attained a speed of 28'4 kts. on her trial trip, and was at that time the fastest vessel in existence.

The Schichau engines proved themselves as superior as the materials used in the construction of the torpedo-boats (at first for the Russian government). In the seventies the Prussian Government gave an order for a spar-torpedo. The brilliant result of this boat and its successes laid the foundation of the firm's fame in this branch of their productions.

From 1873 he had the co-operation of Carl H. Ziess, who married his daughter. Ziess introduced compound engines into the first vessels built by Schichau for the German navy, the gunboats "Habicht " and " Möwe," launched in 1879, and also designed in 1881 the first triple-expansion machinery constructed on the continent, supplying these engines to the torpedo-boats built by Schichau for tne German navy in 1884, the first of some 160 that by the year 1900 were provided for Germany out of the Elbing yards. Torpeólo- boats were also built for China, Austria and Italy.

In the 1880s the German Government turned to the torpedo, and Captain Tirpitz - as be was then - developed the type of boat and the general organization. The superiority of the Schichau-built boats lay chiefly in their light displacement, speed, large radius of operations, and seaworthiness, even in rough weather, large coal capacity and comfort.

In open competition, in 1884, Schichau obtained the preference, and ever since, up to the beginning of the 20th century, had built almost all the German torpedo-boats. The reputation of these torpedo-boats brought them numerous orders from abroad. These Schichau sea-going torpedo-boats attained a great reputation, and nearly all the navies of the world had vessels built by Schichau in their fleet, notably Germany, Italy, Austria, Russia, Turkey, China, Japan, Brazil, Norway, Sweden. Great attention was drawn to them when a torpedo-boat of 140 tons, ordered by China, reached Foochow in sixty days, going under its own steam, without parent ship.

As is well known, other builders besides "Vulcan" and "Weser" entered into competition with Schichau in the domain of torpedo-boats, but the distinction of being the inventor of the German torpedo-boat belongs to Schichau. That was proved by the fact that torpedo-boats on the eve of the Great War preserved the type of the original Schichau boat.

Meanwhile Elbing had become insufficient for the increased output demanded. In 1889 Schichau established a floating dock and repairing shops at Pillau, and soon afterwards, by arrangement with the government, started a large shipbuilding yard at Danzig, for the purpose of constructing the largest ships of war and for the mercantile marine. Schichau acquired a yard at Dantzig, as they intended to devote themselves also to the construction of large vessels, and from 1890 onwards cruisers and battleships had been built for the German Navy, as also for other foreign navies. In addition, several large liners had been built for the North German Lloyd.

Schichau died on 23 January 1896; but Ziess carried on the work, and not only made the Danzig yard, the chief cradle of the new German fleet, rivalling the finest English establishments, but also largely developed the equipment at Elbing. The Schichau works made the name of their originator to rank with that of Krupp. The works had grown with every demand made upon them, and would be more than equal to any extraordinary efforts which might be required of them in the matter of rapid shipbuilding by the German naval authorities. The ground covered by their yards at Elbing, Dantzig, and Pillau amounted to more than 87 hectares. The staff and workmen generally numbered 8,000.

The yard at Elbing had nineteen slips for torpedo-boats and two docks; that at Dantzig seven slips, of which four were adapted for ships of the largest tonnage. The slips are supplied with the most up-to-date appliances, such as electric cranes, etc. The present owner, like his predecessor, the founder, belongs to that band of great organizers of labour and distinguished experts.

By 1908 the works in Elbing and those at Danzig, together had an area of 168 acres, 17 acres of which were covered by buildings. The works included the following : Engine works, iron, steel, and brass foundries, and the shipyard at Elbing ; the locomotive works and boiler shops at Elbing ; the shipyard for the construction of vessels of all sizes at Danzig ; the floating docks and repairing shops at Pillau. At that time the works collectively employed some 7,000 workmen, and for these extensive accommodation in the form of suitably arranged workmen's houses is provided.

The engine works, with their roomy work-halls and lofty fitting shops, were so fitted up with modern machine tools and cranes of every description that the highest degree of efficiency in their work was ensured. In these shops 2,300 engines had been produced by 1908, with a total I.Hp. of 1,500,000. In addition to numerous stationary engines of the most varied description, 280 large size steam- engines for the central electric power-houses of almost all the important towns of the Continent had been built here, including, among others, Rome, Madrid, Barcelona, Budapest, Moscow, St. Petersburg, Warsaw, Kiev, Vladivostock, Hamburg, Altona, Bremen, Hanover, Breslau, Königsberg, and Berlin ; among others, also, to the United States of America and Lima (Peru). The iron and steel foundry, erected and fitted up in the most modern style, supplied castings of all dimensions ranging up to 60 tons, and the brass foundry supplies castings for home needs in connection with the shipyard and for those of other firms.

The shipyard at Elbing afforded, on its 15 berths, room for the construction of a like number of vessels, and was equipped with all the necessary tools for the convenient handling and suitable working of iron and steel material. The electric power center supplied electricity for the lighting up of the whole works and for the transmission of power to the numerous shops, offices, and detached machinery, including large and small cranes. More than 800 river and sea-going steamers, as well as over 60 dredgers o£ various construction and size, have been turned out by the yard by 1908.

To these must be added 400 torpedo-boats, torpedo-boat destroyers, and cruisers, which during the 23 years from 1885 to 1908 have been constructed for the various navies of the world. Torpedo-boat destroyers having speed up to 35 kts. had been designed and constructed by this firm. With few exceptions all these vessels were navigated under their own steam to their destination - viz., the naval ports of Kiel and Wilhelmshaven (Germany), Cronstadt, and Nico- laieff and Vladivostock (Russia), Pola (Austria), Spezia (Italy), Constantinople (Turkey), Rio de Janeiro (Brazil), Foo Chow and Tientsin (China), where, after more or less difficult passages, they arrived in good condition.

The Schichau shipyard at Danzig was situated on the broad bend of the Vistula, and by 1908 covered an area of about 73 acres. It had ample room in the berths for eight vessels of the largest dimensions and unlimited draught, so that first-class armor-clads and fast Atlantic liners could be built here. The yard had machine tools of the most modern pattern, and a large Sheer-leg crane of 120 tons lifting power for "fitting out" and "boilering" purposes. Of the vessels which had been turned out by the Danzig yard the battleship Kaiser Barbarossa, Wettin, Elsass, Lothringen, and Schlesien for the Imperial German Navy deserved foremost mention. The Kaiser Barbarossa, belonging to the Kaiser class, was a vessel of 11,152 tons displacement and 14,000 Hp., with an ordinary steaming speed of 18 kts. ; the battleship Wettin belongs to the Wittelsbach class, and had a displacement of 11,800 tons and 17,500 Hp., which gives her an ordinary steaming speed of 18 kts. ; the Lothringen, Elsass, and Schlesien of the Deutschland class, have displacement of 13,400 tons, with 16,000 Hp., which will give an ordinary sea speed of 18 kts.

For the Imperial Russian Navy this yard built the protected cruiser Novik in 1899. a vessel of 3,000 tons displacement, with 18,000 Hp., which gave her a sea speed of 26 kts., and she was, until destroyed by the Japanese during the Russo- Japanese war, the fastest ship of her kind afloat. In earlier years the Schichau works turned out the corvette cruiser Gefion, of 3.700 tons displacement, 10,000 Hp. , and a sea speed of 21 kts., and the gun-boats Iltis and Jaguar. For the German mercantile marine some of the largest and finest steamers in existence had been built. For the Norddeutscher-Lloyd the Imperial mail steamer Prin: Recent Luitpold and Prinz Heinrich. of 12,000 tons ; the mail steamer Bremen, 18,000 tons ; the Grosser Kurfürst, 22,000 tons ; the Zielen, 10,000 tons ; the Seydliti, 10,000 tons ; the York, 10,000 tons ; and the Kleist, 10,000 tons.

To the order of the Grand-Ducal General Railway Management at Schwerin the Schichau works constructed three large steam ferry-boats, to ply between Warnemünde and Gjedser, on the deck of which railway trains run with their passengers, the latter being thus transported over sea without change of vehicle. In this way passengers to and from Copenhagen were afforded the highest possible degree of comfort. At Pillau there is a floating dock of considerable size, and the adjoining repairing shops öfter facilities for executing all kinds of repairs. This yard was also celebrated for the construction of steam dredgers made on the Frühling system which had revolutionised dredging, it being possible with this class of vessel to reduce the cost of dredging to about one-fifth.

The great Schichau works at Dantzig and Elbing were a private concern, which published no accounts, and the proprietors of which owed the fortune of six millions sterling they were reputed to have accumulated by 1912 at least as much to their agricultural machinery and locomotives as to their torpedo craft and dredgers.

The machine- and shipbuilding company Schichau was initially active in Elbing on the Baltic Sea area and moved to Bremerhaven for a fresh start at the end of the Second World War. The company Schichau Unterweser AG was formed in 1972 together with the shipyard Unterweser AG. Seebeckwerft AG and Schichau Unterweser AG merged to become Schichau Seebeckwerft AG in 1988.