Seefahrtsbuch

[David Fettes]

A nice pre WW1 book with some 3rd Reich amendments and additions.

[David Fettes]

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[David Fettes]

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[David Fettes]

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[Admiraal]

Thats nice, never seen that before

[Gerdan]

Ludwig Schirmer was with the ship "W.M.S. "Südmeer". In the Friesen-Museum Dr. Carl-

Haeberlin (Wyk/Föhr) they show a (whale) harpoon with the inscription "W.M.S. Südmeer" which should have bolonged to this ship.

http://museen-sh.de/ml/digi_einzBild...&V=&pi=360_987

Gerdan

[David Fettes]

Bringing this back after 4 years with new info.

W.M.S Südmeer was originally built in 1902 in England and called "Colonia"

The Colonia was specially built for the task of laying under water cables and was commisioned by the Telegraph Construction & Maintenance Company.
In all the ship laid nearly 81,000 miles of cable.

In 1928 she was sold to a Norwegian Whaling Company A/S Thar Dahl who converted her into a whaling factory ship and renamed her "Torodd"

In 1934 sold to another whaling company, Norseke Hvalproduktor who renamed her "Sydis"

In 1937 sold to Deutsche Ölmühlen Rohstoff GmbH, renamed "Südmeer"

In 1940 she was taken over by the Kriegsmarine as an experimental vessel.

In 1941 fitted out as supply vessel for Petsamo, Finland (used as a staging area for the attack towards Murmansk)

In 1942 she was stationed at Kirkenes, Norway

On the 14th October 1944 she was sunk by the RAF off Nordkyn, Norway

So not only does the harpoon mention by Gerdan fit wonderfully, the ship in question held a very important role in history and Ludwig Schirmer survived the British sinking of his vessel.

[David Fettes]

I have received some more paperwork on this gentleman.

Ludwig Schirmer served in the Imperial German Navy between 1904 and 1907 in the
1st Kompanie II Matrosen-Artillerie-Abteilung

He then sailed on many ships as a Merchant Marine before serving again in the Imperial German Navy at the start of WW1 on the ship "Diana"