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49-609: In 1933 the Blohm & Voss shipbuilding company in Hamburg was suffering a financial crisis from lack of work. Its owners, brothers Rudolf and Walther Blohm , decided to diversify into aircraft manufacture, believing that there would soon be a market for all-metal, long-range flying boats , especially with the German state airline Deutsche Luft Hansa . They also felt that their experience with all-metal marine construction would prove an advantage. It

98-566: A conventional biplane with fabric covering. The Blohm Brothers had wanted a more radically advanced approach and, unhappy with Mewes, sought the advice of the Reichsluftfahrtministerium (RLM). On their recommendation the company offered the job of Chief Designer to Richard Vogt , who was then occupying that same position at Kawasaki in Japan and was experienced in all-metal construction. Vogt accepted and arrived during late autumn, while

147-630: A distance of up to 5,000 kilometres (3,100 mi). On the outbreak of World War II , the planes were transferred to the Luftwaffe and used for transport, reconnaissance and minesweeping work over the Baltic Sea . They were not particularly suited for military use. Data from: Aircraft of the Third Reich Data from Green General characteristics Performance Armament Related lists Note: Official RLM designations had

196-546: A few miles away at Wenzendorf Aircraft Factory , opened in 1935. During this period the ruling Nazi party was massively increasing the interwar German re-armament program which included the complete overhaul of the aircraft industry. In particular, the Nazis wanted the technical capacities to quickly build large numbers of warplanes for the new Luftwaffe . As a result, the company took on subcontract manufacture of Junkers Ju 52 subassemblies, thus gaining valuable experience in

245-503: A number of air-launched munitions such as glide bombs and torpedoes. Although the company built thousands of examples during development, none entered operational service. These were: Vogt proved a highly innovative designer and many of his projects gained interest within the German aero community. B&V explored several main themes of interest, each through a series of design projects and proposals. These included; large maritime aircraft " stuka " dive bomber / ground attack replacements for

294-407: A significant presence around the original HFB team and operates the airfield privately as Hamburg Finkenwerder Airport . Some of these types were still under construction when the company name was changed to B&V and flew only under the new name. But only those whose design and development continued under B&V were redesignated. Of these aircraft, few entered operational service and only one,

343-513: Is 162 metres (531 ft 6 in) in length making it the second longest private yacht in the world. B+V still administers the Elbe 17 dry dock at Hamburg. The semi-submersible drilling rig "Chris Chenery" was constructed in 1974 for The Offshore Co. of Houston, USA. When Thyssen AG and Krupp merged in 1999, B+V became a subsidiary of ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems. In December 2001, Blohm+Voss, Nordseewerke and Friedrich Lurssen Werft were awarded

392-518: Is a German shipbuilding and engineering company. Founded in Hamburg in 1877 to specialise in steel-hulled ships, its most famous product was the World War II battleship Bismarck . In the 1930s, its owners established the Hamburger Flugzeugbau aircraft manufacturer which, shortly before the outbreak of World War II, adopted the name of its parent company. Following a difficult period after

441-635: The BV 138 Seedrache (initiated as the Ha 138), a twin-boom trimotor , while the BV 222 Wiking was much larger. Largest of all was the BV 238 prototype, the largest aircraft built by any of the Axis powers . Other notable types include the asymmetric BV 141 tactical reconnaissance aircraft; 20 were built, but the type did not enter full production as the Focke-Wulf Fw 189 Uhu was preferred. The intention at Finkenwerder

490-539: The BV 138 " Fliegende Holzschuh " (flying clog), attained serial production. All other aircraft either remained prototypes or were limited to a small number of pre-series/purpose build machines. Nevertheless, work was sufficient to require a second manufacturing plant at Finkenwerder. The largest aircraft ever designed and built by any of the Axis powers of World War II, the BV 238 , resembled an enlarged BV 222, with only one prototype aircraft built and flown. Besides aircraft, during World War II B&V also developed

539-558: The Fund for Compensation of Forced Laborers . Steinwerder was badly damaged during the bombing of Hamburg in World War II and at the end of it, shipbuilding was forbidden. In 1933 Blohm & Voss was suffering a financial crisis from lack of work. Its owners, brothers Rudolf and Walther Blohm, decided to diversify into aircraft manufacture, believing that there would soon be a market for all-metal, long-range flying boats , especially with

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588-614: The Junkers Ju 87 , fast bombers and advanced fighters. Many studies had unusual configurations such as asymmetry, novel multi-engine layouts and crew locations, wings swept forwards or back (or both) and sometimes tailless. All these lines of study followed through into the jet age, some with piston+jet mixed-power engine combinations. Significant internal projects of the World War II era included: Transports: Bombers: Fighters: Blohm %26 Voss Blohm+Voss ( B+V ), also written historically as Blohm & Voss , Blohm und Voß etc.,

637-456: The Junkers Ju 87 , was recruited to be his deputy. Other notable projects of the later part of the war included a variety of highly original bomber and fighter designs, including a series of tailless swept-wing fighters which culminated in an order for three prototypes of the jet-powered P 215 night fighter, just weeks before the war ended. At the end of the war, all aircraft production in Germany

686-493: The Thyssen Group . Even so, B&V would never regain its former size. In 1966 it took over neighbouring shipbuilder H. C. Stülcken Sohn . During the postwar years, B+V built oil rigs and developed a market for other offshore products such as support ships and pipelines. The company has also built ships for numerous commercial customers, including luxury yachts. Eclipse , built for Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich ,

735-543: The City of Hamburg subsequently guaranteed it credit. By 1953 some 900 workers were back in employment. The building of new ships would later also be allowed again; the first ship built was the Wappen von Hamburg in 1955. During this period of resurrection the level of investment required meant that B&V moved out of private hands and became a publicly quoted company, 50% owned by Phoenix-Rheinrohr AG, itself soon to be consolidated into

784-537: The German state airline Deutsche Luft Hansa . They also felt that their experience with all-metal marine construction would prove an advantage. They formed the Hamburger Flugzeugbau that summer. Most of the aircraft built by HFB/B&V would in fact be other companies' designs and major subassemblies, contracted under license, including tens of thousands of aircraft each for Dornier , Heinkel , Junkers and Messerschmitt . Alongside its volume manufacturing

833-433: The Ha 135 was still under construction. For a while the company maintained two design teams in separate offices. The Ha 135 took off on its first flight on 28 April 1934. However it failed to attract any orders and Mewes and his team soon left the company. Vogt proved highly innovative and many of his designs would have unusual features, from the very first incorporating a tubular steel wing main spar which also doubled as

882-523: The Second World War, the British continued to demolish the shipyards of Steinwerder. B&V, unable to restart shipbuilding work, all but ceased to exist for several years. In 1950, B&V created a new subsidiary company, Steinwerder Industrie AG, to manufacture machinery and boilers on the site. Its shipyard fortunes began to revive in 1952 when the new company was allowed to restart ship repair work and

931-448: The US, but without success and Pohlmann returned to the company to become the new chief designer. Another significant recruit was Hans Wocke , who headed up the engineering team. As ever, the company's main work would turn out to be as subcontractor for various German – and increasingly European – aircraft projects, and to this end it would participate in a number of consortia. Its first contract

980-634: The Yacht construction hull Project Opera, also called Coral Ocean, was transferred from Dock 17 to Dock 10 and both were tug to Berne, Germany to stay at least 2 years. The previous 146-m Project Sassi, which burned, remained only the engine section block, was part of the new Yacht Project Opera. Lürßen Dock 3 was transferred to Wilhelmshaven at Jade Yard. In Berne a Hall was extended. Mein Schiff 3 dock then in Dock 17, following by Aidacara and Aidamar, lasts cruise ships visiting

1029-641: The anticipated funding from the German government was not made available and the projects were cancelled in the early 1960s. In 1961, HFB and Focke-Wulf / Weserflug ( VFW-Fokker ) jointly formed the Entwicklungsring Nord (ERNO) to develop air and space products. Work would be carried out for the Dornier Do 31 V/STOL transport and, later, in direct collaboration on the Fokker F28 Fellowship . The only aircraft type to be both designed and built by

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1078-597: The board. Schröck recruited designer Reinhold Mewes away from Heinkel , and with four other designers, on 1 July they began work. The Hamburger Flugzeugbau GmBH officially came into being on 4 July. The company offices at first occupied the top floor of the B&;V administrative headquarters in the Steinwerder quarter of Hamburg, with manufacturing carried out in the under-utilised shipbuilding works. Meanwhile an inland airfield and final assembly building for landplanes were begun

1127-458: The company also maintained its own design office and workshops which continued to develop and build new types throughout the company's life. The first planes it produced were designated with the official RLM company code "Ha". The aircraft produced by Hamburger Flugzeugbau were still commonly associated with Blohm & Voss and this was causing confusion, so in September 1937 Hamburger Flugzeugbau

1176-431: The company had gained a reputation for quality and punctuality and was prospering. Initially, their products were steel-hulled sailing ships designed for long sea voyages. At that time steamships had a relatively short range, while many of the advantages of steel construction still applied to sailing ships as much as to steam. The company built its first steamship in 1900, while still continuing to build sailing ships until

1225-609: The contract to build the first five K130 fregatte MEKO . The first of them, Braunschweig , was built at Blohm+Voss, launched in April 2006 and commissioned in April 2008. Several problems with the equipment fit delayed commissioning, and the last was commissioned in 2013. In 2011 ThyssenKrupp agreed the sale of the Blohm+Voss civil shipbuilding division to British investment company STAR Capital Partners. The military division remained with ThyssenKrupp. In October 2016, regulatory approval

1274-517: The days of sail and, although it built ships with steel hulls from the first, it did not produce a significant steamship until 1900. Of the many hundreds of ships built by B+V, notable examples include: Ships built using the MEKO system are listed at MEKO . Other modern warships designed and built by B&V include: Blohm %26 Voss Ha 139 The Blohm & Voss Ha 139 was a German all-metal inverted gull wing floatplane . With its four engines it

1323-566: The dock. According to Hamburger Morgen Post Newspaper Interview and Meeting on 30 September 2021 and repeated at Hamburger Abendblatt, the workforce were advised that Lürssen would not refit to cruise ships, except the Hapag-Lloyd and P&O ones, an also company of Hamburg, and merchant ships like tankers and container ships in Hamburg anymore. The new building department was dissolved. All six floating docks were in review. The repair division

1372-475: The fuel tank. He oversaw all the remaining types, until the company's closure in 1945. In May 1934 Vogt's team was joined by Hans Amtmann , coming like Mewes from Heinkel and bringing to the team his experience of large flying boats. Amtmann made a good impression and was soon appointed Head of Preliminary Design. Other members included Richard Schubert as Head of Aerodynamics and George Haag as head of wing design. The only type to enter service during this period

1421-451: The inmate overseers take a tougher line. Work performance is highly satisfactory. Productivity is higher than with the same number of German workers because work hours are longer and absenteeism is lower. . . . The gentlemen are of the opinion that the conditions sound harsher than they actually are. Rudolf Blohm was present during this visit. A memorial stands on the site of the camp and the company continues to pay an undisclosed amount to

1470-555: The largest aircraft built by any of the Axis forces . Other notable types include the asymmetric BV 141 , which was built in moderate numbers but did not enter production. At the end of the war, aircraft production was shut down. Hamburger Flugzeugbau GmBH (HFB) re-emerged in 1956, still under the ownership of Walther Blohm but no longer connected to B+V. It reopened the former B+V aircraft factory at Finkenwerder and subsequently underwent various further changes of ownership and company name, eventually becoming part of Airbus . After

1519-581: The late 1930s. When Hermann Blohm died, his two sons Rudolf Blohm  [ de ] and Walther Blohm  [ de ] took over. Ernst Voss left soon afterwards. By this time the company was in financial crisis, so the Blohm brothers diversified into aircraft, setting up the Hamburger Flugzeugbau (see below) in the summer of 1933. With the rise of the Nazi Party to power in 1933, Germany began to rearm and both companies became increasingly involved in

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1568-619: The main contractor in the production of the vessels, distributed its work between the two sites at Wolgast and B+V Hamburg to build only two, the F265 in 2021 and F266 in 2022. The contract was worth around 2 billion euros. On 25 July 2019, Peter Lürßen invested €20 million in Yard. The Dock 10 was covered with a 200-m-long and 50-m-high roof by a cost of €13 million. The mount of Steel Pillar above Dock's Walls started in October 2020. On 29 April 2021

1617-515: The manufacture of all-metal aircraft. The bulk of the company's output would eventually turn out to be contract manufacturing of this kind, including many thousands of aircraft each for Dornier , Focke-Wulf , Heinkel , Junkers , and Messerschmitt . The company's own designs were designated with the official RLM company code "Ha". The first to be built was the Ha 135 . Mewes was unfamiliar with advanced techniques such as all-metal construction and designed

1666-462: The new HFB was the HFB 320 Hansa Jet , a business jet with forward-swept wings, which first flew in 1964 and was made in moderate numbers. In May 1969, HFB merged with Messerschmitt - Bölkow to form Messerschmitt-Bölkow-Blohm (MBB), which in turn was taken over by Deutsche Aerospace (DASA) in September 1989. DASA has since been absorbed into the pan-European Airbus corporation. Airbus has since built

1715-665: The programme. The shipyard built both civilian craft and warships for the government, including the battleship Bismarck , before manufacturing U-boats in quantity. In 1944 a subcamp of Neuengamme concentration camp was set up at the company's shipyard in Hamburg-Steinwerder . It supplied labour to the company from July 1944 to April 1945. A report dated 29 August states: 500 foreign female concentration camp prisoners, political, and criminal. Adjacent barracks camp, 11 guards, 17,000 m barbed wire, 380 Volts, tripwire. . . . The German foremen should be replaced by prisoners because

1764-450: The shipbuilding work revived and production capacity fully utilised again, B&V moved its aircraft subsidiary, including both offices and seaplane manufacturing, to a purpose-built site on the shores of the river Elbe , at Finkenwerder . The most significant types to be produced were flying boats, mainly used by the Luftwaffe for maritime patrol and reconnaissance. Most numerous was

1813-475: The war, B+V was revived, changing ownership among several owners, as Thyssen Group and Star Capital. In 2016, it became a subsidiary of Lürssen and continues to supply both the military and civilian markets. It serves two areas – new construction of warships as NVL B.V. & Co. KG, and new construction and refitting of megayachts . The company has been in operation, building ships and other large machinery, almost continuously for 147 years. Blohm & Voss

1862-532: Was at that time commonly believed that transatlantic air transport would soon take over the role filled by the luxury liners of that time. It was also thought that those planes would be seaplanes and flying boats as they could use the infrastructure and capacity of the seaports already in place, while land facilities at that time were unsuited to such large aeroplanes. In June 1933 the Blohm brothers appointed their brother-in-law and fellow B&V director Dipl-Ing Max Andreae and experienced aviator Robert Schröck to

1911-655: Was at the time one of the largest float-equipped seaplanes that had been built. The inboard engines were mounted at the joint between the inboard anhedral and outboard dihedral wing sections, above the pylon-mounted floats. Further development of the Ha 139 led to the land-based version Blohm & Voss BV 142 which had its first flight in October 1938. The aircraft were flown by Deutsche Luft Hansa on transatlantic routes between 1937 and 1939 , predominantly between Bathurst , The Gambia and Natal , Brazil . Catapult-launched from an aircraft tender they were able to transport 500 kilograms (1,100 lb) of mail over

1960-463: Was causing confusion, so in September 1937 Hamburger Flugzeugbau was renamed Abteilung Flugzeugbau der Schiffswerft Blohm & Voss ("Aircraft manufacturing division of Blohm & Voss shipbuilder"). The RLM changed the official aircraft type designation code to "BV". Some designs already under development as Ha types were reassigned a BV designation, for example the Ha 138 became the BV 138. In 1939, with

2009-562: Was for fuselage manufacture and final assembly of the Nord Noratlas . Other significant work would be undertaken for the Luftwaffe's Lockheed F-104G Starfighter and as a partner in the Transall C-160 military transport. In 1958 HFB proposed two civil transport projects. The HFB 209 was a twin-turpoprop capable of carrying 48 passengers, while the HFB 314 was a short-haul twin-jet. But

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2058-486: Was founded on 5 April 1877 by Hermann Blohm and Ernst Voss (or Voß) as a general partnership, to build steel-hulled ships. It established a shipyard on the island of Kuhwerder , near the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg , covering 15,000 m (160,000 sq ft) with 250 m (820 ft) of water frontage and three building berths, two suitable for ships of up to 100 m (330 ft) length. The company name

2107-566: Was given for Lürssen to acquire Blohm+Voss from STAR Capital Partners. In April 2017 the company dismissed 300 employees from which were 1000. In September 2017, the German Navy commissioned the construction of five K130 corvettes by a consortium of North German shipyards including ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems, Blohm+Voss, and the German Naval Yards in Kiel . The Lürssen Group, which would be

2156-413: Was not a success. Despite the around 20 million euros invested in modern shipyard technology, the subletting of many halls and the shrinkage to only around a third of the used shipyard area, the costs were still too high and is not yet fit for the future. The location is too expensive compared to other shipyards, so structural measures and cost adjustments were necessary. Blohm & Voss was established in

2205-467: Was renamed Abteilung Flugzeugbau der Schiffswerft Blohm & Voss and the RLM changed its company code to "BV". Its most significant designs were flying boats , mainly used by the Luftwaffe for maritime patrol and reconnaissance. Most numerous was the BV 138 Seedrache (initiated as the Ha 138), a twin-boom trimotor , while the BV 222 Wiking was much larger. Largest of all was the BV 238 prototype,

2254-425: Was shown with the ampersand , as B&V, until 1955. Shipbuilding was at that time dominated by the British, with even German customers preferring to buy from them. Initial business was confined to ship repairs, although B&V managed to build and later sell the three-masted barque National . Eventually the first new-build order arrived for the small cargo paddle-steamer Burg , and the business took off. By 1882,

2303-500: Was shut down. Vogt and Amtmann were swept up by the American Operation Paperclip and made new careers over there. Pohlmann remained in Germany. In 1955 Germany was allowed to build civil aircraft once again. The main works at Finkenwerder was still there and Hamburger Flugzeugbau GmbH (HFB) re-emerged in 1956, still under the ownership of Walther Blohm but no longer connected to B+V. Blohm tried to tempt Vogt back from

2352-423: Was the Ha 139 long-range seaplane mail carrier. Despite its size, with four engines, it was designed to be launched from a shipborne catapult to help extend its range, and was successfully operated in small numbers by Deutsche Luft Hansa . A landplane variant, the Ha 142 , was also built for the airline. The aircraft produced by Hamburger Flugzeugbau were still commonly associated with Blohm & Voss and this

2401-547: Was to manufacture B&V's own products there, but subcontract manufacture quickly ate up most of the space and much of the company's own production, such as the BV 138, was in turn subcontracted out to Weser Flugzeugbau . Remarkably, the Finkenwerder site would survive the Allied bombing of Hamburg during the war and would remain with the company. During the war, Vogt's workload increased so much that Hermann Pohlmann , designer of

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