[M] AN HISTORICALLY INTERESTING DOCKYARD PRESENTATION MODEL FOR A KRIEGSMARINE S-100 TYPE SCHNELLBOOT, PROBABLY PRESENTED TO RUDOLPH PETERSEN, CIRCA 1942

AN HISTORICALLY INTERESTING DOCKYARD PRESENTATION MODEL FOR A KRIEGSMARINE S-100 TYPE SCHNELLBOOT, PROBABLY PRESENTED TO RUDOLPH PETERSEN, CIRCA 1943

carved in contrasting hardwoods with propeller shaft, bow torpedo tube, mortar, 'skull cap' bridge, companionway and other details, mounted on ebonised display board with plate inscribed Fr. Lürssen / Yacht-und Bootswerft / Bremen-Vegesack / Lehrwerkstatt -- 9¾ x 35in. (25 x 89cm.)

Acquired several years ago by our vendor from an American collector who stated he had purchased it from a former US soldier, thus it seems likely this model was 'liberated' by US troops passing through Bremerhaven in 1945.

This rare Kriegsmarine S100 type Schnellboot model was made in the Lurssen shipyard by one of their employees during World War 2. The "panzer kalotte" (armoured bridge) identifies the boat as either an S100 type or an upgraded S38 type. The "panzer kalotte" also known as a "kalottenbrucke" (skull cap) being introduced in late 1942 to provide improved protection to crew on the bridge during combat operations. A retired Lurssen naval architect (Gerhard Grotte) believed this half hull model was presented to Rudolf Petersen (1905-1983), the "Fuhrer der Schnellboote" (FdS - Commanding officer of the Schnellboote Force) during one of his visits to the Lurssen shipyard in Bremen-Vegesack in the 1940's. Petersen was responsible for Schnellboote construction among his many other duties which included ongoing operations. The Lurssen yard is still extant and principally build yachts.