World of Ships – May 2018

44 I World of Ships I Paddle Steamers

LEIPZIG

BUILT 1929 by Werft Blasewitz, Dresden

MACHINERY Two-cylinder compound diagonal engine

of 325hp and original boiler from WUMAG, Dresden;

converted to oil fuel 1993

LENGTH 69.7m, width 7.0m (hull), 12.8m (over paddles)

PASSENGERS 1,395

After Dresden’s debut, a further three years

passed before what turned out to be the last

and largest Elbe steamer, Leipzig, was delivered

in 1929 from Dresden’s Werft Blasewitz. The

325hp engine came from the Ubigau Works

and gave a speed of 15.2kmh against current,

and 30kmh downstream. Leipzig shared

principal services with Dresden through the

1930s, and for some sailings supplementary

saloon and concert ship fares applied.

During World War II Leipzig operated as

a hospital ship from 1942 to 1944 until being

bombed and sunk in 1945. The wreck was

salvaged in December, with repairs at Laubegast

completed in for a service return in June 1947.

There were major refits in 1967 and 1978, the

latter bringing the creation of a forward saloon

on the main deck similar to that established

aboard Dresden some 30 years earlier.

The two big steamers each covered more

than 13,3400km in sailings on 158 days in

service during 1988, after which Leipzig

was withdrawn for boiler replacement. After

installation of a new boiler in 1991, there was

insufficient money to finish the overhaul,

and the steamer languished at Laubegast

until 1993, when she returned to service. She

was then oil-firing and had a bow thruster

and new interior fittings included new

carpets, upholstered saloon seating and wood

panelling to replace the previous formica.

DRESDEN

BUILT 1925 by Schiffswerft Laubegast, Dresden

MACHINERY Two-cylinder compound diagonal engine of

275hp from builders boiler converted to oil fuel 1992

DIMENSIONS Length 68.7m, width 6.9m (hull), 12.7m (over

paddles)

PASSENGERS 1,363.

After World War I it was not until 1925 that

the Weisse Flotte brought out a first steamer

with compound diagonal machinery and space

for 900 passengers under the name of Stadt

Wehlen, which left the Elbe in 1945 when

ceded to the Soviet Union as World War II

reparation. The larger Dresden, which came

into service in 1926, looked set to go the same

way until being severely damaged by fire while

lying in the Loschwitzer Hafen in June 1946.

Dresden had large windowed saloons

fore and aft on the main deck plus an after

deck saloon to which a foredeck saloon was

added before a return to service in 1949, with

passenger numbers increased to 1,363. The

impressive twin crank engine from builders

Schiffswerft Ubigau develops 275hp, and

steering is by twin rudders of a type previously

seen on some of the larger Rhine steamers.

Dresden, refitted again in 1979-80, gained an

unlikely fan when late North Korean president

Kim II Sung sailed on the Elbe and had an

exact replica built in his own country for service

as Pyongyang No.1 in 1986. During May 1987

Dresden went to Hamburg to take part in the

port’s 800th anniversary celebrations and,

back on the Elbe in 1991, was one of the first

vessels to appear with the new SDG livery.

ABOVE Dresden at her home berth, with steam

being raised for another day’s work.

ABOVE Passengers shelter from a shower as

Dresden passes Koenigstein in 2014. (Phil Barnes)

ABOVE The then North Korean president Kim Il-Sung was so impressed with Dresden after an Elbe sailing

that he had the plans copied to build this replica, which entered service in 1986 and was named Pyongyang 1.

ABOVE Leipzig, with a 1,395 passenger capacity, heading downstream under the Dresden bridges.

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