Marine Nachschub Leichter
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More scratch building, a fast one evening project. An easy one with no complicated shapes. I’m sure that you all could do such a model.
And now you can even buy the guns.
The Kriegsmarine had many late war projects, the famous ones like the world’s best submarines and many less well known. Among them was the Marine – Nachschub – Leichter, the MNL.
It was the small brother of the Marinefährprahm (MPF or for the British the F-Lighter, 47 – 49 m) It was just 38,35 m long and had a draught of 1,33m loaded. Less than a S-Boot and so safe from torpedoes in the game.
The vessel was designed to be able to use the small French channels to reach the Mediterranean. It could be transported by rail in six parts. Construction was started in March 1944. Following D-day it had lost its raison d’être so not all of the 32 vessels on stocks got finished as transports. There was enough transport capacity left for the much bigger channels in the areas still under control. So a redesign as river Sperrbrecher against magnetic mines was done. But none was finished.
Five vessels ( MNL 6-10 ) are sent to Saloniki by rail and at least two assembled there for 4. Transport Flottille.
MNL 21 – 23 went to 24. Transport Flottille. MNL 22 sank near Bornholm in a storm in May 45.
MNL 24 was finished in October 44 and served as coal transport. MNL 25 – 29 went to 3. Transport Flottille.
MNL 31 and 32 are finished in the Netherlands and served on Rhein.The MNL could transport 90 tons, 3 lorries or 200 men. It had a 3,7 cm and a 2cm quad gun. Two lorry engines gave the MNL a top speed of 10,6 knots. The fate of MNL 22 shows that it was not well suited for use on open seas.
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