Some info about the “F lighters” and a MFP DM built
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With around 700 vessels the “F lighter” was one of the most numerous amphibious transport vessels of WW II
Unfortunately esp. in English language books and forums there is much confusion about them. Even Warlord fell victim to that. Warlord offer 785001011 “ Kriegsmarine Marinefährprahm F-lighter” . A nice model, but no MFP, it’s an AF. It seems to be a version AF D
All Marinefährprähme MFP and Artilleriefährprähme AF are ordered with a F number. That letter F (for Fährprahm) was the reason why the allies named them F Lighter. What is a bit strange because the Germans never named them Leichter.
(A Leichter is a vessel without crew and engine, a Prahm a rectangular transport often with crew and engine.)
For Germans it was a MFP or AFP, the abbreviation is easy to outspeak for someone used to German language melody. Better than Fährprahm.The MFP was designed as transport and landing vessel. Building was to be done from low priority material in small yards in Germany, Netherlands, Belgium, France, Bulgaria, Italy (for Germans true MFP not just MZ) and Bulgaria
The Artilleriefährprahm AF had a stronger armament with 2x 88 mm or 105 mm. and many AA guns. And an armored water line, lacking in MFP. MFP had just 20 – 25 mm steel at steering position and engine. With the order to convert a MFP to AF it did not just get an A before the F number but a new. It made clear that it lost the transport capacity. The ramp was closed. Main role of AF was as escort, so they had DC.
That way F 288 A became AF 1. Worse, many, like AF 1, got converted again. The steering position was changed from end to mid of vessel, giving it a totally different shape. Warlord’s 785001011 is such a later version.The “F lighter” had to be seaworthy up to Beaufort 5 (but fully loaded just 2) and should reach 13 kts. For that the first five got a lorry Diesel engine and two old plane engines. But these had been far too thirsty and so the series got three Diesel engines. Reducing the top speed to 10,5 kts.
The versions differed mostly by increasing the dimensions of the hold.Type A Load 105 t Hold 2,74 m height, 3,1 m wide (for example 3x Panzer IV or 200 men)
Type A1 Dito but wide increased to 3,4 m for captured 52 t tanks or German LWS
Type B Load 105 t, Hold height increased to 3,19 m
Type C Load 105 t, Hold height increased to 3,29 m
Type D Load 140 t and hull 2,80 m longer. Even the Tiger I could be transported without problems.
(The Italian “copy” MZ A and B carried just 65 t)
The loading / unloading was via a ramp between the “horns” of the bow. Inside was a “hump” and so the top had to be detached there before higher vehicles could go in/out. In good weather the movable parts are left away for ventilation. With 200 soldiers inside the hold could be very …….There had been many variations among these base types. Most built had an open top steering position but later had a closed one.
Typical armament was a 75 mm gun and 1 – 2 20 mm AA. In later war more guns got added.
Later D had a naval 88 mm SK and in a few the AA was increased to 2 x 7 mm and up to 6x 20 mm. These 88 mm MFP should not be confused with Artilleriefährpräme, they had no waterline armor.MFP with conversions got an additional letter, like F 344 AS, an A type converted to Sanitäts (Ambulance) vessel. Just three got finished, One of A, B and C each.
T was for fuel tanker, that had four 8 x 1,5 x 2,7 m tanks. These could be transported by railroad. Easy to be removed from MFP.
W was the Werkstatt (Workshop). Four no longer fit for front use got converted in Norway.
Q was a single Q-ship with two hidden 75 mm in hold. F 368 AQ only. Renamed UJ 118.Soon sunk in Varna harbor.
Conversions to Sperrbrecher are done but just two are finished before VE for use on rivers. F 199 served from October 44 on Elbe. Conventional minesweeping was tried with MFP but was no success.
And at last the version I did, the M = Minenleger. It was a minelayer for shallow water, ideal to mine the beach entrances. First normal MFP got used for minelaying, running back and throwing the mines via the ramp from hold. Esp. in Black sea the lack of minelayers made that necessary. Very slow and only possible in best weather. So special M got designed and built.
The hull was 3 m broader along ¾ of the length. There rails got fixed for mines. They got also used to transport up to 16 Sturmboote (Klein) (fast troop transport boats) .The hull form reduced the top speed to 8 kts.
A-C M could carry 52 mines in addition to 25 t load.
The D M could carry 54 mines and some load or 34 mines with 80 t load.I did an early D M . One 75 mm gun and two 20 mm AA with simple one side shields and open top “bridge”.
First D minelayer ready was F 801 DM, finished in 11/42. Serving with 11. Landungsflottille and sunk 16.9.1944 at Terneuzen (Netherlands).They got used in all coastal areas, so 819 DM was lost at Genua and 820 DM at the Rhone.
The ramp of my model is movable and the top of the bow fits exactly. Fixed inside to prevent it from flying away. The lorry is from my heaps of unpainted stuff.
The mines are steel balls, sold here at 1 Eurocent each. Some wire, balsa wood, cardboard.
Warlord offers a transport MZ, used by Italy and Kriegsmarine, but that is not identical to MFP.
Most gamers will use it as MFP but nerd me……..
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