SS Lichtenfels

SS Lichtenfels was one of the world's first modern heavy lift ship, built for DDG Hansa in 1929. She was equipped with a 120 t boom crane capable of lifting fully assembled locomotives, which were shipped to India.

History
In the 1920s DDG Hansa recognised a demand for the delivery of fully assembled locomotives to India and as a result commissioned SS Lichtenfels from Deschimag Werk A.G. On 25 October 1939, while off the Port Sudan Lichtenfels was ordered to Massawa in Italian Eritrea. She remained here for 18 months, along with 9 other German merchant ships: Bertram Rickmers, Coburg, Crefeld, Liebenfels, Oder, Oliva, Wartenfels, Frauenfels and Gera during the East African campaign. She was scuttled on 4 April 1941 along with the other German merchant ships and a number of Italian merchant ships in an effort to block the use of the harbour. She was finally raised for scrap in 1950.

Code letters
Lichtenfels used the code letters QMKB from 1929 to 1933 and DOFY from 1934 to 1941.

Sister ships
As demand for locomotives from India increased, DDG Hansa also commissioned three sister ships:   Freienfels (1929), Geierfels (1931) and Uhenfels (1931).