Rheinhafen Naval Base
RN Rhine Squadron 1957 by David Wales© RN Communications Branch Museum/Library
This page has been written to enhance Godfrey Dykes page Royal Naval Rhine SquadronClick on an image to enlarge it and to show any further information. .
RM Guard
A great many thanks must go to David Wales ex Royal Marine who served in the Rhinehafen Naval Base in 1957, for providing the images that follow which were taken by David during his tour in 1957. The image on the left is of David and the image on the right is of the RM Guard mustering for the visit of Fieldmarshal Montgomery. The local newspaper reported on the 17 August 1957 - "The British Fieldmarshal Montgomery visited the English Marine establishment in Krefeld Rhine harbour yesterday on a French ship. ”.
The following text is an extract from BAOR Locations
Based on HMS ROYAL PRINCE at Krefeld the unit was responsible for the safe and secure passage of all waterborne traffic along the River Rhine between the Dutch border and the French Zone south of Bonn. The unit was also required to maintain military expertise in the planning and execution of major river crossings in the event of any projected attack by Soviet or Warsaw Pact Forces. The unit was equipped with fast patrol boats and a number of Landing Craft crewed by both Royal Navy and Royal Marine personnel. The unit was renamed Rhine Squadron in the mid 1950's before being disbanded in 1958 when its responsibilities were transferred to the appropriate Arm of the newly created Bundeswehr.
The base was referred to as Krefeld but to be precise Royal Prince was located in the Rhine Harbour (Rheinhafen) at Krefeld - Uerdingen - now a suburb some way from the town centre - not far north of Dusseldorf.
Approximate location
Krefeld circa 1920
Krefeld circa 1950s
Rhine Motorway bridge
Rhine road bridge - river to left.
Swing bridge and base buildings
View from Barrack Room Building
View from Barrack Room Building
View from Barrack Room Building
View from Barrack Room Building
View from Barrack Room Building
Barrack Room Building in the background
6 MLs moored in line abreast
On a completely different tack an unusual aspect at Rheinhafen was a warehouse which apparently housed the RN Germany fleet of cars for dignitaries etc. Senior command had decided it was bad for these to sit unused so we were able to have one with driver for trips. So I used the opportunity to be driven in one of these good sized cars (an Opel Kapitan) to go to a German church each Sunday in Dusseldorf. The quirk was the German driver (one of the base mechanics) had been a racing driver pre-war and on a Sunday suffered from the amount he’d drunk the night before. Speed limits were only just re-introduced but he seemed unaware - I’ve not been so fast anywhere since. But we had a good routine and he was always on time to pick me up at the end of the day. Most Sundays another family of refugees had arrived having got through the wire from the East leaving everything behind - a reminder they weren’t easy times - Suez not long behind us and Hungary just re-occupied by the Russians etc.
Rheinhafen Base
Barrack Room
Belgian Navy courtesy visit
Belgian Navy courtesy visit
Belgian Navy heading out
Belgian Navy heading out towrds Rhine bridge
Rhinehafen Base - looking towards swing bridge
Unloading trucks
RM Guard
View of base taken from the swing bridge
Taken from the swing bridge
Swing Bridge .
Various photos taken during the Rhine Cruise
The following photos were taken by David whilst on the Rhine Cruise and show the kind of river traffic they were contending with. Apart from the clearly tourist paddle steamer, the loaded barge trains running down stream were huge and with the fast current through the Rhine Gorge a spectacular sight and quite unstoppable. The German River police were necessarily strict hence the significance of we were the only boats permitted without pilots.
The squadron were the only ships allowed to go through the Rhine Gorge without pilots as it was so deep and dangerous. Re the shot of loading trucks onto LCM’s (image 18) - It was my first and only occasion to be dropping and raising the ramps (I’d never seen a landing craft before getting to the Squadron in May). It also occurs to me to mention the double bottoms on the craft. When approaching a beach unloaded we pumped these full of water so the boat was heavy and didn’t go too far onto the beach. When loaded with a vehicle we were able to compensate for that weight (which would have left us stuck down) by pumping out all the extra water.
The LCM’s were skippered by an NCO. They each had the Rhine Book which gave very precise details kilometre by kilometre of the navigation issues.
There was a very strong ‘rule of the road’ for all shipping with strict lane discipline. Very often we were amongst the huge trains of a tug towing several barges at such a length of tow the connecting hawser was invisible beneath the water. So we had to watch out for the towing sign on the tug mast so as to know all barges behind it were on its tow until we saw a different sign on its final barge. Since this traffic and light stuff like ours was in both directions, it was very tight particularly through the Rhine Gorge.
For the cruise the LCM’s had a canvas covering over part of the well where we had bunk beds and our cooking stuff etc. One of the craft had a jeep on board so I was able to go shopping for food sometimes with my schoolboy German - I recall asking for 80 pork chops in a village store caused interest amongst the other customers - they clearly thought I couldn’t count.
Later I accompanied Captain Edwards RM (seen in one of the ML pics) in the jeep to the relevant next harbour master to arrange access and docking so our tanker truck could come and re-fuel us. I am not sure if that was on the Rhine cruise or a separate trip.
On the cruise I’d been a deckhand having joined the Rhine Squadron following a few months placement with an Army establishment. So I'd had no amphibious training or experience. I learnt that the LCM’s were petrol engined - expensive and not the most efficient - diesel boats having gone to the Christmas Islands for the Nuclear tests.
But if my memory serves me on the number, L7186 (photo below) was the exception - it was diesel, faster and fuel efficient but the man who looked after the engine room was leaving - so I volunteered to mug up on its operation and took on the role of “stoker".
That boat was then used for a number of one-off tasks which gave me extra interest and a degree of pleasure operating the vessel on bell commands from the skipper, keeping the engine room clean and painted and operational as well. It was powered by two American Gray Marine engines of I think 8 cylinders each - I much regret having taken no photos down there. If any could be found I’d love to see them.
This period was short lived (perhaps late August to early November 57) as we then learnt the base was to close down at the end of the year.
Cologne Cathedral
The Final Days of Rhinehafen
In November 1957 I’d been working late cleaning and painting in the engine room of the LCM where I’d become ’stoker’ - totally unaware the base was being closed down. If I had known I’d most certainly have tried to get some decent shots of the result of those endeavours and particularly the engines. (If you know of any with such engines I’d be delighted to see them). So this assignment was ending somewhat suddenly and disappointingly so far as I was concerned.
The next day however, I was informed I was to be part of a very small party to help tow the LCM’s to Antwerp for onward transport back to the UK. So apparently one final adventure ahead for me. It was coupled with questions as to my preferences about a next posting. I immediately said I’d like to join Commando Brigade as I knew it was shuttling between Malta and Cyprus - my main objective being to travel more rather than be posted back to the UK.
The photos following show the boats on their journey first down stream on the Rhine and then along canals in Holland and Belgium to Antwerp. Two LCM’s were towed by an ML and the other four by what I think was the base tugboat. The boats were unheated and the weather was bitterly cold. Some of the waterways were actually above the levels of the adjacent fields and the wind, sleet and snow was coming at us pretty much horizontally. Since I was in the group of four LCM’s inevitably I have more photos of the other two but the method of transferring food etc between our four is shown.
Most of the many locks along the way had queues of barges (sometimes very large ones) awaiting their turn to enter but the rule of the road was priority for military vessels so they lost their places to us - not very popular. At one point we overnighted beside a bridge which gave the chance to stretch our legs and meet other crewmen. The photos illustrate this and also show the two tows moored on either side of the waterway.
Finally we left the boats and my final shot shows an LCM hoisted for transfer to a cross channel vessel. (I was sure I had more shots of that but can’t find them).
I've no clear recollection how we got back to the Rheinhafen base at Krefeld - suspect I was pretty exhausted. What I do recall was a reception group on the quayside. The Major RM informed me that he’d been in Chatham regarding our new postings - he said I didn’t have enough time left to justify sending me to the Med but since I’d spoken of my desire to travel I was to join HMS Ceylon - shortly leaving on a cruise to the West Indies!
Gunners loading their guns/equipment
Gunners loading their guns/equipment
Gunners loading their guns/equipment
Schwebebahn
Cologne Cathedral
View from Cologne Cathedral
LCMs returning to England
LCMs returning to England
LCMs returning to England
The Rhine squadron was of course in the British Zone of Germany. When we travelled south we briefly acknowledged the French whose Rhine base was at Koblenz and then once through the Rhine Gorge we were at Wiesbaden where the Americans had their Schierstein base. We then went a short distance to Mainz, turned into the River Main and went past Frankfurt on to Hanau.
For the last 16 years I’ve been employed by long standing Clients of mine investing in retail parks in Germany, so I took the opportunity to go back to the Rheinhafen base just a few years ago but all the buildings we’d had there had gone. From Google Earth it seems the land is still cleared/unused.
The following page gives accounts of three Rhine Squadron's cruises in 1956/1957 and have been taken from the Globe & Laurel magazine, the official journal of the Royal Marines Rhine Squadron Cruises
This page has been written to enhance Godfrey Dykes page Royal Naval Rhine SquadronClick on an image to enlarge it and to show any further information. .
RM Guard
A great many thanks must go to David Wales ex Royal Marine who served in the Rhinehafen Naval Base in 1957, for providing the images that follow which were taken by David during his tour in 1957. The image on the left is of David and the image on the right is of the RM Guard mustering for the visit of Fieldmarshal Montgomery. The local newspaper reported on the 17 August 1957 - "The British Fieldmarshal Montgomery visited the English Marine establishment in Krefeld Rhine harbour yesterday on a French ship. ”.
The following text is an extract from BAOR Locations
Based on HMS ROYAL PRINCE at Krefeld the unit was responsible for the safe and secure passage of all waterborne traffic along the River Rhine between the Dutch border and the French Zone south of Bonn. The unit was also required to maintain military expertise in the planning and execution of major river crossings in the event of any projected attack by Soviet or Warsaw Pact Forces. The unit was equipped with fast patrol boats and a number of Landing Craft crewed by both Royal Navy and Royal Marine personnel. The unit was renamed Rhine Squadron in the mid 1950's before being disbanded in 1958 when its responsibilities were transferred to the appropriate Arm of the newly created Bundeswehr.
The base was referred to as Krefeld but to be precise Royal Prince was located in the Rhine Harbour (Rheinhafen) at Krefeld - Uerdingen - now a suburb some way from the town centre - not far north of Dusseldorf.
 Approximate location |
 Krefeld circa 1920 |
 Krefeld circa 1950s |
Rhine Motorway bridge |
Rhine road bridge - river to left. |
 Swing bridge and base buildings |
 View from Barrack Room Building
 View from Barrack Room Building View from Barrack Room Building View from Barrack Room Building |
View from Barrack Room Building |
 Barrack Room Building in the background |
 6 MLs moored in line abreast |
On a completely different tack an unusual aspect at Rheinhafen was a warehouse which apparently housed the RN Germany fleet of cars for dignitaries etc. Senior command had decided it was bad for these to sit unused so we were able to have one with driver for trips. So I used the opportunity to be driven in one of these good sized cars (an Opel Kapitan) to go to a German church each Sunday in Dusseldorf. The quirk was the German driver (one of the base mechanics) had been a racing driver pre-war and on a Sunday suffered from the amount he’d drunk the night before. Speed limits were only just re-introduced but he seemed unaware - I’ve not been so fast anywhere since. But we had a good routine and he was always on time to pick me up at the end of the day. Most Sundays another family of refugees had arrived having got through the wire from the East leaving everything behind - a reminder they weren’t easy times - Suez not long behind us and Hungary just re-occupied by the Russians etc.
 Rheinhafen Base |
 Barrack Room |
 Belgian Navy courtesy visit |
 Belgian Navy courtesy visit |
 Belgian Navy heading out |
 Belgian Navy heading out towrds Rhine bridge |
 Rhinehafen Base - looking towards swing bridge |
 Unloading trucks |
RM Guard |
 View of base taken from the swing bridge |
 Taken from the swing bridge |
 Swing Bridge . |
|
|||
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
The squadron were the only ships allowed to go through the Rhine Gorge without pilots as it was so deep and dangerous. Re the shot of loading trucks onto LCM’s (image 18) - It was my first and only occasion to be dropping and raising the ramps (I’d never seen a landing craft before getting to the Squadron in May). It also occurs to me to mention the double bottoms on the craft. When approaching a beach unloaded we pumped these full of water so the boat was heavy and didn’t go too far onto the beach. When loaded with a vehicle we were able to compensate for that weight (which would have left us stuck down) by pumping out all the extra water.The LCM’s were skippered by an NCO. They each had the Rhine Book which gave very precise details kilometre by kilometre of the navigation issues.There was a very strong ‘rule of the road’ for all shipping with strict lane discipline. Very often we were amongst the huge trains of a tug towing several barges at such a length of tow the connecting hawser was invisible beneath the water. So we had to watch out for the towing sign on the tug mast so as to know all barges behind it were on its tow until we saw a different sign on its final barge. Since this traffic and light stuff like ours was in both directions, it was very tight particularly through the Rhine Gorge. |
|||
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
For the cruise the LCM’s had a canvas covering over part of the well where we had bunk beds and our cooking stuff etc. One of the craft had a jeep on board so I was able to go shopping for food sometimes with my schoolboy German - I recall asking for 80 pork chops in a village store caused interest amongst the other customers - they clearly thought I couldn’t count.Later I accompanied Captain Edwards RM (seen in one of the ML pics) in the jeep to the relevant next harbour master to arrange access and docking so our tanker truck could come and re-fuel us. I am not sure if that was on the Rhine cruise or a separate trip. |
|||
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
On the cruise I’d been a deckhand having joined the Rhine Squadron following a few months placement with an Army establishment. So I'd had no amphibious training or experience. I learnt that the LCM’s were petrol engined - expensive and not the most efficient - diesel boats having gone to the Christmas Islands for the Nuclear tests.But if my memory serves me on the number, L7186 (photo below) was the exception - it was diesel, faster and fuel efficient but the man who looked after the engine room was leaving - so I volunteered to mug up on its operation and took on the role of “stoker".That boat was then used for a number of one-off tasks which gave me extra interest and a degree of pleasure operating the vessel on bell commands from the skipper, keeping the engine room clean and painted and operational as well. It was powered by two American Gray Marine engines of I think 8 cylinders each - I much regret having taken no photos down there. If any could be found I’d love to see them.This period was short lived (perhaps late August to early November 57) as we then learnt the base was to close down at the end of the year. |
|||
 |
 Cologne Cathedral |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
The Final Days of Rhinehafen |
|||
In November 1957 I’d been working late cleaning and painting in the engine room of the LCM where I’d become ’stoker’ - totally unaware the base was being closed down. If I had known I’d most certainly have tried to get some decent shots of the result of those endeavours and particularly the engines. (If you know of any with such engines I’d be delighted to see them). So this assignment was ending somewhat suddenly and disappointingly so far as I was concerned.The next day however, I was informed I was to be part of a very small party to help tow the LCM’s to Antwerp for onward transport back to the UK. So apparently one final adventure ahead for me. It was coupled with questions as to my preferences about a next posting. I immediately said I’d like to join Commando Brigade as I knew it was shuttling between Malta and Cyprus - my main objective being to travel more rather than be posted back to the UK.The photos following show the boats on their journey first down stream on the Rhine and then along canals in Holland and Belgium to Antwerp. Two LCM’s were towed by an ML and the other four by what I think was the base tugboat. The boats were unheated and the weather was bitterly cold. Some of the waterways were actually above the levels of the adjacent fields and the wind, sleet and snow was coming at us pretty much horizontally. Since I was in the group of four LCM’s inevitably I have more photos of the other two but the method of transferring food etc between our four is shown.Most of the many locks along the way had queues of barges (sometimes very large ones) awaiting their turn to enter but the rule of the road was priority for military vessels so they lost their places to us - not very popular. At one point we overnighted beside a bridge which gave the chance to stretch our legs and meet other crewmen. The photos illustrate this and also show the two tows moored on either side of the waterway.Finally we left the boats and my final shot shows an LCM hoisted for transfer to a cross channel vessel. (I was sure I had more shots of that but can’t find them).I've no clear recollection how we got back to the Rheinhafen base at Krefeld - suspect I was pretty exhausted. What I do recall was a reception group on the quayside. The Major RM informed me that he’d been in Chatham regarding our new postings - he said I didn’t have enough time left to justify sending me to the Med but since I’d spoken of my desire to travel I was to join HMS Ceylon - shortly leaving on a cruise to the West Indies! |
|||
 Gunners loading their guns/equipment |
 Gunners loading their guns/equipment |
 Gunners loading their guns/equipment |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 Schwebebahn |
 Cologne Cathedral |
 View from Cologne Cathedral |
||
 LCMs returning to England |  LCMs returning to England |  LCMs returning to England |