World War II Database

Contributor: Al Griffis

ww2dbaseIn 1902, the Norddeutschen Maschinen- und Armaturenfabrik GmbH was founded in Bremen, Germany as a supplier for the growing shipbuilding industry. In 1911, the company was reformed as Atlas Werke AG, now specializing in the manufacture and repair of propellers, winches, cranes, deck machinery, and electric steering gear, as well as shipbuilding. In 1912, Atlas purchased additional land and established oil plants under the name of Bremer Ölfabrik AG just pstream of A. G. Weser. In 1914, Atlas began manufacturing underwater telegraphy equipment of its own inventions. In 1916, it purchased an additional 602 square meters (about 6,485 square feet) of adjacent land in order to modernize various shops, quays, and slip. In 1917, it established its own laboratory for further experiments on the underwater telegraphy. In charge of the lab was a young physicist named Willie Kunze. Under his direction Atlas made great strides in the development of sonar and receivers. Prior to the end of WW1, Atlas had laid the keels of several submarines for the Germany Navy, but only one, U-156, was completed by the end of WW1 in 1919. In 1920, a fire swept through a large portion of the shipyard including the shipbuilding hall; within a year, however, most of the damage has been repaired and they are building ships once again. The company saw very few orders between 1922 and the early 1930s. In 1928, the company bought back a large amount of stock. Between Oct 1928 and Jan 1929, operations were shut down for about three months due to a major strike, leading to several lost contracts. Between 1936 and 1937, an extensive upgrade and renovation project of shipyard and workshops began. Between 1938 and 1940, additional projects were embarked upon to enlarge the facilities. During the European War of WW2, Atlas was ordered by the German government to produce armaments. For the war effort, it built torpedoes, Enigma machines, and several mine layers for the German Navy. During the war, Atlas facilities spanned about 80,000 square meters in area. For defense, it had its own anti-aircraft guns on the roof, manned by employees during Allied air raids. The first air raid came in 1941 and was followed by 20 more until the building was 80% destroyed and the company could not operate any longer. In Jul 1943, the firm Krupp took over Atlas's operations and renamed the company Maschinenbau Kiel GmbH. In 1969, the shipbuilding division ceased to exist. In the subsequent decades, Atlas, now primarily in the electronic manufacturing business, changed ownership, and merged and splitted several times. At the time of this writing in 2019, ThyssenKrupp had been in control of Atlas Elektronik since Apr 2017.

Ships Constructed at Atlas Werke AG

Atlas Werke AG Interactive Map

Atlas Werke AG Timeline