- Yes, I would.
- No, I would not.
History
DČ-1 was a river gunboat used by Czechoslovakia in the postwar period after the collapse of Nazi Germany. Originally, it was the second prototype of the Nazi Pioniersicherungsboot 43 (lit. Pioneer Security Boat), a vessel that was meant to provide fire support for landing operations and river crossings. After World War II, Czechoslovakia was searching for some boats that they could employ on the Danube River, when they came across the unfinished hull of the second prototype PiSiBo 43.
Construction was slow, but in 1949, DČ-1 set sail for the first time. The command tower was armored with 12mm steel plating to protect the captain, helmsman, and engine crew. The front of the ship housed a complete turret from a Panzer IV tank of World War II vintage housing a 7.5cm KwK 40 tank gun; however, the sides and rear of the turret were trimmed down to 8 mm plate to save weight, and the cupola removed. On the back, a 2 cm FlaK 38 Flakvierling was mounted with a gun shield.
Overall, DČ-1 saw extremely limited use. Besides not having any wars to fight in in the first place, it was insufficient in its purpose. Its wooden construction made most of the vessel vulnerable to even small arms fire, and the vintage KwK cannon at the front was rapidly outmoded in an anti-tank role, with the Flakvierling being equally ineffective for modern anti-aircraft duties. It was stripped of armament in 1959 and served with the Czechoslovakian Fire Brigade, of all places, until the late 70’s.
Disclaimer: I am not a Czechian or Slovakian and do not understand the language. If you have any more information about this ship from sources from those countries, feel free to reply and tell me about it.
Specifications
DČ-1
Crew: 10
Dimensions:
- Length: 20.1 m
- Beam: 4.2 m
- Draught: 0.9 m
Weight: 35 tons
Propulsion: 2 x 500 PS BMW aircraft engine or 2 x 500 PS V-2 series tank engine (1,000 PS total)
Max Speed: 30 km/h
Armament:
- Primary: 1 x 1 7.5 cm KwK 40 L/48 cannon
- Secondary: 1 x 4 2 cm FlaK 38 cannon in Flakvierling mount
Armor:
- Conning tower: 12 mm steel
- Front turret:
- Turret face: 50mm
- Turret sides/rear: 8 mm
- Turret roof: 10 mm
- Rear turret: bulletproof gun shield
Sources:
- River Gunboats, An Illustrated Encyclopedia by Roger Branfill-Cook (2018)
- CZK (ex.DEU) - DČ-1 (zaisťovací delový čln) : Other Countries / Not Sorted - Not Listed