German Ordnance Codes for Manufacturers

[reichpaper]

I am doing some research on the Märkischer Metallbau factory in Oranienburg. I know it was assigned German military ordnance code (fFertigungskennzeichen) "HDT" but have not been able to discover just what it was that they manufactured for the German military. Can anyone out there help me?

Thanks,
Bruce

[makri]

Hi Bruce,

Just entering this forum now. Do you still need this information? My father worked in that company during WW2. I did some research in German archives last year and visited that place last week.
Just let me know, Kris

[reichpaper]

Yes, sure. I'd like to know what military products the factory made during the war. Thanks.

[makri]

Hi Bruce,
Sorry for taking so long but it required some digging in the hundreds of pages of the German Bundesarchiv.
The MMO was located in 3 factory places:
- Werk 1: Center of Oranienburg/ Rungestrasse
- Werk 2: Oranienburg/ Berlinerstrasse
- Werk 3: Sachsenhausen/ Hohenzollernstrasse
There are documents showing another location, but it's not clear to me if it ever existed.

In the bookkeeping information, I find the following. When I can't translate correctly, I leave the German word for your better translation.
It is clear that they made parts/accessories for planes and these planes were constructed elsewhere (Heinkel, Junkers, Dornier, ...).
Werk1:
- Accessories and mounting of these accessories for <Flächen> of FW190: I suppose Flächen means wings, but I'm not sure. I can confirm though that my father once told me that he made the inner construction of wings.
Werk 2:
- Accessories of the <Flächen> of FW190 & 300 liter <Zusatzbehälter>, I suppose these are fueltanks.
- <Zusammenbau Zusatzbehälter>, I suppose this is the building of fueltanks with other parts.

I also find information about <TragFlächen> which are certainly wings and about disposable fueltanks.
+ <SatzFlächen> for JU87 (my father made an aluminum scale model of this JU87 during the war, brought it home and I still have it).
+ <Anderungsteile>for JU52, I suppose these are parts to modify JU52.
+ <Abwurfwannen> for ME110 (in 1941). Maybe these are disposable fuel tanks.
I recently got the following info as well: Some years ago fuel tanks for Do-335 was excavated near Oranienburg, wich were built at the MMO.

The factory employed some 1600 workers, civil workers, forced workers and prisoners of war.

I you would like some more details, pls let me know and I'll what more I can find.

May I know what your interest is in this company?

Best regards, Kris/Belgium

[reichpaper]

Wow, that's some serious research! Thank you very much.
Bruce

[reichpaper]

When did your father work there? The factory ID card I have is dated 15 January 1941 and was issued to Albert Krüger. I know it is a long shot but did your father know him?

[reichpaper]

Do you know whan the MMO was founded as a company?

[Piotr Mikołajski]

I suppose Flächen means wings, but I'm not sure.

Yes, Flächen means wing and for Fw 190 were made by subcontractors too.

300 liter <Zusatzbehälter>, I suppose these are fueltanks.

Indeed, standard 300 l Luftwaffe drop fuel tank.

Bf110-03-1[1].jpg

<Abwurfwannen> for ME110 (in 1941). Maybe these are disposable fuel tanks.

I guess this can be mount for weapons, bombs and fuel tanks.

Bf110-02-1[1].jpg

Photos from RAF Museum in Hendon, all were posted on this site: http://www.asahi-net.or.jp/~pc6m-wkn/raf.htm

[makri]

Thanks Piotr,
It's nice to see what my father probably worked on.

To Bruce,

When was the company founded? I copy/translate:
In the bookkeeping documents of 1942, I find the following general information:
The MMO was founded on 1st of September 1939 with partner Bank der Deutschen Luftfahrt, Berlin with 1.8 Million RM of shares and the Arado Flugzeugwerke GmbH with 0.1 Million of shares.
The MMO is located in Oranienburg.
In 1941, a number of difficulties happened with the leadership of the MMO, so that the RIM (ministry of interior affairs) decided to put in place a "commissar".
Later the RIM decided to replace the leadership and the MMO became part of the Arado Flugzeugwerke, Potsdam.
Since that moment, business rapidly grew.
Other info: From 1945: Markischer Metallbau becomes Markischer Metallbau, Haac & Oesting KG. These 2 people were indeed the new leadership of the MMO.

In other documents i find that the main factory in the very center of Oranienburg was previously a factory where they handled wood (sawing, etc...). It was against the will of that local people that the MMO started this business there, but this protest was all overruled by the nazis. the MMO in Sachsenhausen, where my father worked, was the old "Gazwerke" where they stored gaz coming from Berlin in an enormous "barrel". Both places underwent construction works to make new buildings and factory places and this was done by the famous architect Egon Eiermann, the person who later made the monument in Berlin next to the Gedachtniskirche. Both building still exist.
To acquire more land in Sachsenhausen, the authorities were used to force the original owners to sell their land, all for the sake of the final victory.

My opinion: looking into all this bookkeeping documents, I can only notice that war is just a means for some people to make big, very big profit.

When did my father work there?
Stimulated by nazi propaganda to earn much more money when working in Germany, he enlisted end of September 1941 and arrived a few days later in Sachsenhausen where he stayed in the D.A.F. B.7 ST.3, probably a camp but where this was is still unknown to me. I'm quite sure he stayed in the camp of the MMO in Sachsenhausen from 1944 till the end of war in April 1945 when he was bombed on April 10th, 1945 by the 401st bombing group of the USAAF. I have 3 photos of him taken in Sachsenhausen and 1 photo is taken in front of the barrack for foreigners. He got injured during this bombing attack but returned safely home at the end of July after a trip from Sachsenhausen, Bydgosz, Stettin, Rostock, Lubeck, Antwerp. He also visited the Sachsenhausen KZ just after it was liberated by the Red Army and saw horrible things there.
I don't know any names of people who worked there, around 1600 in total and some 400 from Belgium around 1944. The purpose of my 2 year search is to find some-oen who worked there with him and to hear his , and my father's , story. I know time is running out, my father would have got 92 right today.
In Belgium, we have no access to files of people, only after 100 years, and then it's obviously too late to talk to them. More-over, files are stored on a person's name, not on a company's name, like the MMO. So if you don't know a name, you will never get any info, not even after 100 years. The same filing method is applied by the ITS in Bad Arolsen, where they have some 15 million names of displaced persons, actually persons who were displaced in the western sectors. Russia did not participate with this system.
One favor I would like to ask: Would you mind to share this factory ID card of Albert Krüger? Probably, my farther also had such a card, then I know how it looked like.

If you need more info, feel free to ask.

Thanks, Kris

[reichpaper]

Here is a copy of the front of the Märkischer Metallbau Oranienburg Werkausweis.

[makri]

Hi Bruce,

Thanks for sharing.
May I ask where you obtained this card? if you obtained it as a collectors item from somwhere, it could help me to find other such cards from maybe Belgians.
I attach the only 3 photos I have, these are probaly all Belgians. I don't recognise the Mr. Kruger. Because the barrack on 1 of the photos was constructed early 1944 (I have the construction plans for "barracks for foreign workers"), this photo is most likely taken in the summer of 1944.
The MMO in the center of Oranienburg: google => images => Egon eiermann oranienburg and you find many pictures of the post-war administrative building, not the factory itself.
If you're interested, I can also send you a photo of the still existing building in Sachsenhausen.
Other pictures and drawings of both sides, you should obtain the book of E. Eiermann's construction works, I also have some copies of the relevant pages.

BR, Kris

[reichpaper]

Hi Kris,

I obtained the item off eBay but so long ago that I don't remember where or from whom I obtained it. Unfortunately, the specific Werk where Krüger was employed is not listed on his ID card. I've seen the photos of Eiermann's administration building. Yes, I'd like to see the your photo of the MMO's Sachsenhausen Werk-3. Thanks very much for all the information you have provided.

[makri]

Hi Bruce,

on http://www.radio2.be/al-wat-je-lief-is/ ... s-helpen-0
scroll down and you can see the MMO Sachsenhausen main building.

In attached Lage Plan of the MMO Sachsenhausen, this main building is no. 3
The barracks for Foreign workers were 31 and 32, each some 50m long. 1 of the photos was taken in front of 31 or 32.
There was a camp within the camp with fences around (some still existing), buildings 14, 15, most likely for forced workers or prisoners of war. Watch tower with guard no 33, etc....I recently heard from people living in the neighborhood that the SS guarded workers in part of the camp.
Still existing parts: 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 33(transformed into houses), 35 (parts of), 4 just demolished. The area will be divided in different pieces of land very shortly and give rise to new houses with nice gardens, close to an idyllic river....times can change.
All this was nearly 1.5km from the real camp, the KZ Sachsenhausen. My father knew more or less what happened there, that made him anxious and kept him quiet.
If you like, I can send some more photos but prefer to do this directly to your email address due to size limitations imposed by this forum.

Regards,
kris