BBB (East Germany)

Bagger-, Bugsier- und Bergungsreederei until 1989

Last modified: 2019-08-12 by klaus-michael schneider
Keywords: bbb | deutsche seebaggerei | bbb schlepp- und hafen | bagger bugsier und bergung | schiffsbergung und taucherei |
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2:3  image by Antonio Martins-Tuvalkin, 27 Dec 2008

• VEB Bagger-, Bugsier- und Bergungsreederei
• Flag variant in a nautical encyclopedia
• Deutsche Seebaggerei (1952-1960)
• Deutsche Seebaggerei (1960-1970)
• BBB Schlepp- und Hafendienst
• BBB pennant
• BBB variant flag
• BBB bright blue flag
• VEB Schiffsbergung und Taucherei (1952-1963)
• Introduction
• SBuT First Flag

• House Flags of East German Shipping Companies 1949-1989
• East Germany 1949-1990
• Germany

VEB Bagger-, Bugsier- und Bergungsreederei

Flag variant in a nautical encyclopedia

Source: Ullrich Scharnow, transpress Lexikon Seefahrt, transpress VEB Verlag für Verkehrswesen, Berlin (East), 1988, 5th edition.
Jens Pattke, 3 Feb 2002

A slightly different version is shown by Lexikon der Seefahrt 1988 which has a solid white cogwheel bearing a blue ring enclosing a blue "B".
Neale Rosanoski, 3 May 2004

Deutsche Seebaggerei (1952-1960)

This GDR inland navigation site shows two flags flown by Deutsche Seebaggerei (German Maritime Dredging): For further information click here.
About 2/3 down the page, under the heading Bagger- Bugsier- & Bergungsdienste / Lotsendienst:This concerns the VEB (meaning people's owned company) Deutsche Seebaggerei or DSB which, we learn, was a separate enterprise existing 1952-1969. A red truncated pennant was in use 1952-1960, showing the logo in the hoist: a blue shield bearing white elements: an eight-spoked steering wheel above which appears the acronym "DSB", underlined by a wavy line. From 1960-1970 a white rectangular flag was flown showing the shield in blue outline; now there are two wavy lines, interrupted.
A merger taking effect on 1 January 1970 led to DSB's disappearance, the new enterprise being BBB or VEB Bagger-, Bugsier- und Bergungsreederei, found Furthermore Deutsche Seebaggerei is mentioned briefly,:
here
Jan Mertens, 5 Dec 2009

Deutsche Seebaggerei (1960-1970)

BBB Schlepp- und Hafendienst

Now named "BBB Schlepp- und Hafendienst GmbH" (i.e. BBB Towage and Port Service), its predecessor, on becoming bankrupt,  was taken over by Fairplay of Hamburg (1993). It is  active in Rostock, Stralsund, and other regional harbours.
The B-in-a-gearwheel logo is still used, the obsolete BBB-website specifically states that Fairplay wanted to maintain the well-known acronym as well as the logo, and although I have not yet found photos of vessels flying the present version, at least it appears on a table flag: a white field with, in the centre, a blue square bearing the logo in white.
Source of image: German eBay offer no. 220099323156 (end 15 Apr 2007) put up by "ohndangdang", dimensions given as 15 cm x 25 cm.
It may be the white version is used on land only, as an office flag.
Jan Mertens, 14 Sep 2009

BBB pennant

"BBB" stands for "Bagger-, Bugsier- und Bergungsreederei", a GDR dredging, towing and salvage company. On FOTW we find two variant house flags, the second of which (using the same source?) is also found on this GDR shipping page. There we find a pennant, based on this second version. However there is a smallish flag, photographed this time, which will have to do for now as tentative evidence for a slightly different design.
As you can see, the middle red stripe is quite wide (compare first variant on FOTW-ws) although the blue stripes are rather pale; the B-on-gearwheel emblem is not very large (compare second variant on FOTW-ws) and, moreover, is placed on a disk the blue of which is darker than that of the (pale) blue stripes.
Source: German eBay offer no. 270062407331 (end 10 Dec 2006) put up by "norbibla" who thought it was a signal flag but adds that the flag "has seen ship".  Dimensions given as 40 cm x 64 cm.
Jan Mertens, 13 Dec 2008

BBB variant flag

BBB bright blue flag

VEB Schiffsbergung und Taucherei

Introduction

Among the house flags recently added to this GDR inland navigation site are those of VEB Schiffsbergung und Taucherei (i.e. People's Owned Ship Salvage and Diving Enterprise). For further information click this page two thirds down, existing 1952-1963, changing name and symbol from 1964 on, the seat being Stralsund.Two house flags, both in the national colours, are shown. The later house flag, introduced in 1960, is also red and bears a black ascending diagonal, broader now, and a large yellow diver's helmet placed in front of it. The sturdy salvage ship, formerly dredging vessel, 1.MAI (i.e. First of May) was for a long time the most important unit of Schiffsbergung und Taucherei.
Jan Mertens, 21 Nov 2009

SBuT First Flag

The first flag is red with a thin black border and a thin black ascending diagonal stipe before which is placed a black-rimmed yellow disk bearing a diver's helmet in black outline above which appear the office's initials "VEB / SuT" and below the place name "Stralsund", all in black letters, following the disk's rim.
Source: GDR inland shipping page
Jan Mertens, 21 Nov 2009

back to House Flags of East German Shipping Companies click here