The FReeper Foxhole Remembers The Battle of the Denmark Strait (5/24/1941) - Oct. 28th, 2003

http://www.kbismarck.com/operheini.html ^ | José M. Rico

[SAMWolf]

Lord,

Keep our Troops forever in Your care

Give them victory over the enemy...

Grant them a safe and swift return...

Bless those who mourn the lost.
.

FReepers from the Foxhole join in prayer
for all those serving their country at this time.

...................................................................................... ...........................................

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The Battle of the Denmark Strait
A Clash of Titans

Following the success achieved by the surface ships in the Atlantic during the winter of 1940-1941, the German Naval High Command decided to launch a much more ambitious operation. The idea was to send a powerful battle group comprised of the battleships Bismarck, Tirpitz, Scharnhorst and Gneisenau into the Atlantic to attack Allied merchant shipping. The latter two battleships were in Brest, in occupied France, since 22 March. They had just completed a successful campaign of two months in the North Atlantic under the command of the Fleet Chief, Admiral Günther Lütjens, in which they sank or captured 22 ships with a total tonnage of 116,000 tons. Unfortunately, the Scharnhorst had to enter dry dock in order to undergo machinery repairs and would be unavailable at least until June. In the Baltic, the Bismarck had almost finished her trials and would soon be ready for her first war cruise. However, the Tirpitz, which had only recently been commissioned on 25 February, had not yet completed trials, and it was unlikely that she would be available in the spring.

DKM Bismarck

Bismarck's Departure.

At 1000 on the morning of 18 May 1941 in Gotenhafen, Admiral Lütjens inspected Prinz Eugen's crew. Afterwards, a conference was held on board the Bismarck, where the Admiral briefed the operative plan to the two ships' commanders, Captains Ernst Lindemann and Helmuth Brinkmann. It was decided that if the weather proved favourable, they would not stop in the Korsfjord (today Krossfjord). They would, instead, sail north to refuel from the Weissenburg before moving into the Denmark Strait between Iceland and Greenland.


DKM Prinz Eugen

At noon, the Bismarck left the berth under the tunes of Muß i' denn played by the fleet band, and then she anchored in Gotenhafen's roadstead to take supplies and fuel. Operation Rheinübung had begun. While refuelling in the roadstead, one of the fuel-oil hoses broke and Bismarck could not be refuelled to her full capacity. It was nothing significant, although the battleship was loaded with approximately 200 tons less of fuel. At about 2100, the Prinz Eugen weighed anchor. Bismarck followed suit at 0200 in the early morning of 19 May. Both ships sailed independently until they joined together off Rügen Island at noon on 19 May. It was then that Captain Lindemann informed Bismarck's crew by loudspeaker that they were going to the North Atlantic to attack British shipping for a period of several months. After this, the Bismarck and the Prinz Eugen sailed west escorted by the destroyers Z-23 (Commander Friedrich Böhme) and Z-16 Friedrich Eckoldt (Commander Alfred Schemmel). At 2230, the destroyer Z-10 Hans Lody (Commander Werner Pfeiffer) with the Chief of the 6th Flotilla (Commander Alfred Schulze-Hinrichs) on board, joined the formation. During the night of 19/20 May the German ships passed through the Great Belt, which remained closed to merchant ships, and then reached the Kattegat in the morning of 20 May.


HMS Hood

On 20 May, while in the Kattegat, the German battle group was sighted by numerous Danish and Swedish fishing boats. The weather was clear, and at 1300, the German ships were sighted by the Swedish cruiser Gotland (Captain Agren) which reported the sighting to Stockholm. Lütjens assumed this ship would report his position, and at 1737 radioed this incident to Group North, the German Naval command station based in Wilhelmshaven then under the command of Generaladmiral Rolf Carls. The Swedish had reported the sighting and it was leaked to the British Naval Attaché, Captain Henry W. Denham. Later in the day, from the British embassy in Stockholm, Denham transmitted the following message to the Admiralty in London:

"Kattegat, today 20 May. At 1500, two large warships, escorted by three destroyers, five ships and ten or twelve planes, passed Marstrand to the northeast. 2058/20."


HMS Prince of Wales

Meanwhile, at 1615 in the afternoon, the 5th Minesweeping Flotilla (Lieutenant-Commander Rudolf Lell) joined the German battle group temporarily to help the Bismarck and the Prinz Eugen pass through the minefields that blocked the entrance to the Kattegat. At dusk on 20 May, the German ships were already getting out of the Skagerrak near Kristiansand. They were then sighted from the coast by Viggo Axelseen, of the Norwegian resistance, who duly reported the sighting to the British in London. During the night of 20/21 May the Germans headed north.

Early on 21 May, the British Admiralty received the sighting report from Denham, and aircraft were instructed to be on the alert for the German force. At about 0900, the German ships entered the Korsfjord south of Bergen with clear weather. Admiral Lütjens had wanted to continue to the north without stopping in Norway, but because of the clear weather he decided to enter the Korsfjord and continue the voyage that night under cover of darkness. At noon, the Bismarck anchored in the Grimstadfjord at 250-500 meters off the nearest shore. The Prinz Eugen headed north with the three destroyers and anchored in Kalvanes Bay. As a measure of precaution two merchant ships were laid along both sides of Prinz Eugen as torpedo shields.

Meanwhile, at 1100 on 21 May, the British Coastal Command had dispatched an Spitfire (Lieutenant Michael Suckling) from Scotland to look for the German ships. At 1315, the Spitfire successfully sighted and photographed the German ships in the Korsfjord from an altitude of 8,000 meters (26,200 feet), and then returned to Scotland where it landed at Wick Airfield at about 1415. The sighting of the German battle group by the Swedish cruiser Gotland in the Kattegat as well as by Norwegian resistance operatives the previous day, had proven very unfortunate for the Germans. If the German group would have passed through the Kiel Canal instead, this may have possibly prevented such immediate sightings, and thus the Coastal Command sending the Spitfire. Unfortunately, it took two full days to transit the canal and it was not considered a viable option by the German command.


The famous photograph taken by the British Spitfire at 1315 on 21 May 1941. The Bismarck can be seen to the right anchored in the Grimstadfjord with three merchant ships. The steamers would serve as torpedo shields in case of enemy attack.

During their brief stay in the Korsfjord, the Bismarck and the Prinz Eugen painted over their striped camouflage paint with outboard grey. In addition, the Prinz Eugen with less than 2,500 mt of fuel oil left in her tanks refuelled from tanker Wollin. The Bismarck did not refuel and this would later prove to be a mistake. It seems that refuelling the Bismarck was not scheduled, and that Prinz Eugen was refuelled only because she absolutely had to be due to her shorter endurance. By 1700, the Prinz Eugen completed refuelling, and at 1930, the German ships weighted anchor. At this time, Bismarck's intelligence team received a message from Germany, in which based on an intercepted radio message, British aircraft had been instructed to be on the alert for two battleships and three destroyers proceeding on a Northerly course. Around 2000, just before night fall, the five German ships left the Norwegian fiord, and after separating from the coastline set a course of 0º at 2340, due north.


Admiral Gunther Lutjens

Upon receipt of the first sighting reports, the Commander-in-Chief of the British Home Fleet, Admiral sir John Cronyn Tovey, immediately began to consider the possible intentions of the German warships. He ordered the heavy cruisers Suffolk and Norfolk, both under the command of Rear-Admiral William Frederick Wake-Walker, to patrol the Denmark Strait. Later in the afternoon, the photos taken by the Spitfire arrived, thus positively identifying one Bismarck class battleship and one Hipper class cruiser in Bergen. Therefore, shortly before midnight on 21 May, the battle cruiser Hood flying the flag of Vice-Admiral Lancelot Ernest Holland, the battleship Prince of Wales, and the destroyers Achates, Antelope, Anthony, Echo, Electra, and Icarus, left Scapa Flow for Hvalfjord in Iceland. Their mission to cover the access points south and east of Iceland.

To the Denmark Strait.

On 22 May, the weather worsened. During the night, the German battle group headed north, with the three destroyers in the lead and the Prinz Eugen closing the formation. At 0420, the destroyers were detached and headed east to Trondheim, while the Bismarck and the Prinz Eugen maintained their northward course at 24 knots. At 1237 there was a submarine and air alarm, and the German ships zig-zagged for about half an hour. When the alarm ended, the top of the main and secondary turrets were painted over, and the swastikas on the decks were covered with canvas, as they could help enemy aircraft to identify the German ships. Afterwards the group set a northwest course, to the Denmark Strait. It was cloudy the entire day and the fog was so thick that the Bismarck and Prinz Eugen had to switch on their searchlights from time to time in order to maintain contact and keep position. The weather conditions were therefore very favourable for the German ships to pass through the Denmark Strait and reach the Atlantic unnoticed.


Kapitan zur See Ernst Lindemann

Meanwhile, at 2000 on 22 May, Admiral Tovey received news that the German warships had departed Norway. He then left Scapa Flow with the battleship King George V, the aircraft carrier Victorious, the light cruisers Kenya, Galatea, Aurora, Neptune, Hermione, and the destroyers Active, Inglefield, Intrepid, Lance, Punjabi and Winsor. The battle cruiser Repulse sailing from the Clyde was to join them later the next morning.

That night of 22/23 May, after receiving the report, Winston Churchill cabled to president Franklin D. Roosevelt: "Yesterday, twenty-first, Bismarck, Prinz Eugen and eight merchant ships located in Bergen. Low clouds prevented air attack. Tonight [we discovered] they have sailed. We have reason to believe that a formidable Atlantic raid is intended. Should we fail to catch them going out your Navy should surely be able to mark them down for us. King George V, Prince of Wales, Hood, Repulse and aircraft carrier Victorious, with auxiliary vessels will be on their track. Give us the news and we will finish the job."


Vice-Admiral Lancelot Ernest Holland

On 23 May the weather remained the same. At 1811 in the afternoon, the Germans sighted ships to starboard, but soon realised they were actually icebergs which were common in those latitudes. Meanwhile, the battle group reached the ice limit, and set a course of 240º. At 1922, the Bismarck and Prinz Eugen were sighted by the British heavy cruiser Suffolk at a distance of seven miles. The Suffolk sent an enemy report: "One battleship, one cruiser in sight bearing 020º, distance 7 miles, course 240º." The Germans had detected the British cruiser as well, but were unable to engage the enemy because the Suffolk took cover in the fog. About an hour later, at 2030, the Germans sighted the British heavy cruiser Norfolk, and this time the Bismarck opened fire immediately. She fired five salvos, three of which straddled the Royal Navy ship throwing some splinters on board. The Norfolk was not hit by any direct impact, but had to launch a smoke screen and retire into the fog. The British cruisers then took up positions astern of the German ships; the Suffolk (equipped with a new Type 284 radar) on the starboard quarter, and the Norfolk (with an old Type 286M radar) on the port quarter. Both ships would keep R. D/F (radio direction-finding) contact and report the Germans’ position until more powerful British ships could engage.


Captain Ralph Kerr

On board the Bismarck the forward radar set (FuMo 23) had been disabled by the blast of the forward turrets. Because of this, Admiral Lütjens ordered his ships to exchange positions and the Prinz Eugen with her three radar sets (FuMo 27) intact took the lead. Bismarck’s powerful artillery would serve to keep the British cruisers from coming any closer. This change would produce great confusion for the British the next morning.


The Prinz Eugen follows Bismarck in the fog with the help of a searchlight. 22 May 1941.

After being sighted by cruisers Suffolk and Norfolk, Lütjens could have then turned around and head for the Norwegian Sea in order to refuel from tanker Weissenburg. He had already done this earlier that year when in command of Scharnhorst and Gneisenau his force was detected by the British cruiser Naiad in the Faeroes-Iceland gap. An early retreat at this point would have forced the four British capital ships (Hood, Prince of Wales, King George V and Repulse) that had already put to sea, to go back to Scapa Flow with a considerable expenditure of fuel. This time however, Lütjens continued towards the Atlantic with the hope of shaking off the British cruisers at night. The weather conditions in the Denmark Strait were favourable to do so. If Lütjens decided to press on it is probably because he believed that the heavy units of the Home Fleet were too far away to intercept him, and maybe even still in Scapa Flow. The German reconnaissance reports seemed to confirm this, although the truth is that Vice-Admiral Holland's force was already approaching the area at high speed. Another thing Lütjens did not count on was the effective use of British radars. At about 2200, the Bismarck reversed her course trying to catch the Suffolk, but the British cruiser withdrew maintaining the distance. Therefore, the Bismarck returned to the formation behind the Prinz Eugen.

[SAMWolf]

The Battle of the Denmark Strait

The Battle of the Denmark Strait, also known as the Iceland Battle, was a brief naval engagement of little more than a quarter of an hour. It was a clash of titans in which the largest warships on Earth were put to the test, and it will be remembered as a battle that ended in the sinking of a mythic ship.

In the early morning of 24 May, the weather improved and the visibility increased. The German battle group maintained a course of 220º and a speed of 28 knots, when at 0525, the Prinz Eugen's hydrophones detected propeller noises of two ships on her port side. At 0537 the Germans sighted what they first thought to be a light cruiser at about 19 miles (35,190 meters / 38,480 yards) on port side. At 0543, another unidentified unit was sighted to port, and thereafter the alarm was given aboard the Bismarck and Prinz Eugen. Aboard the Bismarck the identification of the enemy ships was uncertain, and they were now both mistakenly thought to be heavy cruisers. Correct identification at this time was vital in order to choose the right type of shells. Prinz Eugen's First Artillery Officer (I.A.O.), Lieutenant-Commander Paulus Jasper, also believed the approaching ships to be cruisers and ordered to load 20.3cm high explosive shells (Spgr. L/4,7). By this point, the British warships (in reality the battle cruiser Hood and the battleship Prince of Wales) were approaching the German battle group on a course of 280º at 28 knots. Vice-Admiral Holland, aboard the Hood, familiar with the vulnerability of his battle cruiser in a long range combat, was probably trying to get closer quickly before opening fire. Admiral Lütjens did not have any other choice but to accept the combat.


HMS Hood Opens Fire

Balance of Forces

Ship:	Bismarck	Prinz Eugen	Hood	Prince of Wales
Displacement:	50,900 mt	19,042 mt	48,400 mt	44,400 mt
Armament:  ·  Main:  ·  Secondary:  ·  Torpedoes:	8 x 38 cm 12 x 15 cm -	8 x 20.3 cm - 12 x 53.3 cm	8 x 38.1 cm - 4 x 53.3 cm	10 x 35.6 cm 16 x 13.3 cm -
Armour:  ·  Main belt:  ·  Turrets:  ·  Upper deck:  ·  Armour deck:	320 mm 130-360 mm 50-80 mm 80-120 mm	80 mm 160 mm 25 mm 30 mm	305 mm 127-381 mm 38 mm 75 mm	348-374 mm 150-324 mm - 124-150 mm
Speed:	30 knots	32.5 knots	30-31 knots	28 knots

DKM Bismarck Returns Fire

Due to the similar silhouettes of the German ships, at 0549 Holland ordered his ships to both engage the leading German ship (the Prinz Eugen) believing she was the Bismarck. After this, the British ships made a 20º turn to starboard on a new course of 300º. At 0552, just before opening fire, Holland correctly identified the Bismarck at last and ordered his force to shift target to the right-hand ship, but for some reason Hood kept track on the leading ship. Aboard the Prince of Wales however, they correctly targeted the Bismarck which followed in Prinz Eugen's wake a mile or so behind. Suddenly, at 0552.5, and from a distance of about 12.5 miles (23,150 meters / 25,330 yards), the Hood opened fire, followed by the Prince of Wales half a minute later at 0553. Both ships opened fire with their forward turrets, since their after turrets could not be brought to bear due to the ships' unfavourable angle of approach. Admiral Lütjens immediately signalled to Group North: "Am in a fight with two heavy units". The first salvo from Prince of Wales landed over and astern of Bismarck. Afterwards, Prince of Wales started suffering the first of many mechanical problems, as "A" turret's no. 1 gun broke down temporarily and could not fire anymore. Her second, third and fourth salvoes fell over Bismarck. Hood's first two salvoes fell short from Prinz Eugen throwing some splinters and much water on board.

Jot Dora! The Bismarck Opens Fire.


Two 38.1 cm shells from the Hood land close to the Prinz Eugen.

The British shells were already landing close, but the German guns still remained silent. Aboard the Bismarck, the First Artillery Officer (I.A.O.), Lieutenant-Commander Adalbert Schneider, in the foretop command post, requested several times permission to open fire without reply from the bridge. Finally at 0555, while Holland's force was turning 20º to port (a manoeuvre that now permitted Bismarck to identify correctly the Hood and a battleship of the King George V Class), the Bismarck opened fire followed by the Prinz Eugen immediately afterwards. The distance at this time was around 11 miles (20,300 meters / 22,200 yards). Both German ships concentrated their fire on the foremost right opponent, the Hood. Bismarck's first salvo landed short. Aboard the Prinz Eugen, the port 53.3cm torpedo tubes had already been trained towards the enemy and Captain Brinkmann ordered the Torpedo Officer, Lieutenant Reimann: "permission to fire as soon as in reaching range". At 0556, Prince of Wales' fifth salvo fell over again, but the sixth straddled and likely hit the Bismarck even though aboard the British battleship no hits were observed. The initial fire of the Germans had been excellent, and at 0557, the Prinz Eugen had already obtained a hit on Hood's shelter deck near the mainmast. This caused a big fire which spread as far as the second funnel. The Bismarck had also been hit, and was now leaving a broad track of oil upon the surface of the sea. Therefore, Lütjens ordered the Prinz Eugen (that had already fired six salvoes on Hood) to change target towards the Prince of Wales, together with the secondary battery of the Bismarck which had just entered in action.

The Destruction of the Hood.


The Bismarck opens fire against the Hood.

At 0600, the Hood and the Prince of Wales were in the process of turning another 20º to port in order to bring their after turrets into action, when Bismarck's fifth salvo hit the Hood. The distance was less than 9 miles (16,668 meters / 18,236 yards). At least one shell penetrated Hood's armour belt and reached an after magazine where it exploded. The German observers were awestruck by the enormous explosion. The Hood, the Mighty Hood, pride of the Royal Navy and during 20 years the largest warship in the world, split in two and sank in three minutes at about 63º 22' north, 32º 17' west. The stern portion sank first, end up and centre down, followed by the bow portion, stem up centre down. It happened so fast that there was not even time to abandon the ship. Out of a crew of 1,418 men, only three survived. Vice-Admiral Holland and his fleet staff, the commander of the Hood Captain Ralph Kerr, and everyone else perished. The three survivors were rescued after three and a half hours at sea by the destroyer Electra (Commander Cecil Wakeford May), and later landed in Reykjavik.


Bismarck opens fire on Hood.

After the Hood blew up, the Bismarck turned to starboard and concentrated her fire on the Prince of Wales. The British battleship had since altered her course to avoid the wreck of the Hood, and this placed her between the sinking battle cruiser and the German ships. The Germans were thus presented with an easy target switch. At 0602, the Bismarck hit Prince of Wales' bridge, killing everybody there, except the commander, Captain John Catterall Leach and another man. The distance had decreased to 14,000 meters (15,310 yards), and now even the 10.5cm heavy anti-aircraft battery on Prinz Eugen (on Bismarck probably too) entered in action. The Prince of Wales was in clear disadvantage, and at 0603 launched a smoke screen and retreated from the combat after being hit a total of four times by the Bismarck and three more by the Prinz Eugen. The British battleship fired three more salvoes with "Y" turret under local control while retreating, but did not obtain any hits. At 0609 the Germans fired their last salvo and the battle ended. For the British, this must have been incredible, the German ships kept the same course instead of following the damaged Prince of Wales and finishing her off.



The Prinz Eugen was not hit during the battle and remained undamaged, even though some Hood's shells landed close by in the opening phase of the engagement. However, the Bismarck had been hit on the port side by three heavy shells probably from the Prince of Wales. The first shell hit Bismarck amidships below the waterline in section XIV, passed through the outer hull just below the main belt, and exploded against the 45-mm armoured torpedo bulkhead. This hit caused the flooding of the port electric plant No 4. The adjacent No 2 boiler room also took some water but this was contained by the damage control parties through the use of hammocks. The second shell hit the bow in section XXI, just above the waterline. This projectile entered the port side, passed through the ship above the armoured deck without exploding, and exited the starboard side leaving a hole of 1.5 meters in diameter. Around 2,000 tons of salt water got into the forecastle, and as a consequence of this 1,000 tons of fuel oil were blocked there. The third shell simply passed through a boat without any appreciable damage at all.


This photo is the most well known of the battleship Bismarck and one the most famous of World War II as well. It was taken from the Prinz Eugen between 0602 and 0609. At this time the Hood has already been sunk and the Bismarck hit on her bows. The after turrets "Cäsar" and "Dora" are firing against the Prince of Walesin one of the last salvoes of the battle. Don't get confused, it's not at night, the blast of the guns has darkened the photo.

As a result of these hits, the top speed of the Bismarck was reduced to 28 knots. The battleship was 3º down by the bow and had a 9º list to port. Because of this, the blades tips of the starboard propeller were out of the water at times. Therefore the starboard void tanks in sections II and III were flooded to reduce the bow trim and list. The damage was not especially serious, the Bismarck maintained intact her fighting capability, good speed, and there were not any casualties among the crew. However the loss of fuel was to affect the remaining course of action.

[SAMWolf]

Lütjens Options.


0601 hours. The Hood blows up as seen from the Prinz Eugen.

After the battle in the Denmark Strait, the German ships continued on a south-western course. At this time Lütjens had two main options. The first was to return to Norway and the second to carry on into the North Atlantic. Today most people agree that if possible, Lütjens should have destroyed or at least disabled the already damaged Prince of Wales, then turn around, and head for Trondheim, via the Denmark Strait. Lütjens could also have taken a shorter path to Bergen, via the Faeroes-Iceland passage, although the chances of being intercepted by Tovey's battle group (King George V, Repulse, and Victorious) coming from Scapa Flow were greater as well. Instead, the German Admiral opted not to pursue the Prince of Wales (apparently against Captain Lindemann's suggestions) and headed for the Atlantic. At 0801, Admiral Lütjens sent a series of messages to the Group North informing of his intention to take Bismarck to Saint-Nazaire for repairs. The Prinz Eugen, which was undamaged, would stay in the Atlantic to attack enemy convoys on her own.


British battleship Prince of Wales (left smoke column) turns to open the range, after she was hit by German gunfire. Smoke at right marks the spot where HMS Hood had exploded and sunk a few minutes earlier.
Photographed from the German heavy cruiser Prinz Eugen.

The decision to head for Saint-Nazaire shows that after a survey of the damage received, Lütjens had correctly decided to cancel Operation Rheinübung at least temporarily until the Bismarck could be repaired in port. But, why did he choose Saint-Nazaire? The French port was farther than Norway and it required greater fuel expenditure. Lütjens probably thought France was the best place to resume the battle of the Atlantic as soon as possible following Raeder's wishes. In fact he had successfully entered Brest with Scharnhorst and Geneisenau a couple of months earlier.

At 0950, Captain Brinkmann was informed by semaphore of the damage received by Bismarck, and afterwards Lütjens ordered the Prinz Eugen to take up position aft of Bismarck temporarily in order to ascertain the severity of her oil loss. By 1100, the Prinz Eugen resumed her previous position in front of the battle group. The three British pursuing ships, now under command of Rear-Admiral Wake-Walker, were still shadowing the Germans; the Suffolk from the starboard quarter, and the Norfolk with Prince of Wales from the port quarter. At noon, the German command transferred the operative control of Operation Rheinübung from Group North to Group West, and at 1240 Bismarck and Prinz Eugen set a new course of 180º due south at 24 knots.


Between 0602-0609 hours. The Bismarck with her guns trained to port opens fire on the Prince of Wales.

The brief Battle of the Denmark Strait, which lasted only about seventeen minutes from opening shot to "cease fire", caused the Germans to terminate Bismarck's sortie. After parting ways with Prinz Eugen later in the day, she turned southeast, toward France. The British, who already had sufficient cause to want Bismarck eliminated, now had an additional motive: revenge for the tragic loss of Hood and nearly all of her crew.

Additional Sources:

www.history.navy.mil
www.milartgl.com
www.navalships.org
www.ruble.org
home.t-online.de/home/jgust
www.blohmvoss.com
battleshipbismarck.hypermart.net

[SAMWolf]

Although considered a fine commander, Admiral Lütjens has been unjustly criticised for some of the decisions made during Operation Rheinübung. Today with the advantage of knowing the final outcome of battle, it is easy to conduct a deep examination of the operations and say what Lütjens should or shouldn't have done. But one must put himself in place of the German Admiral and try to understand the difficulty of his decisions and the time in which they were made. Nevertheless, the truth is that both German and British committed a series of "reproachable mistakes" that made this story even more dramatic and interesting. If a single one of those mistakes had not been made, the course of the operations could have developed in a completely different way and the outcome of the battle could have been quite different. As Karel Stepanek playing Admiral Lütjens in the 1960 movie "Sink the Bismarck" says: "We have a most interesting chess game here".



From the operative point of view, Operation Rheinübung was a failure since its first stages, since as early as 20 May, the German battle group had been already detected in the Kattegat. The British demonstrated that they had heavily improved their vigilance, and successfully signalled the Bismarck from the first time in Norway. The Germans on the other hand, suffered from inadequate intelligence and a lack of effective cooperation with the U-boat arm. Despite all this, the Bismarck almost escaped, and she would certainly have done so if it were not for that fatal torpedo hit on the stern. If there is one thing that can not be reproached is the conduct of her crew which was in every way exemplary.




The Bismarck seen from the Prinz Eugen in the morning of 24 May during the last change of position

For the German Navy the sinking of the battleship Bismarck was probably the heaviest single blow of the war. Nevertheless, the Kriegsmarine still had considerable striking power and was far from being defeated as the year 1942 proved, but the loss of the Bismarck marked a turning point in the war on Allied merchant shipping. Not only because of the loss of the battleship itself, but because the consequences that it brought. Shortly after Operation Rheinübung the Germans abandoned the use of heavy surface warships for raiding purposes in the Atlantic. From then on only the auxiliary cruisers remained engaged against enemy merchant shipping, but even their use proved difficult by the end of 1941, and therefore the Germans concentrated in the U-boat war. U-boats would still bring important successes, but they too were eventually defeated in May 1943 with the loss of 41 units, in what we can consider the other turning point in the battle of the Atlantic.


Bismarck astern of Prinz Eugen in the morning of 24 May after the Iceland Battle.

The aircraft carrier had revealed itself as a decisive weapon and soon was to replace the battleship as the ultimate warship. This was confirmed six months later during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbour, and during the battle of the Coral Sea, the first true aero-naval battle in history between two carrier forces. Today already in the 21st century the battleship era is long gone now, but the story of the Bismarck and her brave crew still fascinates thousands of people and demonstrates that her legend is still alive.

[SAMWolf]

[SAMWolf]

Veterans Day 2003
PDN News Desk ^ comwatch

Veterans Day is right around the corner.

It only takes a few minutes to write a letter to the kids and share a story of why you served.

If you aren't a Veteran then share your thoughts on why it is important to remember our Veterans on Veterans Day. 

It's an opportunity for us to support our troops, our country and show appreciations for our local veterans. It's another way to counter the Anti-Iraq campaign propaganda.  Would you like to help?  Are there any VetsCoR folks on the Left Coast?  We have a school project that everyone can help with too, no matter where you live.  See the end of this post for details.

Three Northern California events have been scheduled and we need help with each:

 

Friday evening - November 7th Veterans in School (An Evening of Living History, A Veterans Day Ice Cream Social)

http://www.patriotwatch.com/V-Day2003c.htm

 

Saturday - 11 a.m. November 8th: Veterans Day Parade (PDN & Friends parade entry)

http://www.patriotwatch.com/V-Day2003b.htm

 

Sunday November 9, 2003 Noon to 3:00 PM Support our Troops & Veterans Rally prior to Youth Symphony Concert

http://www.patriotwatch.com/V-Day2003d.htm

 

Each of the WebPages above have a link to e-mail a confirmation of your interest and desire to volunteer.  These are family events and everyone is welcome to pitch in.  We'd really appreciate hearing from you directly via each these specific links.  This way, we can keep you posted on only those projects you want to participate in.

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Veterans in School - How you can help if you're not close enough to participate directly. If you are a veteran, share a story of your own with the children.  If you have family serving in the military, tell them why it's important that we all support them. Everyone can thank them for having this special event.  Keep in mind that there are elementary school kids. 

Help us by passing this message around to other Veteran's groups.  I have introduced VetsCoR and FreeperFoxhole to a number of school teachers.  These living history lessons go a long way to inspire patriotism in our youth.  Lets see if we can rally America and give these youngsters enough to read for may weeks and months ahead.  If we can, we'll help spread it to other schools as well.

  Click this link to send an email to the students.

[snippy_about_it]

.......FALL IN to the FReeper Foxhole!

.......Good Tuesday Morning Everyone!


If you would like added to our ping list let us know.

[Pippin]

GOOD MORNING EVERYBODY!!!

[E.G.C.]

Good morning, Snippy and everyone at the Freeper Foxhole. How's it going?

[snippy_about_it]

Good morning Pippin.

[snippy_about_it]

Morning EGC.

[manna]

Present!

[Jen]

ALOHA Foxhole FRiends!!! Busy day for me. Gotta squillion things to do because guess where I'm headed tomorrow morning? (Think palm trees, ocean, Waikiki Beach, tradewinds, Japanese tourists, Diamondhead...)

[The Mayor]

Christlike people are likable people even if hated by some people

[Pippin]

GRRRR! LOL!

Have a great trip! :O)

[snippy_about_it]

Good morning manna.

[snippy_about_it]

ooooh. Lucky you. Have fun!!

[snippy_about_it]

Good morning Mayor.

[The Mayor]

Mornin Ma'am

[Valin]

On This Day In History


Birthdates which occurred on October 28:
1017 Henry III Holy Roman emperor (1046-56)
1585 Cornelius Otto Jansen France, Roman Catholic reform leader
1810 Brig Gen Adley H Gladden La, killed at Shiloh
1818 Ivan Turgenev Russia, novelist/poet/playwright (Fathers & Sons)
1842 Anna Elizabeth Dickinson orator (Joan of Arc of the Civil War)
1846 Auguste Escoffier king of chefs & chef of kings
1896 Howard Hanson Wahoo Nebraska, composer/conductor (Nordic)
1902 Elsa Lanchester Lewisham London, actress (Bride of Frankenstien)
1903 Evelyn Waugh London, author (Brideshead Revisited)
1907 Edith Head fashion designer (MGM)
1907 Lew Parker actor (Lou Marie-That Girl)
1910 Marie Dollinger Germany, dropped baton in 1936 Olympic sprint
1914 Dr Jonas Salk NYC, medical researcher, made polio a fear of the past
1926 Bowie Kuhn baseball commissioner (1969-1984)
1927 Cleo Laine Middlesex England, singer (Flesh to a Tiger)
1929 Dody Goodman Columbus Ohio, actress (Mary Hartman!, Max Duggan)
1929 Joan Plowright England, actress (Brimstone & Treacle)
1934 Jim Beatty track runner (1st sub 4 minute indoor mile)
1936 Charlie Daniels country music star (Devil Went Down to Georgia)
1937 Lenny Wilkins NBA player, coach (Seattle, Cleveland)
1939 Jane Alexander Mass, actress (The Betsy, Kramer vs Kramer)
1940 Gennadi M Strekalov cosmonaut (Soyuz T-3, T-8, T-11)
1944 Coluche France comedian/actor (My Best Friend's Girl)
1944 Dennis Franz Maywood Ill, actor (Norman Buntz-Hill Street Blues)
1945 Wayne Fontana Manchester England, rocker (Groovy Kind of Love)
1947 Tom Fitzsimmons SF Calif, actor (Franklin-The Paper Chase)
1948 Telma Hopkins Louisville, singer (Tony Orlando, Family Matters)
1949 Bruce Jenner US, decathalete (Olympic-gold-1976)
1952 Annie Potts Nashville TN, actress (Mary Jo-Designing Women)
1955 William Gates billionaire CEO (Microsoft)
1957 Stephen Morris rocker (New Order-Round & Round)
1959 Neville Henry rocker (Blow Monkeys-Wicked Ways)
1959 Walther Bauersfeld 1919 inventor (1st modern projection planetarium)
1960 Mark Derwin Park Forest Ill, actor (AC Mallet-Guiding Light)
1962 Daphne Zuniga actress (Gross Anatomy, Fly II, Spaceballs)
1963 Veronica Gamba Buenos Aires Arg, playmate (November, 1983)
1965 Jami Gertz Chicago, actress (Less the Zero, Crossroads, Solarbabies)
1966 Lauren Holly actress (All My Children)
1974 Leaf Phoenix PR, actor (Russkies, Space Camp)

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Deaths which occurred on October 28:
900 Alfred the Great English monarch, dies
1704 John Locke, English philosopher (2 treatises on govt), dies at 72
1957 Anthony J Morabito co-owner of SF '49ers, dies while watching a game
1980 Leon Janney actor (Hawk), dies at 63
1987 Andr‚ Masson France, surrealist artist (Labyrinth), dies at 91
1987 Woody Herman, US jazz clarinetist/composer, dies at 74
1991 John Korbal film historian (Marlene Dietrich), dies at 51

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Reported: MISSING in ACTION

1967 KIRK THOMAS H.---PORTSMOUNTH VA.
[03/14/73 RELEASED BY DRV, ALIVE AND WELL 98]
1968 CONNOR CHARLES R.---SALT LAKE CITY UT.
1968 RICKER WILLIAM E.---PORTLAND OR.
1968 STONEBRAKER KENNETH A.---HOBART IN.
1968 STROVEN WILLIAM H.---FREMONT MI.
1972 HALL JAMES W.---LOS ANGELES CA.
[PROB HEADED FOR HANOI, REMAINS RETURNED 03/15/2000]

POW / MIA Data & Bios supplied by
the P.O.W. NETWORK. Skidmore, MO. USA.

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On this day...
0306 Marcus Aurelius Valerius Maxentius proclaimed emperor of Rome
0312 Constantine the Great defeats Marcus Aurelius Valerius Maxentius at the Mulvian Bridge
1492 Christopher Columbus discovers Cuba
1636 Harvard University (Boston) established
1776 Battle of White Plains; Washington retreats to NJ
1790 New York gives up claims to Vermont for $30,000
1793 Eli Whitney applies for a patent on the cotton gin
1886 Statue of Liberty dedicated by Pres Grover Cleveland, it is celebrated by the 1st confetti (ticker tape) parade in NYC
1890 Last NL-AA World Series game Brooklyn ties Louisville 3 games & 1 tie
1891 Quake strikes Mino-Owari, Japan kills 7,300
1900 After over 5 months the Paris Olympic games close
1904 St Louis police try a new investigation method-fingerprints
1911 Bill Dobbie of Calgary Tigers kicks 10 singles in a game
1914 George Eastman announces the invention of the color photographic process.
1914 Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, founded at Howard University, incorporates
1918 Czechoslovakia gains independence as Austria-Hungary breaks up
1919 Volstead Act passed by Congress, start prohibition over Wilson's veto
1922 1st coast-to-coast radio broadcast of a football game
1922 Benito Mussolini takes control of Italy's government
1924 White Sox beat NY Giants 8-4 in Dublin, less than 20 fans attend
1929 1st child born in aircraft, Miami, Fl
1934 Brooklyn & Pittsburgh play a penalty free NFL game
1936 FDR rededicates Statue of Liberty on its 50th anniversary
1940 Greece successfully resists Italy's attack
1942 Train crashes into bus, killing 16 & injuring 20 (Detroit Michigan)
1946 German rocket engineers begin work in USSR
1948 Flag of Israel is adopted
1953 Bud Grant of Winnipeg Blue Bombers intercepts 5 passes (record)
1958 Angelo Giuseppe Roncalli, elected Pope, taking the name John XXIII
1959 Buffalo Bills enter the AFL
1961 Ground broken for Municipal (Shea) Stadium for NY Mets
1962 Khrushchev orders withdrawal of missiles from Cuba, ending crisis
1962 NY Giant YA Tittle passes for 7 touchdowns vs Wash Redskins (49-34)
1965 Gateway Arch (630' (190m) high) completed in St Louis, Missouri
1965 Pope Paul VI proclaims Jews not collectively guilty for crucifixion
1966 Belgium's Gaston Roelants runs 12-4/5 miles in 1 hour
1970 NBA Cleve Cavaliers 1st home game, lose to San Diego 110-99
1970 US/USSR sign an agreement to discuss joint space efforts
1971 England becomes 6th nation to have a satellite (Prospero) in orbit
1971 John & Yoko record "Happy Xmas (War is Over)" in NYC
1973 Elmore Smith of the Lakers blocks 17 shots in a game (NBA record)
1974 1st time 2 Islanders hat trick in same game-MacMillian & Westfall
1975 Calvin Murphy (Houston) begins NBA free throw streak of 58 games
1976 Billy Martin named AL Manager of the Year (NY Yankees)
1977 TV's Rhoda gets married
1978 Donald Ritchie ran the fastest 100 Km ever, doing it in 7.2722
1979 Dick Howser (best Yank mngr win-lost pct .636) replaces Billy Martin
1981 Edward M McIntrye elected 1st black mayor of Augusta Georgia
1982 NASA launches RCA-E
1985 The leader of the so-called "Walker family spy ring," John Walker, pleaded guilty to giving U-S Navy secrets to the Soviet Union
1986 KOB-AM in Albuquerque NM changes call letters to KKOB
1986 KOB-TV in Albuquerque NM's final transmission
1988 Jurors award $147,000 to Tacoma parishioner seduced by her minister
1988 Microsoft cofounder Paul Allen gives $10 million to U Wash library
1989 Oakland A's sweep SF Giants in earthquake/BART series
2001 U.S.-led forces resumed air strikes against targets in Afghanistan, bombing the Taliban's southern stronghold of Kandahar

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Holidays
Note: Some Holidays are only applicable on a given "day of the week"

Cuba : Loss of Major Camila Cienfuegas
Czechoslovakia : Foundation of the Republic Day (1918)
Greece, Cyprus : Ochi Day (1940)
US : Mother-in-Law's Day (Sunday)
New Zealand : Labour Day-last Monday in October (Monday)
US some states : Veterans Day (Monday)
US : Francis E Willard Day-temperance day (Friday)
US : National Pie Day.
Disarmament Week (Day 5)
National Magic Week (Day 4)
International Book Fair Month
National Communicate with Your Kid Month

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Religious Observances
RC, Ang, Luth : Feast of SS Simon & Jude, apostles

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Religious History
_312 Roman emperor Constantine, 32, defeated the army of Maxentius, a contender to the throne, at Milvian Bridge, after trusting in a vision he had seen of the cross, inscribed with the words, "In this sign conquer." Constantine was converted soon after and became the first Roman emperor to embrace the Christian faith.
1646 At Nonantum, Mass., colonial missionary John Eliot ("Apostle to the New England Indians"), 42, conducted the first Protestant worship service for the Indians of North America. He also delivered the first sermon preached to the Indians in their native tongue.
1777 Anglican clergyman and hymnwriter John Newton wrote in a letter; 'The Lord usually reserves dying strength for a dying hour.'
1820 Birth of John H. Hopkins, a leader in the development of Episcopal church hymnody during the mid-19th century. Today, he is better remembered as the author and composer of the Christmas hymn, "We Three Kings of Orient Are."
1949 American missionary martyr Jim Elliot, 22, inscribed in his journal perhaps the most oft-quoted of all his sayings: 'He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose.'

Source: William D. Blake. ALMANAC OF THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH. Minneapolis: Bethany House, 1987.

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Thought for the day :
"Millions saw the apple fall, but Newton asked why."

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You might be in the army if...
you refer to your son as Boy, Steven Type, 1 Each.

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Murphys Law of the day...
Tell a man there are 300 billion stars in the universe and he'll believe you. Tell him a bench has wet paint on it and he'll have to touch it to be sure.

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Astounding fact # 709...
Dinosaur droppings are called coprolites, and are actually fairly common.

[Soaring Feather]

Good morning everyone!!