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Sink the Bismarck by Stan Stokes. Commissioned on August 24, 1940, the German battleship Bismarck was the epitome of naval power. The great ship was 823 feet in length, had a beam of 118 feet, and a displacement of 50,000 tons. After nine months of sea trials the Bismarck embarked on its first mission accompanied by the cruiser Prinz Eugen on May 19, 1941. The Bismarcks mission was to destroy and disrupt convoys carrying war relief supplies to Britain from North America. On May 20th the Bismarck was spotted and reported to British intelligence as it passed through the narrow straits between Denmark and Sweden. The British presumed correctly that the Bismarck was headed for the North Atlantic, but by which route? Dividing its naval forces in an attempt to intercept the mighty German battleship, four ships were sent to patrol the Denmark strait, including the newly commissioned battleship Prince of Wales, and the H.M.S. Hood, a heavily armed battle cruiser, pride of the British fleet. On may 23rd the Bismarck was spotted by the H.M.S. Norfolk and the H.M.S. Suffolk. The Bismarck opened fire on the Norfolk, which was out gunned by the German ship, but fortunately was able to elude the Bismarck because of heavy fog and mist. With its position identified British Naval authorities ordered several other ships to the area including the H.M.S. Ark Royal, one of two aircraft carriers dispatched. On May 24th the Bismarck was engaged again. The H.M.S. Hood took a direct hit and exploded with the loss of all but three of its large crew. The Bismarck took two hits from the Prince of Wales during this battle, one of which had the effect of reducing the huge ships effective fuel capacity, and hence range. Later that evening a torpedo plane attack was launched at the German battleship, which sustained one hit with little damage. On May 25th the Bismarck separated from the Prinz Eugen, and set a course for the French coast in hopes of making repairs. On May 26th the Bismarck was located again by a British reconnaissance aircraft. In an attempt to prevent the ship from reaching the safety of Luftwaffe air cover, a second torpedo plane attack was launched from the Ark Royal. Utilizing Fairy Swordfish bi-plane torpedo bombers, two hits were achieved. The first was amidships and caused virtually no damage. The second hit was astern, and resulted in the jamming of the Bismarcks rudder. Unable to maneuver, the great German battleship had little choice that to continue steaming for the French coast. Four more British warships lay in its path including the H.M.S. Rodney, the H.M.S. King George V, the H.M.S. Dorsetshire, and the H.M.S. Norfolk. On the morning of May 27th an enormous sea battle took place, with the unmaneuverable Bismarck taking more than 1,000 direct hits. After losing its fire control system, the Bismarck became a defenseless target. At approximately 10:00 AM Bismarcks Captain gave the orders to scuttle the enormous ship, and about 40 minutes later the great vessel slipped quietly beneath the surface of the Atlantic. |
Atlantic Comrades by Ivan Berryman. The Scharnhorst is pictured in 1939 when she and her sister ship Gneisenau menacingly prowled the North Atlantic. She is shown at dawn as two type VII U-Boats glide towards her for a friendly rendezvous and to take on much needed supplies, as well as a few of the luxuries that the tiny u-boats were simply too small to carry. |
Voyage into Destiny by Robert Taylor. Leaving the port of Gdynia on May 18th 1941, two large German warships stealthily zig-zagged their way up the coast of Norway at the outset of what was to become one pf the shortest, most fiercely fought naval contests of the Second World War. Operation Rheinubung was under way. With Fleet Commander Admiral Lutjens on the bridge, the brand new battleship Bismarck would leave the relative safety of the Norwegian fjords, destined for the busy shipping lanes in the Atlantic. After refuelling, and in company with the battlecruiser Prinz Eugen, on May 21st the two heavily armed warships headed for the Denmark Strait and out into the wide expanse of the Atlantic. Bound for active convoy routes, Bismarck would play havoc with vital Allied merchant shipping. Faster than almost any warship afloat, the magnificent new 42,000 ton monsters awesome firepower would prove no match for the lightly protected merchantmen or their escorts, as they laboriously plied their desperately needed cargo across the ocean towards Europe. It seemed she was invincible. Within three days of sailing, Bismarcks first encounter was a triumph! Intercepted south west of Iceland by the British Home Fleet, the German battleships gunners went into action for the first time, their second and third salvos striking the battlecruiser Hood. She exploded and sank within three minutes. But Bismarcks success brought the wrath of the Royal Navy upon her and, just three days later, on the morning of May 27th, with her rudder damaged by a torpedo, the pride of the German navy fell to the guns of the British Home Fleet. Outnumbered, she fought bravely, but succumbed, the magnificent new battleships active war lasting less than a week. The battleship Bismarck off the coast of Norway at the start of Operation Rheinubung. Under the watchful eye of Jagdeschwader 77s Me 109 fighters, in company with the battlecruiser Prinz Eugen, and destroyers Hans Lody and Z23, Germanys magnificent new battleship Bismarck is seen manoeuvring near Korsfjord Bergen on May 21, 1941. That evening, with Prinz Eugen, she will leave for Arctic waters, the Denmark Strait, the Atlantic, and destiny. Within days the pride of the German Kriegsmarine will have passed into history. |
Escort to the Scharnhorst by Simon Atack When the German battleships Scharnhorst and Gneisenau entered Brest in March, 1941, between them they had sunk a total of 22 ships during their North Atlantic operations. Laying in port however, they became a target for constant air attack, Scharnhorst being damaged by bombs, and in February 1942 the decision was made to break out with the famous Channel Dash. Scharnhorst led the flotilla in a daring passage through the English Channel, heading for the sanctuary of Wilhelmshaven. They all got through but, striking two mines en-route, it was March 1943 before the Scharnhorst was able to resume battle operations when, under heavy escort, she sailed for Norway. Simon Atacks panoramic seascape depicts a scene from Operation Paderborn as Scharnhorst ploughs through a lively swell with Fw190s of I./JG5, based at Oslo Fornebu, providing fighter cover. Steaming in company with destroyers Z-28 and Erich Steinbrinck, the mighty German battleship has departed Gotenhafen and is heading towards Bogen Bay, near Narvik in Norway. But Scharnhorsts days were numbered. On 26 December 1943 the huge battleship attacked a convoy off North Cape, but in the heavy seas Scharnhorst became detached from her destroyer escort. With the British Home Fleet aware of her position, and intentions, she was intercepted, the Britishbattleship Duke of York landing a barrage of 14-inch shells on the mighty German warship. The blows were fatal, the coup-de-grace coming shortly after, when 11 torpedoes sent the magnificent but deadly battleship quickly to the bottom. There were just 36 survivors. |
Battleship Bismarck by Simon Atack. With her raked bow proudly slicing through the morning swell of Norwegian waters, the mighty 41,000 ton battleship Bismarck leads her consort, the heavy cruiser Prinz Eugen, with destroyers Z10, Z16 and Z23 among her escorts, into the approaches to Korsfjord near Bergen, at 0800hrs on 21st May 1941. Aboard, Bismarck's captain Ernst Lindemann was plotting a voyage that was to result in one of the greatest epics in the annals of naval warfare. As they steam towards Grimstadtfjord, an Arado Ar196A-2 floatplane gives a fly-by salute to the flotilla, this aircraft serving with I./Bordfliegerstaffel 195 which, together with 5./196 was responsible for providing aircraft for German naval vessels. Operated by Luftwaffe crews, and affectionately known as Eyes of the Fleet, the Arado 196 was specially designed for shipboard operation - with an airframe sturdy enought to withstand the rigours of catapult launching it was a highly effective armed Recce aircraft. Bismarck carried no fewer than four Arado 196 floatplanes, one always at readiness on the catapult, with three hangared aft of the funnel. As she sailed, a reconnaissance Spitfire had spotted Bismarcks movements and the British Home Fleet were alerted. The old battlecruiser Hood and new battleship Prince of Wales were despatched north-west from Scapa Flow to join the cruisers Norfolk and Suffolk in the Denmark Strait for a possible interception. And the rest is history: as Bismarck entered the Denmark Strait the two forces met. Hood, pride of the Royal Navy, received a direct hit in the ammunition magazine by a shell from Bismarck and sank so quickly that only three of her crew survived. Stunned by such severe loss, Churchill ordered the Bismarck to be sunk at all cost. Hunted down by the Home Fleet, with her rudder damaged and unable to steer, Bismarck was reduced to a mass of twisted steel by British naval gunfire, finally rolling over and sinking at 10.45 in the morning of the 27th of May. Thus ended one of the most compelling sea chases in naval history. The magnificent German battleship Bismarck at the outset of her final voyage, just five days before her fateful encounter with the British Home Fleet in the north Atlantic, May 1941. |
The Channel Dash by Ivan Berryman. February 1942 and Viz. Admiral Ciliaxs mighty Scharnhorst leads her sister Gneisenau and Prinz Eugen up the English Channel during Operation Cerberus, their daring breakout from the port of Brest on the French Atlantic coast to the relative safety of Wilhelmshaven and Brunsbuttel. All three ships survived what became known as the Channel Dash, not without damage, but the operation proved a huge propaganda success for Germany and a crushing embarrassment for the British. A number of torpedo boats are in attendance, including Kondor and Falke and the Z class destroyer Friedrich Ihn in the distance. |
Bismarck Entering Hamburg Harbour by Ivan Berryman Bismarck, now complete and newly painted in full Baltic camouflage, returns to Hamburg for the last time as the harsh winter of 1940/41 relents and the pride of the German Kriegsmarine prepares for real action. In the distance, the pre-Dreadnought Schleswig-Holstein awaits her next commission, the old ship alternating between vital ice-breaker and air defence duties at this time. The Bismarck would in May 1941 put to sea and engage and sink HMS Hood only to be caught by the British battleships Rodney and King George V. Bismarck was pounded into a floating wreck, finally being sunk by the torpedoes of HMS Dorsetshire. From her crew of 2300 only 110 would be rescued by HMS Dorsetshire and HMS Maori. |
Bismarck - Pride of the Kriegsmarine by Ivan Berryman. Together with her sister, Tirpitz, the Bismarck was Germany's most modern and formidable warship of WWII. Equipped with the very latest in rangefinder technology and festooned with defensive firepower, perhaps her most daunting weapons were the eight 15 inch guns, arranged in four turrets, that were to prove so effective against almost every other ship that she encountered, the most famous of these arguably being the Royal Navy's HMS Hood, sunk with huge loss of life in the Battle of the Denmark Strait in May 1941. Bismarck is depicted here in company with Prinz Eugen. |
Offshore Bombardment by Robert Taylor The Prinz Eugen, one of the finest and most famous ships in the German Navy, shelling Russian shore positions in Western Samland, the Baltic, January 1945 Earlier in the war The Prinz Eugen took part in the sinking of H.M.S. Hood and later the Channel Dash. |
Against All Odds - Attack on the Scharnhorst by Ivan Berryman. Swordfish of 825 Sqn led by Lt-Cdr Esmonde begin their heroic attack on the battlescruisers Scharnhorst and Gneisenau and the heavy cruiser Prinz Eugen as they make their way up the English Channel from Brest during Operation Cerberus on 12th February 1942. Although all the aircraft were lost and no significant damage was done to the German fleet, all the pilots were decorated for their bravery and Lt-Cdr Esmonde received the first Fleet Air Arm VC to be awarded, albeit posthumously. |
U-201 Deadly Chase by Anthony Saunders. 17th February 1943, U-201 with U-69 were ordered to intercept the westbound convoy ONS165. With fuel low U-201 was eventually forced to surface following a depth charge attack and rammed by the Destroyer HMS Fame. |
The Hunters by Randall Wilson. The mighty German battleships Bismarck and Tirpitz operated together for only 6 hours on the 18th May 1941. |
HMS Dorsetshire (The End of the Bismarck) by Ivan Berryman. The heavy cruiser HMS Dorsetshire is brought up to sink the blazing wreck of the Bismarck with torpedoes at around 10:30 hours on the morning of May 27th 1941. The once proud German ship had been ruthlessly pounded into a twisted and burning wreck by the British battleships Rodney and King George V. HMS Dorsetshire and HMS Maori combed the area of the sinking for survivors, between them picking up a total of 110 out of an original complement of 2,300. |
Break Out by Anthony Saunders. As Me109s from 3./JG77 and Me110s from ZG76 provide aerial cover, the pride of the Kriegsmarine - the battleships Bismarck - together with the heavy cruiser Prinz Eugen, destroyers Z10 Hans Lody and Z16 Friedrich Eckholdt, and a support escort fleet break out from Norwegian waters into the open sea on the evening of 21st May 1941. Heading for the rich pickings of the North Atlantic convoy routes, her ill-fated voyage would last only a few days. After a shattering victory over HMS Hood, Bismarck was caught and sunk by the Royal Navy Home Fleet a few days later on 27th May 1941. There were just 115 survivors from her complement of over 2000 men. |
HMS Glowworm's Attack on the Admiral Hipper by Ivan Berryman. HMS Glowworm, burning severely after receiving hits from the mighty Admiral Hipper, is depicted turning to begin her heroic sacrifice off the Norwegian coast on 8th April 1940. Hugely out-gunned and already crippled, Glowworm's captain, Lieutenant-Commander Roope rammed his destroyer into the side of the Admiral Hipper, inflicting a 40 metre rip in its armour belt before drifting away and exploding. 38 British sailors were rescued from the sea and Roope was awarded a posthumous VC for his bravery, the first earned by the Royal Navy in WWII. |
Bismarck - The Final Voyage by Anthony Saunders. One of the finest battleships of all time, Bismarck was built by the Blohm and Voss shipyard in Hamburg and launched in February 1939. Her first duty was for commerce raiding in the north Atlantic. Together with the heavy cruiser Prinz Eugen, the destroyers Z10, Z16 and Z23 and a minesweeper. The Bismarck, commanded by Vice Admiral Gunther Lutjens, left her last anchorage at Grimstadt Fjord in Norway. Once Bismarcks departure was confirmed all available British forces were deployed to meet the threat. On the 24th of May 1941 the Bismarck sailed into naval history - sinking the battlescruiser and pride of the British fleet - HMS Hood. But Bismarck would have little time to celebrate, she was sunk by a scorned British fleet three days later. Here Bismarck is depicted on the evening of the 21st May 1941 entering the open sea on her fateful final voyage. |
Knight's Move - Admiral Hipper Weighing Anchor by Randall Wilson. Admiral Hipper Weighing Anchor in Alta Fjord with Admiral Scheer. They sortied to engage convoy PQ17. |
Scourge of the Atlantic by Ivan Berryman. The ten German U-Boats of the Type VIIA class operating in the seas around the United Kingdom and Ireland were so deadly in the first part of the war, they were the scourge of the Atlantic. Sinking much Allied merchant shipping in the first months of World War Two, they continued through the 'Happy Time' of the Battle of the Atlantic, where the tally of shipping claimed by U-boats reached a peak, and the crews were regarded as heroes. Famously, U-29 sunk the Royal Navy carrier HMS Courageous on 17th September, the first British warship sunk by German forces in World War Two. By the end of 1940 though, 6 of the boats had been sunk and the remaining 4 were used only for training. In total they had accounted for around 100 vessels sunk, damaged, or captured. |
Wolves at Saint Nazaire by Anthony Saunders. Portrayed in the southern lock at the French port of Saint Nazaire during the Autumn of 1941 are from left: U552, commanded by Kapitanleutnant Erich Topp, U567, commanded by Oberleutnant zur See Engelbert Endrass and U93, commanded by Oberleutnant zur See Horst Elfe. Saint Nazaire was home for two U-boat flotillas: 7. U-Flotille, the Wegener Flotilla and 6.U-Flotille, the Hundius Flotilla. It produced some of the top U-boat commanders including Topp, Endrass, Prien and Kretschmer. The base reached a peak of activity in mid 1943, however, by the end of the war the entire port had been flattened by the allied air forces. The only buildings to survive the onslaught were the bomb proof U-bunkers which can still be seen to this day. |
The Narvik Squadron by Anthony Saunders. The Last of the heavy Cruisers built by Germany (5 in total) The picture shows Admiral Hipper making her first sortie on the 18th February 1940, accompanied by the Scharnhorst and the Gneisenau on Operation Nordmark. (Search for allied convoys on the route between Britain and Norway) |
Bismarck Leaving Port by Jason Askew. (P) No text for this item |
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