Hello,
Intrigued by the discussions here september-1943-a-chance-for-kriegsmarin ... -s300.html ,
I am opening this - hopefully small - discussion thread.
Short summary: Donitz receives word on D-Day Landings on June 6th 6:00AM. In the afternoon of June 6th, he and the rest of the staff become convinced that this is not a "diversion", and that it is the main invasion.
He immediately orders [say at 16:00AM] German Baltic fleet to raise steam and proceed to intercept enemy invavion units.
The main units (Lutzow, Scheer, Prinz Eugen, Emden, Koln, 8 destroyers) are considered to be near Gotland Island , near Sweden.
Distances:
a) Gotland to Kristianstadt (through the straits) = 862km (465nm)
b) Kristiandstadt to Calais (direct)= 900km (486nm)
c) Calais to Cherbourg (direct) = 300km (162nm)
Movements:
(1)
17:00 June 6th, entire fleet raises steam , 19:00 movement starts towards Kristianstadt. Sunset is at 21:48.
Fleet speed is 22kts sustained, therefore travel to Kristiandstadt takes 21 hours.
Sunrise on June 7th in Copenhagen is at 4:28AM. Fleet manouvres through the straits and only reaches port (after being spotted by visual several times) at approx 16:00PM in Kristianstadt.
(2) British forces alerted since early morning. Orders issued for Home Fleet to dispatch units to block expected enemy movements. British heavy bombers ordered to strike the enemy on route.
Several squdrons take off, but the ships aren't found until reaching Kristiandstadt.
Recon Spitfire makes photo recon at 18:00 in good daylight still, and "catches" the ships in Kristiandstadt.
(3) German Destroyers refuel for 4 hours. They will not have the range to protect the fleet down to Calais, but they will be available for a short-leg south , of approx 500nm, before heading back to Kristiandstadt.
(4) British bombers are dispatched to strike at night at Kristiandstadt based on Spitfire's photo report, and expectation that the ships will spend minimum of 8hours (for topping off). Topping off would be sensible, but not enough fuel is available, thus only the destroeyrs are refueled, and ships exit at 20:00.
(5)The bombers bomb the harbor at around 22:00, but the ships have left southwards at 20:00.
Sunrise at June 8th is at 4:27AM, and catches the fleet 200nm south of Kristiandstadt.
(6) Two squadrons of radar-equipped Sunderlands and Catalinas comb the seas between Britain and Netherlands that morning.
The fleet is found at 5:00AM, and sighting report deciphered at base at 5:30AM.
(7) Home Fleet heavy units are approx 150nm N-N-W of sighting report, moving to intercept at 27kts. However, GErman fleet is moving South at 25kts, hence delta speed is small and no interception is expected by naval forces, unless enemy fleet is slowed down.
(8) British submarine spots enemy and manouvres to launch torps, but enemy ships are moving too fast, and opportunity quickly fades.
(9) 40-50 torp bombers and 40-50 level bombers, with 1 squadron of fighter-bombers for defence, take off from separate airfields between 6:00-6:30, form up and proceed to attack, based on permanent tracaking reports made by 1 Sunderland and 1 Catalina, keeping station by radar and visual.
(10) Combined air attack is executed at approx 9:00. German flak mounted on ships creates heavy smoke barrage*, numerous a/c are damaged, none shot down.
Lutzow hit by one bomb, but still making good speed. Koln torpedoed, detached back to port with 2 destroyers.
*Lutzow 6x40mm AA, 28x20mm AA, 6 x 105mm HAA, Scheer 6x40mm, 8x37mm, 33x20mm, 6 x 105mm HAA, Prinz Eugen 12 x 105mm HAA, 12 x 37mm, 20x20mm.
Each of the 8 destroyers added 10-12 medium/light AA guns, Koln and Emden similar.
(11) It's 11AM, and destroyers and Emden detach back to port for lack of fuel, leaving Lutzow, Scheer, Prinz Eugen to proceed southwards.
Emden blinkers by light signal to Prinz Eugen: " Happy sinking !", to which PRinz Eugen blinkers back "You first !".
Distance to Calais is now about 150-170nm.
(12) British light naval squadron from around the Channel converge against the enemy. 3 destroyers and 6 lighter ships open fire and launch torps between 11:30-12:00. Enemy gunfire is accurate and keeps distance at 6km or more, making torpedo runs ineffective.
(13) Second large bomber wave arrives, with 20-30 torp bombers and similar number of level bomers.
They are carefull not to engage own ships.
German fleet has lost more then 50% of AAA defence with detachment of Koln,Emden and the destroyers. Now the attacks are more aggressive, and 1 torpedo , then a second, slam into Lutzow, which remains back at 10kts (to be later scuttled, when Home Fleet units converge at ever decreasing range from her).
(14) It's about 15:00 and Calais is within visual range of Prinz Eugen's foretop officers.
Another wave of 20 torp bombers and 12 level bombers begin a daunting attack. However, "good" clouds, and lucky AAA hits, downing 2 bombers and daaming 4 more, made only 1 bomb to hit directly on Prinz Eugen's "A" turret (disabled).
(15) No more British attack aircraft are available , as all other bobmers have been earmarked for bombing support of Normandy, close air support, and figher bomber support above the beaches.
(16) British coastal battery guns , radar guided, open fire against the enemy from range 40km, time 16:15.
(17) At around 17-17:30, Lutzow and Prinz Eugen return gunfire with coastal batteries.
4 more British DDs and 6 smaller ships engage. 1 torpedo wrecks Prinz Eugen's stern, while in turn 2 destroyers and 2 smaller ships are badly hit and disengage in flames.
(18) 18:00 -> 20 more torp bobmers and level bombers from 3 different squadrons, attack in 3 waves over Admiral Scheer. The ship remains lucky, and escapes bad damage.
No Luftwaffe fighter appears to at least attempt to protect the last remaining German raider.
(19) 20:00 - sunset comes, coastal batteries continue to fire, while Scheer's officers hug the coast of France. 2 shells land close enough to produce splinter damage, including loss of main foretop radar and one of the secondary directors.
(20) Night comes. Scheer remains lucky enough to avoid the mines laid ahead of her by British night bombers.
The ship is at 100nm away from Cherbourg. One forward-sweeping radar remains operational, range to battleship approx 20km. Range to cargo ship approx 12km.
(21) Communications from Bomber Command to Royal Navy to Normandy invasion fleet are difficult, with reports of German raider "sunk" , "badly damaged", "escaped" overlapping and making a correct info not arriving to Rodney or to Warspite, until Scheer did enter 10km range and opens fire. Several ships are set aflame (3 sunk), before the Allied ships converge and overwhelm the last German raider.
Intrigued by the discussions here september-1943-a-chance-for-kriegsmarin ... -s300.html ,
I am opening this - hopefully small - discussion thread.
Short summary: Donitz receives word on D-Day Landings on June 6th 6:00AM. In the afternoon of June 6th, he and the rest of the staff become convinced that this is not a "diversion", and that it is the main invasion.
He immediately orders [say at 16:00AM] German Baltic fleet to raise steam and proceed to intercept enemy invavion units.
The main units (Lutzow, Scheer, Prinz Eugen, Emden, Koln, 8 destroyers) are considered to be near Gotland Island , near Sweden.
Distances:
a) Gotland to Kristianstadt (through the straits) = 862km (465nm)
b) Kristiandstadt to Calais (direct)= 900km (486nm)
c) Calais to Cherbourg (direct) = 300km (162nm)
Movements:
(1)
17:00 June 6th, entire fleet raises steam , 19:00 movement starts towards Kristianstadt. Sunset is at 21:48.
Fleet speed is 22kts sustained, therefore travel to Kristiandstadt takes 21 hours.
Sunrise on June 7th in Copenhagen is at 4:28AM. Fleet manouvres through the straits and only reaches port (after being spotted by visual several times) at approx 16:00PM in Kristianstadt.
(2) British forces alerted since early morning. Orders issued for Home Fleet to dispatch units to block expected enemy movements. British heavy bombers ordered to strike the enemy on route.
Several squdrons take off, but the ships aren't found until reaching Kristiandstadt.
Recon Spitfire makes photo recon at 18:00 in good daylight still, and "catches" the ships in Kristiandstadt.
(3) German Destroyers refuel for 4 hours. They will not have the range to protect the fleet down to Calais, but they will be available for a short-leg south , of approx 500nm, before heading back to Kristiandstadt.
(4) British bombers are dispatched to strike at night at Kristiandstadt based on Spitfire's photo report, and expectation that the ships will spend minimum of 8hours (for topping off). Topping off would be sensible, but not enough fuel is available, thus only the destroeyrs are refueled, and ships exit at 20:00.
(5)The bombers bomb the harbor at around 22:00, but the ships have left southwards at 20:00.
Sunrise at June 8th is at 4:27AM, and catches the fleet 200nm south of Kristiandstadt.
(6) Two squadrons of radar-equipped Sunderlands and Catalinas comb the seas between Britain and Netherlands that morning.
The fleet is found at 5:00AM, and sighting report deciphered at base at 5:30AM.
(7) Home Fleet heavy units are approx 150nm N-N-W of sighting report, moving to intercept at 27kts. However, GErman fleet is moving South at 25kts, hence delta speed is small and no interception is expected by naval forces, unless enemy fleet is slowed down.
(8) British submarine spots enemy and manouvres to launch torps, but enemy ships are moving too fast, and opportunity quickly fades.
(9) 40-50 torp bombers and 40-50 level bombers, with 1 squadron of fighter-bombers for defence, take off from separate airfields between 6:00-6:30, form up and proceed to attack, based on permanent tracaking reports made by 1 Sunderland and 1 Catalina, keeping station by radar and visual.
(10) Combined air attack is executed at approx 9:00. German flak mounted on ships creates heavy smoke barrage*, numerous a/c are damaged, none shot down.
Lutzow hit by one bomb, but still making good speed. Koln torpedoed, detached back to port with 2 destroyers.
*Lutzow 6x40mm AA, 28x20mm AA, 6 x 105mm HAA, Scheer 6x40mm, 8x37mm, 33x20mm, 6 x 105mm HAA, Prinz Eugen 12 x 105mm HAA, 12 x 37mm, 20x20mm.
Each of the 8 destroyers added 10-12 medium/light AA guns, Koln and Emden similar.
(11) It's 11AM, and destroyers and Emden detach back to port for lack of fuel, leaving Lutzow, Scheer, Prinz Eugen to proceed southwards.
Emden blinkers by light signal to Prinz Eugen: " Happy sinking !", to which PRinz Eugen blinkers back "You first !".
Distance to Calais is now about 150-170nm.
(12) British light naval squadron from around the Channel converge against the enemy. 3 destroyers and 6 lighter ships open fire and launch torps between 11:30-12:00. Enemy gunfire is accurate and keeps distance at 6km or more, making torpedo runs ineffective.
(13) Second large bomber wave arrives, with 20-30 torp bombers and similar number of level bomers.
They are carefull not to engage own ships.
German fleet has lost more then 50% of AAA defence with detachment of Koln,Emden and the destroyers. Now the attacks are more aggressive, and 1 torpedo , then a second, slam into Lutzow, which remains back at 10kts (to be later scuttled, when Home Fleet units converge at ever decreasing range from her).
(14) It's about 15:00 and Calais is within visual range of Prinz Eugen's foretop officers.
Another wave of 20 torp bombers and 12 level bombers begin a daunting attack. However, "good" clouds, and lucky AAA hits, downing 2 bombers and daaming 4 more, made only 1 bomb to hit directly on Prinz Eugen's "A" turret (disabled).
(15) No more British attack aircraft are available , as all other bobmers have been earmarked for bombing support of Normandy, close air support, and figher bomber support above the beaches.
(16) British coastal battery guns , radar guided, open fire against the enemy from range 40km, time 16:15.
(17) At around 17-17:30, Lutzow and Prinz Eugen return gunfire with coastal batteries.
4 more British DDs and 6 smaller ships engage. 1 torpedo wrecks Prinz Eugen's stern, while in turn 2 destroyers and 2 smaller ships are badly hit and disengage in flames.
(18) 18:00 -> 20 more torp bobmers and level bombers from 3 different squadrons, attack in 3 waves over Admiral Scheer. The ship remains lucky, and escapes bad damage.
No Luftwaffe fighter appears to at least attempt to protect the last remaining German raider.
(19) 20:00 - sunset comes, coastal batteries continue to fire, while Scheer's officers hug the coast of France. 2 shells land close enough to produce splinter damage, including loss of main foretop radar and one of the secondary directors.
(20) Night comes. Scheer remains lucky enough to avoid the mines laid ahead of her by British night bombers.
The ship is at 100nm away from Cherbourg. One forward-sweeping radar remains operational, range to battleship approx 20km. Range to cargo ship approx 12km.
(21) Communications from Bomber Command to Royal Navy to Normandy invasion fleet are difficult, with reports of German raider "sunk" , "badly damaged", "escaped" overlapping and making a correct info not arriving to Rodney or to Warspite, until Scheer did enter 10km range and opens fire. Several ships are set aflame (3 sunk), before the Allied ships converge and overwhelm the last German raider.
statistics: Posted by alecsandros1 — 12:14 PM - Today — Replies 3 — Views 94