Английская Википедия:German battleship Scharnhorst
Шаблон:Short description Шаблон:Use dmy dates Шаблон:For
Шаблон:Infobox ship imageШаблон:Infobox ship careerШаблон:Infobox ship characteristicsШаблон:Lang was a German capital ship, alternatively described as a battleship or battlecruiser, of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine. She was the lead ship of her class, which included her sister ship Шаблон:Ship. The ship was built at the Kriegsmarinewerft dockyard in Wilhelmshaven; she was laid down on 15 June 1935 and launched a year and four months later on 3 October 1936. Completed in January 1939, the ship was armed with a main battery of nine 28 cm (11 in) C/34 guns in three triple turrets. Plans to replace these weapons with six 38 cm (15 in) SK C/34 guns in twin turrets were never carried out.
Шаблон:Lang and Шаблон:Lang operated together for much of the early portion of World War II, including sorties into the Atlantic to raid British merchant shipping. During her first operation, Шаблон:Lang sank the armed merchant cruiser Шаблон:HMS in a short engagement (November 1939). Шаблон:Lang and Шаблон:Lang participated in Operation Weserübung (April–June 1940), the German invasion of Norway. During operations off Norway, the two ships engaged the battlecruiser Шаблон:HMS and sank the aircraft carrier Шаблон:HMS as well as her escort destroyers Шаблон:HMS and Шаблон:HMS. In that engagement Шаблон:Lang achieved one of the longest-range naval gunfire hits in history.
In early 1942, after British bombing raids, the two ships made the Channel Dash up the English Channel from occupied France to Germany. In early 1943, Шаблон:Lang joined the Шаблон:Sclass Шаблон:Ship in Norway to interdict Allied convoys to the Soviet Union. Шаблон:Lang and several destroyers sortied from Norway to attack a convoy but British naval patrols intercepted the German force. During the Battle of the North Cape (26 December 1943), the Royal Navy battleship Шаблон:HMS and her escorts sank Шаблон:Lang. Only 36 men survived, out of a crew of 1,968.
Design
Шаблон:Lang displaced Шаблон:Cvt at standard displacement and Шаблон:Cvt at full load. She was Шаблон:Convert long overall and had a beam of Шаблон:Cvt and a maximum draft of Шаблон:Cvt. She was powered by three Brown, Boveri & Cie geared steam turbines, which developed a total of Шаблон:Convert and yielded a maximum speed of Шаблон:Convert on speed trials.Шаблон:Sfn Her standard crew numbered 56 officers and 1,613 enlisted men, augmented during the war to 60 officers and 1,780 men. While serving as a squadron flagship, Шаблон:Lang carried an additional 10 officers and 61 enlisted men.Шаблон:Sfn
She was armed with a main battery of nine 28 cm (11.1 in) L/54.5 guns arranged in three triple gun turrets: two turrets were placed forward in a superfiring arrangement (Anton and Bruno), and one aft (Caesar). The design also enabled the ship to be up-gunned with six 15-inch guns, which never took place. Her secondary armament consisted of twelve 15 cm (5.9 in) L/55 guns, eight of which were placed in two-gun turrets and the remaining four were carried in individual turrets. Her anti-aircraft armament consisted of fourteen 10.5 cm L/65 and sixteen [[3.7 cm SK C/30|Шаблон:Cvt SK C/30]] L/83, and initially ten [[2 cm FlaK 30|Шаблон:Cvt C/30]] anti-aircraft guns. The number of 2 cm guns was eventually increased to thirty-eight. Six Шаблон:Cvt above-water torpedo tubes, taken from the light cruisers Шаблон:Ship and Шаблон:Ship, were installed in 1942.Шаблон:Sfn
Шаблон:Lang had an armor belt that was Шаблон:Cvt thick in the central portion, where it protected the ship's ammunition magazines and propulsion machinery spaces. The ship had an armored deck that was Шаблон:Cvt thick on the flat portion, increasing to Шаблон:Cvt on downward-sloping sides that connected to the bottom of the belt. Her main battery turrets had Шаблон:Cvt of armor on their faces and Шаблон:Cvt on their sides. The conning tower was protected with 350 mm on the sides.Шаблон:Sfn
Commanding officers
At her commissioning, Шаблон:Lang was commanded by Kapitän zur See (KzS) Otto Ciliax. His tenure as the ship's commander was brief; in September 1939, an illness forced him to go on sick leave, and he was replaced by KzS Kurt-Caesar Hoffmann. Hoffmann served as the ship's captain until 1942.Шаблон:Sfn On 1 April 1942, Hoffmann, who had been promoted to Konteradmiral (Rear Admiral) and awarded the Knight's Cross, transferred command of the ship to KzS Friedrich Hüffmeier.Шаблон:Sfn In October 1943,Шаблон:Sfn shortly before Шаблон:LangШаблон:'s last mission, Hüffmeier was replaced by KzS Fritz Hintze,Шаблон:Sfn who was killed during the ship's final battle.Шаблон:Sfn
Service history
Шаблон:Lang was ordered as Ersatz Elsass as a replacement for the old pre-dreadnought Шаблон:SMS, under the contract name "D."Шаблон:Sfn The Kriegsmarinewerft in Wilhelmshaven was awarded the contract, where the keel was laid on 16 July 1935.Шаблон:Sfn The ship was launched on 3 October 1936, witnessed by Adolf Hitler, Minister of War Generalfeldmarschall Werner von Blomberg, and the widow of Kapitän zur See Schultz, the commander of the armored cruiser Шаблон:SMS, which had been sunk at the Battle of the Falkland Islands during World War I. Fitting-out work followed her launch, and was completed by January 1939.Шаблон:Sfn Шаблон:Lang was commissioned into the fleet on 9 January for sea trials,Шаблон:Sfn which revealed a dangerous tendency to ship considerable amounts of water in heavy seas. This caused flooding in the bow and damaged electrical systems in the forward (Anton) gun turret. As a result, she went back to the dockyard for extensive modification of the bow. The original straight stem was replaced with a raised "Atlantic bow." A raked funnel cap was also installed during the reconstruction, along with an enlarged aircraft hangar; the main mast was also moved further aft. The modifications were completed by November 1939, by which time the ship was finally fully operational.Шаблон:Sfn
Шаблон:LangШаблон:'s first operation began on 21 November 1939;Шаблон:Sfn the ship, and her sister Шаблон:Ship, was to patrol the area between Iceland and the Faroe Islands. The intent of the operation was to draw out British units and ease the pressure on the heavy cruiser Шаблон:Ship, which was being pursued in the South Atlantic. The two battleships left Wilhelmshaven in company of the light cruisers Шаблон:Ship and Leipzig, and three destroyers, which parted company in the morning of 22 November for operations in the Skagerrak.Шаблон:Sfn The next day, the German battleships intercepted the British armed merchant cruiser Шаблон:HMS.Шаблон:Sfn At 16:07, lookouts aboard Шаблон:Lang spotted the vessel, and less than an hour later Шаблон:Lang had closed the range. At 17:03, Шаблон:Lang opened fire, and three minutes later a salvo of her 28 cm guns hit RawalpindiШаблон:'s bridge, killing the captain Edward Kennedy, and the majority of the officers.Шаблон:Sfn During the brief engagement, Rawalpindi managed to score a hit on Шаблон:Lang, which caused minor splinter damage.Шаблон:Sfn
By 17:16, Rawalpindi was burning badly and in the process of sinking. Admiral Wilhelm Marschall, aboard Шаблон:Lang, ordered Шаблон:Lang to pick up survivors. These rescue operations were interrupted by the appearance of the cruiser Шаблон:HMS. The German force quickly fled north before using inclement weather to make the dash south through the North Sea. Four Allied capital ships, the British Шаблон:HMS, Шаблон:HMS and Шаблон:HMS, and the French Dunkerque, followed in pursuit. The Germans reached Wilhelmshaven on 27 November, and on the trip both battleships incurred significant damage from heavy seas and winds.Шаблон:Sfn Шаблон:Lang was repaired in Wilhelmshaven, and while in dock, her boilers were overhauled.Шаблон:Sfn
Following the completion of repairs, Шаблон:Lang went into the Baltic Sea for gunnery training. Heavy ice in the Baltic kept the ship there until February 1940 when she could return to Wilhelmshaven, arriving on 5 February.Шаблон:Sfn Between 18 February and 20 February, she participated in Operation Nordmark, a brief sortie into the North Sea as far as the Shetland Islands.Шаблон:Sfn
Operation Weserübung
She was then assigned to the forces participating in Operation Weserübung, the invasion of Denmark and Norway. Шаблон:Lang and Шаблон:Lang were the covering force for the assaults on Narvik and Trondheim; the two ships left Wilhelmshaven on the morning of 7 AprilШаблон:Sfn under the command of vice admiral Günther Lütjens.Шаблон:Sfn They were joined by the invasion force for Trondheim, consisting of the heavy cruiser Шаблон:Ship and four destroyers, and by the invasion force for Narvik, consisting of ten destroyers. Between 14:25 and 14:48 on 7 April, the ships were unsuccessfully attacked West of the Skagerrak by twelve bombers. By evening the weather had deteriorated and several destroyers could not keep up the high (Шаблон:Convert) speed and remained behind the main force.Шаблон:SfnШаблон:Sfn Heavy winds caused significant structural damage that evening, and flooding contaminated a portion of Шаблон:LangШаблон:'s fuel stores.Шаблон:Sfn On 8 April at 09:15 one of the trailing destroyers, Bernd von Arnim signalled a fight with a British destroyerШаблон:Sfn and at 09:22 Lütjens ordered Admiral Hipper to investigate. The German cruiser found the British destroyer Шаблон:HMS and hit her with accurate artillery fire. Before Glowworm sank, she attempted to ram and damage Admiral Hipper and sent out a warning message to the British fleet. Shortly after the fight with Glowworm, Admiral Hipper and her four destroyers set course for Trondheim, and at 22:00 the ten destroyers left for Narvik, whilst Шаблон:Lang and Шаблон:Lang took a position South of the Lofoten in the Vestfjorden to cover both landings.Шаблон:SfnШаблон:Sfn
Early on 9 April, the two ships encountered the British battlecruiser HMS Renown. Шаблон:LangШаблон:'s Seetakt radar picked up a radar contact at 04:30, which prompted the crews of both vessels to go to combat stations.Шаблон:Sfn Half an hour later, Шаблон:LangШаблон:'s navigator spotted gun flashes from Шаблон:HMS firing at Шаблон:Lang;Шаблон:Sfn the Germans returned fire three minutes later. Шаблон:Lang was hit twice in the opening portion of the engagement, and one shell disabled her rear gun turret.Шаблон:Sfn Шаблон:LangШаблон:'s radar malfunctioned, which prevented her from being able to effectively engage Renown during the battle. At 05:18, the British battlecruiser shifted fire to Шаблон:Lang, which maneuvered to avoid the falling shells. By 07:15, Шаблон:Lang and Шаблон:Lang had used their superior speed to escape from the pursuing Renown. Heavy seas and the high speed with which the pair of battleships escaped caused them to ship large amounts of water forward. Шаблон:LangШаблон:'s forward (Anton) turret was put out of action by severe flooding.Шаблон:Sfn Mechanical problems with her starboard turbines developed after running at full speed, which forced the ships to reduce speed to Шаблон:Convert.Шаблон:Sfn
Шаблон:Lang and Шаблон:Lang had reached a point north-west of Lofoten, Norway, by 12:00 on 9 April. The two ships then turned west for 24 hours while temporary repairs were effected. After a day of steaming west, the ships turned south. Since broadcasting radio messages would betray the position of the ships to the British, an Arado 196 float plane was launched by Шаблон:Lang on 10 April at 12:00 with the instruction to fly in the direction of Norway and to signal there the intentions of Lütjens to break through to Germany in the night of 11 April. The plane was launched at extreme range and could barely reach the outer islands on the Norwegian coast where it managed to send its message. The float plane was towed to Trondheim where it could also convey Lütjens' order to Admiral Hipper to join the German battleships in the return journey to Germany.Шаблон:Sfn Admiral Hipper joined in the morning of 12 April but her four destroyers had to stay back at Trondheim because of lack of fuel.Шаблон:Sfn A Royal Air Force (RAF) patrol aircraft spotted the three ships that day, and 82 RAF Bomber Command and nine RAF Coastal Command aircraft were ordered to attack the ships. The German warships were protected by poor visibility, however, and none of the bombers found the ships whilst losing nine of their number to German fighters. The three ships safely reached Wilhelmshaven at 22:00.Шаблон:SfnШаблон:SfnШаблон:Sfn Шаблон:Lang returned to Germany, and was repaired at the Deutsche Werke in Kiel. During the repair process, the aircraft catapult that had been installed on the rear (Caesar) gun turret was removed.Шаблон:Sfn
Operation Juno
Шаблон:Main articles The two ships left Wilhelmshaven on 4 June to return to Norway. They were joined by Admiral Hipper and four destroyers.Шаблон:Sfn The purpose of the sortie was to interrupt Allied efforts to resupply the Norwegians and to relieve the pressure on German troops fighting in Norway.Шаблон:Sfn On 7 June, the squadron rendezvoused with the tanker Шаблон:Ship to refuel Admiral Hipper and the four destroyers. The next day, the British trawler Шаблон:Ship was discovered and sunk, along with the Шаблон:GRT oil tanker Oil Pioneer. Шаблон:Sfn The Germans then launched their Ar 196 float planes to search for more Allied vessels. Admiral Hipper and the destroyers were sent to destroy Orama, a Шаблон:GRT passenger ship, while Atlantis, a hospital ship, was allowed to proceed unmolested. Admiral Marschall detached Admiral Hipper and the four destroyers to refuel in Trondheim, while he would steam to the Harstad area.Шаблон:Sfn
At 17:45, the German battleships spotted the British aircraft carrier Шаблон:HMS and two escorting destroyers, Шаблон:HMS and Шаблон:HMS, at a range of some Шаблон:Cvt. At 18:32 Шаблон:Lang (as the closer ship) opened fire with her main armament on Glorious, at a range of Шаблон:Cvt.Шаблон:SfnШаблон:Sfn Six minutes after opening fire, Шаблон:Lang scored a hit at a range of Шаблон:Cvt. The shell struck the carrier's upper hangar and started a large fire. Less than ten minutes later, a shell from Шаблон:Lang struck the bridge and killed GloriousШаблон:'s captain.Шаблон:Sfn The two destroyers attempted to cover Glorious with smoke screens, but the German battleships could track the carrier with their radar. By 18:26 the range had fallen to Шаблон:Cvt, and Шаблон:Lang and Шаблон:Lang were firing full salvos at the carrier.Шаблон:Sfn After approximately an hour of shooting, the German battleships sent Glorious to the bottom.Шаблон:Sfn They also sank the two destroyers. As Acasta sank, one of the four torpedoes she had fired hit Шаблон:Lang at 19:39.Шаблон:SfnШаблон:Sfn Acasta also hit Шаблон:LangШаблон:'s forward superfiring turret with her 4.7-inch QF guns, which did negligible damage. The torpedo hit caused serious damage; it tore a hole Шаблон:Cvt and allowed Шаблон:Cvt of water into the ship. The rear (Caesar) turret was disabled and 48 men were killed. The flooding caused a 5 degree list, increased the stern draft by almost a meter, and forced Шаблон:Lang to reduce speed to Шаблон:Convert.Шаблон:Sfn The ship's machinery was also significantly damaged by the flooding, and the starboard propeller shaft was destroyed.Шаблон:Sfn
The damage was severe enough to force Шаблон:Lang to put into Trondheim for temporary repairs.Шаблон:Sfn She reached port on the afternoon of 9 June, where the repair ship Huaskaran was waiting. The following day a reconnaissance plane from RAF Coastal Command spotted the ship, and a raid by twelve Hudson bombers took place on 11 June. The Hudsons dropped thirty-six Шаблон:Cvt armor-piercing bombs, which all missed. The Royal Navy joined in the attacks on the ship by sending the battleship Rodney and the aircraft carrier Шаблон:HMS. On 13 June, Ark Royal launched fifteen Skua dive bombers; German fighters intercepted the attackers and shot eight of them down. The other seven made it past the air defenses and attacked Шаблон:Lang, but only scored one hit, and the bomb failed to detonate. Preliminary repairs were completed by 20 June, which permitted the ship to return to Germany. While Шаблон:Lang was en route under heavy escort on 21 June, the British launched two air attacks, six Swordfish torpedo bombers in the first and nine Beaufort bombers in the second. Both were driven off by anti-aircraft fire and fighters. The Germans intercepted British radio traffic that indicated the Royal Navy was at sea, which prompted Шаблон:Lang to make for Stavanger. British warships were within Шаблон:Cvt of Шаблон:LangШаблон:'s position when she turned to Stavanger. The next day, Шаблон:Lang left Stavanger for Kiel, where repairs were carried out, lasting some six months.Шаблон:Sfn
Operation Berlin
Шаблон:Main articles Following the completion of repairs, Шаблон:Lang underwent trials in the Baltic before returning to Kiel in December 1940. There she joined Шаблон:Lang, in preparation for Operation Berlin, a planned raid into the Atlantic Ocean designed to wreak havoc on the Allied shipping lanes.Шаблон:Sfn The ships left Kiel on 28 December, but off Norway a severe storm caused damage to Шаблон:Lang, Шаблон:Lang was undamaged.Шаблон:Sfn The two ships were forced to return: Шаблон:Lang went to Gotenhafen while Шаблон:Lang went to Kiel for repairs. Repairs were quickly completed, and on 22 January 1941, the two ships, under the command of Admiral Günther Lütjens on Шаблон:Lang, left port for the North Atlantic. They were detected in the Skagerrak and the British Home Fleet deployed to block a breakout into the Atlantic. In the passage between Iceland and the Faroes, the Germans' radar detected the patrolling British cruiser Шаблон:HMS at long range, which allowed Lütjens to retreat unseen, with the aid of a squall. After refueling from Adria in the Arctic Ocean on 30 January, the battleships entered the Atlantic undetected through the Denmark Strait during the night of 3/4 February.Шаблон:SfnШаблон:Sfn
On 6 February, the two ships refueled from the tanker Schlettstadt south of Cape Farewell. Shortly after 08:30 on 8 February, lookouts spotted convoy HX 106, escorted by the battleship Шаблон:HMS. Lütjens' orders prohibited him from engaging Allied capital ships, and so the attack was called off. Шаблон:LangШаблон:'s commander, KzS Hoffmann, however, closed to Шаблон:Cvt in an attempt to lure Ramillies away from the convoy so that Шаблон:Lang could attack the convoy. Lütjens ordered Hoffmann to rejoin the flagship immediately. After being detected, the battleships steamed off to the north for a few days to refuel and then returned to the same shipping lanes but closer to Newfoundland to search for more shipping. On 22 February, Шаблон:Lang ran into three independent sailing merchant ships from a recently dispersed convoy. The battleships abandonned their search for convoys and started to hunt independent sailing ships, Шаблон:Lang sank four vessels totalling Шаблон:GRT and Шаблон:Lang sank the Шаблон:GRT tanker Lustrous.Шаблон:SfnШаблон:Sfn
Since some of the victims were able to alert the British, Lütjens then decided to move away from the North-Atlantic convoy lanes and move the West African convoy lanes.Шаблон:Sfn Karl Dönitz, the commander of the U-boats, sent the three U-boats Шаблон:GS, Шаблон:GS and Шаблон:GS to West African waters for possible combined operations with Шаблон:Lang and Шаблон:Lang.Шаблон:Sfn On 6 March the battleships met Шаблон:Lang northwest of Cape Verde in order to discuss cooperation.Шаблон:Sfn The next morning the two ships encountered convoy SL 67, escorted by the battleship Шаблон:HMS.Шаблон:Sfn Lütjens again forbade an attack, but he shadowed the convoy and directed the U-boats to attack the convoy and sink Malaya. Шаблон:Lang and Шаблон:Lang attacked during the night of 8/9 March and sank five ships for a total of Шаблон:GRT but could not find Malaya.Шаблон:SfnШаблон:Sfn The next morning Шаблон:Lang approached the convoy but again Lütjens turned away when Malaya closed to Шаблон:Cvt, well within the range of the Germans' guns.Шаблон:Sfn He instead turned toward the mid-Atlantic, where Шаблон:Lang sank the Шаблон:GRT Greek cargo ship Marathon. The two ships then refueled from the tankers Uckermark and Ermland on 12 March.Шаблон:Sfn
On 15 and 16 March, the two battleships, with the two tankers in company, encountered ships from a dispersed convoy in the mid-Atlantic. Шаблон:Lang sank six ships totaling Шаблон:GRT, whilst Шаблон:Lang sank seven ships totaling Шаблон:GRT and captured another three ships totaling Шаблон:GRT as prizes.Шаблон:SfnШаблон:Sfn Alerted by distress signals of the victims, the British battleship Rodney left convoy HX 114 and in the evening was able to surprise Шаблон:Lang. The German battleship used her high speed to escape in the darkness,Шаблон:SfnШаблон:Sfn but this intervention convinced Lütjens that the chances of further success were small. He therefore decided to head for Brest in occupied France, which the ships reached on 22 March.Шаблон:Sfn Throughout the operation, Шаблон:Lang had difficulties with the superheater tubes in her boilers. Repair work lasted until July, which caused the ship to be unavailable during Operation Rheinübung, the sortie by the new battleship Шаблон:Ship in May 1941.Шаблон:Sfn
Air raids in Brest, 1941-42
Facing increasing losses during the Battle of the Atlantic, Winston Churchill ordered that Bomber Command temporarily halt its campaign against German industry and focus on the Focke-Wulf Fw 200 Condor threat and the U-boat ports and production instead. As soon as Шаблон:Lang and Шаблон:Lang arrived in Brest, they were added as top priorities on the target list. Between 30 March and 7 July nineteen major raids took place on Brest. The Germans reacted by installing smoke generators which obscured the harbor with good effect. Шаблон:Lang was not hit, but in the night of 4 April a dud bomb close to Шаблон:Lang forced her to leave dock, and next day the battleship was torpedoed in her exposed position in the harbor. When Шаблон:Lang was moved back in her dock, she was hit by four bombs in the night of 10 April. Prinz Eugen was seriously damaged by a bomb on 1 July. On 9 July the campaign by Bomber Command was halted as the tides had shifted in the battle of the Atlantic, and because of Operation Barbarossa, Bomber Command wanted to resume the campaign against German industry.Шаблон:Sfn
After repairs were completed in July, Шаблон:Lang went to La Pallice for trials on the 21st, where she easily steamed at Шаблон:Convert. She did not return to Brest to avoid an undesirable concentration of heavy units in one port (Шаблон:Ship had arrived there on 21 July) but moored alongside at La Pallice on 23 July where she was immediately discovered by aerial reconnaissance. Since the British feared Шаблон:Lang was preparing for an Atlantic sortie, an immediate attack by six Stirling heavy bombers was ordered but the aircraft achieved nothing and one was shot down by German fighters. The RAF had planned a large daylight raid on the capital ships in Brest on 24 July, but the departure of Шаблон:Lang to La Pallice caused last-minute alterations to the operation: three forces of three Flying Fortress, eighteen Hampden and 36 Blenheim bombers attacked several coastal targets in order to draw up German fighters prematurely. Only 79 Wellington bombers attacked Brest, with Prinz Eugen and Шаблон:Lang as their principal targets.Шаблон:Sfn Fifteen Halifax heavy bombers of No. 35 Squadron RAF and No. 76 Squadron RAF flew the extra Шаблон:Convert to reach Шаблон:Lang. The Halifaxes attacked Шаблон:Lang at her moorings.[1] They scored five hits in an almost straight line on the starboard side, parallel to the centerline. Three of the bombs were Шаблон:Cvt armor-piercing bombs, and the other two were Шаблон:Cvt high-explosive bombs.Шаблон:Sfn One of the 227 kg bombs hit the deck just forward of the starboard 15 cm twin turret next to the conning tower. It passed through the upper and middle decks before exploding on the main armored deck, which contained the blast. The joints with the torpedo bulkhead were weakened enough to cause leaking. The second 227 kg bomb fell forward of the rear main battery turret and penetrated the first two decks. It also exploded on the armored deck and tore a small hole in it. The explosion caused splinter damage and disabled the ammunition hoists for the 37 mm anti-aircraft guns.Шаблон:SfnШаблон:Sfn[2]
Two of the 454 kg bombs hit amidships between the 15 cm and 10.5 cm gun turrets; both failed to explode and instead penetrated the ship completely. The first went through each deck and exited the ship through the double bottom, while the other was deflected by the torpedo bulkhead and penetrated the hull beneath the side belt armor. The third 454 kg bomb hit aft of the rear 28 cm turret, about Шаблон:Cvt from the side of the ship. It too failed to detonate, and passed through the side of the hull, which was not protected by the main armor belt. These three hits caused significant flooding and an 8 degree list to starboard. The forward and rear gun turrets (Anton and Caesar) were temporarily disabled, along with half of her anti-aircraft battery. Two men were killed and fifteen were injured in the attack. Damage-control teams managed to correct the list with counter-flooding, and although draft increased by Шаблон:Cvt, Шаблон:Lang was able to leave for Brest at 19:30. On the morning of 25 July, one of the escorting destroyers shot down a British patrol plane. The ship reached Brest later that day and went into dry dock for repairs, which took four months. While the damage was being repaired, a new radar system was installed aft, the power output for the forward radar was increased to 100 kW, and the 53.3 cm torpedo tubes were installed.Шаблон:Sfn
The strategic position following the damage to Шаблон:Lang was serious. Шаблон:Lang and Prinz Eugen were still being repaired, Bismarck had been sunk on 27 May. All German capital ships deployed to the Atlantic were therefore out of action. In addition, Шаблон:Ship was still working up and not ready for service; Lützow had been seriously damaged by a torpedo on 13 June 1941; Шаблон:Ship and Admiral Hipper were in dockyards for maintenance.Шаблон:Sfn
On 10 November Bomber Command was forced to pause its campaign against German industry because of high losses and lack of success. As a result the attacks against the ships in Brest resumed. Between 19 August and 11 February 36 attacks were mounted, most of these were surprise attacks by small groups of aircraft that tried to arrive before the smoke screen was generated. On 7 December the first attempt was made with Oboe for blind bombing through the smoke screen. Only on 6 January there was a small success with a light hit on Шаблон:Lang, but the other ships were not hit.Шаблон:Sfn
Operation Cerberus
Шаблон:Main On 12 January 1942, the German Naval Command, in a conference with Hitler, made the decision to return Шаблон:Lang, Шаблон:Lang, and the heavy cruiser Prinz Eugen to Germany. The intention was to deploy the vessels to Norway to interdict Allied convoys to the Soviet Union. The so-called "Channel Dash", codenamed Operation Cerberus, would avoid the increasingly effective Allied radar and patrol aircraft in the Atlantic. Vice Admiral Otto Ciliax, Шаблон:LangШаблон:'s first commander, was given command of the operation. In early February, minesweepers swept a route through the English Channel undetected by the British.Шаблон:Sfn
At 23:00 on 11 February, Шаблон:Lang, Шаблон:Lang, and Prinz Eugen left Brest. They entered the Channel an hour later; the three ships sped at Шаблон:Convert, hugging the French coast along the voyage.Шаблон:Sfn The British failed to detect their departure, as the submarine that had been tasked with observing the port had withdrawn to recharge its batteries.Шаблон:Sfn By 06:30, they had passed Cherbourg, at which point they were joined by a flotilla of torpedo boats.Шаблон:Sfn The torpedo boats were led by Kapitän Erich Bey, aboard the destroyer Шаблон:Ship. General der Jagdflieger (General of Fighter Force) Adolf Galland directed Luftwaffe fighter and bomber forces (Operation Donnerkeil) during Cerberus.Шаблон:Sfn The fighters flew at masthead-height to avoid detection by the British radar network. Liaison officers were present on all three ships.Шаблон:Sfn By 13:00, the ships had cleared the Strait of Dover; half an hour later, a flight of six Swordfish torpedo bombers, with Spitfire escort, attacked the Germans. The British failed to penetrate the Luftwaffe fighter shield, and all six Swordfish were destroyed.Шаблон:SfnШаблон:Sfn
Шаблон:Lang did not make the voyage unscathed, however; at 15:31 she struck an air-dropped magnetic mine in the mouth of the Scheldt, abreast of the forward superfiring turret (Bruno). The blast damaged the ship's circuit breakers and knocked out her electrical system for 20 minutes. The explosive shock caused serious damage; turret Bruno was jammed, as were the twin and single 15 cm mounts on the port side. The blast also damaged the fuel oil pumps and the bearings in the turbo-generators, which brought the ship to a halt. The power outage disabled the emergency shut-off switches to the boilers and turbines, which could not be turned off until power was restored. The explosion tore a large gash in the side of the hull and allowed Шаблон:Cvt of water into the ship, flooding 30 watertight spaces within five main watertight compartments. Шаблон:Lang took on a list of one degree and was down by the bows by a meter.Шаблон:Sfn
While the ship was immobilized, Admiral Ciliax transferred to Z29.Шаблон:Sfn The engine room crews managed to restart the first turbine at 15:49, nearly twenty minutes after the mine explosion. The second and third turbines were restarted at 15:55 and 16:01, respectively, which permitted a speed of Шаблон:Convert. At around the time the last turbine was restarted, a single bomber dropped several bombs approximately Шаблон:Cvt off Шаблон:LangШаблон:'s port side, which caused no damage. Once the ship was back under way, twelve Beauforts launched a 10-minute attack that was beaten off by anti-aircraft fire and the escorting Luftwaffe fighters. The British carried out a series of attacks that were all unsuccessful; Шаблон:LangШаблон:'s anti-aircraft guns were red-hot by the end of the action, and one 20 mm gun had burst from the strain.Шаблон:Sfn
The ship struck another mine off Terschelling on the starboard side at 22:34. The mine briefly knocked out the power system and temporarily disabled the rudders. Two of the three turbines were jammed, and the third had to be turned off. Another Шаблон:Cvt tons of water flooded ten watertight spaces in four main compartments. Only the centerline shaft was operational, which permitted a speed of only Шаблон:Convert. Partial power was eventually restored to the starboard turbine, which allowed speed to be increased to Шаблон:Convert.Шаблон:Sfn The shock damaged the rotating parts of all of the ship's gun turrets, and three of the 15 cm turrets were seriously jammed. By 08:00, Шаблон:Lang had reached the Jade Bight but ice prevented the ship from entering Wilhelmshaven. While waiting outside the port, Admiral Ciliax returned to the ship. The ice had been cleared by noon, permitting Шаблон:LangШаблон:'s entrance to Wilhelmshaven. Two days later, Шаблон:Lang went to Kiel for permanent repairs. Work was conducted in a floating dry dock and lasted until July 1942. Afterward, another round of trials were conducted in the Baltic, which revealed the necessity of replacing several of the boiler tubes.Шаблон:Sfn
Deployment to Norway
In early August 1942, Шаблон:Lang conducted exercises in cooperation with several U-boats. During the maneuvers, she collided with the Шаблон:GS, which caused damage that necessitated dry-docking for repairs. Work was completed by September, and the ship conducted further training in the Baltic. Шаблон:Lang steamed to Gotenhafen in late October for a new rudder, the design of which was based on the lessons learned from the torpedoing of Prinz Eugen and Lützow earlier in the year. Boiler and turbine troubles kept the ship in Germany for the remainder of 1942. By December, only two of the three shafts were operational and a complete overhaul of the propulsion system was required. In early January 1943, the ship was back in service, and after trials, left Germany on 7 January in company with Prinz Eugen and five destroyers. Reports of heavy activity in British airfields near the coast prompted the force to return to port, however.Шаблон:Sfn Another attempt to reach Norway was canceled under similar circumstances. On 8 March, however, poor weather grounded the British bombers, and so Шаблон:Lang and four destroyers were able to make the journey to Norway. A severe storm off Bergen forced the destroyers to seek shelter but Шаблон:Lang was able to continue on at the reduced speed of Шаблон:Convert. At 16:00 on 14 March, Шаблон:Lang dropped anchor in Bogen Bay outside Narvik.Шаблон:Sfn There she met Lützow and the battleship Tirpitz.Шаблон:Sfn The reinforcement of the German fleet in Norway with the arrival of the Шаблон:Lang forced the British to suspend the Arctic convoys during the summer of 1943.Шаблон:Sfn
On 22 March, Шаблон:Lang, Tirpitz, and Lützow steamed to Altafjord for repairs to damage incurred in heavy storms. In early April, Шаблон:Lang , Tirpitz, and nine destroyers conducted a training mission to Bear Island in the Arctic Ocean. On the 8th, a serious internal explosion occurred in the aft auxiliary machinery space above the armor deck. The explosion killed or injured 34 men and prompted the crew to flood the magazines for turret Caesar as a precaution against a magazine explosion. A repair ship completed work on the vessel in two weeks. Fuel shortages prevented major operations for the next six months, during which Шаблон:Lang was able to conduct only short training maneuvers.Шаблон:Sfn
Шаблон:Lang, Tirpitz, and nine destroyers embarked from Altafjord on an offensive on 6 September known as Operation Zitronella; the ships were tasked with bombarding the island of Spitzbergen.Шаблон:Sfn During the operation, Шаблон:Lang destroyed a battery of two Шаблон:Cvt guns and shelled fuel tanks, coal mines, harbor facilities, and military installations.Шаблон:Sfn Of particular importance was the weather station that was transmitting weather information to the Allies, which was used to schedule convoys to the Soviet Union.Шаблон:Sfn The destroyers landed some 1,000 troops, which pushed the Norwegian garrison into the mountains, completing the mission without major loss.Шаблон:Sfn On 22 September, the British executed Operation Source, an attack by six X-craft midget submarines on the German fleet in Norway at their moorings. The X-craft were to drop ground mines below the hull of the German ships. Of the two X-craft that were assigned to attack Шаблон:Lang, one was lost on its way to Norway and the other suffered mechanical problems and had to abort the attack. But even if the X-craft had managed to reach the moorings of Шаблон:Lang, the attack would have failed since Шаблон:Lang had left for a training cruise.Шаблон:Sfn Other X-craft attacked and seriously damaged Tirpitz.Шаблон:Sfn This reduced the Arctic Task Force to Шаблон:Lang and her five escorting destroyers,Шаблон:Sfn since Lützow left for Germany with five destroyers on 23 September.Шаблон:Sfn
On 25 November 1943 Шаблон:Lang carried out a two-hour full-power trial achieving Шаблон:Convert and it was noted that her draught had increased by over Шаблон:Convert from her 1940 trials where she had attained Шаблон:Convert.Шаблон:Sfn
Battle of the North Cape
Шаблон:Main With the rapidly deteriorating military situation for the German Army on the Eastern Front, it became increasingly important to interrupt the flow of supplies from the Western Allies to the Soviet Union.Шаблон:Sfn By December 1943, the German Army was forced into continuous retreat. The Luftwaffe had been seriously weakened by four long years of war, and increasing Allied anti-submarine capabilities were steadily degrading the effectiveness of the U-boats. The only effective weapon at the disposal of the Germans in Norway was Шаблон:Lang; Tirpitz had been badly damaged, and the four remaining heavy cruisers were committed to the Baltic.Шаблон:Sfn During a conference with Hitler on 19–20 December, Großadmiral Karl Dönitz decided to employ Шаблон:Lang against the next Allied convoy that presented itself. Erich Bey, by now promoted to Konteradmiral, was given command of the task force.Шаблон:Sfn
On 22 December Dönitz ordered Bey to be ready to go to sea on a three-hour notice. Later that day, reconnaissance aircraft located a convoy of some 20 transports escorted by cruisers and destroyers approximately Шаблон:Convert west of Tromsø. The convoy was spotted again two days later, and it was determined that the course was definitively toward the Soviet Union. A U-boat reported the convoy's location at 09:00 on 25 December, and Dönitz ordered Шаблон:Lang into action. In his instructions to Bey, Dönitz advised him to break off the engagement if presented with superior forces, but to remain aggressive. Bey planned to attack the convoy at 10:00 on 26 December if the conditions were favorable for the attack. At this time of year, there was only 45 minutes of full daylight and six hours of twilight, which significantly limited Bey's operational freedom.Шаблон:Sfn The Germans were concerned with developments in Allied radar-directed fire control, which allowed British battleships to fire with great accuracy in the darkness; German radar capabilities lagged behind those of their opponents.Шаблон:Sfn
Шаблон:Lang and her five destroyers left port at around 19:00 and were in the open sea four hours later. At 03:19, Bey received instructions from the Fleet Command that Шаблон:Lang was to conduct the attack alone if heavy seas interfered with the destroyers' ability to fight. Unbeknown to the Germans, the British were able to read the ciphered Enigma radio transmissions between Шаблон:Lang and the Fleet Command; Admirals Robert Burnett and Bruce Fraser were aware of Bey's plan for the attack on the convoy and could position their forces accordingly. At 07:03, Шаблон:Lang was some Шаблон:Convert southwest of Bear Island when she made a turn that would put her in position to attack the convoy at 10:00. Admiral Burnett, commanding the three cruisers escorting Convoy JW 55B, Шаблон:HMS, Шаблон:HMS, and Шаблон:HMS, placed his ships between the convoy and Шаблон:LangШаблон:'s expected direction of attack.Шаблон:Sfn Fraser in the powerful battleship Шаблон:HMS, along with the cruiser Шаблон:HMS and four destroyers, moved to a position southwest of Шаблон:Lang to block a possible escape attempt.Шаблон:Sfn
An hour after making the turn, Bey deployed his destroyers in a line screening Шаблон:Lang, which remained Шаблон:Cvt behind. Half an hour later, Шаблон:LangШаблон:'s loudspeakers called the crew to battle stations in preparation for the attack.Шаблон:Sfn At 08:40, Belfast picked up Шаблон:Lang on her radar. Unaware that they had been detected, the Germans had turned off their radar to prevent the British from picking up on the signals. At 09:21, BelfastШаблон:'s lookouts spotted Шаблон:Lang at a range of Шаблон:Cvt. The cruiser opened fire three minutes later, followed by Norfolk two minutes after. Шаблон:Lang fired a salvo from turret Caesar before turning and increasing speed to disengage from the cruisers.Шаблон:Sfn The battleship was hit twice by 20.3 cm (8 in) shells; the first failed to explode and caused negligible damage, but the second struck the forward rangefinders and destroyed the radar antenna. The aft radar, which possessed only a limited forward arc, was the ship's only remaining radar capability.Шаблон:Sfn
Шаблон:Lang turned south and attempted to work around the cruisers, but the superior British radar prevented Bey from successfully carrying out the maneuver.Шаблон:Sfn By 12:00, Шаблон:Lang was to the northeast of the convoy, but Belfast had reestablished radar contact; it took the cruisers twenty minutes to close the range and begin firing. Шаблон:Lang detected the cruisers with her aft radar and opened fire with her main battery guns before turning away to disengage a second time. Shortly before 12:25, Шаблон:Lang hit Norfolk twice with 28 cm shells.Шаблон:Sfn The first shell hit the forward superstructure and disabled NorfolkШаблон:'s gunnery radar. The second 28 cm round struck the ship's "X" (rear superfiring) barbette and disabled the turret. Шаблон:Lang then turned again and increased speed, in the hopes of escaping the cruisers and finding the convoy. Burnett chose to keep his distance and shadow Шаблон:Lang with radar while Fraser made his way to the scene in Duke of York. Meanwhile, the five German destroyers continued searching for the convoy without success. At 13:15, Bey decided to return to base, and at 13:43, he dismissed the destroyers and instructed them to return to port.Шаблон:Sfn
At 16:17, Duke of York made radar contact with Шаблон:Lang; thirty minutes later, Belfast illuminated the German battleship with star shells. At 16:50, Duke of York opened fire at a range of Шаблон:Cvt; Шаблон:Lang quickly returned the fire. Five minutes after opening fire, one of Duke of YorkШаблон:'s 14 in (35.6 cm) shells struck Шаблон:Lang abreast of her forward (Anton) gun turret. The shell hit jammed the turret's training gears, putting it out of action. Shell splinters started a fire in the ammunition magazine, which forced the Germans to flood both forward magazines to prevent an explosion. The water was quickly drained from turret Bruno's magazine. The ship was now fighting with only two-thirds of her main battery.Шаблон:Sfn Shortly thereafter, another 14 in shell struck the ventilation trunk attached to Bruno, which caused the turret to be flooded with noxious propellant gases every time the breeches were opened. A third shell hit the deck next to turret Caesar and caused some flooding; shell splinters caused significant casualties. At 17:30, shells struck the forward 15 cm gun turrets and destroyed them both.Шаблон:Sfn
At around 18:00, another 14 in shell struck the ship on the starboard side, passed through the thin upper belt armor, and exploded in the number 1 boiler room. It caused significant damage to the ship's propulsion system and slowed the ship to Шаблон:Convert. Temporary repairs allowed Шаблон:Lang to return to Шаблон:Convert. She managed to add Шаблон:Cvt to the distance between her and Duke of York, while straddling the ship with several salvos. Shell splinters rained on Duke of York and disabled the fire-control radar.Шаблон:Sfn Шаблон:Quote box
At 18:42, Duke of York ceased fire, having fired 52 salvos and having scored at least 13 hits, but Шаблон:Lang was pulling away. Many of these hits had badly damaged the ship's secondary armament, which left her open to destroyer attacks, which Fraser ordered. The destroyers Шаблон:HMS and Шаблон:Ship launched a total of eight torpedoes at 18:50, four of which hit.Шаблон:Sfn One torpedo exploded abreast of turret Bruno, which caused it to jam. The second torpedo hit the ship on the port side and caused some minor flooding, and the third struck toward the rear of the ship and damaged the port propeller shaft. The fourth hit the ship in the bow. The torpedoes slowed Шаблон:Lang to Шаблон:Convert, which allowed Duke of York to close to Шаблон:Cvt. With only turret Caesar operational, all available men were sent to retrieve ammunition from the forward turrets to keep the last heavy guns supplied.Шаблон:Sfn Fraser then ordered Jamaica and Belfast to move into range and finish the crippled ship off with torpedoes. After several more torpedo hits, Шаблон:Lang settled further into the water and began to list to starboard. At 19:45, the ship went down by the bow, with her propellers still slowly turning.Шаблон:Sfn British ships began searching for survivors, but were soon ordered away after just a few were pulled out of the water even though voices could still be heard calling for help from the darkness.Шаблон:Sfn Of the crew of 1,968 officers and enlisted men, only 36 men survived.Шаблон:Sfn
Wreck discovery
In September 2000, a joint expedition to find the sunken battleship conducted by the BBC, NRK, and the Royal Norwegian Navy began. The underwater survey vessel Sverdrup II, operated by the Norwegian Defence Research Establishment, was used to scan the sea floor. After locating a large submerged object, the research team then used the Royal Norwegian Navy's underwater recovery vessel Шаблон:Ship to examine the object visually. The wreck was positively identified by an ROV on 10 September, which located armament consistent with that of Шаблон:Lang .Шаблон:SfnШаблон:Sfn The ship sank in approximately Шаблон:Cvt of water.Шаблон:Sfn The hull lies upside down on the seabed, with debris, including the main mast and rangefinders, scattered around the wreck. Extensive damage from shellfire and torpedoes is evident; the bow was blown off, presumably from a magazine explosion in the forward turrets, and lies in a tangled mass of steel some distance from the rest of the hull.Шаблон:Sfn
Notes
References
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Online sources
Further reading
Шаблон:Scharnhorst class warship Шаблон:December 1943 shipwrecks Шаблон:Authority control Шаблон:Subject bar
Шаблон:Good article Шаблон:Coord
- Английская Википедия
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- 1936 ships
- Maritime incidents in December 1943
- Scharnhorst-class battleships
- Ships built in Wilhelmshaven
- World War II battleships of Germany
- World War II shipwrecks in the Arctic Ocean
- 2000 archaeological discoveries
- Страницы, где используется шаблон "Навигационная таблица/Телепорт"
- Страницы с телепортом
- Википедия
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