So that isn't any specific data regarding Minelaying outside Ofotfjord then ?
Apart from what we already know from naval-history.net, that after the Scharnhorst/Gneisenau encouter, Renown detached four of her destroyer group to return to Vestfjord and specifically guard/operate
in the minefield there
...which would seem to indicate that Dietl hadn't seen any merit in clearing the Quay for the KM destroyers to disembark at.
Of course not as the Destroyers easily could use other piers.
1/ true, of course they could, but not the Bremen - which is the point.
2/ Look at the second pic from "April 9th" Am I right in thinking that pier they DID use hisotrically is just beside the Iron Quay? If that's correct - then by April 9th as we can see there is
ALREADY one wreck partly blocking the approach to the Iron Quay by a vessel the size of the Bremen...
Yes but my photo seems to be older, the official site in Norwegian say's the the wooden pier where pulled down in 1907, and 1931 the new concrete pier where ready.
Yes - the one with several sunk ore ships beside it after the 10th of April, as per the pic I posted.
Neither home Fleet or the cruisers found the German task force when moving North.
I don't understand what you mean by "given that the Home Fleet remained on station UNTIL that force was intercepted"
I can't understand your point - Home fleet detatched some destroyers to Sullam Voe but did not end looking for the Germans
First of all, I'm not talking about ALL the "Home Fleet" just the following battelgroup operating directly under Adm. Forbes - Admiral Forbes (C-in-C Home Fleet) in battleship Rodney with Valiant, battlecruiser Repulse, light cruisers Sheffield, Penelope, French Emile Bertin, destroyers Eskimo, Punjabi, Bedouin, Kimberley, Jupiter, Codrington (D.1), Griffin, Brazen, Escapade and Electra departed Scapa Flow at 2015/7th.
Two crusier squadrons had already been detached to Rosyth and the Clyde, three flotillas of destroyers were operating off the Norwegian coast laying fake and real minefields, Renown and Birmingham had been detached to cover them closer to shore, the CLs Galatea and Arethusa and eleven destoyers had been sent to sweep the Norwegian coast north of Trondhiem but
after the northern force had already passed by the area before they got there. Repulse, CL Penelope and four destroyers were also later detached from Forbe's force to formate with Renown off Vestfjord (as I mentioned before)....
At THIS point as the maps show, Forbes
remaining force (generously
called "Home Fleet" on the maps 'cos Forbes was flying his flag on the Rodney) turned round and steamed south as we can see on the maps to join Manchester and Southampton off the southern coast of Norway in reaction to word of more German shipping transitting the Skaggerak - but this was
AFTER the Repulse battlegroup had been detached/ordered to formate with Renown.
It was
AFTER this point - when the Renown (not yet formated with the Repulse etc.) early on the morning of the 9th engaged the Scharnhorst/Gneisenau - that "Home Fleet" was joined by the two detached cruiser groups and their accompanying destroyers that had hastily disembarked their Army cargoes...and after THAT -
Late on the 9th, Admiral Forbes ordered all his light cruisers and most of his destroyers to return to Scapa Flow or Sullom Voe for refuelling. The last units arrived about noon on the 11th. At 1530/10th, light cruisers Sheffield, Glasgow, Manchester, Southampton and destroyers Afridi, Somali (D.6), Codrington (D.1), Mohawk, Mashona, Jupiter, Brazen, Escapade and Electra arrived at Sullom Voe foe refuelling. Light cruisers Birmingham refuelled at Scapa Flow, Aurora at Rosyth, and Galatea and Arethusa refuelled, all on the 11th. French large destroyers Tartu and Maille Breze arrived at Scapa Flow with the British cruiser force at 1900/10th.
He had
already detached light cruisers Southampton, Manchester, Sheffield and Glasgow and seven destroyers towards Bergen early on the 9th for a few hours until he had to order them back to Scapa! By
THIS point, because of the various detachments and the above return of ALL his force's remaining CLs and most of his destroyers for refuelling, all that remained at sea under his
direct command were the Rodney, the Valiant and a couple of destroyers.
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