Has it been estimated what would have happened to S/G/PE at Brest if they had not sortied home when they did?
Has it been estimated what would have happened to S/G/PE at Brest if they had not sortied home when they did?
Long subject question but there it is.
Did the ships leave for home at the right time? Would staying into late 1942 have made a return trip impossible?
Did the ships leave for home at the right time? Would staying into late 1942 have made a return trip impossible?
Re: Has it been estimated what would have happened to S/G/PE at Brest if they had not sortied home when they did?
Yes to both questions. They had been subjected to repeated heavy bombing which could only get worse.
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Re: Has it been estimated what would have happened to S/G/PE at Brest if they had not sortied home when they did?
A major sortie was in the works when HITLER pulled the plug and ordered them to Norway , were he could keep an eye on them.
No Hitler interference , they sortie in early 1942 instead of the channel dash.
No Hitler interference , they sortie in early 1942 instead of the channel dash.
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Re: Has it been estimated what would have happened to S/G/PE at Brest if they had not sortied home when they did?
Brit air attacks were taking a toll on the three ships. Gneisenau was hit by a unexploded bomb, then took a torpedo in the stern. Scharnhorst had its refit delayed from damaged docks & was eventually hit by five bombs. Prinz Eugene was hit by a detonated bomb. A sortie into the Atlantic had risk from mechanical failures from defered refit & possible degradation from the hits. The risk of loss of one or more ships was far higher in the Atlantic.Paul Lakowski wrote:A major sortie was in the works when HITLER pulled the plug and ordered them to Norway , were he could keep an eye on them.
No Hitler interference , they sortie in early 1942 instead of the channel dash.
Re: Has it been estimated what would have happened to S/G/PE at Brest if they had not sortied home when they did?
Paul Lakowski wrote:A major sortie was in the works when HITLER pulled the plug and ordered them to Norway , were he could keep an eye on them.
No Hitler interference , they sortie in early 1942 instead of the channel dash.
Good to know. Is that in the Fuhrer Conference on Naval Affairs? Rarely read about German surface ship strategy.
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Re: Has it been estimated what would have happened to S/G/PE at Brest if they had not sortied home when they did?
I recall Delcyros mentioned it and reported that plans were underway to preposition more tankers/v ships. I do recall reading that Hitler's intervention cut short plans for follow on raids.
Carl Schwamberger
The words are fine but over done. The ships did sortie in the channel dash, so they could have broken out in the other direction instead.
The RAF air raids were more nuisance than the crippling effects of the follow on mine strikes during the channel dash.
Carl Schwamberger
The words are fine but over done. The ships did sortie in the channel dash, so they could have broken out in the other direction instead.
The RAF air raids were more nuisance than the crippling effects of the follow on mine strikes during the channel dash.