Let's Build: Schwerer Kreuzer Prinz Eugen

[mescal]

When you are in the middle of enemy waters, with the whole Home Fleet and whole lot more ships trying to send you to the bottom, you generally do not use your radio to "say goodbye and all that", friend or not.

(Bismarck most probably sent its long message to OKM because he did not know that the Suffolk lost its track).

On a more general way, radio silence is the default behavior for warships in enemy/hostile waters.
Cheating with such rule really really needs a very good reason -- because it puts your ship at risks, and because if you still make it back home, you will have some questions to answer.

[varjag]

varjag,
Did Helmuth and Ernst, ever radio eachother to say good-bye and all that?
NIKKI

I think mescal gave a complete answer to that.....u don't touch a transmission key without expressed orders!

In 'the big roundup' of the supply tankers sent out for the Bismarck operation, as I recall - Spichern, was the only one that REFUSED to reply to requests from the Seekriegsleitung to confirm if she was still afloat. Spichern - survived as she had a smart captain - his name was Koelschbach. , Varjag

[NASAFAN101]

Guys,
Not even in person! not over the radio. how long was PE on her own til Bismarck came up to Poland For trials and training, for his crew? And were they docked near eachother?
NIKKI

[Takao]

Any goodbyes would have been sent via signal lamp or semaphore when the Prinz Eugen and Bismarck parted company on May 24th, 1941.

[NASAFAN101]

Takao,
what do you meanbu "signal lamp or semaphore"?
NIKKI

[tommy303]

A signal lamp, sometimes called a morse lamp, is used to send a message by blinking light in morse code.

http://www.faradic.net/~gsraven/fons_images/page34.html


Alternatively, when close enough, a semiphfore system of hand held flags can be used to transmit a message:

http://www.anbg.gov.au/flags/semaphore.html

[NASAFAN101]

Guys,
you kind of have to wonder what was going through the heads of both PE And Bismarck Commanders when they parted company. did they ever interview Helmuth after the war ended? now this is going to sonud stubid but i don't know morse code.
NIKKI

[tommy303]

Here's a link to morse code:

http://www.omniglot.com/writing/morsecode.htm

[varjag]

And here - is one to semaphore.....

http://www.anbg.gov.au/flags/semaphore.html

I believe that in semaphore - more so than by morse-lamp (which is faster) - signals were sent by 4-letter code groups that translated via a code-book to more elaborate messages, f.i.... 'QXYZ' simply meant 'Good bye and good hunting'. Four letters convey five words and 20 letters.....In the German navies, semaphore was called Winkspruch, which simply means Wave-talk like in waving your arms ,Varjag

[NASAFAN101]

thanks guys,
i didn't even know that! for the good-bye and good hunmting, i think Ernst sented that to Helmuth: dose wany one know wat Helmuth sent back to him?
NIKKI

[tigre]

Hello to all ; here goes some information on the Prinz Eugen (originally battleship J)......................

here: http://www.prinzeugen.com/PGHistory.htm

The pictures posted here were wrongly labeled (sorry).

Cheers. Raúl M .

[tommy303]

That is the light cruiser Emden.

[Takao]

tommy303 is correct, if it was the Prinz Eugen she should have three propellers, not two.

[tigre]

Hello guys ; you've right boys, tanks for sheding light on it . Cheers. Raúl M .

[NASAFAN101]

Ok guys,
dumb question, iwas thing she had three propellers.. i didn't even know that! for the good-bye and good hunmting, i think Ernst sented that to Helmuth: dose wany one know wat Helmuth sent back to him?
NIKKI