lonehawknz
05-27-06, 05:43 PM
Lutjens and Lindemann had a lot to be thankful for on May 27th 1941.
At approximately 0730hrs U-64, racing at maximum speed to grid BE53 in response to the urgent clear broadcast traffic from BdU, sights HMS King George V and HMS Rodney steaming southeast at 23kts.
In heavy fog, and unsure of the overall strength of the task force KapitanLeutnant Von Leahy risks closing at 18kts on the surface. Luckily with no escorting destroyers, the battleships are unaware of the closing U-Boat till the last critical moments. Slipping beneath the waves at 2km range, Von Leahy fires his last TII at KGV.
Incredibly, this one shot passes under the centre of the battleship's keel, detonates and breaks her back. There is time to abandon ship, thus avoiding the fate of so many of Hood's crew but the ship is still doomed.
20 minutes later, heavy cruisers Suffolk and Dorsetshire emerge from fog 2 miles off Bismarck's port beam. The pride of the Kriegsmarine may be stuck going round in circles thanks to the torpedo hit on her rudder (courtesy of a Fleet Air Arm Swordfish) but her gunnery is still deadly accurate. The two cruisers score multiple hits on the Bismarck but in return are pounded to smithereens.
Closing fast at 20kts, HMS Rodney bursts from the fog to witness the end of the Dorsetshire, and swiftly exacts revenge from the burning German battleship. Both ships are severely damaged by the short range gunfight but after a couple of minutes Bismarck is listing heavily and can no longer train her guns on Rodney.
Admiral Lutjens is killed by fire from Rodney's secondary armament and Kapitan z See Ernst Lindemann wounded, when the bridge explodes in a shower of steel and splinters. Carried below, Lindemann gives the order to scuttle Bismarck.
U-64 and Kaleun Von Leahy arrive in time to witness Rodney turning away on fire and listing heavily. In turning, her weakness is exposed as she cannot bring her 16" guns to bear on Bismarck any longer. Firing stern tubes 5 & 6 at 500m, U-64 tries to distract the remaining Royal Navy battleship. Both fish hit and detonate and Rodney explodes spectacularly. U-64 arrives alongside Bismarck in time to prevent the scuttling of the ship, allowing survivors to be lifted to her decks and to other U-boats.
The arrival of further aircraft precludes further rescue operations as the skies clear and Bismarck slowly turns turtle as bombs explode on her mangled superstructure. But 1,200 men are saved from the ciy clutches of the Atlantic
http://www.cleahy.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/Big.JPG
In real life of course, no U-boat was near enough in time to sink any RN capital ships and spare Bismarck the terrible rage inflicted on her by HMS King George V, HMS Rodney and the cruisers Dorsetshire and Suffolk. Ironically the threat of U-boat attack (from U-46) forced the British units to scatter, limiting the time spent rescuing Bismarck's crew. Only 115 survived. It was a fitting revenge for the loss of HMS Hood and came as a small victory at a black time for Britain.
But history could have been so different if just one U-boat had been a little closer.
My last-minute "virtual" involvement in Rheinubung couldn't save Bismarck in the game anymore than she was saved in real life, but it spared her the full wrath of the RN and she stayed afloat longer than any of their units thanks to my elimination of KGV. Rodney also took longer to get to the fight than in real life as she was weaving as a result of my destruction of the other battlewagon.
I have no idea whether the actual presence of Operation Rheinubung in SH3 was part of the original build or part of Rubini's Mod but by god, THANKS!!! FANTASTIC!!!!
Just to re-iterate, this WASN'T a RUB, it wasn't the Single Mission! This happened, in real time, whilst I was on my 16th patrol...!!!
:up:
At approximately 0730hrs U-64, racing at maximum speed to grid BE53 in response to the urgent clear broadcast traffic from BdU, sights HMS King George V and HMS Rodney steaming southeast at 23kts.
In heavy fog, and unsure of the overall strength of the task force KapitanLeutnant Von Leahy risks closing at 18kts on the surface. Luckily with no escorting destroyers, the battleships are unaware of the closing U-Boat till the last critical moments. Slipping beneath the waves at 2km range, Von Leahy fires his last TII at KGV.
Incredibly, this one shot passes under the centre of the battleship's keel, detonates and breaks her back. There is time to abandon ship, thus avoiding the fate of so many of Hood's crew but the ship is still doomed.
20 minutes later, heavy cruisers Suffolk and Dorsetshire emerge from fog 2 miles off Bismarck's port beam. The pride of the Kriegsmarine may be stuck going round in circles thanks to the torpedo hit on her rudder (courtesy of a Fleet Air Arm Swordfish) but her gunnery is still deadly accurate. The two cruisers score multiple hits on the Bismarck but in return are pounded to smithereens.
Closing fast at 20kts, HMS Rodney bursts from the fog to witness the end of the Dorsetshire, and swiftly exacts revenge from the burning German battleship. Both ships are severely damaged by the short range gunfight but after a couple of minutes Bismarck is listing heavily and can no longer train her guns on Rodney.
Admiral Lutjens is killed by fire from Rodney's secondary armament and Kapitan z See Ernst Lindemann wounded, when the bridge explodes in a shower of steel and splinters. Carried below, Lindemann gives the order to scuttle Bismarck.
U-64 and Kaleun Von Leahy arrive in time to witness Rodney turning away on fire and listing heavily. In turning, her weakness is exposed as she cannot bring her 16" guns to bear on Bismarck any longer. Firing stern tubes 5 & 6 at 500m, U-64 tries to distract the remaining Royal Navy battleship. Both fish hit and detonate and Rodney explodes spectacularly. U-64 arrives alongside Bismarck in time to prevent the scuttling of the ship, allowing survivors to be lifted to her decks and to other U-boats.
The arrival of further aircraft precludes further rescue operations as the skies clear and Bismarck slowly turns turtle as bombs explode on her mangled superstructure. But 1,200 men are saved from the ciy clutches of the Atlantic
http://www.cleahy.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/Big.JPG
In real life of course, no U-boat was near enough in time to sink any RN capital ships and spare Bismarck the terrible rage inflicted on her by HMS King George V, HMS Rodney and the cruisers Dorsetshire and Suffolk. Ironically the threat of U-boat attack (from U-46) forced the British units to scatter, limiting the time spent rescuing Bismarck's crew. Only 115 survived. It was a fitting revenge for the loss of HMS Hood and came as a small victory at a black time for Britain.
But history could have been so different if just one U-boat had been a little closer.
My last-minute "virtual" involvement in Rheinubung couldn't save Bismarck in the game anymore than she was saved in real life, but it spared her the full wrath of the RN and she stayed afloat longer than any of their units thanks to my elimination of KGV. Rodney also took longer to get to the fight than in real life as she was weaving as a result of my destruction of the other battlewagon.
I have no idea whether the actual presence of Operation Rheinubung in SH3 was part of the original build or part of Rubini's Mod but by god, THANKS!!! FANTASTIC!!!!
Just to re-iterate, this WASN'T a RUB, it wasn't the Single Mission! This happened, in real time, whilst I was on my 16th patrol...!!!
:up: