[jdkbph]

Originally Posted by John Channing

Then you had better read some more.

During the Norwegian campaign Sub commanders were specifically ordered to concentrate on Naval vessels and, if necessary, to ignore merchant shipping.

Then here we're agreed. Broad category target types, such as merchants or warships... as I stated.

We may want to start our "reading" by reading the post we're replying to, eh?

As I said in aother thread, given the Doenitz knew exactly how much tonnage he had to sink on a monthly basis to bring England to surrender, and given that he had around 40 operational U-Boats, do you really think he told the commanders just to go out to Grid X and see what you can find?

I would expect a bit more in the way of verbal encouragement, but words to that effect, yes.

What you're referring to is a strategic not an operational consideration. That would place it even above Doenitz' position at the start of the war. At Doentiz' level (operational), the task was to create the appropriate doctrine, ensure an adequate level of training, then to position his assets at the right place and at the right time in order to satisfy his directives. If planned and executed correctly, and given the required resources, the required tonnage would be sunk.

That it didn't happen historically is in no way an indictment of the u-boat crews (ie, failed missions), or even of Doenitz himself. If blame needs be placed, it would have to be laid at the door step of the pre and early war naval planners (Hitler, Raeder, et al). Clearly the resources were not adequate to the task given Doenitz early in the war, and from there the strategic priorities and subsequent investment in the u-boat arm did not permit the technology or the numbers to keep pace with the allies.

So no... I stand by what I said. At the individual unit level this kind of thing (go to location X and sink Y tons) just didn't happen. It most certainly was not the norm, as it is portrayed in SH5.

Now, if you have credible references to the contrary I'd be happy to stand corrected.

Do you think his orders to Prien was to drop by Scapa Flow and have a quick look see?

Do you think he had orders to sink Royal Oak? Did he even have orders to sink a battleship (specifically)? Would he have returned again and again to get Royal Oak, or some other battleship (specifically, if he missed the first time? What if he had sunk Courageous or Ark Royal instead? Would that have been a "mission failure"?

Sorry, but from an historical perspective, this just doesn't play.

And neither does SH5.

JD