Bizmark Never Had a Chance

[Commander Gizmo]

During my current career, I sent messages just after leaving Brest informing the fleet about the presence of a British task force hanging about in BE. Shortly there after word was sent to rush to the assistance of the Bismark, which would shortly be engaging said task force.

Not having anticipated this matter developing within my range of operations, I decided to do my best and set flank speed to the given location. My Leipzig light cruiser made good time at 34 knots and arrived one hour before the rendezvous with the task force. After assisting the might battleship in dispatching waves of planes, she suddenly began firing at something to far away for me to see. I adjusted course and left my escort formation in order to intercept the target.

Once in range, I was able to identify the HMS Rodney and King George. I opened fire only to be reminded of the caliber of my guns. Seeing that I would be unable to get within torpedo distance of such a powerful ship in such clear weather, I kept at range and fired hoping to do what damage was possible.

Within a few minutes, I was startled to find shells landing in the water near my boat despite the lack of targeting from known vessels in the area. Quickly scanning the horizon, my view through my binoculars passed just in time to see another ship coming out of the fog at the edge of visibility with plenty of bright flashes as her guns made themselves known. After a few tense seconds, the ship was visible enough to identify -- the Hood! There wasn't time to determine the exact name of the ship however. Her crew had apparently been in engagements such as this before and was very accurate in their aim.

I immediately ordered a full about and an increase back to flank speed. These ships were moving fast. I also order guns pointed at the new target. Now that all available action was taken, we began to check our quick identification efforts from earlier only to find that there were two identical battleships! Those sneaky Brits! After a quick changing of pants, the excellent crew under my command was able to identify not two battleships, but two heavy cruisers. Whew!

Unfortunately, they appeared to be not only better armed than my ship, but much better armored as well. My shells did no discernible damage, and I was forced to withdraw to leave the flagship of the fleet to fend for herself.

It as at this point that I discovered that the heavy cruisers were also much faster than my ship. With such an unfortunate piece of information before me, I did what anyone would do. I ordered flank speed directly at the enemy with all guns firing in a blaze of glory. Oh, and a few torpedoes to go with them.

I now present you with a lesson and a bit of experienced wisdom: do NOT, I repeat, do NOT engage two ships twice your size, speed, and armament!

There was no torpedo explosions, no glory, and no escape. At a distance of 17km from my targets, my ship exploded quite nicely and through some freak accident I was thrown from the command deck over 50 feet away into the water.

Amazingly, after being rescued, interrigated, and returned back to command they gave me a bright shiny new boat just like the one I lost and a trip through their fancy new time machine for a chance to try the mission over again. I was told that I would forget everything I had learned from the last try save for one short message inscribed on the back of a pocket watch. Trusting their statement, I chose an appropriate message to be placed there. I now refer you back to the afore mentioned wisdom.

They were wrong, I did recall the previous try. I began to shout the order to make best speed to save the mighty Bizmark, but then glanced down at the back of my pocket watch, which I couldn't recall ever owning previously. I immediatly changed the order to ahead two thirds and a course to our patrol grid. On my way back to the captains bunk, I did stop to unplug the radio...

[Venatore]

Originally Posted by Commander Gizmo

I now present you with a lesson and a bit of experienced wisdom: do NOT, I repeat, do NOT engage two ships twice your size, speed, and armament!

This is not experienced wisdom; this is just bloody commonsense I admire your efforts to save the mighty Bismark pity you were overwhelmed by superior firepower, that's why so many of the Bismark crew drowned as there were rumors of a U-boat in the area, so many if not all the British vessels didn't not hang around to pluck out the survivors

Remember BDU's motto....BE MORE AGGRESSIVE

[Black Eagle]

As SH4 sees its last sunsets, we harken back to May 27, 1941.
Herr Kanug Rolfe Hass experienced the thrill of his naval career. He intercepted HMS Rodney and HMS King George V steering 145 degrees at about 18 knots at 0730 on that morning in force 15 conditions. Exact grid location at first contact:
25km west of the intersection formed by BE29, BE37, BE53, and BE61 (or about 1400km (per the game) west of Brest, France.
His Type IX (at GWX 90% degree of difficulty) used all remaining 6 torpedos on board to dispatch these two British battleships. After surfacing, U124 observed gunfire flashes far to the SSE where Bismark, spared interception by the battleships sunken by Hass, was engaged with other Royal Navy units.
Now here's the really mind-blowing part of this story:
Hass then moved SE towards the area where gunflashes had been seen. To his surprize he sighted the silohette of a large warship....Bismark!!
She was dead in the water, her upper works shattered presumably by 8 inch shellfire. U124 sent its contact report. Soon thereafter BDU sent out its message lamenting the loss of the Bismark. Little would the SH4 designers have known Bismark was still afloat, and deadly!
Hass then decided to stay near the stricken Bismark to see what would become of Germany's flagship. Incredably, two days later a large convoy traveling westerly at 7 knots stumbled upon the Bismark!
Hass then positioned his U124 between Bismark and oncoming escorts.THREE sunken destroyers later and SEVEN shredded merchants approximating 30,000 tons later, Bismark, while motionless in high sea conditions, had survived to fulfill her assignment to attack convoys. Toward the end of this engagement U124 had the incredible experience to witness 15 inch shells slamming into merchant ships, along with attendant explosions and sinkings.
What an unforgettable experience! What a glorious way to close the book on Silent Hunter IV's story!
I'd recommend anyone loving the game to mission in the Atlantic during May one more time. Save your torpedos, and head for the rendevous described above. If you do, you are in for a very unforgettable experience if you can intercept and sink these two British battleships!
Happy Hunting. oblt Rolfe Hass

[Anton88]

The Bismark was sunk by its own crew


After the Swordfish planes destroyed her rudder, and the British fleet closed within firing range and started pounding her, .. her crew opened valves and flooded the ship. It fired all of its armament.. on the deck were pieces of sailors that were cut and blown by the rain of fire.. the guns were split up like tulips..
The crew flooded the ship so it goes down..

The Bismark was built to be unsinkable by gunfire..
a surviving crewmemeber gave this account,,.that ...yes ..."we sank the bismark"

[Lt.Fillipidis]

I remember reading somewhere that it was almost impossible for a Battleship to sink another Battleship. Dunno if its true though.

[psykopatsak]

it should pheraps be mentioned that bismarck was already destroyed when they sank her

[Sailor Steve]

Originally Posted by Lt.Fillipidis

I remember reading somewhere that it was almost impossible for a Battleship to sink another Battleship. Dunno if its true though.

Almost. With the exceptions of magazine explosions it is very rare for any surface ship to sink another one of equal size purely through flooding by shellfire. There is a fair chance that Bismarck would have sunk due to the uncontrolled fires raging everywhere, but the scuttling and torpedoes made sure of it.