Sinclair Town #02 31 декабря 1994

Игры

Sweetest ... - The analysis of the game "BISMARK" (the hunt for the Bismarck).

(C) RojerSoft, 1995



       HUNT FOR BISMARCK



        More than half a century has passed since

      Ever since the British

      sent to the bottom of the Atlantic

      leading to a linear
      Rabelais Nazi Germany

      Bismarck. In the Grande
      oznoy "hunting" were killed in

      A total of more than 3000

      man ...


   Experience of the First World War was
fully taken into account that Germany - she was obliged to
taken into account as a defeated nation. But experience shows 
that Tactics of war on cruising

oceanic communications justify himself. Then the German raider 
single, sent to sea ​​space, caused much harm to British 
shipping and their allies.




   Even before the war in solitary confinement, so as not to 
attract the attention of foreign intelligence services, went 
into the Atlantic to their original positions and the cruiser 
"pocket battleships". Only one battleship "Admiral Graf von 
Spee and conquered sank nine vessels with a total capacity of 
50 tons True, later find comfort in the same waters where

exactly 25 years ago, died of Admiral von Spee's squadron. Other
Raiders recorded at his own expense
more than a hundred vessels with a total capacity of over 600 
tons Given successful trips, spring 1941

decided to make a new raid
convoys, coming across the Atlantic to England from the United 
States. Battleship Bismarck had to tie the battle protecting 
their major combat ships, and the cruiser Prinz Eugen "

It would take the destruction of
transports. In case of need it can get battleships
"Scharnhorst" and "Gneisenau", stationed in the occupied French 
port of Brest after raid the Atlantic (where they got from

British), and in extreme cases to
help you can throw submarine
boats and coastal aircraft.



   • "Teaching on the Rhine"
led the fleet commander Admiral Lyutens, differed in
raid "Scharnhorst" and "Gneisenau" in the British communication.
Now in his possession was
"Bismarck" - while most
powerful ship of her class in
the world and largest inferior
Is old-fashioned English
battlecruiser "Hood".


   Comparing the data "Hood" and "Bismarck", one might think 
that the preponderance on the side of the British. But in 
Indeed battlecruiser is the result of design insanity on the 
grounds of megalomania. The rapid development of linear forces 
before the first world has forced England lay the ships, far 
exceeding the speed German battleship, but at the same while 
carrying a gun of equal value. The crown was "Hud." What a 
Battlestar similar fate awaited sizes, practically had no

side armor is hard to say -
its completion was interrupted famous
Jutland battle, where it is due
weak armor literally skyrocketed
on the air 3 Battlecruisers
British. "Hood" thoroughly rebuilt, but by the second
World War II, he is hopelessly outdated.



   Before leaving the sea Lyutens
said his friend: "The only
What I fear, it's like
one of the British torpedo
knocked his "Eel" (slang for
the German sailors name torpedoes) steering the battleship
or cruiser.


   ... When you get acquainted with the course
this operation, it seems that one of the warring parties with 
incomprehensible stubbornness tried to drive themselves in a 
hopeless situation, while the other was doing everything

to miss the enemy.


   May 18, 1941, "Bismarck" and
"Prinz Eugen" out of Gotenhafen (now Gdynia) and went
to the Baltic Straits. There they
met with the twin-cruiser - it was neutral, Swedish
"Gotland". Lyutens fumed and raged
rage - at the very beginning of the operation to find them. Was 
great tempted to test the power of guns:

a pair of volleys would solve the problem,
but the Admiral changed his mind in time:
"To hell with him ...". But this meeting
was not harmless -
commander "Gotland" reported in
headquarters of the German squad, there is report was sent to 
the employee Naval Intelligence, and the one in the evening

for beer shared information
with a friend, English naval attache Dunham, who
conveyed the content of the conversation in London marked "very 
urgent". 



   May 21 squad arrived Lyutensa
Course in the fjord, near
Norwegian Bergen. "Prinz Eugen" to the fueled. In
the same day, ships sailed into the Atlantic.


   The next day, over
Course fjord flying English
reconnaissance plane. After receiving the report of the pilot, 
the British Admiralty realized that the Germans had in the 
ocean. Fleet Commander Tovey ordered the cruisers of 
Rear-Admiral Wake-Walker ("Suffolk" and "Norfolk Island") to 
strengthen surveillance - they are already patrolling the Danish

Strait - between Greenland and
Iceland. To the south of the last
sent a squadron of light cruisers. Main base in Skapaflou
came a detachment of Vice-Admiral Holland, held the flag on the 
battle cruiser "Hood", followed by followed by the new 
battleship Prince of office Wells, "and six destroyers. Holland 
had to block out of the Danish Straits to the south. The main 
forces Tovey - the battleship King George V ", the aircraft 
carrier Viktories", four cruisers and seven destroyers headed 
for the south-west coast of Iceland. Later they added another 
battleship. In Generally, the traps were set.



   No wonder the British involve such large forces.
They were well informed about
power of modern battleship. Only
the mere mention of "Bismarck" or
his fellow "Tirpitz" forced
scattered in panic escort
convoys, to throw to their
the fate of the transports. Example -
convoy PQ-17 ...


   German radio intelligence in the morning on May 21 
intercepted an order British Admiralty to begin searching the 
two battleships, going from Bergen to the North Atlantic (as 
you can see, the orientation was close to the truth, the more

"Prinz Eugen" also had impressive dimensions).



   May 23, at 19.22, "Suffolk"
said 7 miles "Bismarck" and
"Prince Eugen". The British wisely turned away in the fog and 
began to follow the enemy by radar, bringing Tovey and

Holland of course, speed, and
place. Then he became friendly with the Germans
"Norfolk", but has come under fire
"Bismarck" and retreat, of course, passing the Tovey-date 
information. Oddly enough, but it proved to be the first! 
"Suffolk" on flagship was not heard.



   Now, the cruiser went right and
left behind by the Germans, holding on
respectful distance. Ships
Holland meanwhile, went to the west at full speed.


   The fact that the English "sit
on the tail of the squadron commander
"Prince Eugen" Brickman convinced
evening, when he was informed
intercepted radio message, "Suffolk". Could not be lost.
The Germans suspected that the British were devices that fog or 
haze is not a hindrance. But then Why Lyutens not interrupted

operation and did not turn in Korsford?


   His predecessor
Commander, Admiral Marshall
recalled how before you go
sea ​​he said: "It has been two
Navy commanders have left the
position because of his quarrels
with the high command. I do not want to be a third! I know what
Staff wants to operational management, and will abide by its
orders. "Further, Marshall adds:" Given the heavy quarrel that 
arose on the soil deviations from the pre-designed operational 
plans, Admiral Lyutens felt bound by military orders literally 
hand and foot. "As the saying goes," with the shield or on it 
"... 


   At midnight on May 24, "Suffolk"
lost radar contact
with the Germans. Learning of this, Holland decided that they 
have come off from Wake-Walker, and went back. AND

He turned to them - to the north.
Holland has already made a battle plan -
"Hood" and "The Prince of Wales office" concentrate fire on the 
Bismarck, and Cruiser - for "Prinz Eugen"

but did not notify about this
Wake-Walker. Withstood the radio silence? Who knows ...



   Wrote that the English admiral should quickly close with the 
enemy and begin firing from a distance of no more than

6 miles, while the German shells
fly on the flat trajectory
and if you fall, the armored side, "Hood." If a fight breaks 
out at a greater distance then the shells falling on a steep 
trajectory to hit poorly protected deck of this old ship. And 
under them - the cellar of ammunition ... 


   At 2.47 "Suffolk" again felt the Germans locators. They 
still go to each other on south-west. Holland once again turned 
around, he developed an almost limit course - in 28 knots - and 
lost connection with the destroyers. They stayed

30 miles to the north and in battle, as
and cruisers Wake-Walker is not
participated.


   At 5.35 the "Hood" seen the enemy
right on the nose and passed on
"The Prince of Wales office - beating by head," Bismarck, "but 
he was second. After 17 minutes of English

opened fire from the nasal towers
with hazardous for them within 12
miles. Both the German concert
fired 'Hood. " But his first
volley went away from the "Prince Eugen". "The Prince of Wales 
office" only the fifth or the sixth salvo covered an enemy 
battleship. But after the second salvo, "Bismarck" to "Hood"

a fire broke out. The Germans have surpassed
themselves - they are famous for their ability to cover the 
third goal salvo - flight, undershoot, hit ... 


   Around 6.00, when the opponents
shared by 7 miles, the British turned away to the left to enter 
into case and feed the tower, thereby

strengthen the broadside, but there
Bismarck hit 380-mm projectiles
the main fire in the deck between the
a second tube and the main-mast. It seemed that the sky was 
split and hit - "Hood" literally

broken up into atoms. Detonated
all the ammunition! Of 1419 seafarers
saved three ...



   Now Bismarck suffered
fire on the Prince of Wales office. Soon, in fact got four 
380-mm shell and three 203-mm heavy

cruiser. Broke down bow
chetyrehorudiynaya Tower Chief
caliber, here and there broke out fires. Not to share
the fate of "Khuda", in Commander 6.13
Leach ordered the ship to put
smokescreen, and left the battlefield.
The British fully justified
its reputation as excellent seamen gunners and useless.


   In the German battleship hit
only two rounds. One at the bow, under bronepoyasom, there was 
a trim, and full speed dropped to 26 knots. Second sample tank. 
Not dangerous, if not loss of fuel leaked overboard. "Prinz 
Eugen" was not injured. At 7.27 Lyutens contacted headquarters 
and received permission to release the cruiser in the 
independent raiding, and most go into one

from French ports.


   After receiving news of the death
"Hood", led to the Admiralty
to help battleship Rodney, the aircraft carrier Ark Royal, the 
cruiser "Sheffield", the second battleship and four

destroyer escort took off from the convoy, and the third was 
sent to the ocean from Halifax. The rapidity with which

the largest ship in the world ceased to exist, led all in
horror and forced to think seriously about a cushy job in the 
Admiralty. Now something really "Bismarck" in no case be had to 
go! 



   A Lyutens in 18 hours suddenly turned on the cruiser 
Wake-Walker and forced them to retreat. This

maneuver helped Brikmanu lost
in the Atlantic. Yes it and did not seek to prosecute - for the 
British the main goal was Bismarck.



   About 23 hours nine slow
torpedo bombers "Swordfish" and six destroyers "Fulmar" with 
the USS Viktories " broke through the rain to the battleship

and hit him one torpedo.
It exploded with a powerful bronepoyasa without causing much 
damage, but the German anti-aircraft gunners shot down two 
"Fulmar". 


   About 3 hours 25 May, "Norfolk" and "Suffolk" lost the enemy 
and ran to look for it south-west of where the last

radar contact. Chased after him and the connection Tovey, and
Bismarck calmly walked into 100
miles for his stern and headed
in the south-east!


   Why is it so happened that
British sought the enemy in the opposite direction? It turns 
out, Tovey has received notification from the Admiralty to 
zapelengovannoy radio ship of the enemy, - wrote the official 
historian of the British Navy Roskill .- This alert is enabled 
Tovey conclude that Bismarck is in the north-east.

As a result, the commander ordered to change course, and the 
compound develop greater speed, headed for the coast of Iceland 
... " 


   And what Lyutens? Apparently decided: time for me watching, 
you can break radio silence. At 8.52

"Bismarck" went on the air and almost
Half an hour passed on the command
information about the situation. Of course,
British radiopelengatorschiki
detected transmission, Lieutenant-Commander of Camp Operations 
Centre paved obtained bearings on the

map and obtained coordinates of the Bismarck. " However, 
strangely enough, Tovey said no coordinates, and

bearings, hoping that his
ships have finder.
But they are something and it was not!


   "When the operation was completed, I paved the bearings on 
the navigation map and immediately realized What happened - 
remember Kemp.Ofitser radiorazvedyvatelnoy services on the 
flagship paved the bearings on an ordinary navigation map, and 
not on the map in gnomonic projection. Caused them to give 
bearings place, "Bismarck" 200 miles north of the actual. 
"That's why Tovey rushed to the north ... 



   The same day, another error occurred, unexpectedly led
to success. At 13.20 the British zapelengovali telegram, sent 
from the Atlantic (it passed German U-boat, noticing

"Viktories). Decrypt it does not
failed, but nevertheless decided that the transfer is likely
was to "Bismarck", turning to
west coast of France. Then he spotted an intense radio 
communications of the German band "West" that approved the 
British in the same output. Only now followed Order all 
connections immediately turn to the south-east, in pursuit of 
"Bismarck" detached from the British for 160

miles.


   After the sinking of the "Hood" in
Lyutensa had a choice: to return to
occupied Norwegian ports
Trondheim, to which was 1400
miles, or Bergen (1150 miles)
or send to the French
Brest or Saint-Nazaire. Before them was
1700 miles. But the way in Norway
passed very close to the British naval bases, and
behind was the battleship "Prince of office
Wells, that he seriously
damaged and out of the game, Lyutens not know. And yet - 
Lyutens, apparently hoped that the battleships

"Scharnhorst" and "Gneisenau" will be
to meet him and help to break into the French port.
However, about this, like a lot
other, it remains only guess ...



   Only the next day,
10.20, tracked down the German battleship
690 miles from France on a flying boat "Catalina". In Admiralty 
realized that the catch "Bismarck's" very difficult. There was 
only one - by any means knock him to move, but it was only on 
the forces came to the rescue aircraft from the Arc Royalya. 


   This time difference "Sheffield" - finding the enemy radar,
He began to direct him
aviation. The first 15 "Swordfish"
despite bad weather, came to
target and attacked it from different
parties. The most surprising
pilots, is the fact that the ship
not returned fire, and dress in
stormy ocean of crazy
zigzags, dodging torpedoes.
Only by returning to an aircraft carrier,
pilots learned that was not
could hit ... "Sheffield."


   At 9 h in the evening, already dark,
the second group of "Swordfish" has found
battleship and got in his two
torpedoes. Lyutens was a visionary - one landed in bronepoyas 
without doing any harm, but the other exploded in a stern 
jammed rudders and damaging the screws. From this

moment of the battleship could only circulate. Lyutens ordered 
to stop and figure out the extent of damage. It turned out that 
Bismarck is still able to maneuver, driving cars. 


   After the war, German Admiral
Marshall wrote bitterly: "How
again by this time English
commander decides at midnight to stop the persecution,
because its large ships are beginning to experience an acute 
shortage of fuel (a consequence of the dashing march to the 
north), and the area of ​​battle is drawing near to the borders 
sphere of influence of German aircraft. However, after a 
successful explosion situation changed dramatically: now you 
can not linger, and the English Admiral decides to fight. "




   May 27, at 1.20, with difficulty
kept on course Bismarck saw a Polish destroyer Piorun "that 
were part of British division. Almost an hour

palil desperate boat on a huge battleship of 120-mm guns,
without causing it damage, but calling up the remaining 
destroyers. Germans same lazy fired back with artillery 
medium-caliber would be waving from the nuisance. Coming up 
destroyers fired torpedoes from a distance of fifteen miles

- Two hit the target. Battleship
again stopped. To France
there were only 400 miles.


   At 8.47 came the battleships' Rodney 'and' King George V ", 
formed by Collision Course and opened fire with

distance of 12 miles. Later, "Rodney" has given more torpedo 
salvo. After 2 minutes, began to answer Bismarck. In these 
hours the commander German submarine U-556

Wohlfahrt said the British battleship and an aircraft carrier. 
"Ships go without an escort and did not even change

Course "- he wrote in the ship's
magazine .- Ideal position for
attack, but I-556 was returning from
military campaign and has already spent torpedoes .- I see the 
fire tracer shells and return fire, "Bismarck." German

battleship mercilessly beaten ...


   In 10 hours, expending ammunition, cease fire chief caliber 
German battleship, followed by silent average, and on ships

Tovey was short on fuel. So he ordered the commander of the 
cruiser "Dorsetshire" finish off the enemy. He fearlessly 
approached battleship. "He was burning from the aft

bridge - remembering party
the last battle .- Cannon Tower
And that before the bridge, were thrown back back like a deer
horns, could be seen badly damaged in the forecastle. I 
remember well that obschivka port side a red glow and when it 
erupted, rising clouds of steam ... "



   Military experts still
been surprised by the extraordinary
survivability of two uniserial battleships of Germany - 
"Bismarck" and "Tirpitz". The first went to the bottom

Atlantic with an empty cellar, and
open in Kingston, but it
armor belt was not broken nor
once during the entire operation! The second was able to walk 
independently to the base after the famous torpedo attack on 
the Soviet submarine boat. To destroy them, had to mobilize 
large Power ...




   Battlestar quietly as the exercise, fired two torpedoes at
starboard, sidestepped the battleship and
stabbed another in the left. In these
moments of the German sailors opened the Kingston and laid in
Turbine explosive charges. Then
rose to the upper deck
so ordered to leave the doomed ship. Give such an order, and 
the commander of the battleship Lyutens Linderman is an old 
maritime tradition went into the conning tower and closed it, 
deciding to divide the the fate of the ship.



   At 10.36 blazing Bismarck
slowly lurched, rolled over and sank. "Dorsetshire" and 
destroyer "Maori have rescued 110 people, three more - the 
German submarines. When you exit Course fjord on the battleship 
was in 2403 sailors and officers ...




   TACTICAL AND TECHNICAL DATA

      Some ships,

     PARTICIPATED IN HUNTING

 USS ARK ROYAL, 1937
------------------------------- Launched in 1937, in
sroy joined in 1938. Displacement of 22 thousand tons, 3 
turbozubchatyh aggregate capacity of 102 Thousands of 
horsepower, speed 30.75 node. Book: Belt 114 mm

deck 63-76 mm. Length 244 m,
width of 28.9 m, 6.95 m average deepening Armament: 16
114-mm anti-aircraft guns, 48 ​​40 mm anti-aircraft guns, 32 
12,7-mm machine guns, 72 aircraft, 2 catapults. During the 
fighting, guns removed and replaced by eight 20-mm anti-aircraft

automata.

 USS Viktories, 1939
------------------------------- Launched in 1939,
entered service in 1940. Displacement of 23 thousand tons, 3 
turbozubchatyh aggregate capacity of 110 thousand hp, speed 31

node. Reservations: 114 times
mm, 63-76 mm deck. Length 230
m, width of 29.1 m, width of flight deck 37 m, 7.32 m average 
deepening Armament: 16 114-mm artillery shells universal 
caliber, 48 40 mm anti-aircraft guns, 8 20-mm antiaircraft 
guns, 36 aircraft, 1 catapult. 


   Light cruiser "Manchester"
----------- 1937 ----------- Laid down 28 March 1936, launched 
on April 12, 1937, entered service Aug. 4, 1938

year. Displacement 9,400 tons, power steam turbines 82,500 hp
speed of 32 knots. Length 170
m, width 19 m, 5.35 m average deepening Reservations: Belt
76-102 mm, 51 mm deck, towers
25-51 mm, 102 mm conning tower.
Armament: 12 152-mm guns, 8
102-mm anti-aircraft, 8 2-pounder anti-aircraft guns, six 
torpedo tubes, 3 aircraft.



   Light cruiser Aretyuza "
----------- 1914 ----------- Displacement 3500 t, power
steam turbines 40 thousand hp
speed of 29 knots. Length
125 m, width 11,9 m. Reservations: are 76 mm, 25 mm deck,
152 mm conning tower. Armament:
2,152 mm, 7,102 mm guns, 1
3-pounders, 8 torpedo
vehicles.


     Battlecruiser "Hood"
----------- 1918 ----------- Displacement 42,800 tonnes capacity
steam turbines 150,000 hp, speed 32 knots. Length 262.3
m, width of 31.7 m, 8.7 m average deepening Reservations: Belt
356 mm, 381 mm turret, casemates
178 mm, 305 mm conning tower,
total thickness of the deck 152 mm.
Armament: 8,381 mm 12 140 mm
4120-mm anti-aircraft guns, six torpedo tubes. Crew 1314
people.


   Battlecruiser "Ripals"
----------- 1916 ----------- Displacement 32,500 tonnes capacity
steam turbines 110,000 hp, speed 31.7 knots. Length 240
m, width of 31.3 m, 8.3 m average deepening Reservations: Belt
229 mm, 279 mm turret, combat
tower 254 mm, 76 mm deck. Armament: 6,381 mm 17 102 mm
guns, 8 torpedo tubes.
Total built two - "Ripals"
and Rinaun.


   Battleship Bismarck
----------- 1940 ----------- 41,700 tons displacement, velocity
30.8 of the site, 8,380-mm guns,
12 150-mm guns, 16 x 105 mm, 10
37-mm anti-aircraft guns, 16 20 mm automatic, 6 aircraft. 
Reservations: board 320 mm, 170 mm deck, the towers of 360 mm, 
the power of the power plant 160 thousand horsepower Length 251 
m, width 36 m, draft 8,7 m, full-time crew of 2300 people.