The FReeper Foxhole Remembers The Battle of the Denmark Strait (5/24/1941) - Oct. 28th, 2003

http://www.kbismarck.com/operheini.html ^ | José M. Rico

[SAMWolf]

He's doing better, he goes in Thursday to have the stitches removed and then has to do some therapy. Thanks.

[SAMWolf]

The Polish destroyer destroyer Piorun was the first from the British destroyer flotilla, that attacked the Bismarck on the famous night of her final battle. :-)

[SAMWolf]

Thanks fors the heads up Minutegal. Prayers being offered.

[Johnny Gage]

Air Power
Fairey "Swordfish"

By far the most succesful and famous biplane fighting aircraft of WWII. Its naval nickname was "Stringbag".

When British naval intelligence determined that a large number of Italian warships lay at anchor in Taranto harbor in November 1940, an attack was organized, to be carried out by 21 single-engine carrier-based Swordfish biplanes flying from HMS Illustrious made the first carrier strike. The operation was a huge success -- three battleships were severely damaged, a cruiser and two destroyers were hit, and two other vessels were sunk. In the space of one hour the balance of naval power in the Mediterranean had been altered forever.

The Japanese envoy in Italy took a great interest in this attack, studying its execution carefully. The Taranto raid, by proving the vulnerability of closely moored ships to aerial attack from aircraft carriers, showed the way to the future of air power. He was shortly recalled to Tokyo and was instrumental in planning the attack on Pearl Harbor against the Americans. This, of course, had an immense effect on world events and the course of the war.

Then in May 1941 a Swordfish strike was vital in damaging the German battleship Bismarck; After a long cat-and-mouse sea chase by the Royal Navy, it was two torpedo hits from Swordfish of 818 Squadron, operating off the carrier HMS ARK ROYAL, that finally succeeeded in damaging the steering and crippling the German ship. This allowed other fleet ships to catch and destroy her with gunfire and surface torpedoes.

Because they were helpless against fighters, these airplanes were usually only operated far out sea, where land based opposition could not reach. Swordfish based at Malta were operated at night and were all but invulnerable to the opposition. Starting in 1940, squadrons of Swordfish stationed here had sunk more than a million and a half tons of enemy shipping....a record never to be equaled. Maintenance was a breeze on such a simple design.

The unlikely cause of this destruction was one of the warplane legends of World War Two, the Fairey Swordfish Mk.1, first flown on 17 April 1934. It was a three-man torpedo-bomber and reconnaissance biplane with a basic structure of fabric-covered metal. The wings folded for storage on the crowded deck of an aircraft carrier. Armament included one forward-firing Vickers machine gun and one swiveling Vickers in the rear cockpit. Primary offensive power took the form of depth charges, mines, bombs or, especially, a torpedo.

Unfortunately, this outstanding plane was too slow to withstand the punishment of German anti-aircraft fire. Long, accurate approaches to the target made the Swordfish very vulnerable when delivering its torpedo. Thus came re-deployment in an anti-submarine warfare role, using depth charges and, later, rockets.

As with many wartime aircraft, Swordfish were produced by more than one manufacturer. Well over half (almost 1700) were built by the Blackburn company in Sherburn in Elmet, UK.

The Mk II model was introduced in 1943, and featured strengthened and metal-skinned lower wings to allow the firing of rockets from underneath. Later that year, the Mk III appeared, which featured a large ASV anti-submarine radar unit mounted between the landing gear legs which allowed detection of submarines up to 40 km away. For operation over the cold waters of Canada, the Swordfish Mk IV was fitted with an enclosed cabin.

When production ended in 1944, the Swordfish had had been introduced into a full range of duties for the fleet: Torpedo-bomber, minelayer, convoy escort, anti-submarine warfare (ASW) aircraft and training craft. Today, four Swordfish are airworthy -- two in Britain and two in Canada.

Specifications:
Manufacturer: Fairey Aircraft Co. Ltd. and Blackburn Aircraft Co. Ltd
Primary Role: Torpedo Bomber
Crew: Three
Engine: One 750-hp Bristol Pegasus XXX 9-cylinder radial piston engine

Dimensions:
Weight: Empty 4,700 lbs., Max Takeoff 7,510 lbs.
Wing Span: 45ft. 6in.
Length: 35ft. 8in.
Height: 12ft. 4in.

Performance :
Cruising Speed: 104-129 mph
Maximum Speed: 138 mph
Ceiling: 10,700 ft.
Range: 1,030 miles

Armaments:
Two 7.7-mm (0.303-inch) Vickers machine guns (one forward-firing) and
another one in a Fairey High-Speed Mounting in rear cockpit);
one 1,600-pound torpedo, or 1,500 pounds of depth charges, bombs or mines; or up to eight rockets on underwing racks.

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All photos Copyright of Military.CZ

[SAMWolf]

Morning w_over_W.

Had to be a main magazine explosion, The Movie "Sink The Bismaarck" does an excellent job on the HMS Hood Sinking.

There has been some speculation that Bismack did not fire the shots that sunk Hood but that it was actually Prinz Eugen. I guess we'll never know for sure.

[w_over_w]

There has been some speculation that Bismack did not fire the shots that sunk Hood but that it was actually Prinz Eugen.

Oh man! Forgive my ignorance but was that type of "friendly fire" common in Naval exchanges?

[SAMWolf]

I believe the Brits used the excuse they were both running low on fuel and feared U-Boat attacks so they called off the search for survivors. Flimsy excuse at best..

[SAMWolf]

[SAMWolf]

Great plane for today's profile Johnny.

[SAMWolf]

Not friendly fire. Prinz Eugen was the heavy crusier with the Bismarck.

[U S Army EOD]

SEARCH???? There were actually German sailors pulled off ropes when the rescue ships got underway. But war is a cruel thing and I am glad they got the Bismark. I once saw the History Channel story on the Russian submarine that sunk a German hospital ship and another ship full of refugees. In all, probably more than 15,000 (not 1,500 but 15,000) went down with those two ships. They interviewed one of the Russian crewman and asked them how he felt about being part of an operation that basically killed 15,000 non-combatants. His answer was, "We were at war, we won and they lost". I felt like that was a pretty good answer.

[Pippin]

No PC yet :O(

[SAMWolf]

I read about those sinkings. You do what it takes to win.

If the Bismark had not been sunk and she got into the shipping lanes and attacked convoys she wouldn't have been picking up survivors either. Still, leaving them there to drown when there was no immediate threat to the rescuing ships is a tough one to swallow.

[w_over_w]

Sheesh! How did I get "Prince of Whales" mixed up with "Prinz Eugen"?

More coffee please!

[SAMWolf]

LOL! Unless you keep track of what ship belonged to what Navy it could get confusing.

[w_over_w]

Unless you keep track of what ship belonged to what Navy it could get confusing.

Thanks for your kindness Sam . . . but Prince vs Prinz and Whales vs Eugen? No, I think I should be tied to the yard arm. ;^)

[Light Speed]

Morning Troop : )

Polish Navy WW-2

In the fall of 1943, the U.S.Navy sent a Carrier Battlegroup to Scapa Flow to join the Home Fleet ..then sortie to enage the Tirpitz..Bismarcks sister ship.

In reviewing the Action Reports from USS Isherwood..a Polish destroyer..The Orkan was assigned to the Home fleet for this op.

Orkan was a plucky tin can..seeing alot of duty in the Arctic on convoy screen.
Sadly she was lost in a submarine action later .

The U.S. had a big presence in the Arctic...several large Battleships along with the Home fleet intimidated the German Navy..they were unwilling to come out to fight.

The Island of Spitzbergen was a key weather facility for tracking and formulating war plans in Europe..the key reciever of this info was U.S. 8th Airforce.

Duty in the Arctic was dangerous...many sailing corridors were in easy reach of Luftwaffe projection.

Like the North Pacific opps in the Aluetians...survivors from downed aircrews ,merchantmen and fleet combat had only minutes in the numbing waters.

The Blue Jacket Navy of the Arctic saw the longest duty of WW-2.

[skeeter]

For more on the Prinz Eugen... http://bobhampton.kwajonline.com/eugen.html

[snippy_about_it]

Thanks Light Speed for the added information.

[colorado tanker]

I'm back in my foxhole, reporting for duty. Been on a road trip. Made it out of California just in time.

Great read, today. The story of the Bismarck and Hood has a mix of triumph, tragedy, courage and luck that makes a fascinating story.

The movie "Sink the Bismarck!" is fun, too. I don't know if her character was real, but Dana Wynter was a babe.