The heavy cruiser Blücher Or how to lose the pride of the most stupid
Who
more, some less, will have ever heard of Bismarck. You know, "Sink the Bismarck ! "and stuff. Some, a little more interested, may know the fate of its twin, Tirpitz, the pocket battleships, or the German raider during World War II. But few know the history of the late Blücher, class heavy cruiser Admiral Hipper . But first, let's get some background.
The June 21, 1919, in a confusion of his guardians (the English fleet was on maneuvers), Admiral Ludwig von Reuter ordered to sink the German Imperial Fleet (Imperial Navy .) Where was I? In Scapa Flow, a British naval base located in the Orkney Islands, northeast of Scotland. Why Why? Because, well, let's leave it at humiliating Treaty of Versailles against Germany, among other things, to lose its entire fleet of war, which was turned over to English. Since the arrival of the fleet at Scapa Flow in November last year, became a sort of fair, a tourist attraction, in a humiliation not tolerated for long. In Scapa Flow ten battleships were sunk (all except one, who was stranded), five battle cruisers, five light cruisers and thirty-two destroyers. In total, fifty-two of seventy-four ships moored there have foundered, despite the efforts of the British Coast Guard for help.
The SMS Bayern sinking in Scapa Flow
Germany had been punished for lack of a powerful surface fleet. At Versailles it was agreed that could only have 15,000 men, 6 battleships, 6 cruisers and 12 destroyers. In addition, they could not build new ships if not to replace some old, and never more than 10,000 tons. And they could not implement technological improvements discovered ... To give you an idea of \u200b\u200bwhat is 10,000 MT., The battleship Missouri Anchored at Pearl Harbor and a museum ship displaces 40,000 tons. (1)
smelled But as the Soviet Union would cause problems, the Western democracies turned a blind eye to German rearmament. In 1935, with Hitler in power, and following the futile policy of appeasement, Britain signed the Anglo-Germanic naval agreement. This gave legitimacy to the arms race that Germany took place in the naval field. Basically, the agreement allowed the Third Reich must again have a fleet of war, but limited to 35% the size of the R oyal Navy.
With this 35% was sufficient. Germany did not need such large vessels. Well, actually many ships ... To get an idea, Great Britain amounted, eye to data, more than two million tons of warships in 1939. The U.S. is Missouri 1945 and is huge ... In short, overwhelming. However, Germany gradually began to commission and to realize ever-larger ships, and France and England began to suspect, so Kriegsmarine began to lie to the figures of their new acquisitions. One such ship was the Blücher distorted. The heavy cruiser Blücher
According to official figures, the cruise moved just 13,000 tonnes, but Blücher actually had it to do evil regime, and certain pecking between meals, because it is estimated that it could reach 18,000 at full load. And that was within the cruise classified as heavy. Construction began in Hamburg on August 15, 1935, almost two years after the hull was launched, and 20 days after after the start of world war was given the nod to start operations.
really did nothing significant until 1940, when Blücher , the ship's most modern functional Kriegsmarine then was put in charge of the operation "Weserbüng "(which would mean" Weser Exercise ", ie, the code name for naval exercises are meant to distract, I guess), the invasion of Norway. The plan was simple: on 9 April, Bücher , the heavy cruiser Lützow (before known as the pocket battleship Deutschland , lighter and outdated that the flagship) and the light cruiser Emden (even older and lighter), with a handful of torpedo boats and minesweepers, enter into the Oslo Fjord, disembark a thousand soldiers who carried the Blücher and in a flash would capture the capital, the government and the king of Norway. A master plan! But they forgot one small detail ...
The Blücher way to Norway, seen from Emden
basic thing in the war: the enemy usually is not crippled. You can have toy guns, but a BB gun can do much damage with just luck. And it was. For starters, the cake was discovered early the night before, when a Coast Guard vessel was found with the battle fleet. With a couple is confronted them. Was captured. But sounded the alarm: in Oslo knew were coming. The hostilities between Germany and Norway had begun.
the morning, the fleet reached its destination. Coastal batteries guarding the fjord, some guns from the late nineteenth century, located in Oscarsborg, opened fire, even before they reached their operating range. When they reached him, the shot that really had a chance to do something, he did. And what if it did: burst fire control room ahead. Translated into layman language: no fire control room, shooting blindly. The second shot did nothing but improve the party on board the ship: it seems that struck the hangar (yes, vessels of considerable size, such as cruise, are below deck, usually aft, a hole to save a few seaplanes recognition; the Blücher had three, for example), and ignited the fuel of the aircraft, and 50 kilos of explosives that were ready to let go. Later, the fire spread among the troops loaded ammunition.
The Blücher tried to return fire, but did not know for sure where they were shot. In addition, done with the front battery was nonsense. So put the engines at full power and relied on out of the narrow fjord as soon as possible to get to Oslo quickly and without further damage. But another catastrophic fault crossed his path: the Norwegians had installed a battery of torpedoes in the narrowest part of the fjord but German intelligence was aware of it. This battery was built in ... 1901. Bravo. To this we add that he had to make a sudden maneuver to avoid running aground, leaving virtually stopped. It was a treat for the battery of torpedoes, with some weapons from the times of Austro-Hungarian Empire managed two hits. The Blücher was sentenced.
It was gradually tilting the engines stopped. It dropped anchor. But do not give up. The captain ordered drop torpedoes carried on board to prevent burst and cause more harm (shout profane, again, the torpedoes are not exclusive submarine naval guns, as we have seen there are boats whose main weapon is that, but also the destructive use and cruise ships carry over not used to, being short listed for the fighting style of the great vessels), and cut the anchor. The engines were restarted and tried to get to Oslo. But it was not possible. The strong bias that was taking the boat, with strong currents, caused virase 180. Shortly thereafter, the slope eventually overturn the ship. The sailors and soldiers who could almost jumped to death safe in the icy waters of the Norwegian fjord. The sinking of Blücher , from left to right and from top to bottom
In Blücher would be about 2,000 people, including crew and soldiers. About 600 survived. Of sailors, very few, as the vests worn by soldiers prioritized the invasion. But if the loss of flagship setback was not enough, added to the invasion troops, you may know that among the other passengers were high army command and general staff morale increases power stroke. In addition, they were also bureaucrats, radio operators and other people needed to take over non-military in the city. Oh, and a band. Some 800 civilians, mostly perished there.
The operation was a failure. The delay allowed to invade Norway Oslo organize the escape of the royal family, government and parliament, carrying the country's gold reserves. When the Germans returned to the capital, it was too late. Despite the success in other parts of the Norwegian coast, miss this award can only be regarded as a failure. That allowed Norway to participate in the global battle with the allies, and to finance its participation with the gold that Germany did not capture.
Incidentally, today is the Blücher sunk off Oslo. For intrepid divers without cold, clear.
(1) Satellite image of Missouri, look at the scale ... and imagine: LINK