Pick you ship

Sam H. · Post by **Sam H.** » Thu May 01, 2003 5:54 am

If you could command one Kriegsmarine vessel in WWII, surface ship or U-Boat, which would it be any why?

Rommel8 · Post by **Rommel8** » Thu May 01, 2003 7:01 pm

The Bismark or the Graff Spee

why, cuz they are magnificent and beautiful ships

sid guttridge · Post by **sid guttridge** » Fri May 02, 2003 3:05 am

Hi Sam,

I think your previous thread provided my answer: Prinz Eugen.

1) She had a very active war.

2) She survived it and so, presumably, would I.

Cheers,

Sid.

Sam H. · Post by **Sam H.** » Fri May 02, 2003 6:53 am

I think I'd take Bismark. Nothing like being in command of the most powerful ship afloat.

sid guttridge · Post by **sid guttridge** » Fri May 02, 2003 7:59 am

Hi Sam,

Hmmmm..... I can imagine Lutjens (spelling?) saying just that.

I think I'll take my Prinz Eugen off on an independent cruise. You are clearly too dangerous company.

Cheers,

Sid.

Sam H. · Post by **Sam H.** » Fri May 02, 2003 8:07 am

I may have taken the Bismark, but I didn't say I would follow the same plan.

Sink the Hood, then either turn-around right away and head for Norway, or pursue the POW and then turn-around for Norway. C'mon Prinz Eugen, I could use the help.

sid guttridge · Post by **sid guttridge** » Fri May 02, 2003 8:29 am

Hi Sam,

Nope. If you want to play with the big boys then you are on your own. Enjoy your death ride.

Besides, I have a pressing Channel Dash previously arranged with my mates Scharnhorst and Gneisenau, which I just can't get out of.

Yours in something rather less than total solidarity,

Sid.

Enrico Cernuschi · Post by **Enrico Cernuschi** » Fri May 02, 2003 9:12 am

Gentlemen,
I'm a Regia Marina fan (of course), anyway I would pick the heavy cruiser Blucher. As a true commander (like Adm. Whilelm Marshall) I would refuse to put MY ship inside that mouse trap fjord and would sail (if they didn't put me ashore) for glory and unpredictable adventures, like encounter HMS Devonshire on 9 June 1940, to go in the Mediterranean dashing Gibraltar with Kap. sur Zee Sid and his Prinz Eugen - Hipper division in Jan. 1941 or, maybe, tow Bismarck to Brest in May 1941 (but it's more probable, as there were too many British destroyers that night, I could only save her ill fated crew).
Dreams, of course, but why not? EC

Enrico Mölders · Post by **Enrico Mölders** » Sun May 04, 2003 3:37 am

Hi,

I would take a heavy cruiser of the Hipper class. The Prinz Eugen was the last one built of that class and so I think I would take her.

Bye Enrico

PS : Wasn't it a 8" grenade of the Prinz Eugen which deadly hit the Hood and not a projectile from the Bismarck ?!?!

Enrico Cernuschi · Post by **Enrico Cernuschi** » Sun May 04, 2003 6:08 am

Hello Enrico,
I would like to sail with my Blucher (no right U available on my keyboard) and Prinz Eugen. As Sid wanted that ship too I think you could fix things with a pistol duel. Why not Seydlitz ? 90% completed, brand new, a bit more of work and it would be possible to dream totally new adventures. I admit it could be ready for the maiden voyage only in 1942 and that for that time any big ship activity wolud be hampered by the lack of fuel but what if the Tirpitz group had not be called back in July 1942? And the Artict actions. To go on with the planned Wunderland II?

Coming back to more serious matters I know that there a version according which it was a 203 mm grenade to ignite the descruction of HMS Hood; someone said too that the Prinz Eugen fire was directed by his excellent acoustic system throught water. According the fire tables and, above all, the piercing armour possibilities of a 203 mm from any angle I don't think it was possilbe to do anything with such a calibre against the armoured deck of old Hood. At war anything, anythinh is possible.

Next time EC

Enrico Mölders · Post by **Enrico Mölders** » Sun May 04, 2003 8:58 am

Hello,

I read latley that the Prinz Eugen hit a stack of water mines on the heck of The Hood which weren't brought under deck before the beginning of the battle.

But I can't say if that could be true or not, I even not know if the Hood carries any kind of water mines or water bombs.

bye Enrico

Kimmo · Post by **Kimmo** » Sun May 04, 2003 11:42 am

I would probably choose an E-boat.

Perhaps the idea of making a daring torpedo attacks against allied shipping is somewhat captivating thought.

Attacking fast and then disappearing into the night...

Enrico Cernuschi · Post by **Enrico Cernuschi** » Sun May 04, 2003 2:28 pm

From Enrico to Enrico: no bombs, no mines, for God'sake; the guy who wrote a thing such this was not a sailor.
Good sailing with Prinz Eugen. Ec

From Enrico to Kimmo: a MTB attacked silent and, then, run fast. if you do a bow wave going over 16 knots at night you are a sitting duck. The ideal would to be able to wait until the target came within your launching circle; Italians did it by their electrical, silent, slow engines (and Finnish had Italian MAS boats (MTB for the British, PT for the yanks) ).
Run silent, run deep EC

behblc · Post by **behblc** » Fri Sep 05, 2003 9:25 pm

E-boat...the speed of the craft apart from which they were a safe vessel.
( Confirmed coward at heart).
My late father was Ex-RN and did quite a bit of his time in Coastal forces....he was on one of the Gun Boats which went out to intercept The Brest Squadron as they forceed the Channel ...so he might have fired on you Sid!
He told me on one of the few occasions he mentioned his experiences that the worst momnets for him was drifting off the dutch coast engines stopped listening for the sound of returning E-boats...what followed was a fast running battle fought at relaitvely close quarters , he described it as ten minutes of complete fear although you didn't realise it until afterwards.
One of " Bob's" other notable jobs was taking the Commandos of the beach at Brunavel....throw in PQ runs and D-Day doesn't sound too bad.

Commissar D, the Evil · Fri Sep 05, 2003 9:55 pm

Admiral Sheer

Cheers,
~D

Feldgrau.net

Pick you ship

Pick you ship

E-Boat.