Kriegsmarine

Tweet

The Kriegsmarine had to be virtually rebuilt after the First World War. Forbidden to own capital ships and submarines, Germany nibbled away at first one clause of the Treaty of Versailles, then another, until a powerful navy force existed. At the outbreak of World War Two, relatively few capital ships were in commission, and no aircraft carriers. There was never any prospect of matching Britain in terms of capital ship numbers, but the qualitative advantage of the proposed super-battleships might have made a considerable difference. In any case, the Kriegsmarine was not a navy designed to tackle a major fleet head-on in fleet engagements. Instead, it was a commerce raiding force. German capital ships were built according to principles tried out in World War One; internal compartmentalisation and damage control measures made them very difficult to sink, while their efficient power plants ensured a good top speed, essential in a raider. Coupled with excellent fire control, using radar and other means, and big guns to make use of it, these vessels were extremely potent weapons. It has been said that Hitler never really understood naval warfare; be that as it may, the Kriegsmarine suffered from a lack of funding and materials, and from the internal politics of the Nazi leadership. Among its greatest detractors was Herman Goering, who connived constantly to ensure resources flowed into his Luftwaffe to the detriment of the navy. Major warship projects suffered from constant stops and starts as resources were allocated, then redistributed to other projects. Eventually, as the tide of war turned against Germany, Hitler gave up on his navy and transferred guns originally intended for ships to the coastal fortifications of the Atlantic Wall. The Kriegsmarine continued to fight on with dwindling resources. U-boats and destroyers remained a menace to allied shipping to the very end of the war.

The Battle for the Pacific was only the beginning. Victory at Sea is the game of naval combat during the Second World War. Throughout 1939-45, the nations of the world duelled across the oceans across the globe, only to discover the fundamental nature of naval warfare changing in the face of rapidly developing technologies. Now you can play out these confrontations on the tabletop with entire fleets drawn from the Royal Navy, US Navy, Imperial Japanese Navy, German Kriegsmarine or any of the other nations featured in Victory at Sea. From skirmishes involving single destroyers hunting down merchantmen to the clashing of massive battleships, from invasions of islands across the Pacific to mastering waves of dive bombers, Victory at Sea enables you to fight exciting battles that take place on the oceans of World War II.

With carriers planned but not built, Germany?s airpower was limited to launching from airfields far from open water. As such, they were mainly deployed against ships close to mainland Europe. Despite this, the Luftwaffe dive-bombers proved devastatingly effective against Allied ships. Focke-Wulf FW 200 Condor:The Focke-Wulf Fw 200 Condor began its operational life as an airliner and was the first aircraft to fly non-stop between Berlin and New York. Though used in a variety of roles, the version presented here is a maritime patrol aircraft that saw use as a long-range and anti-shipping bomber. These planes searched for Allied convoys and could perform anti-submarine warfare duties. Junkers Ju 88:The Ju 88 was one of the most effective and versatile strike aircraft of the war. It served as a medium bomber and tankbuster on land, and at sea could deliver bombs or torpedoes. The Ju 88?s high speed allowed it to avoid interception much of the time or outrun fighters if necessary, making it much more survivable than most contemporary Allied designs. Messerschmitt Bf109:Made famous in the Battle of Britain, the Bf 109 was constantly upgraded throughout the war to remain competitive, though it was to be outclassed by the newer FW 190. At the start of the war, however, it was a fearsome fighter, and a suitable counterpart to the Spitfire.

Submarines: A long-ranged submersible, the Type IX was the most successful U-boat of the war, with each vessel averaging over 100,000 tons of shipping sunk. One Type IX, U-107, made the most successful convoy mission of the war, with nearly 100,000 tons of shipping sunk out of Freetown in Africa. The latest variants of this design were capable of ranges of more than 23,000 miles, allowing them to rove far in search of convoys, while their heavy load of torpedoes allowed them to keep pace with a convoy, attacking night after night. MTBs:The R1-class of R-Boat (from the German Raumboot, meaning minesweeper) was intended to be used as a shallow water minesweeper but, as the war went on, it became a multi-role craft. Its duties expanded to include patrol, antisubmarine, convoy escort, minelaying, and rescue operations. Some classes of R-Boat, such as the R310, were fitted with torpedo tubes, though performance was very modest compared to craft specifically designed for the role. The ultimate S-Boat to be operational in significant numbers was the S-100-class, which was produced from 1943 and was said to be the best fast patrol boat of its time. The S-100-class was nicknamed the Calotte, as it featured a rounded armoured bridge. It was powered by three Daimler-Benz engines giving it an overall capacity of around 7,500 hp and developing an outstanding top speed of 48 knots.

The Deutschland-class of warships were relatively small, by battleship standards, but were well armoured and carried the type of armament traditionally seen only on battleships. This led to them being nicknamed 'pocket battleships'. Superb commerce raiders, the Admiral Scheer successfully plied the Atlantic and Indian Oceans, disrupting merchant shipping wherever it went, whilst the Admiral Graf Spee was famously cornered during the Battle of the River Plate and scuttled herself soon after.

Sister ship to the Bismarck, the Tirpitz was 2,000 tons heavier and thus the heaviest warship to have ever been produced by a European navy. She served in Norway and the Baltic Fleet acting as a potent deterrent. The Tirpitz became an obsession for the British. After the sinking of the Bismarck, the Tirpitz, as Germany?s most powerful warship, was destined to spend much of the war in port. After the daring St Nazaire raid by the British, it was deemed unfeasible to use Tirpitz against the Atlantic convoys of the Allies. Instead, she was used sparingly, as a deterrent against Allied invasion in Norway and to intercept Allied convoys to the Soviet Union. In September 1943, along with the battleship Scharnhorst, she bombarded Allied positions on Spitzbergen. This was the only occasion the mighty battleship fired her main battery in anger. The relentless attacks of the British would prove to be the end of the mighty vessel. They launched many raids on her; from mini-submarines and two full-scale air raids. She was eventually?sunk?in 1944 by Lancaster bombers armed with 12,000 lb Tallboy bombs.

Two Bismarck-class battleships were built for the Kriegsmarine. Bismarck was the first, named for the Chancellor (Otto von Bismarck). The battleship was laid down in July 1936 and launched in February 1939. She and her sister ship, Tirpitz, were two of the largest battleships built by any European power, and certainly, the largest built by Germany. Whilst the physical power they held was tremendous, they also wreaked psychological havoc amongst the allies. Churchill was determined that the two battleships not be let loose upon the Atlantic. Bismarck's career, however, was woefully short, spanning just eight months under a single Captain, Ernst Lindeman. During this time, she only took part in a single offensive action that lasted just eight days in May 1941. This operation, codenamed Rhein?bung, was to attempt what the Allies feared, a breakthrough to the Atlantic and raid Allied shipping efforts between Britain and North America (along with the heavy cruiser Prinz Eugen). The two vessels were detected multiple times off Scandinavia, prompting Britain to initiate naval blocking manoeuvres. The resultant battle, the Battle of the Denmark Strait, saw the British vessels HMS Hood and HMS Prince of Wales engage the two vessels. Hood was destroyed for her efforts and Prince of Wales suffered damage, forcing a retreat. However, Bismarck had suffered damage significant enough to put an end to her raiding mission. Limping for occupied France for repairs, Bismarck was pursued by a Royal Navy set on retribution for the sinking of HMS Hood. She was attacked by 16 Fairey Swordfish biplane torpedo bombers deployed by HMS Ark Royal. A direct hit rendered Bismarck's steering gear inoperable. The following morning, she suffered crippling damage in a battle against two British battleships and two cruisers. She was subsequently, on 27 May 1941, scuttled by her crew and sank with many lives lost.