hipper
Banned
Better read that again. Jan Wellen had only topped them in ballast.; plus she had the wrong kind of fuel.
The most likely event is what happened. The Germans scattered among the fjords to avoid FAA air attacks. Fouled fuel and incomplete top-off in ballast.The Germans did not have the bunkerage or ballast necessary to do what you claim.
Jan Willhelm had 8000 tonnes of fuel oil that’s about 700 tonnes for each destroyer assuming 90% of it is useable. how much fuel do you think a destroyer holds? there is only 1000 tonnes between the 1934 class standard and full displacement. So they had the fuel required to make the return trip to germany about 600 tonnes according to your source.
HMS Glorious was in the North Sea.
HMS Glorious was in the mediteranian on the 10th of April 1940 conducting air training with Ark Royal according to Naval History.net and sailed to the Clyde. she was operational in the North sea in April 22nd.
So what? The Germans were not going anywhere. And there was HMS Renown on standby for Mousehole duty.
the german zdestroyers were under orders to return to Germany. on the 9 th they could not because of the delays involved in refuelling from one Tanker, they would have been ready on the evening of the 10th unless WL had not attacked.
Again (^^^) Have any idea what the weather was like? (Please read.)
I’ve been mentioning the weather for some time now it was very bad throughout rendering the eventual air attack 50% ineffective two days later and rendering the Concept of close blockade problematic. what do you think the germans chances were of escaping with some of the destroyers in a Snowstorm.
It appears there is a LOT despite your excellent research that remains unknown to you that you do not understand about Narvik.
it is possible that I lack understanding, on the other hand you seem to be using a ton of Hindsight to Rubbish the achievement of the First VC of the war without understanding the issues involved. Warbuton Lee Knew he was going to be outnumbered but decided to attack anyway. By doing so he caught the Germans at the moment of maximum Weakness. He disabled 5 destroyers in an action,where he got one of his destroyers damaged by one shell. this was an overwhelming victory, he then saw three more ships coming down the Fjord so he decided to retreat. these three destroyers were not handled very aggressively and were not engaging heavily. He was then Suprised by the George Thiel and theVon Arnim the Thiel was handled very effectively and inflicted most of the damage on the British Ships. it was only at this point with WL dead and his destroyer aground the British line fell into confusion. however the Thiel was also rendered combat inefective and 5he three surviving British Ships escaped down the Fjord. intercepting the german reserve amunition Ship as they left.
so no the british destroyers had not lost contact and were navigating independently because they had to change course when WL’s destroyer went aground.
It was in poor light when the Swordfish attacked U-64 at 1050, and she had to drop a parachute flare before she dropped her bomb and strafed the German. The Germans claim it was a depth charge. There was deep twilight shadow in the fjord and there was artificial illumination used to dispatch Kunne (starshell.)
Petty officer Rice the pilot of the swordfish does not mention Flares.
“With floats on a Swordfish you couldn’t carry a torpedo. What we carried was 250lbs armour piercing bombs, two 100lb bombs and an anti-submarine bomb. I decided to use the two armour-piercing bombs.”
Warspite Ian Ballantine
And... Explain the other British backup force mouse-holing the Fjord as Warburton Lee charged in then? Hmm?
there were no other british Forces at the mouth of the Vestfjord when WL attacked. he was ordered to Vestfjord at 06:26 on the 9th 10 minutes after Renown lost contact with Sharnhorst and Gneiseau. Penelope was not ordered to Vestfjord until 06:00 on the morning off the 10th
Five German destroyers attacked the Warspite incursion. So obviously something is wrong, here.
the germans did some Repairs between the 10th and the 13th
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No. It was not. And you can see why. (^^^) The British MOUSE HOLED Narvik. Plus the Germans did not have the fuel they needed to get home. The British waited this time until they were ready, then they went in for round two.
Warbiton Lee was ordered to the mouth of the Vestfjord and arrived there to discover that the Germans had already arrived he had to decide to attack or not, he decided to attack he destroyed or damaged 6 german Destroyer for the loss or damage of three of his own, in a destroyer fight at 2:1 odds that’s an excellent performance.
it’s interesting to note that in the later attack with Warspite and 10 destroyers the British lost two destroyers the same as WL
fundamentally I don’t see how he did badly. And I think he carried out a model attack on a defended harbour.[/Quote]