U-boat commander in the impish frame of mind as he put his new U-556 through the trials in the Baltic. It was winter 1941, and from his point of view it was a good war. convoys crossing the Atlantic were sitting targets for German U-boat packs. Lieutenant Commander "Parsifal" Wohlfarth latest statement is the latest addition twenty-five submarines produced by German shipyard every month.
over tan windswept waves of the Baltic Sea, he could clearly discern the superstructure of the Bismarck. To 40,000 tonnes, which is the newest and largest battleship in the world. It has also been conducting exercises when they received a signal from a minuscule 500-ton U-556: identification of the captain to captain. fine ship you have there !'
Wohlfarth's arrogance has not gone too well the commander of Bismarck, who has signaled back, "the commander to commander, report the name of the commander .'
"Oh, Lord!" exclaimed Captain Wohlfarth. "Now I've done it." He immediately signaled back to Bismarck. 'The captain and the captain - you try it! "Within moments of his cheeky skipper of the sunken submarine beneath the waves.
godfather U-BOAT weeks ago, and Lt. Commander Wohlfarth, looking to atone for his swagger, made a magnificent 'Certificate of Godfatherhood'. This was expressed in terms of friendly admiration in which U-556 is committed to act as the "godfather" in Bismarck.
He then called for a battalion commander in the midst of laughter, where the document was accepted with good grace. special relationship between the world's most formidable battleship and diminutive submarine was born. Weeks later, when U-556 is embarked on his first patrol, the captain of "Parsifal" Wohlfarth signaled again Bismarck: "personal from captain to captain. When you follow me, do not worry. I'll see you've come to no harm."
This is the pledge to-556's captain will bitterly regret it months later when the circumstances that caused it to fail as the 'godfather' to the German battleship.
U-556 was one of the patrol submarines package insidious and almost frozen water lies between Iceland and South Greenland. Between them their "West Group" so far sunk six p.m. Allied ships. three more were damaged, but now a lieutenant commander Wohlfarth's command was low on fuel and torpedoes.
KNIGHT'S CROSS beckons
It was time to return to Germany, and also pick up the Knight's Cross from Admiral Karl Doenitz. Making his leisurely way back across the North Atlantic, the U-556 captain attacked another convoy and released his last torpedo. This is one of those unfathomable quirks of fate that this relatively small shares in the larger theater of war may have snatched victory from the jaws of Germany.
Far in the west of Bismarck and cruiser Prinz Eugen broke the British blockade and sailed out into the Atlantic on raiding missions.
aware of the dangers that are all available British forces were ordered to intercept and destroy the two killers. If Scharnhorst and Gneisenau, then fix it in the French port of Brest, ever joined this formidable warship effect three Battleships and cruisers to the allied shipping would be devastating. Britain could possibly be hungry to give up its fight with Germany. Located HMS Suffolk, squadron consisting of HMS Hood and HMS Prince of Wales in contact with the two German raiders. This brief and bloody encounter resulted in the sinking of HMS Hood with the loss of 95 officers and 1324 sailors. Bismarck, however, has not emerged unscathed, and now is headed for the ship repair yard in St. Nazaire, leaving Prinz Eugen to continue their patrols.
race to the rescue
Hoping to lure followed by the Royal Navy into a trap, the German battleship's commander, Admiral Lutjens, called for a line of U-boats will be stationed across its line of access, ready for pick up from their tormentors Royal Navy.
of the six U-boats are able to respond to his call, he had two torpedoes and a bit of fuel. One of them was Lt. Commander Wohlfarth's U-556, 'godfather' of submarines, which promised to protect the Bismarck. German U-boat through the towering seas drove the damaged battleship.
foreign hunters followed the Royal Navy, Admiral Sir John Tovey realizing that he can not close with the German battleship if its speed is reduced, called Gibraltar Squadron. Squadron consisted of the battle cruiser HMS Renown, the aircraft carrier HMS Ark Royal and the cruiser HMS Sheffield and HMS Dorsetshire.
All, however, depends on the Ark Royal's own aircraft for they themselves could not come at the time of Bismarck to strike the air with their torpedoes. If anything could have prevented HMS Ark Royal closes with its target crippled German raider would do in St. Nazaire and security.
fateful denial
During the evening, 26th May 1941 U-556's Watch reported that access to naval vessels. Lt. Commander Wohlfarth crash-dived, and then raised the periscope to see what must be the dream of every submarine commander. HMS Renown and HMS Ark Royal is streaming directly towards him, their massive gray hull pushing repeatedly in the mountainous seas.
Wohlfarth not need to maneuver, it was as if they were steaming straight into its torpedo tubes. All he had to do is press the button to shoot send Ark Royal and HMS Renown to the bottom of the Bay of Biscay. loss would be disastrous for Britain in the war. If he did, and Bismarck is the safety of the odds would be stacked against the British victory. But he had no torpedoes left. The last of these was used on a relatively unimportant merchant ship.
Such an opportunity would never again have today; enemy battleship and aircraft carrier, destroyers, unaccompanied passes directly to the line of fire, the submarine torpedo tube, which were empty. Bismarck's fate was sealed. Her 'godfather' protector that has recently signaled its promise of protection was not in position to protect the pride of the German Navy. HMS Ark Royal and HMS Renown, unaware of their good fortune, blithely continued the course of destiny.
British aircraft carrier Bismarck closed before launching air attacks. In poor weather conditions in nine Swordfish aircraft led by Colonel Eugene Esmond found crippled Bismarck and launched torpedo attack, which resulted in a dented tiles, wall loosened and punctured her tank. battleship is now taking in water, slowing its progress.
and the crippling of the Bismarck
Contact was then lost, but Catalina of 209 Squadron spotted her the next day and the HMS Ark Royal three p.m. Swordfish were launched, which soon accident on HMS Sheffield. Wrong own 'pride o ' the fleet 'of the German battleship HMS Ark Royal's torpedo plane launched a twelve o'clock, the British warship managed to escape.
Admiral Somerville then ordered the second strike from HMS Ark Royal in appalling weather conditions of the Royal Navy's Aviation Officer Lieutenant-Commander Jim Coode led by Sub-Lieutenant Ken Pattinson and Sub-Lieutenant Joey Beal find the elusive Bismarck. At the end of encountering the German battleship they launched their torpedoes, one of which hit the port boiler again.
Jim Coode's 'tin fish' then fatally hit the Bismarck's rudder left helpless giant battleship circling the Bay of Biscay. Royal Navy pilot who was later killed on a training flight in North Africa has sealed the fate of the Bismarck.
As dawn broke on the 27th May, HMS King George V, HMS Rodney HMS Norfolk and HMS Dorsetshire, set myself up and started shooting salvoes in German robber struck. For three hours the Royal Navy pounded bok bok after the crippled battleship.
Krug, HMS Rodney fired two torpedoes at Bismarck hull, but still trying Behemoth remained on the surface.
at 10:15 The British commander-in-Chief ordered the German battle ship to be torpedoed again. HMS Dorsetshire fired a torpedo in both right and shell from the Bismarck Airport burning shell, and at 10:40 the great battleship rolled quietly on her side and began her descent to the bottom of the sea, its war-flag saluting the gray sky.
SEA misery in a scene straight out of hell several hundred German sailors are tossed helplessly around the seas, swimming in their futile attempts to stay afloat. High above the heaving gray upgrade HMS Dorsetshire and HMS Maori, scrambling to their network cascading down their sides in accordance with the law of the sea.
Eager hands reached out to offer help, but a combination of exhaustion and hopelessness of the wave a little affected people are able to do as far as a warship in the sea swept the deck. On both sides of the tragic conflict was of great acts of heroism. 17-year-old British sailor, midshipman Brookes, boldly climbed over the western side of the ship is heaving. Descends to sift the waterline, he bravely tried to rescue a young German sailor who lost both hands and tried to hold on to the rope with his teeth. Unfortunately, at the time of maritime activities is said to have been spotted in the distance and rescue naval ships were ordered to get underway, leaving hundreds of stricken sailors also sentenced to a water grave. young British midshipman was placed in custody for defiantly refusing to give up his attempts to rescue the threatened execution.
full military honors - and tears
Only 115 of Bismarck crew of 2206 men survived. Several of those who later died on board HMS Dorsetshire are committed to the sea with full military honors. Typically, each sent by their water grave as a trumpeter played the last post and both German and British sailors stood solemnly at attention. German survivors were given permission to salute their fallen comrades with raised arms and open hands. In the background you could hear the sad strains of accordion playing borrowed lament '. Ich Hatt einen kamaraden '(I once had the other). As each body was committed to the waves and the German and British sailors wept openly.
of the controversy over the sinking of Bismarck one is solved. The Germans always thought that Bismarck never sank, it was scuttled to prevent it falling into the hands of the Royal Navy. Subsequent investigations found the German account. German battleship ever sunk, but he died at the hands of their officers. With all but one gun destroyed is imperative that the British should never learn from their unsinkable structure. British ships subsequently built on his design to get the full benefit at the expense of their German opponents. large sub-marine commander explorer Ballard who discovered the wreck of Bismarck on the seabed has confirmed that he was really sunk .©
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