Part 56
Vestfjord, 04:00, April 10th, 1940
The 2nd destroyer flotilla was on its way to attack Narvik when it encountered the German destroyer force leaving Narvik for Germany. Neither side really expected an encounter at this point and the Royal Navy force with 5 destroyers was outnumbered two to one but this did not stop the British commander captain Warburton-Lee from attacking. Three German and two British destroyers would be sunk in the short action before the remaining German ships would manage to run away at 05:10 with the British ships in pursuit.
Lofoten 11:00, April 10th, 1940
The seven surviving German destroyers escaping Vestfjord had managed to join up with Scharnhorst and Gneisenau but the short encounter had given Renown and Repulse enough time to meet as well and the Germans had failed to shake off Warburton-Lee's surviving destroyers allowing the British to intercept the Germans. With a single light cruiser and a dozen destroyers, including 3 Tribal class ships the British clearly out-weight the 7 surviving German destroyers even though the German ships are individually much larger, while at least on paper Renown and Repulse are comparable to their German counterparts. Both battlecruisers have been modernized in the 1920s and again in the early 1930s, the start of the war has cancelled a planned thorough reconstruction of Renown, carry the same main armament and have comparable speed. It's true the German ships belt is much thicker but horizontal protection is supposed to be comparable. In reality for all their modernizations the British ships design predates Jutland and the German ships being of much newer construction hold a speed advantage besides being better protected.
The battle does not start badly for the British. Scharnhorst receives several hits from Renown, first having her rear turret knocked out, then her radar, then a 15in shell punches through her armour and causes severe engine damage dropping her speed to 20 knots. Renown in turn has received two hits, that have not much affected her ability to fight, while the fight between Gneisenau and Repulse remains so far inconclusive. And then Repulse is hit by a 15n shell from Gneisenau, explodes and sinks with nearly all hands, the admiralty board of inquiry will determine afterwards that Gneisenau's hit led to an explosion of Repulse aft magazine. Then Gneisenau joins Scharnhorst against Renown which receives several hits and starts listing. With Renown in danger of being lost as well the British destroyers launch a torpedo attack against the German ships, managing to push through the destroyer screen. Scharnhorst her speed already reduced receives multiple torpedo hits, capsizes and sinks with Gneisenau and the three surviving German destroyers escaping south towards Trondheim.
Churchill will write afterwards that the Royal Navy at Lofoten stayed true to its finest traditions which is certainly true, with the British destroyers managing to snatch victory from German hands, Wamburton-Lee will be awarded posthumously the war's fist Victoria cross for the sinking of the Scharnhorst. But it has been a pyrrhic victory. The Germans have lost Scharnhorst and four destroyers, The British have lost Repulse, Penelope, the destroyers Hardy and Acasta and will not manage to save Renown which is torpedoed and sunk by submarine U-64 on her way to Scapa Flow on April 12th. U-64 herself is sunk with all hands by Renown's escorts.
Oslo, April 11th, 1940
After some temporary repairs the heavy cruiser Blücher had been ordered back to Germany, for some reason without a destroyer escort. It had been a rather bad idea as Blücher was sunk by HMS Spearfish shortly after midnight.
Narvik, April 11th, 1940
The cruisers Devonshire, York, Berwick and Glasgow start landing 3,000 men to the north of Narvik. The German forces in the town, some 2,000 men were already under considerable pressure fighting against the Norwegian 6th division...
The 2nd destroyer flotilla was on its way to attack Narvik when it encountered the German destroyer force leaving Narvik for Germany. Neither side really expected an encounter at this point and the Royal Navy force with 5 destroyers was outnumbered two to one but this did not stop the British commander captain Warburton-Lee from attacking. Three German and two British destroyers would be sunk in the short action before the remaining German ships would manage to run away at 05:10 with the British ships in pursuit.
Lofoten 11:00, April 10th, 1940
The seven surviving German destroyers escaping Vestfjord had managed to join up with Scharnhorst and Gneisenau but the short encounter had given Renown and Repulse enough time to meet as well and the Germans had failed to shake off Warburton-Lee's surviving destroyers allowing the British to intercept the Germans. With a single light cruiser and a dozen destroyers, including 3 Tribal class ships the British clearly out-weight the 7 surviving German destroyers even though the German ships are individually much larger, while at least on paper Renown and Repulse are comparable to their German counterparts. Both battlecruisers have been modernized in the 1920s and again in the early 1930s, the start of the war has cancelled a planned thorough reconstruction of Renown, carry the same main armament and have comparable speed. It's true the German ships belt is much thicker but horizontal protection is supposed to be comparable. In reality for all their modernizations the British ships design predates Jutland and the German ships being of much newer construction hold a speed advantage besides being better protected.
The battle does not start badly for the British. Scharnhorst receives several hits from Renown, first having her rear turret knocked out, then her radar, then a 15in shell punches through her armour and causes severe engine damage dropping her speed to 20 knots. Renown in turn has received two hits, that have not much affected her ability to fight, while the fight between Gneisenau and Repulse remains so far inconclusive. And then Repulse is hit by a 15n shell from Gneisenau, explodes and sinks with nearly all hands, the admiralty board of inquiry will determine afterwards that Gneisenau's hit led to an explosion of Repulse aft magazine. Then Gneisenau joins Scharnhorst against Renown which receives several hits and starts listing. With Renown in danger of being lost as well the British destroyers launch a torpedo attack against the German ships, managing to push through the destroyer screen. Scharnhorst her speed already reduced receives multiple torpedo hits, capsizes and sinks with Gneisenau and the three surviving German destroyers escaping south towards Trondheim.
Churchill will write afterwards that the Royal Navy at Lofoten stayed true to its finest traditions which is certainly true, with the British destroyers managing to snatch victory from German hands, Wamburton-Lee will be awarded posthumously the war's fist Victoria cross for the sinking of the Scharnhorst. But it has been a pyrrhic victory. The Germans have lost Scharnhorst and four destroyers, The British have lost Repulse, Penelope, the destroyers Hardy and Acasta and will not manage to save Renown which is torpedoed and sunk by submarine U-64 on her way to Scapa Flow on April 12th. U-64 herself is sunk with all hands by Renown's escorts.
Oslo, April 11th, 1940
After some temporary repairs the heavy cruiser Blücher had been ordered back to Germany, for some reason without a destroyer escort. It had been a rather bad idea as Blücher was sunk by HMS Spearfish shortly after midnight.
Narvik, April 11th, 1940
The cruisers Devonshire, York, Berwick and Glasgow start landing 3,000 men to the north of Narvik. The German forces in the town, some 2,000 men were already under considerable pressure fighting against the Norwegian 6th division...