Hitler’s Pre-Emptive War: The Battle for Norway, 1940 by Henrik Lunde (the reader ebook .TXT) 📕

destroyers had not taken their designated defensive positions in the side fjords, despite intelligence warnings of an imminent attack. Bey’s orders came too late or were not executed swiftly.

Commander Bey exited Narvik on a westerly course at 1215 hours to meet the British. His force consisted of Hans Lüdemann, Wolfgang Zenker, and Bernd von Arnim. Hermann Künne also reversed course to join its friends in their futile attempt to halt the British advance. Georg Thiele and Erich Giese remained in Narvik since they were not ready to get underway.

Knowing that the attacking force included a battleship, Commander Bey would have been wise not to meet the British in the relatively open waters of Ofotfjord where Warspite’s massive guns could be used. A withdrawal into one or more of the narrow side fjords where Warspite could not follow would have reduced the odds and made German fire, especially the torpedoes, more effective since the enemy’s maneuver room would be restricted.

The British force was within range when the three German destroyers came abreast of Ballangen Bay and Hans Lüdemann opened fire at a distance of 17,000 meters against the British destroyers that were preceding Warspite by three miles. The long-range gun battle that followed was generally ineffective on both sides. Commander Rechel tried to carry out a torpedo attack against Warspite but was driven back by overwhelming firepower.

The engagement in Ofotfjord lasted approximately one hour, and five of the German destroyers—Hermann Künne, Hans Lüdemann, Wolfgang Zenker, Bernd von Arnim, and Georg Thiele—eventually participated. The results of this relatively long engagement were surprisingly minor. The British fire did not hit the German destroyers. The aircraft from Furious were even less effective. They dropped more than 100 bombs but these fell in the sea without doing any damage to the German ships. Two British aircraft were shot down.

The German destroyers were slowly forced further into the fjord and soon found themselves near the junction of Herjangsfjord and Rombakfjord. By 1315 hours, they had exhausted almost all their ammunition. Their main objective became one of saving the lives of the crews and preventing their ships from falling into British hands. Bey ordered the destroyers to withdraw into Rombakfjord. Four destroyers withdrew as ordered under a smokescreen. Hermann Künne failed to receive Bey’s order and withdrew under pressure into Herjangsfjord. According to Assmann, the Germans scuttled the destroyer after it had fired its last rounds.

Erich Giese exited Narvik harbor at the same time as the other destroyers were withdrawing into Rombakfjord. She met the concentrated fire of six British destroyers and was attacked aggressively by Bedouin and Punjabi. The intense bombardment resulted in 22 heavy caliber hits, which caused uncontrollable fires aboard the German ship, and she began to sink. Lieutenant Commander Karl Smidt, Erich Giese’s captain, ordered the ship abandoned at 1430 hours. The destroyer sank quickly in deep water, taking 85 of its crew with it. There were many wounded and nine were captured. Before she sank, Erich Giese managed to score a torpedo hit on Punjabi, forcing that warship to withdraw from the battle.

Diether von Roeder had engine problems and remained tied up to a pier in Narvik. Warspite and a group of British destroyers approached the harbor while Erich Giese was sinking and were fired on by Diether von Roeder. The British destroyers Cossack, Foxhound, and Kimberley entered the harbor and opened fire on the immobile German destroyer at distances that varied from 2,000 to 8,000 meters. Shells from the three destroyers and Warspite struck the German ship repeatedly. Diether von Roeder continued to fight despite the many hits and managed to place seven shells into Cossack, forcing that ship to beach. It was only after her crew had exhausted all ammunition that Diether von Roeder was scuttled with demolition mines. Foxhound, who was coming alongside for boarding, narrowly escaped the explosion.

Two of the four German destroyers retiring into Rombakfjord, Wolfgang Zenker and Bernd von Arnim, had exhausted their ammunition and continued southeastward to the end of the fjord, called Rombaksbotn. There the ships were scuttled. Georg Thiele and Hans Lüdemann still had some ammunition and torpedoes left and took up good positions immediately east of a narrow strait, to use their last ammunition to inflict a final blow against the British as they tried to enter through the narrow strait. This delay also allowed their comrades in Wolfgang Zenker and Bernd von Arnim to make their escape up the cliff-like side of the inner part of the fjord. Warspite did not follow the German destroyers into Rombakfjord.

Eskimo, Forester, Hero, Icarus, and Bedouin followed the German ships, with Eskimo in the lead. Warspite’s reconnaissance aircraft informed the attacking British destroyers that Hans Lüdemann and Georg Thiele were waiting for them just inside the narrow strait. Hans Lüdemann’s bow faced east and it was in position for a rapid departure in case the ambush failed. The fire control system on both German destroyers was damaged and the guns were operated under local control. After firing its last shells against the approaching British warships, Hans Lüdemann followed Wolfgang Zenker and Bernd von Arnim. Friedrichs fired his last torpedoes at the British destroyers as he headed eastward. Hans Lüdemann was abandoned and scuttled when it reached the end of the fjord.

Lt. Commander Wolf, so instrumental in the destruction of Hardy and Hunter on April 10, again played a key role in the last minutes of this battle. Georg Thiele remained behind to confront the five British destroyers by herself when Hans Lüdemann retired. This gave the other destroyers time to scuttle their ships and the crewmembers time to escape capture. Eskimo, under Commander Micklethwait, was the first British destroyer to make the daring dash through the narrow strait, followed closely by the Forester, under Lt. Commander Tancock.

Georg Thiele took repeated hits and she had almost exhausted her ammunition. However, she continued to fight as the British were closing. Micklethwait tried to position his ship for a torpedo attack on its stubborn foe, but had to