Special Sub-Topic: WWII Naval Action: I Click Here To Play: WWII Naval Action: I

The official German designation for a pocket battleship was a 'Panzerschiff'. What the standard English meaning of 'Panzerschiff'?

Pocket Battleship. The most famous of Panzerschiffe was the Graf Spee, which lead a massive merchant destruction campaign which was eventually put down by Allied surface action. The Treaty of Versailles (1919) had placed severe restrictions on the German navy. Among other things, Germany was not allowed to have any warship of over 10,000 tons. Hence the emphasis on building rather small ships with massive firepower.

Off the coast of which country was the Battle of Narvik fought?

Norway. The Battle of Narvik showed how torpedo attacks in enclosed harbors are effective against concentrated numbers of enemy vessels. The British released their torpedoes into the harbor and damaged more than a dozen merchantmen, damaged many enemy destroyers, and blew up Kommodore Bonte's flagship, the Wilhelm Heidkamp with the Kommodore on board.

Who is the commander that commanded the 2nd Flotilla that was deployed against the German warships at Narvik?

Warburton-Lee. Bernard Armitage Warburton Warburton-Lee (1895-1940) was awarded the Victoria Cross which is the most prestigious award for gallantry in action. He was killed during the battle.

How did the Georg Thiele disengage during the Battle of Narvik?

Beached. The vessel was commanded by the German hero of the action: Korvetten-kapitaen Wolff who seriously delayed the British by fighting to the last shell.

Which vessel was the sister ship of the Bismarck?

Tirpitz. The vessel was "sunk at the source", which means that it was destroyed at its home port. During World War II, the German Kriegsmarine (navy) did not gain real superioriority. Instead, they relied on U-Boats and breakouts by surface vessels to destroy Britain's limited merchant vessels. Eventually, the Germans decided to put their vessels in port just to tie the British forces down. Then came the growing use of the phrase "sunk at the source".

What is the type of vessel that deployed against the Tirpitz, which neutralized it and paved a way to her eventual sinking?

X-Craft. There were six X-craft deployed against the Tirpitz; X-5, X-6, X-7, X-8, X-9, and X-10, all of which were midget submarines. None made it back after the attack.

The X-craft used torpedoes to damage the Tirpitz.

f. Torpedoes would have been the weapon of choice. However, torpedo nets were placed around the vessel, which made a torpedo attack impractical.

What class of cruisers did the Hipper belong to?

Hipper. Other ships in this class included the Bluecher, Prinz Eugen, Seydlitz, and Luetzow. These were some of the best cruisers in Germany's small arsenal.

What was the most effective anti-heavy surface ammunition (for use against as a battleship, for example) called?

AP. These shells - armor piercing - were usually 1,600 pounds and are used to pierce the enemy vessel's armored belt (which is usually thicker than 2"). For use against lightly armored units such as destroyers, HC (high capacity) explosive rounds were fired to maximize splinter damage. AP rounds would not work so well because the rounds will go in one side and pass out the other.

What main purpose did torpedo-bombers serve besides bombing?

Reconnaisance. Torpedo bombers were usually also deployed as reconnaisance as for the British did not think of aircraft as anti-vessel units until they were proven useful during the raid on Taranto. In fact they are officially called Torpedo-Bomber-Reconnaisance aircraft.