THE SHOWBOAT engages THE IRON CHANCELLOR Part 1 & 2

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THE SHOWBOAT engages THE IRON CHANCELLOR Part 15

4 JUNE 1941 0830 The signal was hauled down executing today's live fire gunnery practice. USS North Carolina BB-55 responded imediately although both signal men were on the same ship. Aboard BB-55 the XO commander Stryker, the Gun & Ops Bosses along with the 1st LT, BMC with 3rd division, GM2c Borgnino USN (AKA Ernie Borgnine) with his gang had rigged two of the target sleds and passed them, to USS Kearny DD-432, Gleaves-class that would be doing the towing today.
The TC was manned and ready LT. Tolley and CRM O'Shea had made sure the radar and comms were all functioning. The Gun Boss and his GMCFC had peaked the firecontrol, main and secondary battery for today's shoot. The Mud Maroons" in 5"38 mount 52 were anxious to prove they were the best DP mount on the ship.

4 JUNE 1941 1030 The daylight shoot went well as far as CRM O'Shea could tell; no one had hit the target towing Can. Lee was not as pleased as the CRM. It took his gunners too long to get on target. They were on the sled well within the peace time standards. However, minutes and maybe even seconds would count when they were up against Bismarck. "XO we will have another shoot at 1330. get the gun team in here at 1100. There are a few things I want to talk to them about."

Next he picked up the TBS handset "King" this is Nan Charlie. What is the status of my sled?"
CO Kearny " My carpenter's mate and his crew are rebuilding the target now. The float had some shell splinter holes but we have already patched them. She should be good for another run in about an hour Sir."
Lee " Good. We will commence our next firing run at 1400. You will have to get the sled back in action before 2300 for the night shoot. Make sure you hang radar reflectors on it."
CO Kearny "Interogative radio reflectors sir?"
Lee " I say again RADAR reflectors. Have one of your machinest mates rig up a couple of 18 inch sheet metal plates set at right angles and hang them from the top of the sled's superstructure. That wil give my fire control radar something to line up on besides King."
CO Kearny "Will do sir. Request permission to double the length of target's tow line?"
Lee "Permission granted. Out" CO Kearny was sure he heard the old bastard laughing as he signed off.

5 JUNE 1941 0330 Lee picked up the TBS "King this is Nan Charlie convey a well done to your crew from me. Ten firing runs and you were right where I wanted you on every run Commander. That took some real sailorman ship handling."
Co Keraney "Will do sir."
Lee "Keep this up and I will be calling on you for all my target towing, you'll like that right? Out" CO Kearney heard the same evil laugh again.

5 JUNE 1941 1900 Both of TG Cilax's type 1936A destroyers Z23 and Z25 had evaded Force H aerial scouts due to their high speed run and were now making a max fuel conserivng two boiler operations of 20 kts. They were all that was left of 8 Zerstörerflottile (8th Destroyer Flotilla), now Commanded by Z23's 29 year old Korvettenkapitän Wolfgang Becker. His crew nicknamed their fine new destroyer "Werwölfe“, after their much respected and sometimes feared but always scrupulously fair CO. His tactical brilliance and superb seamanship had saved them at that basket screw off Narvik against that “Gott verdammt Englander devil ship“ Renown and that counted for a lot. He and and about one third of them had been together since commissioning and had formed a bond of muttual respect. Truth to tell, Becker cared very much for his men and hated the fact his stern duty required risking their lives.

Those Sea Hurricanes and Fulmars had literally decimated his 350 man crew. He had buried 35 good men and he had another 45 wounded. That left "Werwölfe“, short handed but thanks to his rigorrous and thorogh training of his crew with casualties in mind he still had enough watch officers, CPOs and senior PO‘s to run his ship.

It was a miracle his Wasserbombes had not blown the stern of his ship off. The 300 LB high explosive filled Mülleimers (trash barrels) had been riddled with .303 fire. He had them dumped over side imediately after the attack. Now both his repaired launchers were reloaded with undamaged Wasserbombes. His excellent "Werwölfes“ S-Gerät active sonar and GHG passive sets along with their very skilled operators had survived intact. The GHG could ,under good conditions, detect enemy ships at ranges up to 50 miles and would to some extent compensate for their lack of radar.

His main and secondary DP battery along with his gun and fire control crews had sufferd crippling losses. All he had left were one, riddled but still functional mount Anton, of his 4 single 5.9 in guns, 2 of his five single 20 mm AA guns both on the port side, the port side of his two liberally punctured but still functional quad 21 in torpedo tubes without a single Ael to reload and 2 of his 4 × depth charge launchers; both on the port side. Z-23 had taken the brunt of the strafing runs on her starboard side. He was the lone survivor of those on starboard bridge wing during the strafing runs. All he had to show for it was a scalp and face pock marked with slight splinter wounds that bled as if he were seriously wounding when infact he was not incapacitated in any way. The Tommy lead had not done much to improve his looks but it did miss his eyes so he had little to complain about.

There was nothing he could do about the loss of his very valuable FuMB radar detection receiver. It often detected, gave a precise bearing and, depending on the skill of the operator, a rough but useable range estimate long before the enemy radar detected Z-23. It‘s antenna along with it‘s bridge mounted,reciever, his skilled operator Oberster Unteroffizier Karl Schuster, and his apprentice Johnny Voigt had been riddled with machine gun fire. He would have to rely on his sonar and GHG passive hyrophone array.

The black gang had been very very lucky and was still at close to full compliment. Although Z23 and Z25 had their topsides along with the men stationed their thoroughy devestate the engineeriong plant was undamaged. They had rigged emergency substitutes that were doing the job as well as could be expected. He also had been forced to transfer some of his engineers to absolutely essentail topside duties. One of which was to relieve the deck sailors so they could get some sleep. No one including the Deck Apes were happy with this temporary arrangement.

He had decided to make for the Spanish Coast as quickly as p[ossible. That would open the range from Force H and any patrols from southern England. He was absolutely determined to reach the French port Hendaye in southwestern France's Nouvelle-Aquitaine region without further loss to "Werwölfe“. He was quite sure Franco, while preaching to anyone who would listen Spain‘s absolute nuetrality ...would cooperate. Somehow the Armada and Ejército del Aire, or EdA (Spanish Air Force) would fail to notice his two ships as they sped along within Spanish territorial waters. Those waters were jealously guarded against allied intrusion by Spanish naval and air units (equipped with modern Greman aircraft).

Z-25 was in better shape. Her engineering plant was untouched but her topsides, especially just forward of the bridge had taken a heavy shell that blew Mount Anton over the side and severely damaged the hull. Her DC parties had flooded the forward 5.9 inch magazine (now pumped out and ammo after inspection resdistributed to her two after main battery mount‘s magazines) and put out the fires quickly. They had also been able to close up the hull, which had not been damaged below the waterline, with steel backers, a tar covered canvas and woven line pad and wooden patch. The Oberster Unteroffizier metal worker had a working party stripping non vital deck, and topside plate steel he intended to fashion into shell plating to reenforce the patch. Fortunately, her damage did not impair her sea keeping enough to rule out her max 36 kts speed for short periods and a long run at as much as 25 kts.
Z-25‘s bridge watch had been wiped out completely and was now commanded by her senior LT. They had jury rigged all essential topside ship control stations.

Initially it looked like all three after 5.9s had been damaged beyond shipboard repair. However, the Oberster Unteroffizier Gunner‘s mate and two of his senior gunnery petty officers after 32 hours of effort, were able to repair Bruno, and Cäsar. There was nothing to be done with the main firecontrol director which was nothing but a burnt out mass of metal above what was left of the heavily damaged bridge. The Secondary Director was also now operational, sort of. The exhausted gunners were still trying to restore auto director fire to Bruno and Cäsar. For now, the director could provide accurate elevation and azimouth figures to the mounts but they had to transmitted by voice and manually set by the gun crews.

One of the 37 mm AA mounts was now operational, as well as three of the 20 mm guns. Like Z-23 her tposides had been turned intio a colander and all antenna‘s and other topside sensors were useless. Nither had long range communications yet but restoring them was high on the priority list. For now blinker light and hand held signal flags would do. Both her Torpedo mounts were operational but she did not have torpedoes for them. Her depth charge projectors were functional. Her sonars and opetrators were undamaged.

Z-25 had lost her Cpatin, XO, navigator and gunnery officer. She had 52 killed and 97 wounded, although 25 of those had been patched up enough to do light duty. Her galley, like Z-23 was functional and putting out hot meals. Both destroyers were issuing the normal beer ration along with schnapps as a bonus to those men doing a really outstanding job, which did a lot for the morale of the sailors. They needed it after the mass burials.

5 JUNE 0315 TG Cilax, now only Gneisenau, was hunting WS-12 again. The Battle Cruiser's crew had done a magnificent job of repairing her Fire control directors. The designers of Gneisenau class battle Cruisers built a lot of redundancy into her key systems. Main and secondary batteries were controlled from the Directors, which were located forward (which was destroyed), astern, and above the foretop platform (which had splinter damage which proved repairable.

Each of these three Directors mounted a rotating dome with a stereoscopic rangefinder manufactured by Zeiss, and a FuMO 23 radar. The Directors were connected by armored communication shafts (which withstood all but the direct 15 inch shell hit forward) to the battery plots (Rechenstellen) under the armor deck forward and aft. The foretop command post, under the command of the Gunnery officer (I.A.O.), was above the foremast, at about 90 feeet above sea level. It was equipped with a 32 ft. base rangefinder (Basisgerät BG) with a maximum 50 times magnification, and had a visual field of 360º. The forward battery plot was incorporated in the base of to the forward conning tower whose armor protected it but it's and had a 21 ft base rangefinder was destroyed. The after Battery Plot had a 32 ft base rangefinder of similar characteristics as the one in the foretop.
Each of the three main battery turrets ("Anton", "Bruno",and "Cäsar" ) was also equipped with a 32 ft. base rangefinders. In case all three Directors were put out of action in battle, the turrets could track and fire locally. However, the chances of scoring a hit with each battery firing on its own were obviously less than under a centralized command. The central turrets of the secondary battery also had their own 19 ft. base rangefinder.
The anti-aircraft fire was directed from four Directors of the type SL-8, each equipped with a 12 ft. Rangefinder. Two of these Directors, covered by spherical cupolas (Wackeltopf), were on either side of the foremast, and the other two uncovered directors amidships aft.
Additionally, there were also two 12 ft night rangefinders on both sides of the Admiral's bridge. In short, Renown's main battery hits did a lot of damage but Gneisenau's superbly trained crew and exceptional redundancy paid great dividends as she closed with WS-12.
Vizeadmiral Cilax also made excellent use of his Flag ship's hydrophones. This passive underwater listening system allowed Him to track WS-12 at a very long range without the Royal navy escorts knowing he was approaching. The Germans called these installations Gruppenhorchgerät (GHG), and consisted of two panels of 60 microphones, one on each side of the ship's hull. The maximum effective range was over 20 miles depending on conditions such as water conductivity and background noise. The deep cold waters of the North Atlantic under favourable conditions, bearings with an accuracy of 1 degree could be expected at speeds of 30 knots from a distance of 20 miles. He was able to close WS-12 in EMCON B, no radar, radio or active sonar transmisions were allowed during the approach.

This approach was only made possible by the intense rain, high winds and low lying cloud base that made aerial recon both suicidal, (the loss of three aircraft and crews proved that), and ineffective. Somerville was counting on his radars but the same storm conditions and the pounding had taken during the last engagement with TG Cilax, including the blast from his own guns, rendered them far less effective than he would have liked.
Transferring all 660 lb 11 inch shells from wrecked Anton and Bruno magazines to the after battery magazines of Cäsar was a back breaking job. Those 11 inch rounds had to be moved by hand truck and that had caused more than a few hernias, smashed feet and severed fingers.
These 11 inch main battery rounds used a "fore charge" weighing 91.5 lbs in a silk bag and a "main charge" weighing only 170.2 lbs. was in a brass cartridge . The cartridge helped to seal the gun breech. Fore and Main charges were rammed together. Moving the propelleant was much easier on the crew.
Waiting for TG Cilax was HMS Renown and the close escort of WS-12 now under Somerville's tactical command.
HMS Devonshire pennant # 39, County-class CA 3 stacks London sub-class with 4 twin 8-inch Mk VIII, 4 ×single QF 4-inch Mk V AA , and 4 single 40 mm AAGuns. She also mounted 2 quad 21 inch torp tubes and had an Armor Belt: 1 in, Decks: 1.5 in, Barbettes,Turrets, Bulkheads 1 in and Magazines 2–4.4 in. She was Type 281 Air-warning and Type 272 Surface Warning radars and aerial scout.
HMS Argus "Hat Box" CV pennant # I49 Commissioned 16 Sept 1918 partially modernised 1938, Speed 20 kts. Armament 4 4 in AA 2 surface only 4-inch Radar Type 281 Air-warning Type 272 Surface Warning Aircraft 15–18 now 3 Sea Hurricanes and 5 Fulmars.
HMS Cairo CLAA pennant # D87 Commissioned 23 1919, Converted to Anti-Aircraft cruiser at Chatham dockyard in 1938. Speed 29 kts, Type 280 Air-warning / AA control and Type 272 Surface Warning radars. Armament 10 single mount 4 inch high angle (HA) guns and two eight-barreled 2-pounder "pom-pom" mounts. Armor 3 in side (amidships), 2+1⁄4–1+1⁄2in side (bows), 2in side (stern), 1in upper decks (amidships) and 1in deck over rudder
HMS CATHAY Pennant # F 05 Armed Merchant Cruiser AMC, formerly passenger ship London15,225 BRT Armament: 8 6inch and 2 3 in AA guns. Speed17 kts Radar Type 272 Surface Warning
HMS Agamemnon Pennant # M10 type Auxiliary Minelayer AML, formerly MV Agamemnon cargo liner requisitioned by the Royal Navy in early 1940. Speed 16 kts Armament 3 QF 4 in MkV, 2 QF 2-pounder, 4 Oerlikon 20 mm 4 × 0.5 in Mgs and 542 mines (she was only carrying 210 now).
HMS SIKH Pennant # F82 and HMS Blackney Tribal-class DD, commissioned 1938. Speed 36 kts Sensors ASDIC Type 124 Retractable head with a range recorder, Type 272 Surface Warning Radar. Armament 4 twin 4.7 in, 1 quad 40 mm AA, 2 quad 0.5 in AA MGS, 1 quad 21 in torpedo tube, only 20 depth charges, 1 rack, 2 throwers

HMS Witch Pennant # D89, HMS Whitehall D94and HMS Radsworth Modified W-class DD Commissioned 1924 Speed 34 kt Armament 4 BL 4.7 in Mk.I, 2 QF Mk.II "pom-pom" 40 mm AA, 6 21-inch Torpedo Tubes, 20 depth charges, 1 rack, 2 throwers. Sensors Type Type 127 ASDIC, Type 286M Air Warning & Type 271 Surface search radars fitted 1940.
HMS Bradford, HMS Stanley, HMS Brighton, HMS Lancaster and HMS Newark Town class former USN DD Commissioned 1919/21 Speed 35kts. Armament 3 4in/ 50, 2 3in AA gun Six 21in torpedoes in two triple mountings,Two depth charge tracks, One Y-Gun depth charge projector. Type 141 ASDIC, No dome, American QCJ/QCL, modified with British range and bearing recorders, Type 272 Surface Warning radar and high frequency direction finding (HF/DF or "Huff Duff").

HMCS Assiniboine River class DD Commissioned1939. Speed 35 knots Armament 4 single 4.7 in, 2 single 40 mm, 1 QF three-inch AA,1 quad 21 in torpedo tubes, 2 DC racks and 6 throwers for a pattern of 10 depth charges, with stowage increased to 70 charges. SENSORS ASDIC Type 124 Retractable HEAD with a range recorder , Type 79 Air Warning and Type 272 Surface Warning Radars amd upgrades high frequency direction finding (HF/DF or "Huff Duff").
HMCS Saguenay A class DD Commissioned 1931 Speed 35 knots Armament 4 single surface only 4.7 in, 2 single 2 40 mm AA, 2 quad 21 in torpedo tubes 1 DC rail 33 charges.

Vizeadmiral Cilax thought "I just have to get by that old relic Renown. One solid 3 gun salvo of 11 inch hits fron Casar may not sink her but it should take her out of the figjht long enough for his needs. He still thought his odds good to sink or damage close escorts with Casar, his 10 remaining 5.9s and 8 operational 4.1 inch guns .

5 JUNE 0435 Gneisenau,was now doing 24 kts and she still had, according to her Chief engineer a couple more up his sleeve if need. She was hunting for WS-12 and haopping Renown had suffered more than minor damage because Vizeadmiral Cilax was determined to take her on with his one remaining 11 inch turret if she stood in his way.
Kapitän zur See Harald Netzbandt C.O. of Gneisenau informed the Vizeadmiral his hydrophones had picked up a large, 4 propeller ship bearing 220 true. The Ober-maat (CPO) confirmed the operator had a definite contact and it was a large ship with four shafts at a speed of 12 kts. We hold nothing on the FuMO
(Fuunk-Mess-ORadar Seetakt 23). Our senior Communications Stabsfeldwebel (Chief Warrant Officer ) is working on the FuMO 23 now. In can have it operating in 15 minutes if you wish sir"

Vizeadmiral Cilax that sound contact sounds like Renown to me and it appears she is damaged from that 12 kt speed. If she were hunting us she would be going fatsre than that. Captain sound action stations. It is my intension to close with that contact , maneuver to unmask Casar and take it under rapid fire as soon as we have a firing solution by Radar, sound or night optics. I intend to continue to close the reange until our are 5.9s are scoring hits also. We must hit Renown first and continue until she is no longer a threat to our primary commerce raing mission; the total destruction of WS-12.
5 JUNE 0450 Acting captain of HMS Sheffield Sir Edmund Blackadder was in the main transmitting station (main battery plot ) observing the large contact held on the surface search radar. The large contact was 19 miles away and coming on fast. His guns maximum effective range was 12 miles but if that was Gniesnau Shiny was in range now. The Gun Buster LCDR Baldrick was with him as he watched his fire control team work the firing solution for her main battery turrets. The dmaged X turret was now operational with a replacement gun crew and wood patches over her the largest of her shell holes keeping the weather out. How long that turret would stay in action once her twin six inchers started pounding away was anyone's guess.
Gun Buster Baldrick's twelve BL 6 inch Mk XXIII rifles could hurle 112 pound HE shells at 2,760 feet per second at 8 rounds per minute per barrel or 96 rounds a minute per salvo. That was alot of for any ship to obsorb even a Battle cruiser. His plan was to keep all turrets firing at maximum rate until the Nazi's ran or Shiny was sunk. How long the gun crews could keep that up in battle was anyone's guess with "gallons" of adrenalin pumping he would bet it would be long enough. However, the gunnery regulations stated rapid fire should only be maintained for 10 minutes without a break to cool the barrels liners, preferably with fire hoses. If no break was possible then a sustained fire of 5 rounds per minute was neccessary to keep from damaging the guns and killing the crews with a breach explosion. He would keep them at rapid fire as long as it took. If they survived, success has many friends, if they lost he would not be around anyway.

5 JUNE 0530 Vizeadmiral Cilax and Kapitän zur See Harald Netzbandt C.O. of Gneisenau still out of sight even by the fire control director optics. If this was not Renown they were well within range of Renown's 15 inch rifles. The radar was still down. The first salvo from Sheffield fell short. 12 water spouts, convinced him this was a cruiser not a Battle Cruiser. The second salvo was over and the third peppered Gneisenau's upper decks wrecking two 5.9s.

In Sheffield's main transmitting station Gun Buster LCDR Baldrick ordered rapid fire and the turrets. Kapitän zur See Harald Netzbandt ordered a course change that would unmask Casa's 11 inch rifles and laid them on the bearing of the shell splashes. Gneisenau's armor protected the most imporatant parts of his ship from what he now thought were 6 inch fire. He then ordered his engineers to give him every knot they had. Casa was hit by 4 rounds of the 4th salvo and another six shells hit and tore up the ship, causing much damage but nothing vital.

At 9 miles the range finder locked on the cruiser and the main battery turret fired it's first salvo which overshot their target. The fifth cruiser salvo peppered Casa with no effect. The second 11 inch salvo hit close aboard Sheffield, still over. The sixth crusier salvo hit Casa and the belt. Still not penetrating but one destroyed the optics of the director. His well trained gunners switch to the secondary fire control director and fired her 3rd salvo. This one was short, over corrected and was answered by the cruisers seventh salvo which hell close aboard. The entire ship shook and the hastily repaired engineering plant began to loose speed as the main steam feed line was shocked into multiple minor steam leaks. The cruiser's 8th salvo hit Casa with 4 rounds detonating on the face plate just as the 4th battle cruiser salvo left the barrels and disabled the starboard gun barrel. The cruiser fired salvo 9, 10 and eleven. Casa returned fire and the entire gun house spouted fire from every openeing. The entire turret crew was killed insatntly. Now all they had left were her remaining 5.9s and Kapitän zur See Harald Netzbandt ordered an emergency turn to bring the unengaged starboard 5.9s which were firing rapdly but the drastic turn had thrown off the aim. Sheffield fired salvoes 12, 13, and 14 at 15,000 yds that knocked out a quarter of the starboard side 5.9s.

Vizeadmiral Cilax ordered an immediate turn away at best possible speed now down to 20 knots that was rapidly opening the range. Sheffield's 12 knots could not match the Battle cruisers 20. Salvo 15 and 16 still scored hits but 17, 18 and 19 were ragged and 20 fell short.
Sheffield's B turret suffered a breach explosion at salvo 18 that wiped out most of the gun crew.
Fortuneatley Gun Buster Baldrick's inistance on strict adhereance to gunnery regs ensured the flashproof doors and scuttles did their job and the flash did not penetrate the magazines. Shiny had a lot of splinter damage, numerous small fires and her engineering plant was shaken badly but only minor leaks which still challenged her pumps were suffered. It was now up to Shiny's DC and fire parties to save the ship.
CPO Sharky and his mates had made this survival possible. It was thanks to his ability to reapir Sheffield's radars that saved them this day. Both Sir Edmund and the Gun Buster looked at each other and then both looked at CPO Sharkey and just smiled. That man would be rewarded by a warrant.
5 JUNE 0700 a signal was recieved from BdU with a recall order. The Fuher had gone into a just short of hysterical vile, filth filled, threatening rant when he heard of the decimation of Vizeadmiral Cilax's command. He was raving about the cowardly loss of the Admiral Graf Spee and now the Scharnhorst and the almost certain sinking of Gneisenau. He eventually calmed down enough to say "Call Cilax back now. You fools will waste my entire Battle fleet at this rate." When he was in this state noone in his right mind would argue with him. Better to let him tire, as he soon would, and drop into one of his still rare brooding stupors and with the aid of a sedative sleep for a few hours. Just maybe when he awakened he would be so spent that he would listen to reason, but not now.

5 JUNE 0745 Vizeadmiral Cilax, after reading the signal from BdU over twice ordered thKapitän zur See Harald Netzbandt to come to ring up best speed and make for the Spanish coast. He then said to all in hearing with a strange smile on his face, "Meine tapferen Schiffskameraden ( My brave shipmates) we are ordered home to a heroes welcome from our beloved Fuher."

Now, he sat in his cabin smoking a good cuban cigar and sipping at a snifter of very expensive Cognac. He had the flimsy of the recall order on his side table. It had been worded with a lot more tact than BdU was noted for. However, it could not hide the fact he was going home in disgrace to face a very hostile board of enquiry, if not outright court martial. Those Nazi bastards would see he paid a very high price for the loss of Scharnhorst, Hipper and the failure to sink WS-12. His Schiffskameraden at (shipmates) at BdU would be all too eager to distance themselves from him; no help there. When he finished the cigar, he tossed down a full snifter of the excellent cognac, straitened out his uniform, jacked the slide, placed the muzzle of his Walther P38 9 mm semi-automatic pistol in his mouth and pulled the trigger. The expected shot was heard by his aide in the next compartment
WS-12 might have been spared a visit by TG Cilax but BdU had long ago stationed another Ruder (wolf Pack) of his beloved U-boats in poistion to savage that convoy. These Grey wolves were lead by one of his most effective and ruthless Officers, one of his Alfa Wolves. They were to clean up the dispersed transport survivors after TG Cilax had taken out most of the escorts and as many of the troopers as possible with the limitted amount time available. TG Cilax had to clear this flaming datum very, very fast this close to the British isles. Now his ever hungry "nephews", his U-boat men called him "Onkel Karl" (Uncle Karl), would do the job themslves. In the end, WS-12 would be a pale wreck of what left the UK. Maybe, just maybe, one of his U-Boats woud sink "Des Teufel" (The Devil) Renown. Would not that be a welcome gift for the Fuher?"

5 JUNE 0800 RN HQ Bunker London. Vice Admiral Ramsay "I relieve you sir Alfred"
The First Sea Lord and Chief of Naval Staff, Sir Alfred Dudley Pickman Rogers Pound
"I stand relieved"
The First Sea Lord and Chief of Naval Staff,Vice Admiral Ramsay " All standing orders will stay in effect until such time as I formerly rescind them.
We will all get to know each other soon but for now we have a great deal of work to do. DismissedAdmiral Sir Alfred Dudley Pickman Rogers Pound quietly and quickly quit the bunker.
"Last thing Bertie needs is for me to hang around", he thought as he returned the Royal Marine's salute at the street level, trademen's entrance.

6 JUNE 1030 Captain Ching Lee was in a very good mood. The night shoot had come off without a single screw up. North Carolina BB-55's night gunnery was as good as it had been after their last prolonged target practice and that said a lot. His Gun Boss and his cannon cockers were really on the top of their game. All the training and newly developped tracking and firing techniques he had introduced were paying off. Even the Sea Going Bell Hops in mount 52 managed not to disgrace themselves. GM2c had a lot to do with that. Ernie had, where senior Gms had failed corrected a number of intermittant problems that had plagued that 5"38 mount since before commissioning. That was why Mt 52 had been assigned to the Marines. Looks like Brute Krulock and his enforcer, 1st Sgt Carlo Morano, had no valid reason for terrorizing the marine gun crews this time. He was sure those two sadists would soon find some other fault with their men.

Lee would have advanced Ernie to GM1c before but the fight with Fireman 2nd Kevin Madrick, especially what he did to the MAA force put that idea on hold. Truth to tell the way Ernie had conducted himself after his Captain's mast "Award" did him great credit.
He had performed his duties with even greater dedication and skill than before his Mast. That convinced Lee Ernie was not only a very skilled GM but he had the maturity that Lee demanded of his senior PO's; an absolute neccessity for an enlisted leader. With 7 or 8 more years of Peace time service, or a hell of a lot less in wartime, he'd make a good Chief and maybe even a warrant Gunner. That is the point; he would advance Ermes Effron Borgnino to GM1c today. While he was at it there were a few more enlisted that deserved advancement; might as well bump them all up today. One of them was a real surprise. Fireman 2nd Kevin Madrick, one of BB-55's older wild men and real pain in his ass, seemed to be in one of his 4.0 Sailor periods. The man had real skill as an electrician and he also had very good leadership skills, when he felt like displaying them. His DIVO and and his division Chief both recommended him for advancement to EM3c. He'd been there before and had once even been a submarine qualified EM1c. He had shown himself to be a real asset to the ship. The last time that had lasted all of two months, granted mostly underway. A drunken liberty run to an off limits dive in which a hooker and her pimp tried to roll him ended that. It did not help that Madrick put both, the now naked and worse for ware, Hooker and her pimp in the hospital. The fact Madrick and two of his, badass, stewed to the gills, shipmates had wrecked the bar and tried to assault a couple of veteran police officers ( who put them down the drunks with a few swings of their sawed off axe handle clubs) did not make things any better. What the hell, if after he put the fear of God in them, Madrick's Divo and Chief still think they can control him he'd give him back his crow. If it were not against naval uniform regs he'd order Madrick to put on the crow with a zipper. Lee had a great respect for his young "Wild men" when things got really bad, they came through. Too bad they got bored so easily.

6 JUNE 1941 0500 the "nuetral" Venezuelan tanker PSS Cabello, transporting No.1 bunker oil, was picked up on both the Bismarck and Prince Eugen's FUMO radars coming from the south west at 22 miles range making directly for the rendezvous point. The rendezvous was selected because it was well away from normal allied air and surface patrols, off the normal merchant routes and no allied convoy or other naval activity was reported in this area.
He had two Arado's up since nautical sunrise, hours ago, making sure they had the sea to themselves this morning. Nothing found within 150 miles so far except the expected tanker which was flying the correct recognition signal for today.
He would have to rely on both ships Gruppenhorchgerät ('group listening device', abbreviated GHG) passive hyrophone arrays to warn of lurking allied U-boats. Those arrays had proved highly efficient,The Prince had picked up Hood with them before they had a solid track with the Fumo at over 35 miles.

The principle of hydrophones was simple enough. It consisted of two pairs of underwater microphones which listened to the sound of ships’ propeller noises. By measuring the amount of time it took for sound to arrive at each of the microphones, the device could triangulate the bearing of the target vessel. The radioman could also tell if it was a merchantman, warship or even submarine but not the range, direction or speed it was moving. Because sound travels much further underwater, hydrophones could pick up distant convoys travelling up to 60 miles, single ship at 40 and that included a surface U-boat. Best range for a submerged U-boat, given good eater conditions and own ship' speed of under 12 kts was about 10 miles, well outside torpedo range. For maximum effectiveness however, own ship had to come DIW (dead in the water), secure it's engines while the hydrophones listened in for a few minutes. That was not going to happen.

The two separate units of TG Brinkmann had made a long duration, high speed, deceptive runs to clear the areas of their recent attacks on allied shipping and needed topping off soon. SS Cabello was a 480 ft o/a, 61ft Beam, 7,625 GRT modern tanker loaded with 8,500 tons of bunker fuel and other marine patroleum proucts at 17 kts. She had left Port of La Guaira 12 days ago on a scheduled run to Cadiz Spain. As a nuetral she was not escorted and did not provide position reports to anyone but her parent company C.A. de Navegación Fluvial y Costanera de Venezuela, Puerto Cabello using a modified simple "book cipher". PSS Cabello's shipping company had adopted homophonic substitution cipher, a code in which the key is some aspect of a book or other piece of text. The trick is to replace individual letters rather than words known as the Second Beale cipher, which replaces the first letter of a word in the book with that word's position. However, if used often, this technique has the side effect of creating a larger ciphertext (typically 4 to 6 digits being required to encipher each letter or syllable) and increases the time and effort required to decode the message. So it lended itself to Posit and short status messages, not extensive texts. The "Key book" was changed at random intervals so each of the company's ships and shore establishments had a "Library" of a dozen identical books available. It is essential that both correspondents not only have the same book, but the same edition.

Cryptologist Elizabeth Smith Feldman of USCG Lcdr Jones’ Code and Sypher Branch “Unit 387” could break this simple code without the Key Book but the effort still required time better used for other assignments. PSS Cabello had a normal pre war mixed nationality crew of 50, although her officers were all "nominally" Venezualans. Unknown to the Master or his company the Grupo Regional de Venezuela del Partido Nazi had placed a chief engineer, 2nd mate and 12 of her crew sympathetic to the Nazy cause aboard Cabello. Unknown to the Nazi Sympathizers there were also 6 clandestine members of the Marinenachrichtendienst (Naval Intelligence Division AKA MAD) special operations group aboard. Five days out of Port of La Guaira, after carefully vetting the Nazi sympathizers, the leader of the MAD enlsited both the 2nd mate and Chief engineer and 6 crew help sieze the ship. The capture went very smoothly and no one was injured. The Master, 1st and 3rd mates, one of the junior engineering officers and 5 of the crew were confined. The rest went along with the men with the guns who, at that time, were winning the war.

The leader of the MAD team was Fregattenkapitan Friedrich Max von Muller, winner of the Knight’s Cross with Oak Leaves and first captain of the merchant raider Michel. He had two Oberleutnant zur See (Senior Lieutenants), two Engineering Ober-maat (CPOs) and one Communications Stabsfeldwebel (Chief Warrant Officer ). All members of his team were selected by von Muller, had served with him aboard Michel to his satisfaction and were very hard men when the situation called for it. They all had a good working knowledge of Spanish. He had personally rigorously trained his men and then had his men cross train their team mates. They were also thoroughly familiar with the capabilities, layout, machinery and other peculiarities of PSS Cabello. They had been "smuggled" into Venezuella a month before Cabello sailed without incident as Spanish seaman. Once ashore they were lost in the 4,000 Germans living in the country.

The new "Master" of PSS Cabello, wearing the former Master's work uniform, ordered a course change that would liesurely get them to their rendezvous point as directed. After going over the coding procedures, No Enigma, code names, watch schedule, EMCOM to be employed and ensuring his man was comfortable with the radio gear von Ruckteschell gave his order. His Communicator was to transmit one, short, two letter and three number coded signal informing BdU and TG Brinkmann Cabello had been taken without incident. The ship was on it's way to the rendezvous point. BdU had a radioman specifically assigned to the cabello frequency who immediately handed the coded signal to his watch Ober-maat (Chief). The signal was broken in five minutes and the reply was transmitted 10 minutes later. Cabello acknowledge receipt and then the Stabsfeldwebel (CWO) unplugged the speed key and locked it in the safe with the spare code keys). Until further orders from the Fregattenkapitan it would be a listening radio watch only.

7 JUNE 1941 0730 TG Brinkmann began refueling operations from PSS Cabello. Since the Venezualan commercial tanker was not equipped for alongside UNREP the astern hose system had to be used. This was not particularly efficient because the operation was limited to one ship at a time, and only one refueling point on the warship could be employed. Their fueling gear consisted of a ten-inch towing hawser, two six-inch breast lines along with the three-inch fuel hoses. To keep the fuel hoses clear of the sea, they were supported by a wooden carrier suspended from the oiler's cargo booms.

Sea conditions during the operation were pretty good, with a moderate cross swell that caused Cabello to roll from 6 to ten degrees, with only mild pitching. These fairly calm summer North Atlantic conditions allowed fuel transfer at the rate of Sixty Five tons per hour. More to the point, the towing hawser and fuel lines parted only once during the entire evolution. For a first effort this was very, very acceptable; causing the TG commander to send a well done to the Cabello.

The small 6 member Marinenachrichtendienst (Naval Intelligence Division AKA MAD) special operations group had been trained thoroughly on rigging the refueling gear from what they would find aboard PSS Cabello. They had, with the help of the deck force, completed the improvised rig days ago. They had also trained those members of Cabello's crew they could trust (as long as they could keep a close watch on them holstred pistol at their side) on the techniques required of the refueling tanker. Most of those procedures were nothing but variations on the deck seamanship any competent merchant sailor had already mastered.

Bismarck was first while the Prince stood at Action Stations and the Arado's maintained their search for uninvited guests. It took 10 hours to top fill Bismarck's massive tanks and then it was the Prince's turn which took another eight hours. Fregattenkapitan Friedrich Max von Muller, and his Oberleutnant zur See (Senior Lieutenants) shared the 18 hour OOD/conning watches. When not on watch, one of the Oberleutnant zur Sees supervised the refueling rig from the fan tail. The two Engineering Ober-maat (CPOs) relieved each other in the engine room, keeping a close watch on the black gang although the Engineering officer was a Nazi sympathiser. Communications Stabsfeldwebel (Chief Warrant Officer ) Kept the radio watch for signals from TG Brinkmann and any other close by radio traffic. The Grupo Regional de Venezuela del Partido Nazi 2nd mate and 4 seaman (each with a pistol but no spare ammunition) watched the other crewmembers. Muller would only trust them so far.

Vizeadmiral (Rear Admiral, upper half) Brinkmann, took advantage of the calm seas to transferred his flag and staff back to Bismarck. After Bismarck's refuelling he briefed Kapitäns zur See Lindemann of BdU's orders they attack the Oil Refineries on Trinidad Tobago. Both men knew Trinidad Tobago's oil refinery in Pointe a Pierre was the largest in the British Empire and a vital strategic asset of the allies. Much of Venezeulan crude was refined there. The file on Trinidad Tobago was quite extensive and included in the intel provided Lutgens before he sortied.

Brinkmann " Lindemann now it is up to us to decide exactly how we will carry out those orders. The obvious course is to close the island and bombard the rifineries with our main batteries. I would think it would not take much to set Pointe a Pierre ablaze. I also want the port facilities wrecked, although that will take a lot more ammunition and cost us time. So far we have had "Des Teufels eigenes Glück" (Devils own luck) and I expect to sink some tankers before we disapear again. I'd love to send ashore a couple of landing parties to direct our gunfire, assess damge on the refineries and port facilities and also find some other good targets. I want those refineries completely wrecked and require complete rebuilding before they process another drop of crude. That would take a year at least. That should push our Englander "friends" much closer to reason and the negotiation table. This could be the straw that knocks them out of the war. Maybe? Without Great Britain to deal we, our Army and Luftwaffe will be able to concentrate most of our strength in Russia alone. The Bolsheviks have taken losses that would cripple any other country. They have to be near breaking.
A few more such routes and Stalin will have to ask for terms. Even then he will probably be assasinated. I doubt there is anyone who will be willing to continue the war. If the assasins fail his party "friends" and he will be in their own civil war. No matter Hitler will get what he wants in the East. I doubt the Americans will prove to be decisive. They probably will act far too late if at all." The recently advanced Vizeadmiral had no idea FDR had come to a similar conclusion well ahead of him.

Rear Admiral Hewitt's TG-39 was out to sink his ship and ensure America came into the war BEFORE it was too late.
Bismarck's CO was a bit uneasy about this latest operation. He could not forget both Kapitäns zur See Karl Friedrich Max von Müller CO of Emdem and Admiral Graf Maximilian von Spee commanding the German East Asia Squadron had been very successful as commerce raiders but both came to disater when they decided to expand their war to attacking shore targets.
Before dismissing him, the Vizeadmiral handed the CO of Bismarck a copy of the draft oporder his C of Staff had prepared. "Look this over and let me know what you think." Both men had work to do and until the UNREP was completed their stations were the Flag Plot and Bismarck's bridge. So it was not until that evening with Bismarck and The Prince on a course heading to Trinidad Tobago, did Lindemann get a chance to study the Draft Op order.
The WW II German naval Operations Order was very similar to the army version and consists of an orientation and five paragraphs. The five paragraphs are: Situation, Mission, Execution, Administration & Logistics, and Command & Signal.

1. SITUATION.
a. Area of Interest. British Crown Colony Island of Trinidad Tobago
b. Area of Operations. North Atlantic Ocean and Caribbean Sea 150 nautical miles centered on Trinidad Tobago
(1) Terrain. Map included in the folder with all important locations marked
(2) Weather. To be updated during the approach for now forecast good

c. Enemy Forces. Trinidad Tobago Garrison and any allied units present
(1) Composition, Disposition, and Strength.
Coast Artillery Battalion Royal Marines Siege Regimeent
HQ Battery locate at Trinidad at Carenage Bay
Service battery Carenage Bay
Six sections, each with a searchlight and aircraft sound locator
colocated with Flak batteries

Coastal Defense Group
Three batteries, each with two BL 6-inch Mk VII Surface only guns.
See map for last known locations. Be advised these guns are moved sporadically.
Projectiles Surface AP, HE, Shrapnel 100 lb
Rate of fire 8 rounds per minute
Maximum effective range 25,000 yds at 20° elevation

Antiaircraft Group
Four FLAK batteries, each with 4 mobile QF 3 inch 20 cwt anti-aircraft guns mounted on towed, 4-wheeled sprung trailer FLAK platforms.
Each battery is equipped with Vickers No. 2 Predictor based on a US Sperry AAA Computer M3A3. The No 2 could track targets at 400 mph at heights of 25,000 ft. The No 2 Predictors received height data, generally from the Barr & Stroud UB 7 (9 feet base) instrument.
See map for last known locations. Be advised these guns are moved sporadically.
Projectiles 24 lb Fixed round 12.5 lb projectile weight
types: AP, AA , HE, Illumination
Rate of fire 16 – 18 rounds per minute
Maximum effective range 16,000 yds at 43° elevation 30,400ft AA ceiling
Two AAA machine gun companies, each with 12 Oerlikon guns
See map for last known locations. Be advised these guns are moved sporadically.
Projectiles High Explosive with tracer, H.E. without tracer and Incendiary
Ciclical rate of around 500 rpm from 60 rounds magazines
Maximum effective range 1,000yds

One Seaplane tender of the AVD class converted WW I destroyer
Anchor in Carenage Bay.
Supporting 4 to 6 PBY-3 Patrol Seaplanes
Maximum speed: 196 mph Cruise speed: 125 mph
Range 2,520 mi
Service ceiling: 15,800 ft
Guns: Three .30 cal Mgs (two in nose turret, one in ventral hatch at tail)
Two .50 cal HMG (one in each waist blister)
Bombs: 4,000 lb of bombs, depth charges or torpedoes
Radar some PBY's are fitted with ASV Mark II Surface Search Radar
Wavelength 170 cm Pulse Width 2.5 microsecond
Pulse Repetition Frequency 400 Hz Peak Power Out 7 kW
Range 20 miles for destroyer 30 miles Capital ships and merchants
60 miles for coastline
Minimum range 1 mile
As of last report no land based military Patrol, Bomber or Fighter aircraft are permantly based on Trinidad and Tobego as their bases are in the early phase of construction.
No land bases search radar is operational. However, as this is a key Convoy assembly area various radar equipped warships are often present.
Local Patrol Boats There are about a dozen police and customs launches armed with pistols and rifle. No radar but they do have two way radios which are considered their most dangerous weapon. No more than two of the boats have been observed actively patrolling between Midnight and nautitical sunrise.

d. Friendly Forces. TG Brinkmann and PSS Cabello and various U-boats
(1) Higher HQ Mission and Intent. BdU Destroy oil refining capability on Trinidad Tobago
(2) Mission of Adjacent Units. N/A
e. Attachments and Detachments. N/A
f. Civilian Considerations Avoid civilian casualties unless they jeopardize success of the mission.

2. MISSION. In a night action destroy the refineries, port fracilities and any tankers in the vicinity of Trinidad Tobago without sustaining major damage to TG Brinkman that would degrade primary, commerce raiding mission. To withdraw before enemy forces can pose a threat to TG Brinkman. Radar Navigation and gun laying will be employed along with beacon(s) planted by sleeper agents.
Pointe a Pierre refinery is one of the largest and most modern (due to constant upgrades) refineries in the world. Point Fortin a somehwat smaller refinery and being of recent expanded and modernized has better fire fighting facilities. The fuel, refined at Pointe a Pierre and Point Fortin is very important to the RAF, Royal Navy, British home Islands Industry and allied merchant fleet. The total destruction of Pointe a Pierre and Point Fortin will be a major strategic victory for the Fatherland and a serious loss for the enemy.

3. EXECUTION. TG Brinkmann will destroy the refineries, port, air field facilities and any tankers or naval vseesls in the vicinity of Pointe a Pierre and Point Fortin by gunfire on the night of 9/10 June.
a. Commander's Intent Total destruction of Trinidad Tobago's Refineries. Inflicting as much damage to Trinidad Tobago's port, tankers, communications and naval units as reasonably possible.
b. Concept of operations. To use surprise, radar navigation and fire control and precision gunfire under cover of darkness
(1) Maneuver. Per SOP TG Brinkmann
(2) Fires. As required
(3) Reconnaissance and Surveillance. U-boats, local sleeper agents, Arado scouts and radar will be the chief methods of Recon and Surveillance
(4) Intelligence. As provided by BdU
(5) Engineer. Per SOP TG Brinkmann
(6) Air Defense. Per SOP TG Brinkmann
(7) Information Operations.

c. Scheme of Movement and Maneuver. Per SOP TG Brinkmann
d. Scheme of Fires.
e. Casualty Evacuation.
f. Tasks to Subordinate Units
g. Tasks to Combat Support.

(1) Intelligence. See Appendix
(2) Engineer. Per SOP TG Brinkmann
(3) Fire Support. See Appendix
(4) Air Defense. Per SOP TG Brinkmann
(5) Signal. Per SOP TG Brinkmann

4. SUSTAINMENT. Per TG Brinkmann SOP

5. COMMAND AND CONTROL.
a. Command.
(1) Location of Commander. Bismarck
(2) Succession of Command. Per TG Brinkmann SOP

c. Signal. Per TG Brinkmann SOP
(1) SOI index in effect.
(2) Methods of communication by priority.
(3) Pyrotechnics and Signals.
(4) Code Words.
(5) Challenge and Password.
(6) Number Combination.
(7) Running Password.
(8) Recognition Signals.


7 JUNE 1941 1130 One of CPO Sharkey's Radar operators reported a "contact" at 005 relative, distance 17 and a half miles to his watch PO. Second Class Petty Officer "Bertie" O' Higgins came over and studied the "O" scope presentation for a minute and then adjusted the "gain" control. He was rewarded with two small contacts. Bertie informed the watch officer and log keeper of the new contacts. Bertie worked out the contacts' course, speed, CPA (closest point of approach) and time of CPA at current course and speed. He provided that amplifying information to the watch officer who, after a quick check, informed the OOD.

The OOD picked up the sound powered phone to the anchor windless room, where CDR Edmund Blackadder, acting CO Sheffield, was inspecting the shoring strong back recently installed. It replaced the emeregency "Patch" from the battle that had failed about an hour and a half ago. The pumps had been making slow but steady progress "dewatering" Shiny until that patch let loose. He had to order speed reduced to a little above steerage way while the DC party, working in waist high and then chest high water fashioned and emplaced the replacement. Just 25 minutes ago he had ordered Shiny Back to her best speed, 15 knots in 5 knot increments. He was watching, along with the DC party, the patch which he was now almost convinced would hold when he got the contact report.

He said to the Chief Stoker DC party leader, "Chief I'm heading back to the bridge" and to the DC party, "Job damn well done. I will order up a dram for each of you. Chief see our men and you get that rum issue after you secure."
He was then on the run up 6 ladders to the jury rigged bridge. He made it in less than 5 minutes puffing like an old man and got the full report from the OOD.

Blackadder to the OOD, That should be the Norwegion manned Ocean going Tug Hafgufa and "OUR" escort the Flower class Corvett Primrose." Both men smiled at the lame joke but that was the best he could do at present.
"Make sure the lookouts keep a sharp eye on that bearing and order action stations NOW. " They were not out of the woods yet by a long margin and he was not taking any more chances than he had to with Shiny leaking like a collander and his engines held together with wire and the sweat of his Chief and his stokers. In due course his signal men acknowledge the flag hoist challenge. It was the Tug and Corvette. He immediately ordered the crew secure from Action Stations. He ordered the Corvette to maintain an ASW screen and the tug to take station abreast of Shiny at 500 yds to starboard. No sign of the promised Coastal command patrol bomber or fighter escort so far. Well he had not really expected the RAF to drop everything just to nursemaid old Shiny.

7 JUNE 1941 1200 TG 39.1 was at 18.0708° N, 62.0501° W heading South at 25 knots with the destroyers in a bent line screen, BB-55 as guide with USS Brooklyn CL-40 scouting 50 miles ahead. Rear admiral Hewitt had three SOC souts out patyolling search sectors to the East,West and South out to 150 miles. Nothing so far. The TG was heading for an UNREP with one of the fast oilers. His Destroyers needed fuel after the long high speed transit.

7 JUNE 1941 1315 The Southern scout sighted the oiler at 70 miles, speed 15 knots heading for TG39.1

7 JUNE 1941 1830 the last of TG39.1 broke away from the oiler and was heading back to it's screening station. The oiler was heading to the next UNREP station. Hewitt was sure he would need more fuel after an action with TG Brinkmann.

8 JUNE 1941 2100 There was no black out at all on Aruba, U-156 's target lay there, fully lit. He had easily eluded the Two 34 ft. " customs launches. These boats are armed with small arms and a single, pedestal mounted, Canon d'Infanterie de 37 modèle 1916 TRP (37mm mle.1916) French infantry support gun. Rate of fire Sustained: 25 rpm, Maximum Effective range1,600yds But their most dangerous weapon was their excellent radios. He also beat the Six 24 ft. Radio equipped Police/rescue boats stationed in the island. Without radar fire control he had no fear of the shore battery located at Juana Morto, the highest point of the easterly part of the island, a coastal battery consisting of two pre WW 1 150 mm 40 caliber guns.
What he did fear was Stationed at KLM Field Savaneta, a graded runway if caught close in during daylight was the 6 Martin 139s WH-3As the Export version of the B-10. With Maximum speed: 213 mph, Range of 1,240 mi and armed with 3 30 caliber Browning machine guns and 2,260 lbs of bombs.
Even the 6 Brewster 339Ds Export version of the F-2A Buffalo wuth two 0.50 in nose and 2 wing -mounted M2 Browning machine guns and two 100 lb bombs could damage his boat enough to cause real trouble.

U-156 was a Type IXC with one × 4.1 inch SK C/32 deck gun with 180 rounds, a 37mmAA gunand one twin 20 mm FlaK 30 AA . She surfaced off the Lego refinery and the guns crews manned their weapons, sighted them on the refinery and bombarded Lego with everything they had. A fatal error by one of the 5.9's gun crew disabled the breach block after firing 97 rounds. That very UNGreman error spared Lago refinery total destruction But not by much. With needless loss of his main deck gun, the U-boat only had left the much lighter guns. The CO, in a cold rage, the hapless gunner having been beaten severely by the gun captain (who knew he was really in for it), contuned the bombardment. They hit the refinery and at the surrounding buildings and a nearly empty venezulean tanker carrying crude to the refinery repeatedly but the damage was only minor. Lago escaped that night and only because the bombardment had been terminated early. The U-156 torpedoed 2 tankers and a ship loaded with 3000 tons of dynamite, waiting for daylight to enter the port of Oranjestad, on her way out. Both tankers caught fire and sank. The luckless merchant literally disintegrated showering pieces of her over a space of three miles inlcuding ashore on Aruba.

Kaleu U-156 thought "With luck we just drew every Englander ship and aircraft away from Trinidad Tobago for long enough for Bismark and The Prince to destroy those refineries. The question is good or bad luck for U-156? At least his U-Boat stood a fair chance of getting back into the Atlantic, something Bismarck would never be able to do if she was insane enough to actually enter the Gulf of mexico. She would never get past the Island chain to the East on the way in let alone on the way out.

[OSCSSW]

THE SHOWBOAT engages THE IRON CHANCELLOR Part 16

9 JUNE 1941 0800 HMS Cambletown, flying a broom from her foremast head, secured from Special Sea Detail. Old Gift Horses crew had made her as presentable as possible given her many battle wounds. She still looked like a tired old whore but they had come to love her. After all, despite far too many times the old gal's machinery had made the Stokers lives a living hell, in the end she had brought most of them home, mostly safe and sound to Halifax's repair basin, pier #3.
She still had her Nazi U-boat prisoners aboard but not for long. A section of Canadian Army infantry and two big Bedford QLD 3 ton lorries were waiting on the pier. They would soon take the Nazi diehards to the POW, temporary holding barracks in the dockyard. The Officers were in for a real grilling by the Intel section, real right bastards, mostly RN hard boys. At this point in this loosing Battle of the Atlantic no one was playing by Marques of Queensbury rules.

9 JUNE 1941 0315 All that was left of TG Cilax the two type 1936A destroyers Z23 and Z25 after evading Force H's aerial scouts and the feigned incompetence of the Spanish Navy and Air Force were now moored safe and sound at the Kriegmarine base in the southwestern French port of Hendaye in Nouvelle-Aquitaine. Z23's 29 year old skipper Korvettenkapitän Wolfgang Becker was now not only "Comodore" of 8 Zerstörerflottile (8th Destroyer Flotilla), but also the commander of TG Becker the successor to TG CILAX. At least until BdU noticed they were still alive.

9 JUNE 1941 1800 What was left of WS-12 passed the boom into Gibralta's harbor. 24 of HM's converted liner Transports, with 20,000 soldiers, over 200,000 tons of vital war material and another 6 thousand sailors started out. 12 of HM's Transports with 11,200 soldiers dropped anchor at 36.1485°N 5.3652°W. Commodore, Admiral Bertram I. Thesiger, and HMT Strathaird were not among them. The escort had also been badly savaged by the Ruder but they had sunk three U-Boats including the Wolf Pack Alpha Commander . All in all BdU and especially "Onkel Karl" (Uncle Karl), were quite pleased. Too bad his nephews did not find and sink "Des Teufel" (The Devil) Renown.

9 JUNE 1941 2245 Bismarck and The Prince were within easy 15 inch gun range of the Point-a Pierre refinery and it’s 100-octane aviation fuel, essential to the RAF. That was Bismarck’s primary target; The Prince would close on the No.5 Dubbs and the hydrogen and iso-octane plants. They were both well outside the Maximum Effective range ,10 miles,of the marine manned coast defense Battery Able’s two five-inch-fifty-one-caliber rifles. The five inchers were discards from the battleships Texas.

The radar approach, using the land mass to shielded TG Brinkmann from the radars of the escorts that lay in the harbor as their tanker heavy convoys waited for the remaining merchant ships to form up and head out into the Atlantic went well. The first Battery Able and the refinery crews, escorts and merchants knew of the presence of Bismarck was her opening 8 gun salvo, which was controlled by her Radar and the three beacons planted by Nazi sabateurs. The 1,764 lbs., HE L/4 nose fuzed shells burst within the refinery starting fires fed by consequent salvoes. At the same time Bismarck’s secondary battery of 5.9s smothered battery Able before the marines got a single round off. The fifth Salvo obliterated the cracking plant,.The 8th salvo set the tank farm afire and it was pretty clear the fire fighting crews were no match for the conflagation, fed by more salvoes.

9 JUNE 1941 2300 The Prince closed on No.5 Dubbs with it’s the hydrogen and iso-octane plants at 20 knots. Once on station she commenced firing, laying her guns on the sabateurs beacons. Kommandant Seeadler von Luckner, named after his uncle Count Felix von Luckner Captain of SMS Seeadler AKA Der Seeteufel (The Sea Devil)of first world war orderd The Prince to open fire. His first target was USMC Battery “DOG“ ,another two gun five-inch-fifty one position, with a full salvo from both her main battery eight inch and six 4.1 inch SK C/33 guns, with a maximum effective range about the same as the 5.1/51. Unlike Bismarck his “Prince“ did not have the range advantage over Battery“Dog“, which was positioned on a promentory to seaward of No.5 Dubbs. First salvo was over for the 8 inch but on for the 4.1s which was more than enough to kill the gun or wound the crews and damage the guns. Second 8 inch salvo targetted No.5 Dubbs and 4.1s hit battery “Dog“ again destroying the guns, killing the wounded marines and the navy corpsman and marines trying to get them to safety. The ready use ammunition of the battery also exploded in a succession of rapid and multiple flashes that lasted for ten minutes. Kommandant Seeadler von Luckner, brought his cruiser in as close to shore as was prudent in order to bring his 4.1s in range of No.5 Dubbs with it’s the hydrogen and iso-octane plants. This was a calculated chance because one of the marines thee gun, 3-inch M3 FLAK batteries was reported in the area. Although M3‘s Projectiles only weighed 13lb they did have FLAK, HE, Illumination and most dangerous for Prinz Eugen, an AP Round fired at 15 – 20 rounds per minute with a mximum effective range of seven miles. Each individual AP round could not do much damage to the heavily armored areas of the ship but 15 or twenty all landing in the same sapot just might defeat the proetection on the lighter armored areas, to say nothing of ehat the HE and AP would do to antennas and other light structures on the cruiser.
Prinz Eugen got off 18 more salvoes from 8 inch (576 rounds) and almost as many more from the 4.1 inch battery doing substantial damaged ot the refinery which was a blazing inferno now, completely destroying the hydrogen and iso-octane plants. After all a refinery, especially one turning out 100 octane aiviation fuel, was nothing but a bomb, just waiting for someone like TG Brinkmann to set it off. Kommandant Seeadler’s von Luckner, Prince also demolished the four berth tanker pier, it’s pumping stations and left two tankers on fire and a third with it’s stern blown off all aground after multipe 4.1 hits and single torpedo strikes.

9 JUNE 1941 2349 She was making her turn for the Convoy marshalling anchorage when the marines three gun, 3-inch M3 FLAK battery opned up. First salvo was illumination rounds quickly followed by a mixture of AP and HE that walked up to the the Prince and raking "Caesar“ and "Dora"and upper decks aft. The turrets were unharmed but the men at the light FLAK and ohther unshielded aft stations suffered casualtues. Kommandant Seeadler’s von Luckner, gunnery officer immediately commenced counter battery fire and silenced all 3 marine guns in five minutes. The marines had chosen to place their guns as far seaward as possible and that meant a beach with zero concealment or protection. The Marine battery C.O. chose this site that allowed him to reach the ship as soon as possible because she was rapidly drawing out of the range of his 3 inch pop guns.

9 JUNE 1941 2355 In the harbor it was pure chaos as the ships desperately got underway to clear the area In accordance with the Emergency Sortie Plan. SOPA (Senior Officer Present afloat), Captain, RN John T. Stenrud III in the C class light cruiser HMS Coventry, Commissioned 1918. HMS Coventry served with the 5th Light Cruiser squadron until May 1919, and in the Baltic during the Russian civil war. In 1935, Coventry refitted as an anti-aircraft cruiser. This refit involved the removal of her 6-inch guns and torpedo tubes, and the fitting of 10 QF 4-inch Mk V guns on single high-angle mountings and 2 octuple-mounted 2-pounder 'pom-pom' guns.
Coventry Displaced 4,190 tons, Length 450ft, Beam 43.6ft and Draft of 14ft. She was powered by two Brown-Curtis geared turbines, Six Yarrow boilers producing 40,000 shp to her two propellers giving her a Speed of 29 knots. Her 950 tons maximum of fuel oil gave her almost 7,000 miles range. Her wartime comlement was on 327.
Coventry’s armor was no match for for The Prince let alone Bismarck. She was protected by 3 inch side (amidships), 2¼-1½ inch side (bows), 2 inch side (stern)1 inch upper decks (amidships) and 1 inch deck over rudder.

Captain, RN John T. Stenrud III ordered four destroyers to join him and formed a SAG, (surface action group) that would sortie and engage the attacker. The Prince rapidly engaged the SAG and quickly put the Light cruiser out of action but the four destroyers, under the senior offiicer left, came to 35 knots and sped to their launch point for their torpedoes. Prince’s 8 inch main battery and some of Bismarck’s 5.9s quickly engaged the destroyers under radar control. Two of the escorts were sunk by the 8 inchers as the other two, both damaged, launch their torpedoes at maiximum range greatly reducing the chances of a hit. One of the remaining destroyers was hit hard and went DIW (dead in the water) soon after launching her fish. The last detroyer followed her fish in and commenced firing with her main battery of 4.5 inch guns at Bismarck. The flashless powder did not conceal her from the FuMO radars and she too was soon a burning wreck. Her fish were easily avoided; The Prince and a short while later Bismarck continued to engage every ship that came within range.

10 JUNE 1941 0015 Bismarck, only using her secondary battery massacred a Seaplane tender HMS Wiltshire formerly USS Childs AVD 1 (ex-DD 241), of the AVD class converted WW I destroyer in Carenage Bay. Bismarck then engaged 6 RAF Catalina 1 B flying boat Patrol Seaplanes and 3 Supermarine Walrus capital ship float planes newly equipped with ASV radar moored close by the ADV with with her medium and light FLAK battery. All were sunk or left burining wrecks.

Vizeadmiral (Rear Admiral, upper half) Brinkmann, and Kapitäns zur See Lindemann both knew the destruction of those aircraft was vital to their survival. The RAF Catalina 1 B was very dangerous to surface ships as well as the U-Boats. With a max speed of 196 mph and a Cruise speed 125 mph they would no speed records. However it was their Range 2,520 miles and their ASV Mark II Surface Search Radar with it's 170 CM Wavelength, 2.5 microsecond, Pulse Repetition Frequency 400 Hz, Peak Power Out 7 kW, Range of 20 miles for destroyer, 30 miles Capital ships and merchants and 60 miles for coastline and Minimum range 1 mile. That made them so dangerous to TG Brinkmann. As far as both men were concerned against ships with speed, maneuverability and excllent FLAK batteries the Catalina 1 B's three .30 cal Mgs (two in nose turret, one in ventral hatch at tail),Two .50 cal HMG (one in each waist blister), 4,000 lb of bombs, depth charges or torpedoes were of little worry. In fact their Arado scout would have no problem shooting them down all by themself.

Bismarck then turned back to the merchant ship killing but only with her secondary and FLAK battery rounds. The main gun rounds, which were mainly AP now, were reserved for something alot bigger, a lot tougher, a lot more dangeroues and for a naval officer, a lot more satisfying oponent.

10 JUNE 1941 0300 TG Brinkmann was running dew east at 30 kts into an area of low clouds and rain storms. Vizeadmiral (Rear Admiral, upper half) Brinkmann, had signalled his after action report 2 hours ago, shortly after clearing the target area, while on a deceptive course. The reply had been a curt "Well Done. God Speed BdU."

FDR, the PM, CNO Stark, Ernie King, the newly appointed Admiral of the Fleet and Rear Admiral Hewitt USN were even more determined to sink that God Damned Nazi battleship but they also had to admit Brinkmann, Nazi bastard that he was, had pulled off an absolutely masterful stratergic operation. No matter what happened to him, Bismarck and Prinz Eugen the damage had been done and Hitler was, a pretty long step, closer to defeating the UK. These being Hard Men could admire a man even as they hunted him to his death. After all it was not personal. It was just business!

11 JUNE 1941 0930 HMS Renown settled onto the keel blocks in the drydock in sight of HMS Victory's masts. Old Reffit's C.O. Capt. C.E.B. Simeon, RN and his crew were eager to get ashore and celebrate their great victories over TG Cilax. About two thirds of his men would be at liberty in less than three hours; many enjoying the fleshpots of Portsmouth and well they did desreve it. He, on the other hand. along with most of his department heads, warrants and senior Chiefs had a lot of work to do getting Renown'e latest Refit off to a quick start.

She had been lucky, on 8 June to first find and then engage Kapitän zur See Harald Netzbandt 's Gneisenau before she entered Spanish Territorial waters. The outcome of the battle was never in doubt. Renown's 15 inch rifles against what was left of the Nazi's 5.9s was more like target practice. Still it put an unwanted strain on her engines and torpedo damage that made this Dockyard period all the more urgent.
The Admiralty wanted Force H reconstituted as soon as possible so they pretty much had a carte blanch now. The CO planned to take full advanatge to bring his ship up as close as possible to the latest standards.

Vice-Admiral Sir James Somerville commander of Force H, was in London now meeting with the new 1st Sea Lord. He told Simeon, he would be getting Repulse to temporaraly work with Ark Royal but it was his intent to have old Refit back with Force H as soon as possible. He also needed to scare up one or more new cruisers, which were very tough to come by. He had pretty much used up his Escorts and would need replacemenst there also.

Speaking of Ark Royal, she would soon be working up a new Air Group. Based on Her CO Capt. C.S. Holland, RN after action report the old String Bags had done very well as did Fairey Fulmar in it's reconnaissance mission. Ark desperately needed much better fighters and a dedicated Dive Bomber. The real Herasy was Ark's surviving air crew wanted American replacements like the F4F and the SBD.

The current FAA (Fleet Air Arm) Fairey Fulmar made an excellent scout but was a poor fighter. Its performance as a fighter was severely compromised by its dual role as a scout. The Navy had specified a two-seat machine so that the pilot would have the assistance of another crew member in reporting back to the fleet the observations made, which were done using wireless telegraphy (W/T) and navigate over the ocean. As a result, the Fulmar was too large and often unwieldy in engagements with single-seat, land-based opposition, as it did in the Mediterranean Theatre; its performance was clearly inferior to typical land-based fighters. However, the long range of the Fulmar was often very useful.

ContemporaryNaziMitsubishi A5M and American Grumman F3F carrier borne fighters along with the Royal Navy's Gloster Sea Gladiator were much better "Fighters" than the Fulmar. Even these naval fighters compared unfavourably with land based fighters such as the Messerschmitt Bf 109 which reached 290 mph at sea level over the Fulmars 265 mph. Especially in the Med, they were up against really excellent land based fighters and the FAA pilots were paying the price.


11 JUNE 1941 2315 S13 / SS -118 / USS FORD surfaced, recharging batteries and ventilatig the boat. Lat 11 30 54.2, Long 52 42 34.2, Course 270T, Speed 15, wind from 080T, Speed 16 knots gusting to 22, moderate sea, raining hard. 30 minutes until watch relief. The Fox scheds informed the boat that the Kriegsmarine was in West Lant in force. Refineries in Aruba and Trinidad Tobago had been hit and hit hard.

What only the Skipper, XO and Commo knew was the RN had lost a Cruiser, a Sea plane tender, a bunch of PBY flying boats and four destroyers. Trinidad Tobago had two coatsal and one AA battery wiped out with heavy loss of life. S-13's CO, Lt. Peter "Cowboy" Holt USNA class of 1938 had an eyes only message in his hands. He was appraised that ONI had determined the attack on Trinidad Tobago was by KMS Bismarck and Prinz Eugen.

Ernie King ordered him to his current course and speed. He was to search for the German capital ships and, at all costs to transmit a sighting report highest priority. He was to keep transmitting until he was either acknowledged or he deemed the situation made diving and evading more likely to get that message to higher authority than continuing to transmit on the surface.

It was made absolutely clear to "Cowboy" that sighting report was of the highest importance even at the cost of his sub, his crew and himelf.

How much of this possible death and to whom does he inform this death sentence?
OK he has to inform the XO and the COB, that's enough for now.

Hell the chances of the USS FORD finding those Nazi's is really pretty small. He does not have radar, in this rain his lookouts can't see more than a boat's length but the storm will let up and then he has about a five mile visual radius.

His longest range sensor, given good sea conditions, is the model JT idirectional listening system. The JT is designed to detect, identify, and locate sources of both sonic and ultrasonic sounds. It is designed to use the JP (Active sionar sonic equipment and has a super-sonic converter so that ultrasonic as well as sonic sounds can be amplified by the JP amplifier. In addition, it has a more directional hydrophone than the JP hydrophone and has a right-left indicator (RLI) for taking bearings on sonic sounds with greater accuracy than is possible with the tuning-eye indicator of the JP equipment. From personal experience he knew the JT's longest range was while his boat was at perascope depth. His sonar Chief had actually tracked ship noise sources as far as 60 miles away. Not often, usually it was more like 15 to 20 miles, if at all but that beats the hell out of 5. Problem was he could do 15 surfaced and only11 submerged and that only for about an hour before he had to surface, run his diesels and rechrge his batteries for 8 to 12 hours.

He picked up the growler and told the control room to send the COB, who was a sonar man, to his cabin. Once COB arrived he told him to take his chair and shifted himself to his bunk. He explained it all to COB and then asked him how we can get the best range on a couple of big noise targets running at high speed from the out of the model JT?

COB "your taking a real big chance relying on the JT Captain. Yah I know we have picked shit up at 60 miles but that was really rare and even at 15 to 20 it is not all that common. Mostly we get stuff at 5 to 8 miles, not much better than the look outs. What we could do is put a couple of my kids with really unbelievable hearing on the phones and dive the boat to just above the surface layer, cut back the electrics to steerage way make a few slow 360s. If we get nothing; surface for awhile running on the diesels at 15 and charging the batteries. I have no idea how long we stay doing donuts and how long to run on the surface before the next dive.

S-13's CO, Lt. Peter "Cowboy" Holt " So COB we sprint and drift ?"
COB "Call it what you want Captain." Oh there is one more thing if, big IF, I can get a half dozen solid bearing on those Nazi Bastards I might be able to give you a pretty good estimate on their Course, Speed and position from FORD. There is something they are working on at Key West (Navy sonar school) they picked up from the Limeys. I'ts called TMA I think it means Target Motion Analysis."

S-13's CO "How does it work COB?"
TMA is done by marking from which direction the sound comes at different times, and comparing the motion with that of the FORD When I get enough good sound bearings, say 6, I study the changes in relative motion using some fancy techniques like Ekelund Ranging, 1934 Rule, Spears Wheel they "dumbed down" for us sailors at Key West. We have to plug in some guesses such as courses and speeds based on what we think the target is of what the tragets are doing. You'd be better at that than me captain.
I got to warn you Captain this is a lot more witch craft than it is science."

S-13's CO "Can you do this COB?"

COB "I learned it at the school about 6 months ago when we was playing target for the Cans. Since then I've playd around with to keep my hand in and win some bets. Water conditions off key West are a hell of a lot better than what we got down here and even then most of the time we got nothing we could use Captain. All I really need is a kid with good ears, a circular slip stick and a really hot math man, I'd say the Navigator, he's a wizard with numbers to check out my figures."

12 JUNE 1941 0500 HMS Sheffield entered No. 5 Basin, North Yard, HMNB Devonport. Newly advanced Captain Sir Edmund Blackadder, VC was preparing to turn over his command old Shiny, to the Dock Yard for a long wartime refit. His command was one of the shortest in RN history, lasting only 7 days. Well really strange things happened in war time.
He had been promised. by no other than The First Sea Lord and Chief of Naval Staff,Vice Admiral Ramsay, two weeks home leave. He was off to his low haunts in London and his adoring , insatible lady friends. Sir Edmund Preferred his women mostly attractive, bored, married (with either distant or really stupid) husbands and rich between 35 and 40 who doted on their cynical, charismatic, intelligent, very randy Naval Officer.

12 JUNE 1941 1530 Sheffied's newly promoted Gunnery Officer CDR Simon Baldrick RN, DSC was sitting in the Senior officer's mess at HMNB Devonport or "Guz", as he used to call it when a rating' He was drinking his second pink Gin and thinking about his career. He had started out on the lower deck in 1910, was promoted to Warrant Gunner just after Jutland and commissioned in October 1918. After the Great War Simon recived exactly one promotion, to Lt. and was forceably retired, along with many others, in 1934 to Chigwell a town and civil parish in the Epping Forest District of Essex. He had been called back, to the great anger of his wife Adelaid and sorrow of his four daughters, in Sept 1939 as a LCDR. Now he wore 3 gold "rings" and a loop on his sleeve marking him as a Commander, RN not one of those wavy navy imposters or Naval Reserve merchant "Navy" call ups.
At heart he was still a "Gun Buster" and always would be. At 50 he was getting a bit old for wartime sea duty according to the Ship's junior Surgeon. So it was off to H.M.S. Excellent, AKA Portsmouth Gunnery School or what he would always refer to as "Whale Island". It was the Royal Navy's main gunnery training establishment for most of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. He had been a student there both as an Matelot and officer. He had taught there as a Warrant Gunner. He knew the place well and he had a lot to contribute due to all his first hand battle experience.
What really surprised this newly promoter Commander was he was going back to Whale Island as Executive Officer on the staff of "The Captain". Captain RN, Eric J. P. Brind, had asked for him as soon as he saw his promotion gazetted and the Admiralty was happy to oblige. The job came with a large house, servants and all the things his long suffering wife wanted from the RN and never thought she would get. Ought to keep her happy. Happy wife, Happy Life. Maybe, just maybe, he could coach the Field Gun crew and attend another Royal Tournament?

12 JUNE 1941 1600 Newly promoted Warrant Electrician Otto Sharkey had been detached from HMS Sheffield. He was on his way to HMS Valkyrie the Royal Navy's No. 1 Radar Training School shore establishment or "stone frigate" located in Douglas, Isle of Man. Sharkey was to attend a number of advanced level, Radar courses. HMS Valkyrie was established with its personnel billeted in a number of guest houses which had been requisitioned for the duration and which were situated on Loch Promenade, Douglas. The training was undertaken at a series of buildings on Douglas Head, one being the Douglas Head Hotel.
He was also to attend lectures on how to act as a wardroom officer. These lectures were mandatory for the large number of pre war former CPOs now RN Warrant Officers and recent civilian technical specialists who are now Warrant Officers RNVR.

12 JUNE 1941 1700 Seated in Bismarck’s flag quarters Vizeadmiral (Rear Admiral, upper half) Brinkmann held in his hand BdU’s latest estimate of the “Englanders” and “Amis” search for him. It told him very little. Aside from a few Type IX U-boats operating this far West and South there was no other Kriegsmarine intel (in his opinion the only reports that were both reliable and accurate as to naval issues) available.
So far It had been a stressful but successful, high speed run away from Trinidad Tobago raid. The weather had cooperated in hiding him from the long range patrol flying boats, his biggest worry. Prince Eugene's damage had been minor although the loss 9 and and wounding of 16 men was regrettable. He still had been forced to keep his TG Brinkmann “closed up” to a fifty percent manning. That, at least, allowed his sailors to get some sleep, feed and attend to personal needs. Unfortunately, there had been three occasions when Kapitäns zur See Lindemann and Kommandant Seeadler’s von Luckner had ordered "Action Stations" due to either radar or sonar reports that turned out to be nothing in the end. The alarm bells and the announcement caused stressed and tired men to hurriedly race to their battle stations until the threat was evaluated as "nothing". It could not be helped this far in the enemy's back yard and almost alone Lindeman, von Luckner and especially he could take no chances. So his off watch men stumbled back to try and get some badly needed sleep before they all too soon had to relieve the watch.
He then looked at the fuel reports of his Flag and The Prince. Not good. Three days of high speed operations had reduced his bunkerage down to 75%. His UNREP with PSS Cabello was still 29 hours away. He would order speed reduced to 20 knots at nautical twilight. He was was far enough from the raid now and he had to keep in mind that in this hostile part of the Western Atlantic an encounter with enemy forces was a dstinct possibility for Vabello as well as his TG. He might need to stretch his fuel.

On the brighter side he also had a signal from BdU announcing that Hitler had conferred the Knight Insignia of the Iron Cross on Fregattenkapitan Schneider, Bismarck's "first" gunnery officer. Tired as they were Lindemann had ordered a short wardroom celebration to Wet Down Schneider's award. He also ordered the cooks to prepare a holiday meal of Smoked sausage fruits, cheese, honey, freshly baked bread, chocolate and juices. He authorized a special cigarette or pipe tobacco ration and a shot of ole Jägermeister. for his sailor’s much loved “Jäger ,Bomben” which consist of a shot of Jäger dropped into a pint of beer and drunk all together. He was taking a small chance but they all needed to celebrate their epic victory and relieve the strain of this cruise.

13 JUNE 1941 2200 PSS Cabello lay one cable length ahead of his "Prince" as she took on fuel. The astern UNRED method was a long process. The fact it was working even this well was due to Fregattenkapitan Friedrich Max von Muller and his 6 man team of Marinenachrichtendienst (Naval Intelligence Division AKA MAD) special operations group aboard Cabello. Kommandant Seeadler’s von Luckner's Chief Engineer estimated 6 hours to top them off. Bismarck's tanks were bigger which meant about 8 hours. That made it mid afternoon before they were free of the tanker.
The weather had cleared and gave them this moderate sea and wind. It also made it possible for for Vizeadmiral (Rear Admiral, upper half) Brinkmann, to authorize flight operations, so the Arado's would be up at morning twilight conduct a thororgh search and then establish constant patrols out to 150 miles during daylight. That should give them plenty of warning.

14 JUNE 1941 0315 S-13's juinior sonarman was fighting sleep. He had to maintain his "Listening Watch" for another 30 minutes then he could climb into the rack of his relief and get some sleep. He began another 300 degree sweep of his JT microphones the chief had atught him to conduct his search in 10 degree increments listening three to five 5 minutes, in the forward sectors and a minute of so as the sectors moved aft to the baffles before moving on. He was listening on 030 relative when he picked up a sound source. It was intermittent and he took his time because he didn't want to report another pod of whales or school of squids. The chief told him "Report everything" until you get the hang of it. It was his fellow junior sub sailors that gave him the ribbing and that bothered him.

14 JUNE 1941 0325 He was certain and, what's more, they were multiple contacts probably 2 but possibly three. He reported his contact report to the watch officer who came over and picked up the spare ear phones and listened for about a minute and a half. The OOW then sent for the COB and picked up the sound powered phone to inform "Cowboy" they had something on the JT and it wasn't whales banging. The CO was in the control room in three minutes; it took the COB about 5.
COB imediately clamped the spare phones on and started minipulating the JT. He said to the watch sonar operator to start a paper trace on what he gave him. He then turned to the CO, "Captain the kid has something solid, at long range and I make it three surface contacts. The bearing is 030 relative and it is definitely at least three contacts."
CO "Any idea of the distance COB"
COB "Captain it's not close but I think we are overtaking whatever it is."
CO "Well we're doing 12 knots on a course of 040 surfaced with a 80% charge. Lookouts report nothing.
This looks like a chance for you to work one of your Target motion tricks. Let's go to the DRT." COB gave the listening watch back to the kid after telling him he was doing a good job. He then, working from the log plotted the sound bearings of the last 10 minutes. He then factored in what S-13 had been doing and he came up with a rough estimate that whatever the contacts were they were not moving anywhere very fast.
The CO had been reviewing the position of all known convoys and other ships in the area. Nothing seemed close enough to be picked up by the JT
COB, "We got to make some estimates on the speed of this bunch Captain."
CO "Use 7 knots COB." 20 minutes went by with COB plotting sound bearings and occassionally just listening on the spare phones.
COB "Captain we got to do some maneuvering to nail these guys down."
CO, "OK COB just tell the OOD what you want him to steer." "OOD this is th captain take your course from the COB I'll be right beside him."
OOD "Aye, Aye Captain."

To the quartermaster "Make sure you get that order in the log Hammet." Aye, Aye Sir.
Next CO S-13 talked to the Radio watch "RM-2 Mahr this is the CO. Are you picking up anything in the very high frequency band?"
RM-2 Mahr " No sir. I am copying the Fox scheds now and they are in the HF band. I can bring a UHF reciever on line but I'm alone right now."
CO S-13 "Continue to copy the Fox scheds. The RMC will be with you in a few minutes."
CO S-13 "Messenger of the watch lay down to the goat locker and tell the RMC I want him in radio yesterday."
Messenger, "AYA AYE Captain" and he shot out of the space for the "Goat Locker", AKA Chief's bunk area.
Less than five minutes later the "growler" groaned and was picked up by the OOD.
OOD, "Cpatin it's the RMC reporting he's in radio."
CO S-13 "Very Well. Hand me the hand set. Chief we think we found a Nazi raider group. I want to see if they are radiating their Seetakt or Fumo sets."
RMC " Sir we have a VHF reciever I can tune in but it's going to be at the top of it's frequency range. From what I kow about Seetakt & Fumo we just might be able to pick them up. Got to look at the pub on them but I'd guess it is in the low Megahertz range and that's UHF gear we don't have. Even if we can't get them on the VHF set I can screw around with our gear and drive it further up the Megahertz scale but it will probably not last too long so we got to use it for short periods."
CO S-13 "How long do you need chief?"
RMC "I can have it on line in 15 minutes Captain. If I have to modify it we are talking hours.
14 JUNE 1941 0445 The better part of an hour with two more course changes yielded a TMA Solution of sorts.
COB "Captain it works out to a target course of 075 plus or minus 5 degrees; at 5 knots plus or minus 1 knot; and a range of 55 miles plus or minus 15 miles. That's the best I can do. This TMA is real new to me and our gear was not designed with it in mind."
CO S-13 "Good job COB. I can work with that.
COB was thinking "now is the time "Cowboy" gets to earn his pay. Imediate sighting report based on JT listening tracking and experimental TMA? No doubt the Nazis were monitoring fleet frequencides and could make a shrewed guess they had been spotted. Stay silent and close the range on the surface at 15 knots and try to get a visual confirmation of the target? If it's Bismack and that heavy cruiser they would have FORD on radar at about 10 miles. Too far for a visual ID. At that range they could sink us without too much trouble.

14 JUNE 1941 0445 CO S-13 was reviewing the nautical almanac entries for this position. Morning nautical twilight begins at 0454 and full sunrise is 0543. If that Nazi TG boss knows what he is doing he'll have his scout planes up at 0500 and conduct a local area search before they go off on morning patrol. When they fly our way we should see them before they see us, if I go to PD about 0545. No, I need my lookouts not the limited view from a periscope. His decision made "Cowboy" announced. "This is the Captain. I have the conn. Bring us down to "decks awash. Course 090 and cut back the speed to 7 knots to reduce our wake. Pointing directly at them, even in this sea, we'll have to be within visual range for them to pick us up on their radar.

14 JUNE 1941 0450 The growler groaned and was picked up by the CO S-13. "Captain here"
RMC " Took a while but we got them Captain. Intel Pub says both Seetakt and FuMO transmit on a Frequency of 368 Mhz . We have two close sources at 070 true. Those sets are suppose to pick up a destroyer size ship at 10 to 12 nautical miles."
CO S-13 "I'd given up on you when you told me no luck with our VHF set and were going to try to jury rig it into the UHF range. Chief this entire crew just might make it back to Gitmo now. Damn well done. Standby for a flash sighting report to CincLantFlt. "

CO S-13 picked up a blank message form and wrote out a short concise sighting report:
LFT
DE RFG NR 121 U 140500 E JUN
FM SS-318
TO CINCLANTFLT
WD GRNC
BT
FLASH
1. Sighted TG Brinkmann
2. My Position Latitude: 18 57 41.5 Longitude: 59 51 37.3
3. TG Brinkmann bears 070 degrees True at 55 miles, on course 075 true at 5 knots
4. SS-318 Has not been detected.
5. Will continue to track and report

BT
NNNN

CO S-13 to watch messenger "Bring this to the Com Officer and tell him I said to encode it and transmit ASAP. Keep transmitting until he gets a reply from Admiral King."

14 JUNE 1941 0503 Radio Room abaord KMS Bismarck watch Funker (Radio operator) was picking up transmissions from a fairly close source "west" of Bismarck. After 3 minutes of monitoring he informed the radio watch Maat (PO) of his findings. The Maat came over and plugged in his head phone set. No doubt abpout it the kid had something and it was in code. The Maat informed the watch officer of the transmission.
Watch Officer "Matt what do you make of it?
Matt, " I agree with the Funker Sir. It is definitely close by and from the west. It also is in code but I have no idea whose. That Frequency could be one of our type IXs operating this far out."
Watch Officer to the Encoding watch Warrant Officer "I need to know if this signal is one of our codes now." The WO took the punched paper tape and fed it into a teletype that printed out the signal letters. He then reviewed it and determined it was not one of theirs.
Encoding watch WO, " It is not one of ours. The format is all wrong for an enigma cypher. It looks like an Ami code. At least it does not look like any Englander code I ever saw Herr Erster Wachoffizier (Watch Officer).

The Erster Wachoffizier quickly informed the OOD who informed Kapitäns zur See Lindemann who informed Vizeadmiral (Rear Admiral), Brinkmann on his flag bridge watching his tanker disappear to the south West. An aide handed him the SP phone and he listened to the report. The Vizeadmiral quickly ordered a flashing light, immediate execute signal to come to course 090 speed 28 knots. It was once again time to run but this time to his next operating area in the Cape of Good Hope convoy Lanes. The Englanders were forced to send much of their shipping to North Africa around the Cape because the Med was too dangerous for most convoys. He also ordered the Prince to arm an Arado with bombs and send it along the bearing of the radio transmission. Make sure the air crew knows no matter what nationality they found they were to silence that radio immediately after we acknowledged their sighting report.

16 JUNE 1941 0945 USS Brooklyn CL-40 morning Curtiss SOC Seagull scout, about 80% of the way out on his sector search is spotted first by Bismarck's Arado Ar 196. At contact the Arado Ar 196 was above the Seagul and in the sun. The German pilot imediately dived for the Seagul in a blow through attack. His two wing mounted 20mm auto canons and one forward firing 7.92 MG ripped through the tail and after cockpit of the SOC killing the Observer. The shaken and wounded Seagul pilot transmitted an aircraft sighting report but is killed before he could transmit his posit. The brief transmission was picked up by only two ships in Hewitt's force, Brooklyn and Dunlap's DD-384. The incomplete sighting report gives him a first proof a German capital ship is in the area. No firm Datum, No course and speed, no confirmation of which ship or ships it is but he and Lee are very sure it is Bismarck/and or The Prince.

16 JUNE 1015 TG Brinkmann's Arado aircraft continued with it's sector scout and at the very end of it's fuel outbound fuel reserve sighted what appeared to be either convoy or a naval formation "bumps" on their horizon. The aircraft commander decided these ships being over 200 miles away from his TG it was prudent not to trans mit a posit report from right on top of them. He then selected a dog leg course back to TG Brinkmann. Heading to the North until he judged himslef out of radar range and then dropped down and headed straight for his TG. After another 30 miles he came up to best cruising altitude, leaned out his fuel mixture and hoped his guages were accurate.

16 JUNE 1941 1045 despite marginally acceptable flying conditions and sea state Hewitt orders Lee to launch a recon SOC to the last estimated position of the downed Seagull. Lee selected LT Stryker OIC of his Air Det and his observer Chief Craig on this very dangerous but vital mission because they would do the job no matter what the odds. LT Stryker was also the nephew of CMDR Joe Stryker, BB-55's Executive Officer. He informed both men what happend to the CA-40's aircraft. Pilot was ordered to conduct a sector search and if successful to take whatecer action he deemed neccessary to ensure his sighting report is acknowledged by Hewitt's TG. He was then to shadow the German force signalling posit, course and speed changes. Lee agin thanked God for Hewitt because the man had the iron to order a couple of good young men to their death. Also because Hewitt was taking a big chance, by breaking radio silence, Lutgens would pick up the acknoldgement and know the Seagull's home was a USN capital ship and atleast it's bearing from Bismack.

16 JUNE 1941 1230 2nd scout reaches last position of Brooklyn's aircraft and begins sector search to the North West .

16 JUNE 1941 1345 Stryker and Craig spot The Prince steaming SOUTH East at 19 kts and imediately transmit sighting report which is not recieved by TG 39.1 Stryker orders Chief Craig to keep sending that "Fvcking signal until we get an acknowledgement" and then takes the SOC into a cloud bank. For the next half hour Stryker skips in and out of the clouds, varifying The Prince's Course and speed and avoiding another Arado Ar 196.

16 JUNE 1941 1420 Chief Craig recieves TG 39.1 acknowledgement of the sighting report. Actually BB-55 had transmitted it's first acknowledgment at 1250. Hewitt authorized further trasmissions at 1355, 1409 and 1416. The American reconnaissance aircraft spotted Nazi warships, prompting Hewitt to order his ships to condition two (half crew on watch and guns manned and ready at all time). The four destroyers were arrayed ahead of BB-55 and USS Brooklyn CL-40.
The American task force, having been operating as TG 39.1 for some time and was a coherent unit with a well understood and practiced doctrine. BB-55, thanks to the "Gun Club's very best Gunner "Ching" Lee, was a well drilled, technically expert in visual and radar guided fire control, experience in shooting their main battery, by day and night. To put it brutally Bismarck and Prinz Eugen were up against the best gunnery ship in the USN, commanded by an absolute master of this black art. It would be a case of "Diamond scratch Diamond.

16 JUNE 2300 The Prince spotted Hewitt's DD screen ships with his forward FuMO 23 radar. Luckner sent his sighting report and turned about to take up her station abreast of Biamarck. BB-55's search radar picked up the Nazi cruiser at about the same time, followed by a much larger blip, Bismarck soon after. In the TC Tolley's team had plotted the positione on the DRT. Rear admiral Hewitt had decided to run this battle from the TC and was there with "Ching" Lee.

16 JUNE 2310 first CL-40's, soon followed by BB-55's fire control radars, began tracking the Nazi vessels. Hewitt , also a member of the Gun Club, knew he who fired first acurately had a big advantage in a sea fight and ordered guns "Free " as he closed the range. Both of his capital ships were now free to opened fire when ready. BB-55 fired first with her main battery at 2317 at a range of 18,000 yds landing over. Bismarck returned fire shortly after but her first salvo was aimed at the American destroyer screen, allowing BB-55 to target TG Brinkman's Flagship, with her second and third salvos unopposed. The third salvo scored a significant 2 shell hit that knocked out 1/4 her propulsion machinery and started a fire. First blood to BB-55.

16 JUNE 2322 with the range down to 16,500 yds CL-40 fired a 15 gun AP salvo of her 6 inch Mark 16/16DP at Prince Eugen scoring three hits. Her Gunnery officer imediately adjusted his fire control solution Luckner had put his helm over hard turning away from Bismarck. Therefore CL-40's 2nd main battery salvo fell short but her third salvo was over. Brooklyn now thought they had the range and commenced to blanket The Prince with full 15 gun salvoes at the rate of 12 per minute.
The Prince returned fire with her four forward 8 inch SK C/34 naval guns under radar control. She straddled Brooklyn with salvo 1. CL-40 took evasive action that caused her next two salvos to score only 2 hits, neither of which did more than light damage to The Prince.
16 JUNE 2330 an error in the electrical switchboard room knocked out power aboard BB-55, disabling her radar systems and leaving the ship all but blind to the Nazi vessels approaching the force. By this time, Brinkmann's ships had inflicted serious damage on the American destroyer screen; two of the destroyers were hit by 8 inch fire and a third was destroyed by gunfire. 3 members of BB-55's DC party, led by EM3 but once EM-1 SS Madrick, managed to restored electrical power but it did take time. Until power was restored BB-55's captain, Ching Lee, kept his ship on the disengaged side of the flaming wrecks of the destroyer screen until BB-55 was forced to turn in front of one of the burning destroyers to avoid a collision, which backlit her to the Nazi ships, drawing their fire.

16 JUNE At 2358, even with electrical power restored it took RMC O'Shea and his other radar techs time to restore and calibrate the gear. Captain Lee ordered two of his 5 inch mounts to fire star shells to illuminate TG Brainkmann. That was the old school way to aid his Gun boss and fire control team as they engaged Bismarck using visual his directors in visual mode. Mounts 54 and 52 (the marine manned twin gun secondary) were assigned the illumination mission. GM1c Borgnino USN (AKA Ernie Borgnine) and 1st Sgt Carlo Morano had done their jobs well because the mount and it's gun crew perfromed flawlessly. While her radars were down BB-55 managed to score some straddles and a few close aboard overs and unders but no solid hits.

At last BB-55's radar picked up the Nazi ships again less than 5 nautical miles ahead. Two minutes later, the Prince illuminated BB-55 with her search lights and the Nazi line promptly opened fire, scoring several hits. BB-55, opened fire, under radar control now, assigning only mount 54 fired star shells, while the rest joined her main battery in battering Bismark at a range of 8,400 yards. BB-55 scored nine 16-inch hits and as many as forty 5-inch hits, inflicting moderate damage. Bismarck was holed below the waterline, her forward two turrets were knocked out temporarily. Bismarck's steering was very sluggish due to her rudder pintals being bent by the jack hammer blows of near misses, forcing the helmansman to fight her with every bit of skill he had. Even then it was impossible to keep her on a straight course for long. She also developped an increasing starboard list.
With BB-55 back in the fight CL-40 shifted fire to the Prince alone and though straddling her, failed to score any vital hits; the barrage nevertheless convinced the German cruiser to turn off her search lights and reverse course in an attempt to launch torpedoes.

17JUNE 0013, the Nazi cruiser fired her two remaining torpedoes at BB-55 , then about 6,000 yards away. Lee combed their wakes and they both missed. TG 39.1 promptly took evasive maneuvers. At 0020, Hewitt, fearing more close range torpedo attacks, turned his TG 39.1 to open the range (he had ordered the surviving destroyer to disengage earlier in the engagement).
Bismarck was burning, still steering like a drunken whore, with moderate progressively flooding and two disabled boilers. She was still belting out 4 gun 15 inch salvoes at TG 39.1 although her accuracy was steadily declining.

17 JUNE 0025 BB-55 landed a devestating 5 round hits on Bismarck along her water line belt. Although Bismarck's DC crews fought a furious battle against flooding they lost and most of them drowned while trying to save their ship. Her pumps could not cope with the flooding and she began an ever increasing list.

17 JUNE 0031 BB-55 administered the death blow in a full 9 gun slavo that landed 7 AP rounds and tore the heart out of the proud battleship when her after powder magaine was penetrated. Brinkmann died, Linderman died along with all but 135 of her sailors. Bismarck capsized and sank with her props still turning and her guns still firing.

17 JUNE 0037 CL-40 was firing CXAM RADAR guided continuos 15 gun 6 inch /47 caliber guns at their crews most rapid rate (12 rounds per minute) combined with half her 5 in/25 caliber guns into The Prince. The prince's upper works were wrecked, her radars and fire control directors were destroyed and even her turrets and barbetts had been penterated by multiple AP hits disabling all. Her CO, XO, gunnery officer and almost all her topside crew were dead.
BUT
Her mighty 132,000 shp Blohm & Voss steam turbines were still intact and her hull was mostly sound. Her senior surviving officer, conning her from back aft, ordered up flank speed of 32 knots and made for Brooklyn. The Prince might be finished but she was going to take her murderer to hell with her.

17 JUNE 0044 BB-55 landed 3 16 inch AP rounds on the roof of her forward turrets. The shells smashed all the way down to her keel and blew her bows off. Her own 132,000 shp Blohm & Voss steam turbines drove her into the sea which defeated her water tight integrety and literally drove her under like a diving U-Boat taking the rest of her crew to the bottom with her.

17 JUNE 0050 CL-40 and the lone destroyer had formed back up with BB-55 to withdraw from the area. Hewitt hung out the signal Bravo Zulu and repeated it with both flashing light and TBS. TBS stands for “talk-between-ships”, a relatively low-powered crystal-controlled system. TBS was new and used mainly for maneuvering, target (and friendly) identification, and weapons employment. By operating in the VHF part of the electromagnetic spectrum, these radios essentially kept the range to “line-of-sight” distances, approximately 25 miles.
Hewitt also ordered TG39.1 to go to Condition III - Wartime Cruising, generally one third of the crew is on watch, and strategic stations are manned or partly manned. (e.g. weapons). His kids deserved some rest.
CO BB-55 to the OOD. "Set condition III with the exception of DC parties and those donducting essentail gear repair." After giving his crew 15 minutes to stand down to condition III Captain Lee walked over to the 1MC (ship's general annoucing system) and said to the Bosun of the watch "whistle me up a tune son I'm going to address the crew." After the pipe was finished he took the mic. This is the captain. Well done. I am proud of each and everyone of you. You just might have won the last battleship to battleship gun fight the USN will ever see. That is all"

17 JUNE 0115 In the Goat Locker BB-55 the CPOs sat around their mess tables drinking their Navy brew, liberally spliced with their own brand of scotch whiskey. To a man the chiefs went to sea with a few the largest bottles of Listerine mouthwash. About 95% of those bottles did not contain the dental hygene concoction. They did hold each chief's personal supply of liquor. It had to be Scotch even though the individual chief might have preferred bourbon, by a very large margin, or some other libation because only scotch had the same color as the listerine which was packaged in clear bottles.

It was pretty much an open secret among the senior officers that the chiefs had their own stash and it was in the Listerine bottles. However, on BB-55 under "Ching" Lee, as long as they kept their drinking under control, they got a wink and a nod. The chiefs, being the wily old sailors they were, knew better than to let the "Skipper" down and hence the Listerine Bottles and scotch. It was far more important to keep the secret from the junior O's and enlisted for "morale purposes".

Last thing they wanted was to "spark a mutiny" was the running Goat Locker Joke. The shipwide joke, even am,ong thr Jar heads was the Skipper was also a dead shot with an M1911A1 which was another reason not to fuck with him. All kidding aside, these pros knew Lee had started preparing them to fight, win and survive a battleship battle the day he came aboard They loved him for that and of course being reasonable about their booze. It was their very good luck they were skippered by the best Battlleship skipper in the fleet and probably the smartest Naval officer any of them would ever see.

17 JUNE 0138 Ernie King's face was crowned with a smile as he read Rear admiral Hewitt's high priority, Top Secret Eyes Only CincLantFlt message.
" 1. Mission Accomplished
2. Both raiders sunk.
3.Our casulaties 3 DDs sunk most of their crews rescued.
4. No enemy survivors.
TG 39.1 is ready in all respects to carry out all orders.
Hewitt sends."

To his aide. "Make to Rear Admiral Hewitt ASAP by same code as his message.
1. Well done.
2. I will inform CNO and he will let POTUS Know.
3. I expect FDR to contact the PM personally.
4. Now standby for whatever we deserve beacuse I think we just dragged our country into a war that is going to get alot of poor kids killed.
5. Break out the beer for your men because I am ordering you to "Splice the Main Brace."
King sends."

He then sat back in his chair and lit up another smoke. On this momentous occasion King thought back on the path that had led him here. Born in Lorain, Ohio, on 23 November 1878, attending the U.S. Naval Academy ( The old Baltimore Barge School) beginning in 1897, including Spanish-American War service in USS San Francisco, and graduating in 1901. As a JO, serving in a variety of large and small ships, instructor duty at the "Barge school", performing engineering duties and was twice on flag staffs. He commanded the destroyer Terry (DD-25) and a torpedo boat flotilla during the "Teens". From 1915 through the First World War, he was assigned to the staff of Admiral Henry Mayo. Following "The War to End all wars", utter bull shit and another tour at the Naval Academy, now Captain King commanded a submarine flotilla and the New London, Connecticut, submarine base.
In August 1928, following flight training and further service at sea, he became Assistant Chief of the Bureau of Aeronautics. The next year, he moved onto command NavSta, Hampton Roads, Virginia, and, in 1930, became captain of the large aircraft carrier USS Lexington (CV-2). Promoted to Rear Admiral in 1933, he was made Chief of the Bureau of Aeronautics. During the later 1930s, he commanded the Battle Fleet's aircraft carriers. In early 1941, following service on the General Board and as commander of the Atlantic Patrol Force, King was appointed to lead the newly recreated Atlantic Fleet responsible for the Neutrality Patrol among a lot of other things.

He had no doubt the undeclared warfare, that was the Nuetrality Patrol up to this point, against German U-boats and raiders would all change with Hewitt's sinking of Bismarck and Prinze Eugen. He hoped that bastard Hitler would do them a favor declaring war on the USA . If not, his patron FDR would maneuver the Congress to do so IF he survived impeachment for authorizing Hewitt to commit an outright act of war. His money was on FDR paying a high price in political capital but still POTUS when that three ring circus was over.

When his aide returned King pulled a bottle of Irish and two glasses from his bottom drawer. He said, "Sit down Johnnie and join me in a drink to Hewitt, Ching Lee and all of TG 39.1. We Naval Officers & Gentlemen will have a lot of blood on our hands by the time we reach Berlin and a lot of that blood is going to be our own people. But that's what they pay us bastards for right?
Now drink up because your going to need it.
Aide, taking the offered full glass straight "Aye, Aye Sir" !
THE END.

[Nik_SpeakerToCats]

Excellent.

And the sharks fed well, besides...

[Lordroel]

For anybody who is a member on alternate-timelines.com, THE SHOWBOAT engages THE IRON CHANCELLOR by oscssw was nominated forthe 2024 L. Sprague de Camp Awards for Best Alternate History Timeline, so vote if you want Senior Chief to win.

[Lordroel]

Congratulations to (Senior Chief) oscssw on winning the 2024 L. Sprague de Camp Awards for best Alternate History timeline:

[OSCSSW]

I am now working on an Alternate Time Line Tale. This time Napoleon 3 returns the Louisiana purchase to La Belle France.