Second Battle of Denmark Strait 20-05-1941
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The Atlantean Version:
1941 Saw the Battleships Ares, Hera, working out of Scapa Flow to help close the gaps into
the Atlantic. In company with the British battleships
Majestic and
King George
V, the four battleships were providing distant cover over the Greenland Strait
and the Iceland-Faeroes gap. The cruiser
Norfolk reported contacts to the north,
which resolved into four ships. The four Allied battleships headed northwest to
intercept. The four ships, identified as Ludendorf, Bismarck, Moltke and Prinz
Eugen. Inclement weather forced the grounding of aircraft, so the command went
out "Form Battle Line" and the four Allied battleships headed off to intercept
at 25 knots. The Norfolk was still in radar contact so the Allied forces new to
the inch where the Germans were.
Dawn broke with low ominous skies and misty rain sweeping across the ships.
Admiral Holland sat in his command chair, and waited, he knew the Germans were
there 20 miles away and coming closer, they were just not visible yet. Fire
orders had been given and the Allied ships were in position to cross the Germans
'T'. The latest squall blew past and an indistinct shape came out of the mist 12
miles away, 15 seconds later a second ship appeared, "Here they come" was the
Flag Captains comment. The German ships opened fire and changed course to the
west to bring all their guns to bear. Admiral Holland ordered "Open fire", and
the four Allied ships fired on their targets. Ares and Hera had been given the
battlecruiser Moltke and heavy cruiser Prinz Eugen as their targets. At 23,000
yards the shooting was good from both sides. An early strike by the 12 gun
Majestic roared down on the Ludendorf putting out of action the C & D turrets.
Bismarck was firing well and hit the Ares several times, starting fires in the
hangar area. Hera's third broadside hit the forepart of the Moltke knocking out
the A & B 12" turrets and while the fatal damage was not visible two minutes
later the fore part of the Moltke blew away leaving a hulk to be finished off by
the Norfolks torpedoes. It was at this point that the Bismarcks fifth salvo came
in on the Ares, passed through the deck armour and destroyed the turbine room.
Ares speed bled away and the battle moved swiftly away. Hera switched targets to
the Prinz Eugen which then being hit twice from Hera's 14" guns, was ordered by
Admiral Lutjens to break away and make its own way to a port in France. This
left the two German battleships facing the three Allied ships. The Majestic now
proved why its 12 gun armament was so good, with six of 12, 15" shells hitting
the Ludendorf. The shells put the undamaged A & B turrets out of action leaving
the Ludendorf with no main armament to defend itself with. Admiral Lutjens had
been killed and the Flag Captain ordered Bismarck to break away and act
independently, the Ludendorf also turned to give Bismarck cover, sacrificing the
Ludendorf to allow the Bismarck to escape. Admiral Holland ordered the Hera to
go back and cover the damaged Ares, just in case Bismarck or Prinz Eugen came
across the crippled ship. Majestic and KGV finished off the Ludendorf and set
sail after the Bismarck through the heavy weather. The faster German ships
escaped into the heavy weather, Radar was unable to pick them up either.
The Hera took the
crippled Ares in tow and escorted by cruisers and destroyers made it back to
Scotland where repairs to the turbines could be undertaken.
Aphrodite,
Ark Royal and the rest of Force H are ordered north to try to
intercept the Bismarck, the remaining German battleship from the Denmark Strait
battle. The Bismarck is sighted and kept under observation while the Ark Royal
and Aphrodite launch an air strike force to attack, they would have one chance
before night fell. The number of aircraft (70+) overwhelm the Bismarcks air defenses and hit it with three torpedoes and
five bomb hits. The one torpedo hit that sealed the Bismarck's fate hit the
screws and rudder, jamming the rudder over so that Bismarck was steaming in
circles. The combined force of battleships (HMS Majestic, HMS King George V, and
ANS Hercules) find Bismarck next morning and sink it.
Only the Prinz Eugen escapes to Brest on the French Coast.