Page 49 - History of War - Issue 05-14

FOR VALOUR
XXXXXX

Unsung heroes
Admiral Scheer was one of the
Germans’ greatest naval weapons,
until she was sunk in April 1945

ADMIRAL SCHEER

and headed out into the Atlantic in a huge in 1939, the ship underwent he Deutschland-class Admiral Scheer was built
rectangle formation of four ranks and nine a refit, gaining a sleek clipper bow, from 1931-1933 and commissioned on 12
columns, spread over several miles. After a lightweight command tower, new anti-aircraft November 1934. The 13,660-ton heavy cruiser was
a few days at sea, the two Canadian escorts guns and updated radar equipment. Another 610 foot long and 70 foot in the beam, and armed
turned back, as was customary, then the convoy failed British raid in the summer of 1940 T with six 11-inch guns. With a top speed of 28 knots
lost one of the smaller ships due to engine left her unscathed, and in October she set (32mph), only a handful of Allied ships could keep up with
trouble. The remaining 37 freighters sailed out into the North Sea, past Norway, and up her. The warship saw action during the Spanish Civil War
eastwards, with Jervis Bay taking the lead. above the Arctic Circle, far north of the Royal in 1936-39, and was Germany’s most-successful surface
Admiral Scheer was a Deutschland-class Navy blockade. commerce raider during the Second World War, sinking
heavy cruiser, often referred to as a pocket To get to her hunting grounds in the Atlantic, more than 113,000 tons of shipping. Admiral Scheer
battleship. The 15,420-ton vessel was armed she needed to pass through the Denmark operated throughout the war, seeing a variety of actions in
with six 11-inch guns in two triple-gun turrets, Strait – the stretch of water between Iceland the Atlantic and in the seas north of Europe and Russia.
and Greenland – which was heavily guarded She was eventually destroyed in April 1945 in Kiel Harbour,
DESPITE LAUNCHING by British air and sea forces. For Captain when RAF bombers hit her with five 12,000lb Tallboy
Theodor Krancke and his men, the impending
bombs. The ship capsized and was broken up for scrap.
THE LIFEBOATS, OF THE 96 bad weather was their good fortune: as the
wintry conditions deteriorated, he headed
CHILDREN ON BOARD, south towards the Strait in the hope that the pounded by 60-70-foot waves and suffered
poor visibility would help them pass through
83 LOST THEIR LIVES undetected. The ship’s first losses occurred the sort of treatment that would break the
back of less-substantial vessels. The ship was
when the boatswain and another crewman were
washed overboard while trying to cover exposed
ammunition stores in a fierce gale. Krancke heeling up to 37 degrees, flinging equipment
and crewmen around the ship, and the sick
boasting a range of 21 miles, and she had turned the ship and ran a search pattern, but bay began to fill up with injured personnel.
a top speed of 28 knots, or 32mph. This after half an hour he was forced to concede
formidable combination meant that few ships that no man could survive the freezing Arctic Battered and bruised
in the British or French navies were fast waters, and so abandoned the search and The ship exited the Denmark Strait on
enough to catch her or powerful enough to returned to their south-westerly course. 1 November, leaving the worst of the storm
defeat her. The Allies feared this class of ship Despite the worsening conditions – the behind her. The vessel and her crew were
even more then they did the U-boats. polar hurricane lashed icy water against the somewhat battered and bruised, but the tactic
Since the outbreak of war, Scheer had been ship at nearly 100mph – Krancke continued had worked: Admiral Scheer had slipped through
at anchor in the Schillig Roadstead outside on, keen to engage a convoy that had been the British blockade, and was now free to hunt
Wilhelmshaven, on the north-east coast of sighted in the North Atlantic. Ploughing through down convoy HX 84 on her first combat sortie.
Germany. Having survived a British bombing raid the Denmark Strait, Admiral Scheer was Krancke briefed the 1,150-strong crew, then

1914-18 1918 1921 1922 1924 1925

THROUGHOUT MARCH OCTOBER DECEMBER JANUARY JUNE
Edward spends most of While in command of Edward is promoted to He serves aboard He is appointed to Edward serves as Divisional
the war on the sea, serving HMS Garland, an Acasta- Lieutenant Commander HMS Somme, an HMS Volunteer, Officer on HMS Colossus,
on destroyers HMS Moy class destroyer, he and, in January 1922, S-class destroyer. a W-class destroyer. a 20,000-ton First World
and HMS Paladin, and is awarded a Sea Gallantry appointed to HMS Whitley, War-era battleship, used
eventually taking command medal for rescuing a W-class destroyer. for boys’ training in
of Torpedo Boat 26e. survivors of the burning Devonport and Dartmouth.
US tanker OB Jennings.

HISTORY WAR 49
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