Ships of the Kriegsmarine - Sunk Quiz

Answer: Montevideo

Admiral Graf Spee was the third Deutschland-class cruiser to be commissioned into the German Navy when she entered service in January 1936, after which she served for a period as the fleet flagship. In the years prior to the outbreak of the Second World War, Admiral Graf Spee undertook a number of non-intervention patrols off the coast of Spain during the Spanish Civil War, represented Germany at the 1937 Fleet Review at Spithead to mark the coronation of King George VI, and made a number of overseas cruises to various territories across the Atlantic. By August 1939, under the command of Captain Hans Langsdorff, the ship and her company were experienced and well-drilled. On 21 August, Admiral Graf Spee departed from Wilhelmshaven bound for the South Atlantic.

Admiral Graf Spee's departure from Germany was so that the ship would be in position to immediately begin a commerce raiding mission against merchant shipping upon the outbreak of war. Between 1 September and 7 December 1939, the ship had sunk 9 merchant vessels totalling just over 50,000 tons across the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans, before setting course for the vicinity of the River Plate between Argentina and Uruguay. On 13 December, the ship engaged in battle with a British cruiser squadron, sustaining sufficient damage to make a run for the city of Montevideo. As Uruguay was a neutral country, this put Admiral Graf Spee at risk of being interned for the duration of the war. With reports that overwhelming British naval forces were gathered, Captain Langsdorff elected to scuttle his ship - departing on 17 December for the outer roadstead of Montevideo Harbour, the scuttling charges exploded at 20:55 local time, with the explosions of the ship's remaining ammunition causing it to burn in the shallow water for two days.

Answer: Oslo

Blucher was the second Admiral Hipper-class heavy cruiser. Commissioned on 20 September 1939, just after the start of the Second World War, the ship spent much of her initial service period completing the fitting out process and undertaking sea trials, which took place from her primary base at Kiel on the Baltic. The ship's trials, followed by defect rectification, were completed by January 1940, and were intended to be followed by a working up period. However, severe ice in the Baltic Sea meant that Blucher was unable to put to sea for three months. However, at the beginning of April she was passed as fit for active service, and was assigned to one of the surface groups protecting the German land forces being deployed for the invasion of Norway.

Blucher was assigned as the flagship of Group 5, which had been assigned to transport the 2,000 troops intended to serve as the initial force to capture and hold the Norwegian capital, Oslo. On 5 April, Rear Admiral Oskar Kummetz came aboard his flagship, alongside 800 troops from the German Army. Departing from the port of Swinemunde early on 8 April, by nightfall Blucher, accompanied by the cruisers Lutzow and Emden, plus escorts, had entered the Oslofjord, the major inlet leading to the city. Sailing north, by early morning on 9 April the flotilla had reached the Norwegian Oscarborg Fortress. Initially, Blucher was fired upon by the fortress's 11-inch guns, which started a major fire on board. While attempting to control the fires, and locate the source of the gunfire attacking the ship, Blucher was then struck by two torpedoes fired from a concealed installation in the fortress. The fires eventually reached one of the ship's magazines, which blew out several bulkheads and ignited the fuel tanks, which led to the ship rolling over and sinking at 07:30 local time.

Answer: Brest

Bismarck was the first of her class of battleships, and one of the largest of her type ever built by a European power. Launched in February 1939 from the Blohm & Voss shipyard in Hamburg, the ship took a further 18 months to complete fitting out, eventually being commissioned in August 1940 under Captain Ernst Lindemann. Following her commissioning, Bismarck spent four months undergoing sea trials in the Baltic before returning to Hamburg for rectification work. This was intended to be followed by a return to Kiel via the Kaiser Wilhelm Canal, but the wrecking of a merchant vessel and subsequent efforts to remove it meant it was March 1941 by the time Bismarck was able to be moved, which meant delays to the ship's intended maiden deployment, a major commerce raiding mission planned to include Bismarck, her sister Tirpitz, plus the two smaller battleships Scharnhorst and Gneisenau. In the event, none of these were available, and the assembled force included just Bismarck and the new heavy cruiser Prinz Eugen.

Bismarck, in company with Prinz Eugen, sailed on 19 May 1941 - proceeding around the top of the Jutland peninsula, the force reached Bergen in Norway before proceeding into the Atlantic. On 23 May, the ships entered the Denmark Strait between Greenland and Iceland, where they were first encountered by British warships. Early on 24 May, they were engaged by HMS Hood and HMS Prince of Wales, with the former sunk. Bismarck however sustained damage that contaminated a significant proportion of the ship's fuel supply. As a result, the force commander, Admiral Lutjens, detached Prinz Eugen and ordered Bismarck to steer for Brest in France. Late on 26 May, just a day's sailing from air and U-Boat cover, Bismarck was attacked by British carrier-based aircraft, which crippled her steering. The following day, the ship fought a second major surface action, which resulted in her eventually capsizing and sinking at around 10:40 local time.

Answer: North Cape

Scharnhorst was the first ship of her class of what were initially described as improved "panzerschiffe". However, the size of the ship eventually led to her being designated as a battleship (or occasionally as a battlecruiser). Launched in October 1936, Scharnhorst was commissioned in January 1939. However, her original straight bow design caused her to ship significant amounts of water, which led to a reconstruction that lasted until November. In the opening period of the Second World War, Scharnhorst most often operated alongside her sister ship, Gneisenau - the pair were used during the invasion of Norway, in which they sunk the British aircraft carrier HMS Glorious, and for Operation Berlin, the most successful commerce raiding mission of the war, in which the two captured or sunk more than 100,000 tons of Allied shipping. During 1941, Scharnhorst was based at Brest in France, and suffered damage in bombing raids. So, in early 1942, along with Gneisenau and the heavy cruiser Prinz Eugen, Scharnhorst undertook the daring "Channel Dash", which saw the three ships, under escort, leave Brest and move at high speed, during daylight, through the Strait of Dover and return to German waters.

In early 1943, Scharnhorst, having undergone repairs, was deployed to Norway alongside the battleship Tirpitz, in an effort to disrupt the flow of supplies from the Allies to the Soviet Union. Although the two ships initially operated together, in September Tirpitz was damaged, leaving Scharnhorst as the only major surface warship available in Norway. In December, Scharnhorst was ordered to sea in an effort to disrupt the convoys heading to the Arctic coast of the Soviet Union. On 25 December, Scharnhorst, escorted by six destroyers, sailed from the Altafjord on Norway's northern coast to intercept Convoy JW55B. By the following day, Scharnhorst's escort had departed, leaving her alone. Off the North Cape, the German ship was intercepted by a powerful Allied force led by the battleship HMS Duke of York. Over the course of several hours, Scharnhorst attempted to escape her pursuers but was eventually caught in a pincer movement that ultimately led to her loss at approximately 19:45 local time.

Answer: Tromso

Tirpitz was the second and final Bismarck-class battleship constructed for the German Navy. Launched in April 1939, a few weeks after her sister ship, Bismarck, the ship spent almost two years fitting out before being commissioned in February 1941. During her fitting out, a plan was developed that would see Tirpitz deployed alongside Bismarck on a major commerce raiding mission into the Atlantic. However, delays in completing the work meant Tirpitz was still undergoing sea trials. As a result, Tirpitz was retained in the Baltic initially to guard against a breakout by the Soviet Navy before, in November 1941, she was sent to be based in Norway. There, the ship was intended to be used as the centrepiece of the German Navy's continuing efforts to use surface ships to attack Allied convoys. But, by the time the ship was declared operational in January 1942, severe fuel shortages were impacting her capability for deployment.

By late 1944, Tirpitz was primarily stationed in the Sandnessundet strait, a body of water near the Norwegian city of Tromso in the far north. Up to that point, she had survived a number of attacks undertaken by the British, using midget submarines, carrier-based aircraft, and heavy bombers. A new attack was launched on 12 November, when Lancaster bombers from No 9 and No 617 squadrons of the Royal Air Force, equipped with 12,000lb "Tallboy" and 22,000lb "Grad Slam" bombs, departed from bases in Scotland to fly over the Norwegian Sea. Arriving over Tirpitz's anchorage with very little warning, the ship was struck by two direct hits that caused flooding and a severe list. Other explosions in the water caused more damage to the hull. Tirpitz ultimately capsized at 09:52 local time, eventually turning over completely.

Answer: Gdynia (Gotenhafen)

Gneisenau was the second ship of the Scharnhorst-class, a type initially described as improved "panzerschiffe". Launched in December 1936, she was commissioned for sea trials in May 1938, but almost immediately it was found that the ship's design caused severe flooding in the forward sections during heavy seas. This was a problem shared with her sister, Scharnhorst, and led to Gneisenau returning to her builders for over a year to receive modifications to her bow. Finally ready for service in September 1939, she undertook a number of missions during the first years of the war, often in company with Scharnhorst. In addition to participating in the invasion of Norway, in which the two ships were responsible for the sinking of the British aircraft carrier HMS Glorious, they also took part in the most successful commerce raiding operation of the war, with Operation Berlin responsible for the sinking or capture of 22 Allied merchant ships totalling 115,000 tons.

Gneisenau continued operating commerce raiding operations in the Atlantic until late 1941, when it was decided that retaining large surface ships in France was too dangerous. In February 1942, the three remaining ships, Gneisenau, Scharnhorst and the heavy cruiser Prinz Eugen made a daring escape to German waters through the English Channel. Having reach Kiel, Gneisenau struck some underwater wreckage, which led to her requiring drydocking. Repairs took a week, and the ship received orders to proceed to Norway. However, on the day she was to be released from dry dock, a bombing raid on Kiel saw Gneisenau suffer extensive damage. As a result, it was decided to first repair the ship, before modifying her to replace her 11-in. triple turrets with 15-in. twin turrets, and she was moved to the port of Gotenhafen. But, although repairs were completed by early 1943, a change in strategy led the Navy's large ships to be discarded. Gneisenau was disarmed, and remained in Gotenhafen until March 1945 when, in an effort to prevent the Soviet Army gaining access to the city from the sea, the ship was taken into the harbour entrance and scuttled to serve as a blockship.

Answer: Kiel

Admiral Scheer was the second of the three ship Deutschland-class of heavy cruisers to be built for the German Navy, and was the first major warship launched after the coming to power of Hitler. Launched in April 1933, the ship was commissioned in November 1934, before undergoing a year of sea trials and training. Having been declared fully operation by October 1935, Admiral Scheer was used on non-intervention patrols during the Spanish Civil War, which included bombarding the city of Almeria in retaliation for the Spanish Republicans attacking the heavy cruiser Deutschland. Upon the outbreak of the Second World War, Admiral Scheer was in refit, only emerging ready for service in July 1940. Between October 1940 and April 1941, she sailed on a commerce raiding deployment, ultimately being responsible for the sinking of seventeen Allied merchant ships totalling 113,000 tons, making Admiral Scheer the most successful individual commerce raider of the war.

In February 1942, Admiral Scheer was one of a number of major German warships to be moved to Norway in an effort to disrupt the Allied supply line to the Soviet Union. She remained in the far north until October, when the ship was ordered back to Germany for an overhaul. Initially intended to remain in Wilhelmshaven on the North Sea, bombing attacks led her to be moved to the relative security of the Baltic. Following the completion of work, Admiral Scheer was retained and used to support the army in attempting to repel the oncoming Soviets. By early 1945, her guns required repair work, and the ship was taken to Kiel. It was there that, on 9 April 1945, an Allied bombing raid of over 300 aircraft attacked the port, with Admiral Scheer hit a number of times, which caused the ship to roll over and sink.

Answer: Swinoujscie (Swinemunde)

Following the end of the First World War, the Treaty of Versailles limited the German Navy to six pre-dreadnought battleships, that could only be replaced once they were twenty-years old, and by new construction that displaced up to 10,000 tons. In July 1929, the first such new ship was laid down. Named as Deutschland, she was launched in May 1931 and commissioned in April 1933. Termed as a "panzerschiff" (armoured ship), Deutschland incorporated battleship-sized guns in a hull the size of a large cruiser, and thus came to be termed as a "pocket battleship". During her first years, she undertook a large number of overseas visits, while also being used on non-intervention patrols during the Spanish Civil War. A week prior to the start of the Second World War, Deutschland sailed from Germany to proceed into the Atlantic ready to begin commerce raiding operations on the outbreak of war. Although she remained at sea until mid-November, she sank just two Allied merchant vessels during the entire deployment.

After arriving back in Germany, it was decided to rename Deutschland. Given the new name Lutzow, this was to serve two purposes - avoiding the propaganda disaster of a ship named for the nation being sunk, and sewing confusion, as Germany was in the process of construction another ship named Lutzow, which it was planned to sell to the Soviet Union. The new Lutzow was damaged while part of the force invading Norway in mid-1940, returning to service in March 1941, only to be damaged again and remaining docked until May 1942. The ship was one of several major units deployed to Norway during 1942, remaining there until September 1943, when she was transferred back to the Baltic. Over the following period, Lutzow was subjected to regular bombing attacks by the Allies while stationed at various ports along the Baltic coast. It was on 16 April 1945, while the ship was at Swinemunde in north-west Poland, after two previous failed efforts, that Lancaster bombers from No 9 and No 617 squadrons of the Royal Air Force attacked Swinemunde, and caused Lutzow to partially sink. Despite this, she was able to be used as a gun platform until 4 May, after which, her ammunition expended, Lutzow was scuttled by her crew.

Answer: Kiel

Admiral Hipper was the first of her class of heavy cruisers to be built for the German Navy. Launched in February 1937, she was commissioned in April 1939, before undergoing sea trials in the Baltic. It was following this period, in November 1939, that Admiral Hipper had modifications to her bow undertaken, which led to a further sea trials before being accepted for service in February 1940. Immediately deployed on an ineffectual commerce raiding sortie, she returned and was assigned as part of the forces to invade Norway, where she spent much of the period from April to August. Following a maintenance period, she was then returned to commerce raiding, eventually breaking into the Atlantic in November and remaining at sea until late December, when she arrived at Brest in France. A second Atlantic mission lasting two weeks took place in February 1941, before, under threat from air attacks by British bombing raids, it was decided to return Admiral Hipper to Germany. The ship left Brest on 15 March and, passing through the Denmark Strait, returned to Kiel completely undetected.

Admiral Hipper had an extensive overhaul lasting until early 1942, after which she was deployed to Norway, joining a large proportion of the German Navy's other major units. In this, she was used to harass and attack the Allied convoys heading towards the Soviet Union. Admiral Hipper was used throughout 1942, ultimately serving as the flagship of what came to be known as the Battle of the Barents Sea in December. The failure of this operation led to Admiral Hipper being withdrawn from Norway back to Germany in February 1943, where, having received basic repairs, she was decommissioned as an active unit of the surface fleet. Recommissioned as a training ship at Gotenhafen in March 1944, the ship was badly in need of major repairs, but the advancing Soviet Army meant the work for this process could not be done there. Instead, on a single working engine, Admiral Hipper returned to Kiel on 2 February 1945 where she was drydocked. On 9 April, an RAF bombing raid on the port saw the ship hit by three bombs, causing significant damage. Despite this, she remained afloat and was used as a floating artillery battery until 3 May, when she was scuttled.

Answer: United States

Prinz Eugen was the third and final ship of the Admiral Hipper-class to be completed and enter service. Launched in August 1938, she was eventually commissioned on 1 August 1940, after a four-week delay due to suffering damage in a bombing raid on Kiel while fitting out. Following sea trials in the Baltic, and a period of defect rectification, Prinz Eugen was accepted into service in April 1941, at which point she was assigned to join the equally new battleship Bismarck on a major commerce raiding deployment into the Atlantic. Between 18 and 24 May, the two ships operated together. However, after the Battle of the Denmark Strait, Prinz Eugen was detached to undertake independent operations while Bismarck attempted to reach France. However, defects in the ship's engines led to this mission being cancelled, and she was ordered to France on 27 May, reaching Brest on 1 June, where she was immediately drydocked. During the six months to the end of 1941, Prinz Eugen, alongside the battleships Scharnhorst and Gneisenau, were subjected to repeated Allied air attacks. As a result, all three were ordered back to German waters, taking part in the daring "Channel Dash", which saw them sail, at high speed in daylight, through the Strait of Dover and back to Germany. This operation saw Prinz Eugen reach Germany unscathed.

Following her return to Germany, Prinz Eugen was deployed to Norway, remaining there from February to May 1942, at which point she was torpedoed and badly damaged, being forced to return to Germany once again, this time for repairs lasting until October 1942. After returning to service, the ship made two attempts to return to Norway to reinforce the fleet there, before instead being assigned as a training ship in the Baltic. In October 1943, Prinz Eugen returned to active service, and spent the remainder of the war attacking the encroaching Soviet forces. On 8 May 1945, while in Copenhagen, Prinz Eugen was turned over to the Royal Navy, as one of only two large German surface ships remaining in serviceable condition. On 13 December 1945, the ship was turned over to the United States as a war prize. Commissioned into the US Navy, USS Prinz Eugen left Europe in January 1946, initially for Boston where she was examined, before being assigned to the fleet to be used as targets for the atomic bomb tests at Bikini Atoll in the Pacific. Prinz Eugen survived the two bomb tests, in July 1946, but the damage led to her ultimately sinking at Kwajalein Atoll on 22 December 1946.