[17] Hitler himself made the decision to rename the ship, recognizing that the sinking of a warship, always possible, was a propaganda disaster if it bore the name of its country. Vote. The two sister-ships of her class, Deutschland and Admiral Scheer, were reclassified as heavy cruisers in 1940. at the time was group captain J.E Fauquier. (Admiral Scheer and Admiral Graf Spee were later improvements of the design.). In all, Germany built and operated three pocket battleships: the Deutschland (later renamed the Lützow), the Admiral Graf Spee, and the Admiral Scheer. The heavy damage forced Lützow and the rest of the squadron to reverse course and exit the fjord. [20] In April, however, she was assigned to forces participating in the invasion of Norway. [16] In the course of her raiding mission, she sank only two vessels and captured a third. The torpedo destroyed Lützow's stern, causing it to collapse and nearly fall off, and blew off her steering gear. [41] The historian Hans Georg Prager examined the Soviet archives in the early 2000s and discovered that Lützow had been sunk in weapons tests, in the Baltic Sea off Świnoujście in Poland (under German control and named Swinemünde during the war), on 22 July 1947. The ship saw significant action with the Kriegsmarine, including several non-intervention patrols in the Spanish Civil War, during which she was attacked by Republican bombers. Pocket battleships of the Deutschland class : Deutschland/Lützow, Admiral Scheer, Admiral Graf Spee Koop , Gerhard , Schmolke , Klaus-Peter The warships of the World War II era German Navy are among the most popular subject in naval history with an almost uncountable number of books devoted to them. Pope, Dudley (2005). [18] At this time, she was re-rated as a heavy cruiser and renamed Lützow. The ship was also ordered to avoid combat with even inferior naval forces, as commerce disruption was the primary objective. She then participated in Operation Weserübung, the invasion of Norway. [24], The damage Lützow sustained prompted the Kriegsmarine to order her to return to Germany for repairs. The two sister-ships of her class, Deutschland and Admiral Scheer, were reclassified as heavy cruisers in 1940. The British cruisers turned toward Lützow and came under fire from both German cruisers. Deutschland was 186 meters (610 ft) long overall and had a beam of 20.69 m (67 ft 11 in) and a maximum draft of 7.25 m (23 ft 9 in). On 3 July, the force left their anchorages, and in heavy fog Lützow and three destroyers ran aground and suffered significant damage. Ithaca: McBooks Press. [12] Hitler hoped to secure a negotiated peace with Britain and France after he overran Poland, and he therefore did not authorize Deutschland to begin her raiding mission against British and French shipping until 26 September. The Deutschland conducted several non-intervention patrols off the coast of Spain during the Civil War (1936-1939). At a cruising speed of 20 knots (37 km/h; 23 mph), the ship could steam for 10,000 nautical miles (19,000 km; 12,000 mi). In 1937, while anchored off the Balearic island of Ibiza, the Deutschland was bombed by a Loyalist Spanish plane. The main battery turrets had 140 mm (5.5 in) thick faces and 80 mm thick sides. The ship participated in a major fleet exercise into the Atlantic with her sister Admiral Graf Spee, the light cruisers Köln, Leipzig, and Nürnberg, and several destroyers, U-boats, and support vessels. She took on a severe list to port and the port shaft was damaged. Hitler, furious over the attack, ordered Admiral Scheer to bombard the port of Almería in retaliation for the so-called "Deutschland incident". report. [3] Her crew rigged scuttling charges to destroy the hull but a fire caused the explosives to detonate prematurely. Twenty-four of the convoy's thirty-five transports were sunk. share. Panzerschiff Deutschland, Schwerer Kreuzer Lützow : ein Schiffs-Schicksal vor den Hintergründen seiner Zeit (in German). Naval Institute, a private, nonprofit, membership society for sea service professionals and others who share and interest in naval and maritime affairs. [39] The fate of Lützow was long unclear, as with most of the ships seized by the Soviet Navy. Heavy cruiser Prinz Eugen ready. [22], Shortly before midnight on the night of 8 April, Group 5, with Blücher in the lead, passed the outer ring of Norwegian coastal batteries. [3][40] The historians Hildebrand, Röhr and Steinmetz, in their book Die Deutschen Kriegsschiffe, state that she instead sank off Kolberg, claiming that the Lützow broken up in the late 1940s was instead the Admiral Hipper-class Lützow that had been sold to the Soviet Union in 1940. [3][b], Deutschland was ordered by the Reichsmarine from the Deutsche Werke shipyard in Kiel as Ersatz Preussen, a replacement for the old pre-dreadnought battleship Preussen. Looking at the full-load displacement of the Spee (last ship of the class) and comparing that to the "standard" tonnage … Meanwhile, on 14 October, Deutschland encountered and sank the Norwegian transport Lorentz W Hansen,[10] of some 1,918 GRT. [653 x 594]German "pocket" battleship Lützow, in the Kaiserfahrt canal, April 25, 1945. [17], Lützow was assigned to Group 5, alongside the new heavy cruiser Blücher and the light cruiser Emden under the command of Konteradmiral Oskar Kummetz. This handsome volume provides a complete pictorial history and timeline of the first member of the class, Deutschland. [11] Deutschland was ordered to strictly observe prize rules, which required raiders to stop and search ships for contraband before sinking them, and to ensure that their crews are safely evacuated. Main armament consisted of 6 11-inch guns in two triple turrets and 8 6-inch guns in individual turrets. RAF sinks last Nazi pocket battleship, Luetzow, in Baltic port. ISBN 978-1-59013-096-4. After evacuating approximately 750 people who lived nearby, an attempt was undertaken to deflagrate it with a remote-controlled device, but it exploded, without casualties. [1], The ship also carried a pair of quadruple 53.3 cm (21 in) deck-mounted torpedo tubes placed on her stern. With an overall limitation of 10,000 tons per ship, German naval architects came up with a compromise design which could match Anglo-American capital ships, the Panzerschiff -- soon to be known in the West as the "pocket battleship.". They were originally designated “armored ships” by the Germans—a rather vague term—and then classed as cruisers. These were Inflexible, Invinc… While en route, she was torpedoed and seriously damaged by a British submarine. exceeded the allowed tonnage by 6%.As far as warship building is concerned, that's as close as a 3-point landing as you'll get. This battleship / Admiral Graf Spee was a Deutschland-class “Panzerschiff”, nicknamed a “pocket battleship” by the British. [9], Deutschland quickly weighed anchor and left port. [32] Lützow returned to Germany for repairs, which took until the end of October. Deutschland was the lead ship of her class of heavy cruisers (often termed pocket battleships) which served with the Kriegsmarine of Nazi Germany during World War II. This ship served with the Kriegsmarine of Nazi Germany during World War II. She quickly capsized and sank with the loss of approximately 1,000 sailors and soldiers. share. The Naval Institute Press is the book publishing arm of the U.S. As designed, her standard complement consisted of 33 officers and 586 enlisted men, though after 1935 this was significantly increased to 30 officers and 921–1,040 sailors. Steaming into the Oslofjord at a speed of 12 knots (22 km/h; 14 mph), the Germans came into range of the Norwegian guns; the 28 cm, 15 cm and 57 mm guns opened fire on the invaders. [14] A prize crew was dispatched to the ship; they took the ship with the original crew held prisoner to Germany via Murmansk. Actually, the first ship of the class -- the Deutschland, later re-christened Lützow-- had a "standard" displacement of 10,600 long tons, i.e. ISBN 9781848321960. Ithaca: McBooks Press. The ship's wounded men were also evacuated in Gibraltar for treatment. A team of Polish divers has begun the challenging task of disabling a 12,000-pound British Tallboy bomb dating back to 1945. The ship accidentally started sliding down the slipw… 18 Lancasters of No 617 Squadron flew to Swinemünde to attack the pocket battleship Lützow. Four men were wounded. Group 5 was tasked with capturing Oslo, the capital of Norway, and transported a force of 2,000 mountain troops from the Wehrmacht. To prevent so much sea water from flushing over the fore deck, the ships later received an extended bow. Originally named Deutschland, the Lützow was one of three armoured ships – the so-called “pocket battleships” – laid down between 1928 and 1931.Deutschland was the first of the class, being launched in May 1931 and completed in April 1933. The Deutschland was the first ship of a new type known as Panzerschiff (armoured ship), referred to as "pocket battleship" by the British. The crew effected emergency repairs that allowed her to return to Germany; repair work in Kiel took six months. Posted by. hide. Heavy cruiser Admiral Hipper under repair until September 1940. 1 comment. The propulsion system proved to be so unreliable that repairs in Germany were necessary. [1], Deutschland's primary armament was six 28 cm (11 in) SK C/28 guns mounted in two triple gun turrets, one forward and one aft of the superstructure. Luetzow was a hard luck ship, always running around or getting torpedoed, and missed many battles. [22] The delay had, however, allowed enough time for the Norwegian government and royal family to flee Oslo. Her keel was laid on 5 February 1929, under construction number 219. The ship was seized by Norway when she anchored in Haugesund, however, and control of the ship was returned to the original crew. The ship was launched on 19 May 1931; at her launching, she was christened by German Chancellor Heinrich Brüning. Originally classified as an armored ship (Panzerschiff) by the Reichsmarine, in February 1940 the Germans reclassified the remaining tw… ISBN 978-3-7822-0798-0. Allies take Bologna in Italy. In March, Lützow moved to Altafjord, where she experienced problems with her diesel engines. British torpedo bombers attacked the ship off Egersund and scored a single hit that disabled her electrical system and rendered the ship motionless. Fortunately, he was on shore leave when Allied bombers came over its base in Northern Germany and wrecked it in April 1945. Damaged at the Battle of Drøbak Sound, she was recalled to Germany for repairs. The 'pocket battleship' Lutzow after being torpedoed by HMS Spearfish. In protest, Raeder resigned; Hitler replaced him with Admiral Karl Dönitz, who persuaded Hitler to rescind the order to dismantle the surface ships of the Kriegsmarine. [26] Despite the setback, KzS August Thiele, Lützow's commander, was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross for his actions during the Battle of Drøbak Sound, during which he took command of the task force after the loss of Blücher. She continued in this role until 4 May, by which time she had expended her main battery ammunition. Pope, Dudley (2005). 100% Upvoted. In March 1935, she sailed as far as the Caribbean and South American waters. Volume 1 deals with the first four, the pocket battleships Deutschland/Lützow, Admiral Scheer, and Admiral Graf Spee, along with the battleship Scharnhorst. [29][30], Lützow left Germany on 15 May 1942 for Norway; by 25 May she had joined Admiral Scheer in Bogen Bay. Captain Robert Sherbrooke, the British escort commander, left two destroyers to cover the convoy while he took the remaining four to pursue Admiral Hipper. The Deutschland before the war, the 12,000 ton 'pocket battleship' was less than a third of the tonnage of a full battleship, with 11 inch guns rather than the 15 inch on ships like the Bismarck. She was originally used as a seagoing training ship, to familiarize crews with her new technology. [6] The ship also made a series of goodwill visits to foreign ports, including visits to Gothenburg, Sweden, and in October 1934, a formal state visit to Edinburgh, Scotland. [17] In 1940, the ship underwent a major overhaul, during which a raked clipper bow was installed to improve the sea-keeping qualities of the ship. Kongsdal later reported the encounter to the British Royal Navy and confirmed Deutschland as the raider operating in the North Atlantic. at the time was group captain J.E Fauquier. Deutschland (later renamed Lützow), Admiral Scheer and Admiral Graf Spee were simply termed panzerschiffe (armored ships) by the Germans, but they were known to their opponents by the far more evocative term Pocket Battleships. [19] Admiral Erich Raeder, the commander in chief of the Kriegsmarine, also hoped that renaming the ship would confuse Allied intelligence; the Admiral Hipper-class cruiser Lützow was designated for sale to the Soviet Navy, and it was hoped that the use of her name for Deutschland would hide the transaction. Ten days later, however, Hitler ordered the men be exhumed and returned for burial in Germany. [21] Lützow embarked over 400 of the soldiers for the voyage to Norway. Heavy fog and neutrality requirements, which required the Norwegians to fire warning shots, permitted the Germans to avoid damage. During the attack on Norway, the ship suffered nineteen dead, and another fifteen were killed by the torpedo strike. [26] The rest of Group 5 remained in Norway,[27] so Lützow cruised at top speed to avoid submarines. Burnett quickly decided to withdraw in the face of superior German firepower; his ships were armed with 6 in (150 mm) guns, while Admiral Hipper carried 20.3 cm (8.0 in) guns, and Lützow had 28 cm (11 in) guns. Deutschland was ordered by the Reichsmarine from the Deutsche Werke shipyard in Kiel as Ersatz Preussen, as a replacement for the old battleship Preussen. ISBN 9781848321960. HMS Spearfish fired her last four torpedoes at 0129 on 11th April when she spotted what was thought to be the Admiral Scheer. report. exceeded the allowed tonnage by 6%.As far as warship building is concerned, that's as close as a 3-point landing as you'll get. [9], Deutschland spent the majority of 1938 and 1939 conducting training maneuvers with the rest of the fleet and making goodwill visits to various foreign ports. Lützow and the remaining three destroyers would then attack the undefended convoy from the south. In 1940, the 8.8 cm guns were removed, and six 10.5 cm (4.1 in) L/65 guns, four 3.7 cm (1.5 in) guns, and ten 2 cm (0.79 in) guns were installed in their place. [37], Hitler was furious over the failure to destroy the convoy, and ordered that all remaining German major warships be broken up for scrap. After returning to Germany, she went into dock for routine maintenance work, as well as installation of additional equipment. Nazis report huge tank battle outside Berlin. 13th April 1945 Twenty 617 Sqn. 1 comment. [3], Deutschland spent the majority of 1933 and 1934 conducting training maneuvers;[7] early speed trials in May 1933 indicated that a top speed of 25 knots (46 km/h; 29 mph) was preferable, but the ship comfortably reached 28 knots (52 km/h; 32 mph) on speed trials in June. [10] The French Force de Raid, centered on the battleship Dunkerque, was occupied with protecting convoys around Britain to prevent them from being attacked by Deutschland. Her duties during the deployment included evacuating refugees fleeing from the fighting, protecting German ships carrying supplies for Francisco Franco's Nationalists, and gathering intelligence for the Nationalists. By the end of the war, her anti-aircraft battery had again been reorganized, consisting of six 4 cm (1.6 in) guns, ten 3.7 cm guns, and twenty-eight 2 cm guns. Pocket battleships of the Deutschland class : Deutschland/Lützow, Admiral Scheer, Admiral Graf Spee. Prager, Hans Georg (2002). Lützow. Light cruiser Nürnberg ready. [23][24] Lützow was hit three times by 15 cm shells from Oscarsborg's Kopås battery, causing significant damage. Each had a displacement of 11,700 tons and an average crew of 30 officers and 1040 men. Originally named Deutschland, the Lützow was one of three armoured ships – the so-called “pocket battleships” – laid down between 1928 and 1931.Deutschland was the first of the class, being launched in May 1931 and completed in April 1933. [8] The attack killed 31 German sailors and wounded 74. Ithaca: McBooks Press. Log in or sign up to leave a comment Log In Sign Up. The 20 tonnes of equipment from the pocket battleship were found during deepening work that is being carried in the Piastowski Channel on Poland’s Baltic coast. Four of the other five destroyers escorting the convoy rushed to join the fight, while Achates laid a smoke screen to cover the convoy. [10] The 4,963 gross register tons (GRT) freighter was found to be carrying contraband, and so was seized. There was a triumphant report in the British press when she … One of the aircraft on board was damaged, and four gunners were killed by the third shell. Burnett's ships approached from Admiral Hipper's starboard side and achieved complete surprise. Looking at the full-load displacement of the Spee (last ship of the class) and comparing that to the "standard" tonnage … google_ad_slot = "8819653264"; At the outbreak of World War II, she was cruising the North Atlantic, prepared to attack Allied merchant traffic. Actually, the first ship of the class -- the Deutschland, later re-christened Lützow-- had a "standard" displacement of 10,600 long tons, i.e. The German pocket battleships, or Panzerschiffe, struck fear into every navy in the world when they were developed and deployed in the 1930's. Rohwer, Jürgen (2005). [8], In May 1937, the ship was docked in the port of Palma on the island of Majorca, along with several other neutral warships, including vessels from the British and Italian navies. The cruisers engaged Admiral Hipper, which had been firing to port at the destroyer Obedient. [34] Rear Admiral Robert Burnett's Force R, centered on the cruisers Sheffield and Jamaica, standing by in distant support of the Allied convoy,[35] raced to the scene. If you are experiencing trouble downloading, it could be due to an ad-blocker or extension in your Chrome browser. U. S. lst, 3d, 9th mark time waiting juncture with Red Army. [13] By this time, Deutschland had moved south to hunt in the Bermuda-Azores sea lane. Deutschland's armored belt was 60 to 80 mm (2.4 to 3.1 in) thick; her upper deck was 17 mm (0.67 in) thick while the main armored deck was 17 to 45 mm (0.67 to 1.77 in) thick. The same committee, instigated by Jackie Fisher, that produced the Dreadnought had been charged with the design of a new armoured cruiser. [653 x 594]German "pocket" battleship Lützow, in the Kaiserfahrt canal, April 25, 1945. [6] The ship was commissioned into the Reichsmarine on 1 April 1933. She was originally used as a seagoing training ship, to familiarize crews with her new technology. She eventually landed her troop complement in Verle Bay, after which she used her operational 28 cm guns to provide fire support. She briefly returned to Norway but by the end of September 1943, a thorough overhaul was required. While en route, the British submarine HMS Triton attacked the flotilla; her torpedoes missed, and German torpedo boats drove the submarine off. However, their ineffectiveness and/or timidity -- epitomized by the survival of Convoy JW51B whose escort of destroyers beat off both Hipper and Luetzow and accompanying destroyers long enough that light cruisers Sheffield and Jamaica could intervene. There was a triumphant report in the British press when she … The RAF failed again two days later, but on 16 April eighteen Lancasters from 617 ("Dambusters") squadron scored a hit and several near misses on Lützow with Tallboy bombs in the Kaiserfahrt. 10,000 tons was the treaty limitation for heavy cruisers with 8" guns, and the Deutschland -- "Germany," although quickly renamed Luetzow, once the war began -- clearly outclassed any heavy or light cruiser, at the moment of its launching: . [7], The ship conducted a series of long-distance training voyages into the Atlantic in 1935. The Battle of the River Plate: The Hunt for the German Pocket Battleship Graf Spee. Commanding officer of 617 Sqn. [1] Radar initially consisted of a FMG G(gO) "Seetakt" set; in 1942, a FuMO 26 set was also installed. My sister-in-law's father was one of its crew. The ship carried a secondary battery of eight 15 cm (5.9 in) SK C/28 guns in single turrets grouped amidships. Kummetz flew his flag in Blücher. [1] The ship was launched on 19 May 1931; at her launching, she was christened by German Chancellor Heinrich Brüning. In late 1939 Deutschland was returning form her first foray into the Atlantic, managing to dodge British patrols in the Denmark strait (despite - or maybe even due to - engine troubles that had her emitting a giant black smoke plume). The German pocket battleship “Lutzow” was based in the Baltic ocean being used for shore bombardment and other duties included supply and evacuation. Her sister Admiral Scheer was to join Lützow for the operation, and on 12 June she departed for Norway with an escort of destroyers. This ship served with the Kriegsmarine of Nazi Germany during World War II. She was made the flagship of the now Vizeadmiral Kummetz, the commander of Kampfgruppe 2. Thats often cited as the reason and may or may no be true but theres also another, more practical reason for the name change. Sunk in shallow waters in the Kaiserfahrt in April 1945 by Royal Air Force (RAF) bombers, Lützow was used as a gun battery to support German troops fighting the Soviet Army until 4 May 1945, when she was disabled by her crew. Rohwer, Jürgen (2005). Fuel shortages restricted operations, although Lützow and Admiral Scheer were able to conduct limited battle training exercises. Close. The force flew through intense flak; 1 Lancaster was shot down (No 617 Squadron's last loss of the war) and all but 2 aircraft were damaged. [10], On 24 August 1939, a week before the German invasion of Poland, Deutschland set sail from Wilhelmshaven, bound for a position south of Greenland. Light cruiser Leipzig under repair until November 1940. [34] Lützow inadvertently came alongside Sheffield and Jamaica, and after identifying them as hostile, engaged them, though her fire remained inaccurate. ISBN 978-1-59013-096-4. 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