"Operation Wikinger" Topic

Now this one would be a very interesting scenario to game
Luftwaffe versus Kriegsmarine destroyers. Robert

Operation Wikinger
"It is well known, that the cooperation between the German Kriegsmarine and the German Luftwaffe was not the best during World War 2. Instead of its own naval aviation- the Marineflieger -that the Kriegsmarine demanded for, it was depending on those aircraft the Luftwaffe was willing to give for naval operations. Even more, Görings refusal to set those few aircraft that were available for naval warfare under Kriegsmarine command made it necessary to follow a long chain of command between the two branches of the German military to coordinate operations or even inform the other branch about individual operations that both branches would execute in the same area. This bad cooperation found its climax early in the war in February of 1940. The result was what today would be called
friendly fire – and the loss of two German destroyers. "

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Neat site – thanks for the link!

James

This was the incident that subsequently led to all larger German ships having an aerial recognition symbol on their foredeck, i.e. Bismarck's famous swastika.

Ouch, Fog of war and red tape… :/

Thanks for the link ;)

You are most welcome :) Here is another version of the story. Robert

"LEBERECHT MAAS and MAX SHULTZ (February 22, 1940)

Six German destroyers, sailing from the Schilling Roads, the German Naval anchorage at Wilhelmshaven and proceeding to their North Sea action stations, were attacked by mistake by their own Luftwaffe. By a full moon, a Heinkel 111 from 4/KG26, on its way to attack merchant shipping along Britain's east coast, spotted the wake of the destroyers and believing them to be enemy merchant ships started its bombing run. The last destroyer Leberecht Maas was hit by the third bomb dropped. The fourth bomb hit amidships and Leberecht Maas broke in two and sank in a ball of fire. Only 60 of the destroyers crew survived, 282 men drowned.

The next ship attacked was the Max Schultz which blew up in a violent explosion after hitting a newly laid British mine and sank, taking to the bottom its entire crew of 308 men. Of the two ships, a total of 590 men perished. A German court of inquiry began on board the heavy cruiser Admiral Hipper. It was established that the cause of the tragedy was the failure of the German Navy Group West to inform the Luftwaffe that its ships were at sea."

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