Re: [GZG] John's Shipbuilding

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>The Germans had a history in WW2 of using their capital ships
unescorted >primarily as commerce raiders e.g. the cruises of the
Sharhorst and >Gneisenau (BCs) – sinking of the Rawalpindi, their
engagement of with >Renown (she had an escort of 3 DD), the sinking of
the Glorious, the 1940 >sortie during which they sank 22 ships (116,000
tons) all unescorted. 
>The cruise of the Admiral Hipper (CA) in February 1940 sinking 7 ships
>(32,8900 tons), not to mention the purpose built commerce raiders Graf
>Spee, Admiral Scheer and Lutzow. 

>German DDs while heavily armed were poor sea boats and they did not
>have that many and their range compared to capital ships were limited. 
>I submit that this was a freak event, caused by a number factors. 
>First, the German Navy had a minimal surface combatant force and as a
>result focused on fast ships intended for independant commerce raiding
>rather than decisive engagements with the RN's battleline. Second,
>the decision to ditch the escorts early on, which baffles me. Third,
>the decision that getting the Prinz Eugene into action against convoys
>was more important than nursemaiding the Bismarck back into port.
  
 
  The Bismarck was a third generation battleship and not a surface
raider.
  What happened was Hitler told the navy that he did not expect to go
  to war till 1944 and the navy started building the longer to build
ships
  first. Although the Bismarck had a maximum speed of 30 knots it was
  listed as having a cruse range of 8,100 miles at 19 knots. Compare
  this to the Graff Spee (which was a surface raider) which had a range
  of 19,000 miles at 19 knots. 
   
  To make matters worse, although it was the US and British fleet policy
  to refuel a warship as soon as it entered harbor (during wartime) it
  was not German fleet policy. When the Bismarck and Prinz Eugen
  entered the harbor in Norway they did not refuel and when they were
  ordered to leave they didn't have time. When the Bismark and Prinz
  Eugen left harbor to make their run into the Atlantic they had not
topped off
  and were down 1,000+ miles in range.
   
   
  By the way, the Prinz Eugen had a max range of 6,800 miles at 18
  knots and the German pre war destroyers had max cruse ranges
  of 4,400 to 5,000 mile at 19 knots.
   
  Scott