“And what are these contacts you have noted to the north?”
“Unknown at this time, sir, but if I had to guess I would say these are most likely British cruisers assigned to patrol the Denmark Strait.”
“Is there any ongoing operation that we should be concerned about this time, Mister Fedorov?”
“In the history I know, sir, Scharnhorst and Gneisenau would be at Trondheim now. Scharnhorst was supposed to have taken a torpedo during the attack that sank the British aircraft carrier Glorious a few days ago. The two ships returned to Trondheim for repairs and were attacked there by British Hudson bombers and planes like those we have just witnessed off an aircraft carrier. If that's the case, sir, I wonder what ship this carrier is. Aside from Glorious there was only Ark Royal and Furious available to the Home Fleet at this time, and Furious was laid up in a refit operation.”
“Then this would have to be Ark Royal.”
“It would seem so, sir, but that would mean the attack that took place yesterday at Trondheim never took place.”
“So there is a crack in your mirror, Mister Fedorov. This history is not playing out as you expect. I don't see why we should think that it would if our entire nation is broken in pieces.”
“That is probably true, sir, but what this means is that I can no longer accurately predict what we may be facing in the days and months ahead. All I know is that this carrier should not be here.”
“And if this aircraft carrier is not alone, why are all these ships here?”
“The British must have intelligence on some enemy movement that prompted them to muster this fleet.”
“At the moment it looks like they have intelligence on us! Could we be the reason?”
“We were spotted by that convoy on June 12th, Admiral. I calculated the distance from this fleet's position to their probable home base at Scapa Flow. It is about 1500 kilometers. Assuming a cruising speed of twenty knots, the ships had to leave Scapa Flow no later than the 14th in order to be here now.”
“That is some fairly fancy footwork. Do you think Home Fleet would've reacted in this manner?”
“They would've known we were not one of their ships, sir, and soon after that they could've learned we were not a Canadian or American ship either. That quickly narrows down the possibilities.”
“Didn't they already know where these German battlecruisers were?”
“That's the odd thing. Yes, they also knew where the cruiser Admiral Hipper was operating. I don't see why they would conclude we would be a German raider, or what would prompt such a sortie of capital ships to investigate.”
“Then something else must be going on that we do not know about, Fedorov. Keep a wary eye on that situation map. We're about to enter the Denmark Strait and I think we will soon have company.”
That gave Fedorov an idea, and the Admiral knew him well enough to know what that light kindling in his eyes meant. Fedorov walked quickly to the navigation station and pulled the pad device from his bookshelf there. He was busy with that for some time before he returned, a smile on his face as if he had just struck gold.
“Admiral! I just realized I had a complete enigma code simulator and decoding application. I can even determine rotor settings and plugboard positions from research data I have on the subject and interpret the entire German naval enigma code! If Nikolin can pick up the signal I'll be able to read German Navy high command orders to all their fleet units. This means we will be able to learn about any operation long before it begins.”
Admiral Volsky gave him an astonished look. “You have broken this code, Mister Fedorov?”
“Not me, sir. It was broken by Alan Turing and other analysts at Hut Four in Bletchley Park. In fact they're working on it now but there a lot of missing pieces to the puzzle and it will be some time, at least a year before they can interpret it with any reliability. But I've had this application for several years now. The entire code is well known in our day and all I have to do is key the correct date and time and it is very likely that I can read the code almost verbatim.”
“You never cease to amaze me, Fedorov. This is a very interesting development. Information was as powerful a weapon in this war as anything else, and here you are telling me you have the key to unlock the entire German naval code. This will be very useful. See what Mister Nikolin can do. Is there any chance he can intercept the signals?”
“Of course, sir. U-boats, for example, received and transmitted messages in encrypted Morse code. I can research the exact wavelength and equipment they used and I'm sure we'll be able to pick up the signals.”
“Excellent, Fedorov. This is sounding better and better every minute. Devote yourself to this task in the next few hours, please. We need more information about what is happening. I feel like a poker player who is been dealt a bad hand, but I think you have just passed me and Ace and King!”
It was not even three hours before Fedorov had something in hand. He was able to research the common German shore to ship transmission frequencies, and Nikolin spent a good long while listening in. They fished for some time before he picked up a signal that had an odd structure. There were sets of ciphers, five characters each, and Fedorov immediately knew these had to correspond to typical formats used with enigma code messaging. He went to the Admiral immediately, showing him the signal they had harvested, a look of real satisfaction on his face now.
“Have a look at this, sir. We isolated it from a stream of encrypted Morse code just an hour ago.”
To Volsky it was no more than a series of random letters, and he could see no meaning in them all: LKGIF FTIFK IBGQA UEUCX OWWCM HYPHX PGZQQ, and on it went. But Fedorov tapped the screen of his pad device and soon a complete translation of the five character phrases appeared in their place. He looked up at the Admiral, a fire in his eyes, and read the message aloud.
“Bismarck and Tirpitz will proceed to breakout point as planned, to arrive by 1800 hours, 16 June. That's all the message we were able pickup, sir, but we got the essence of it.”
“Bismarck? This is one of their battleships, a very famous battleship.”
“Yes sir, both ships in the same class, but here is another anomaly. Neither ship should be ready at this time in the war. In fact, Bismarck did not make its maiden voyage for almost another year, and Tirpitz was not yet ready to join her at that time. The fact that both these ships are operational now means that things changed well before the war. The Germans must have been building up their fleet from the mid-nineteen thirties in order to have these capital ships ready for action now. If the British were in any way aware of these ships planning an imminent operation, we have our reason why home fleet is all in a tither. It was all they could do the hunt down and sink just one of these ships. If both sortie together they would represent a grave challenge to the Royal Navy at this time.”
“What if they fail to do so, Fedorov? What might have happened?”
“I think it was inevitable that they would eventually get both ships, sir, but their presence in the German Navy order of battle exerted a strong magnetism on the Admiralty, and posed a constant threat. As it was, Bismarck did not go to her grave alone. They took the biggest ship in the Royal Navy with them in that campaign, HMS Hood. These are powerful, dangerous ships, Admiral, and if they are planning a sortie now, it is very likely that they will get their pound of flesh, no matter what the Royal Navy throws at them.”
* * *
“Message from Admiralty, sir.” Wells had just come from the W/T room and found Admiral Tovey in the Flag Plot Room near the situation map. He saluted, handing off the paper and waiting in the event the Admiral had further instructions.
“Thank you, Mister Wells.” Tovey read the decrypted message and Wells could quickly see the concern in his eyes. Even the decrypted message was a code within a code: Most Immediate — FAA HMS Sparrowhawk has flown. Otto and friend have left Birmingham for Holyhead — 06:00 GMT this day. HMS Sparrowhawk was the Fleet Air Arm designation for the important Hatsto
n airfield just north of Kirkwall on the main Orkney Island near Scapa Flow. The time was obvious, and Birmingham was the code word for Bergen, Norway, with the heading determined by the destination point of Holyhead. The travelers, Otto and friend, were what caused that thrum of anxiety. Otto was, of course, Otto von Bismarck and the ship that bore his name. His friend was the Tirpitz.
Tovey looked at the plotting board, seeing his position just southeast of Reykjavik, with Hood and Repulse still well south. Ark Royal was finally steaming with his flagship and he was all set to investigate this unusual sighting of the Russian cruiser. But now all bets were off. With two fast battleships heading east from Bergen, he would now be forced to turn about and support Rodney and Nelson in Force F. They were entirely too slow to get into a chase in the Faeroes region. That was a job for his fast battlecruisers. The Germans might be heading further east with the aim of getting up around Iceland for a run through the Denmark Strait, but something told him that was where the Twins were headed. He would order Hood to continue north to backstop his two cruisers there, and possibly investigate this Russian ship, but Invincible would have to turn about.
“Things are about to get interesting, Mister Wells. I would like nothing more than to see about this Russian ship we’ve been shadowing, but it seems Bismarck and Tirpitz have left Bergen and they are our first order of business. Please inform Captain Bennett that I would like the fleet to come about to zero-nine-two. Then get to the W/T room and have them signal Ark Royal that the air search west will have to be cancelled. I’ll want them ready to search the Iceland-Faeroes Gap in four hours.”
“Very good, sir.” Wells was elated. Bismarck and Tirpitz! They were really hunting big game now, and with any luck he was likely to see a major sea action soon with the finest ships on earth. Even as he thought that, a warning note sounded in his mind. Be careful what you wish for…
“Oh… There was one more note, sir. This one a verbal directive from Mister Villers. He says Admiralty is of the opinion that this Russian cruiser sighting may be bogus-at least insofar as its identity. They got it straight from Bletchley Park. They have confirmed that the cruiser Kirov is presently in the Baltic. They believe it may be a German oiler planning to rendezvous with anything they might be pushing through the Denmark Strait.”
“I see…” That took just a bit of the sting off his disappointment. “Bletchley Park, you say? That will be Mister Turing’s watch. Have the gentlemen at Whitehall seen the report given by Captain Partridge? Have they seen our subsequent sighting reports?”
“I’m not certain, sir, but I can see that they are forwarded.”
“Please do so. Opinions are like noses, Mister Wells. Everybody seems to have one, but this is certainly no oiler. Make sure Mister Villers clarifies this for the Admiralty, and Bletchley Park as well.”
“Of course, sir.” Wells started to salute again but Tovey simply smiled.
“Mister Wells, things will be getting quite busy in the hours ahead and you will be bouncing about like a badly hit cricket ball in due course. I think we can leave off the formalities of a salute every time you see me.”
“As you wish, sir.” Wells was on his way, more excited than ever now. A mystery on top of a battle! What good luck. If the real cruiser Kirov was still in the Baltic, then who was out there wearing its hat and overcoat? First things first. He had to get that course heading change to Captain Bennett.
When Wells had gone Tovey folded his arms, looking at the plotting board again. Still in the Baltic…That information was more likely fact than opinion. What was going on here? There was an odd feeling about this whole scenario, as if he had lived through this situation before, a kind of Déjà vu that he attributed to his memories of that brief, violent encounter aboard King Alfred. Now, more than ever, he wanted to stay the course and find out first hand with his own eyes just what this ship was. But if wishes were horses….Bismarck and Tirpitz were a known quantity, and would demand the whole of his attention for the moment.
Rodney and Nelson might give them a good fight, he thought, but they’ll never be able to finish it. The Germans can break off at their whim. So I’ll keep the two old girls close to the Shetlands, and cover the Iceland passage with Invincible and company. Let the Germans try to slip out of the theater on my watch. Not bloody likely.
Chapter 18
Carrier Graf Zeppelin ~ Norwegian Sea ~ June 16, 1940
The sighting made by Fleet Air Arm out of Hatston airfield was only half of the story, frightening as it was. Sailing some twenty nautical miles behind the two big German battleships, only now emerging from the edge of the thick cloud deck that hung low over the sea, was the sole operational German aircraft carrier at this point in the war, Graf Zeppelin. Commanded by the former first officer of the Admiral Scheer, Kapitan zur See Kurt Böhmer, the carrier would bring up to 42 aircraft to sea, that would make it the equal of any of Britain’s fleet carriers of the day with the added edge that the aircraft carried were far more capable than those fielded by the British.
Graf Zeppelin would carry modified versions of 12 BF-109Es and up to 26 Stuka dive bombers as the primary armament, with a detachment of four Arado seaplanes to make 42 planes in all. The Messerschmitt fighters were faster and much more agile than the Skuas aboard Ark Royal, and even better than the new Fairey Fulmars just starting to come off the production lines.
This formidable new addition to the German fleet was accompanied by the Schwere Kreuzer Prinz Eugen and three unique new ocean going destroyers, actually called Spähkreuzers under Raeder’s Plan Z. Originally conceived in the 1930s under the name Zerstörer 1938A/Ac, these ‘Atlantik’ type destroyers were further modified to produce the equivalent of light anti-aircraft cruisers. At 6,500 tons they were bigger than typical destroyers of the day, with a combination of diesel and turbine engines to extend their blue water performance. Armed with twelve 4.7-inch dual purpose guns and a suite of lighter 20mm guns, they were ideal for both AA and ASW defense. In true Nordic tradition the three new hounds bore the names Beowulf, Siegfeied and Heimdal. Kapitän zur See Helmuth Brinkmann was in command of this detachment, with his flag aboard the cruiser Prinz Eugen.
Kapitan Böhmer was eager to get back into battle. The time he had spent aboard the Admiral Scheer had convinced him that the new Kriegsmarine was now a force to be reckoned with, and this operation was more ambitious than any mounted since Jutland. His first fighting air patrol was already spotted on deck as the task force sailed for the breakout point, three BF-109 fighters and two Stukas. He would get them out in front of the two battleships in short order, and give the next British recon plane a nasty surprise. Hauptmann Marco Ritter would lead the flight, an experienced airman recruited from the Luftwaffe to join the elite carrier unit.
“Send to Ritter that he is cleared for takeoff,” said Böhmer. “He is to overfly Bismarck and Tirpitz, but let them know we are coming. The only thing they have ever seen in the skies above them are British planes, and all that is about to change.”
The young midshipman hurried to pass on the order while Böhmer watched from the island bridge. Ritter was out on deck. He knew him by the crimson scarf he would always tuck into this flight jacket. As if sensing the Kapitan was watching, he turned and held up a fist, pumping three times as he prepared to mount his Messerschmitt fighter. Then he climbed confidently into the open cockpit, settling into his harness and sliding the canopy closed.
These planes will make all the difference, thought Böhmer. With Graf Zeppelin in attendance we can hold the snooping British Skuas at bay, and chop them to pieces if they get too pushy. And as for the Swordfish, let them try their luck against my Messerschmitts. Then comes the real fun-sending a couple dozen Stukas into battle over their battleships. Yes, this changes everything.
The order he had given was received on the flight deck, and now Ritter was the first to turn over his engine, and would be the first to take off from the deck of a German aircraft carrier on a combat mission, an historic moment.
The long nose of the Messerschmitt growled as the prop spun up to a blur. Then the chalks were removed and the Flugdeck flagman began his ritual, finally saluting and then pointing the way with his flag. The plane roared to life, began to gain speed, and then howled into the sky, wings wagging in salutation.
“There you go Marco,” said Böhmer under his breath with a smile. “Good hunting.”
He watched as the remaining two fighters followed Ritter into the sky, then the two Stukas like great black crows, fat wings bent and squared off at their thinning tips. They were ready to follow just in case anything was found that might need their attention. The mission was to scour the skies in the immediate van of the route planned by the battleships.
Minutes later Hauptmann Ritter saw the white wake of the trailing ship Tirpitz ahead, took in its broad beam and trim fighting lines. Just ahead he could see the flagship Bismarck proudly knifing through the grey seas. He led his three fighters down in formation, and, as they flew over the battleships, he could see men on the grey steel platforms and weather decks waving as he tipped his wings again in greeting.
The three fighters flashed overhead, followed closely by the two Stukas, and then all five planes climbed, the fighters fanning out to begin their search sweep to the south. From that moment on they left friendly waters and entered the realm that had formerly been the sole domain of the Royal Navy. It was always their convoys and battlegroups that would ply these waters, their aircraft carriers that would overshadow the fleets with watchful eyes.
Ritter flew on ahead, glad to have clearing skies for his search sweep. He would see no British aircraft up that day, a bit of a disappointment as he had hoped to log a kill on his first sortie. What he did see an hour later and nearly 400 kilometers west southwest of his carrier was the telltale formation of a small task force north of the Faeroes Islands. As he approached he realized he was looking at the two ‘bookends,’ as the Germans called them Nelson and Rodney. The unmistakable configuration of their three big gun turrets all forward of the bridge was easy to spot. There they were, moving ponderously forward in the sea, with what looked to be a cruiser out in front, and three destroyers in attendance.
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