The Port of Hamburg is located on the right bank of the lower reaches of the Elbe River in northern Germany, about 76nmiles from the entrance to the sea and adjacent to the Heligoland Bay. It is the largest port in Germany and the second largest container port in Europe. Founded in 1189, it has a history of more than 800 years. The Port of Hamburg can be said to be the largest port in Germany. Different from the focus of the Port of Kiel, the Port of Hamburg exists as a civilian port and does not have as obvious military features as the Port of Kiel.
Here, the battleship Bismarck was about to be launched. After the launch date was confirmed, Lin Wei was too happy to sleep. After all, as the most successful first-class warship in World War II, its powerful vitality and super anti-strike capabilities have left a deep impression on every World War II fan.
Since the construction of the Bismarck had already begun before Reinhard & von Lohenkramm submitted the Navy's Plan S, the Bismarck launched this time is no different from the Tirpitz that had already begun construction. . However, two improved Bismarck-class ships have already started construction at the shipyards in Hamburg and Kiel.
The German Americans who returned from the United States brought with them a sufficient labor force and many American management concepts, which greatly accelerated the construction progress of the Bismarck. Of course, these alone were not enough, so Raeder simply argued in front of Hitler. Hitler was asked to allocate limited resources to Redel, and the army also expressed their dissatisfaction with this. After all, compared to the navy, the German army is the backbone of the country.
Therefore, Hitler could only ensure that the army equipment should be allocated as much as possible according to the original plan. A large number of people who were originally affiliated with the Stormtroopers were dropped by Lin Wei into major arsenals to make up for the lack of labor. The Army's weapons technology was not as high as that of the Navy, and the Stormtroopers were fully qualified.
The Bismarck-class hull is restricted by the water depth of the Kiel Canal. The hull is moderately widened to reduce draft. The length-to-width ratio is 6.67:1. The superstructure is relatively compact, which improves the stability of the hull. Since this is the first time Germany has built a pure battleship since its defeat in World War I in 1918, in order to reduce risks and ensure development progress, it was decided to use ready-made technology as much as possible. It was decided to use twin-mounted 380 mm caliber naval guns. The main gun turret adopts a symmetrical layout from front to back. The backpack layout has two seats each.
The theoretical rate of fire of its main gun is very high, reaching the highest level among battleships of the same period. The main gun's armor-piercing projectiles use "high muzzle velocity light projectiles", which have good power at medium and short combat distances, but the long-distance target velocity performance is correspondingly reduced. Its armor protection follows the "Incremental Armor Scheme" design model (called "comprehensive protection"), and has the largest protection scale among battleships of the same period. The side walls of its main armored fort cover 70% of the waterline length and 56% of the side height. At the same time, the total armor weight reached the largest proportion among battleships in the same period, accounting for 41.85% of the standard displacement. In addition, while achieving a large protection scale, the ship relies on the space compensation provided by the large protection scale. The main horizontal armor is arranged on the third deck, allowing it to overlap with the main side armor on the ballistic trajectory, so as to protect the critical parts of the hull. It has also been strengthened and surpassed the battleships built during the same period.
However, compared to the Bismarck battleship, Lin Wei is more concerned about its sister ship Tirpitz. Perhaps the Tirpitz is not included in the other giant battleships of World War II, Yamato, Musashi, and the same class. The Bismarck is so famous. But if you want to ask which warship played the greatest role in World War II, then there is no doubt that it was the battleship Tirpitz.
For this warship, the British used the entire Northern Fleet to monitor it. In order to sink it, they dispatched 600 aircraft. As for the tragedy of the famous PQ17 transport fleet, it was also because of Tirpitz Caused by the number - because there were rumors that the Tirpitz was going to attack the fleet, the escorting transport fleet was so frightened that it fled in all directions. In the end, this large fleet supporting the Russian Maozi was eaten to pieces by wolves. Eight falls. The actual situation at that time was that the Tirpitz stayed in the harbor and did not move at all.
Although it was sunk by the Bismarck after it was built, and was placed in the Baltic Sea by Hitler without being deployed, and the main gun almost never fired, the trouble it caused to the Allies was far greater than its own value. In Lin Wei's eyes, Tirpitz was simply an artifact. As long as he stayed there motionless, he could contain a dozen aircraft carriers and battleships.
May 13, 1938, outside the port of Hamburg. The convoy entered only after passing strict inspection by the navy stationed at the port. Soon these cars drove to an inconspicuous-looking pier. The car door opened and a young man in black uniform strode out of the car. On the other side stood several officers wearing dark blue woolen coats. An officer standing among them held a beautiful eagle staff. He is the Commander-in-Chief of the German Navy, Marshal Eric Raeder.
"Hello, Marshal!" Lin Wei immediately walked over when he saw Eric Redl. As a man who is determined to revive the German Navy, he is respected by Lin Wei far more than others.
"Little Lampard, long time no see." Different from Lin Wei's restraint, Marshal Redl laughed heartily: "The head of state should be coming soon, right? The 'Prime Minister' is about to launch, and the German navy has finally It has risen again!" Redel looked very proud. As a person who has devoted his life to the navy, nothing could make him more happy than seeing the German Navy rise again. ;
Lin Wei looked down at the date and said, "Your Excellency, Marshal, the Führer will definitely attend the launching ceremony of the Bismarck. After all, this is a big event for the whole of Germany. The Führer will arrive in Hamburg at about noon the day after tomorrow."
"Yeah! That's good!" Redel smiled happily, "I can guarantee that the head of state will feel crazy when he sees him."
Lin Wei glanced sideways and saw a navy general standing behind him. After thinking carefully, he immediately went to hold the navy general's hand: "Hello, General Dönitz."
"Hello, General Lampard." Dönitz withdrew his hand without leaving any trace.
Lin Wei touched his nose in embarrassment. Of course he knew why Dönitz treated him like this. If a person shakes your hand when they first meet, you won't look good. In fact, Lin Wei usually doesn't. The main reason why he was so rude was that Dönitz's reputation was too great. When the Deutschland was launched last time, Lin Wei only saw Dönitz from a distance, so he behaved like this.
In fact, Lin Wei only knew one thing. The reason why Dönitz was indifferent to Lin Wei was because of Plan S. Yes, Dönitz knew that Lin Wei was behind Plan S, so he got the approval of the head of state and started executing it.
Dönitz believed that the German fleet was no match for the British Navy. The only way to defeat the British Navy was to use submarines to continuously cut the transportation lines between the British mainland and colonies around the world, and slowly strangle Britain.
The original Plan Z was incompatible with Dönitz's vision. According to the opinion of then-Navy Captain Dönitz, Germany's geographical location was not suitable for establishing a battle group for use in the Atlantic. Because Britain faces various ports in Germany and can block the German fleet's sea route. It can also control its operational route in the Atlantic Ocean. In addition, the German navy had no repair sites in the Atlantic, and once a ship was hit, it would be difficult to get out of the country. There was also a disadvantage: Britain could use land planes to attack German surface ships, something the Germans were too far away to do.
Contrary to Raeder, Dönitz had already seen the importance of the air force. He believed that aircraft would develop into a decisive service. The large-scale surface ship construction plan, which can only be completed in 1948, is bound to run counter to this trend. In view of the fact that Germany had no defense force at sea, Dönitz requested the construction of three hundred submarines for front-line use, because only such underwater ships were suitable for the task of cutting off Britain's lifeline.
However, the submarine faction like Dönitz and the large-ship faction supported by Raeder and most naval officers ended up taking advantage of the comprehensive faction of Reinhard & von Lohenkrahm. To be fair, Plan S synthesized the ideas of both factions. opinion, but it is impossible to do both at the same time. After all, there are only so many resources, and the Army and Air Force are also eyeing this budget, so the Navy can only start one shipbuilding plan first. Marshal Redl finally decided to build battleships first. Reinhard von Lohenkramm, chief of the operations section, also sided with Redl, so Dönitz became indifferent after being hit.
"Okay, let's go up first," Redel came up to smooth things over, "Let's get on the boat over there and go to the dock to see our 'Prime Minister.'"
"Okay, Marshal," Lin Wei replied, but Dönitz still didn't speak.
The boat drove for about ten minutes before they saw a huge dock. Redel and Lin Wei got off the boat and came to the dock. As soon as he entered the dock, Lin Wei was shocked by the huge hull. Only when you really stand in front of it can you feel how small you are. The hull is 251 meters long and 36 meters wide, full of strength and beauty. The Bismarck-class hull is restricted by the water depth of the Kiel Canal. The hull is moderately widened to reduce draft. The length-to-width ratio is 6.67:1. The superstructure is relatively compact, which improves the stability of the hull.
The use of a large number of mature technologies reduces construction risks and ensures development progress. Perhaps it will become a perfect reference for the Bismarck-class modification in Plan S.
"Haha, how about it, Lampard, I said you will be conquered by it!" Redel was very satisfied with Lin Wei's performance, so his words were full of teasing.
"Not bad, not bad." Lin Wei kept repeating the word "good". Obviously, his mind was still blank. Before seeing the real thing, although Lin Wei had imagined it many times in his mind, it was far less than seeing the real giant. The visual impact brought by the ship.
"Marshal, please introduce this giant ship?" Lin Wei said with a smile.
"Haha, Lampard, I won't introduce the thickness of the steel plate and the material of the steel used. It depends on your family's factors. I think you should know these things. Let me talk about the internal structure of the ship." , Lin Wei did not answer. Lin Wei did understand the structural materials and armor of ships. Although ships and tanks are different, they are not much different.
Lin Wei happened to know several types of steel used by the Bismarck. They were St42 shipbuilding steel, which was improved on the traditional No. 2 shipbuilding steel in 1931 and was used to build the Bismarck's superstructure and non-armored hull sections. structure. Its hardness is 140-160HB, tensile strength is 420-510MPa, yield strength is 340-360MPa, elongation is 21%, and its performance is no less than similar products from other countries.
St52 shipbuilding steel was improved on the basis of the famous No. 3 shipbuilding steel in 1935. It was used to build Bismarck's armored cabin and light armored cabin hull structures. It was the most advanced ship structural material at the time. Its hardness is 160-190HB, tensile strength is 520-640MPa, yield strength is 360-380MPa, and elongation is 21%. It also has excellent toughness and elasticity, and has strong resistance to breakage and tearing. Although its softer material is less capable of resisting kinetic energy armor-piercing projectiles, it has excellent structural strength retention and excellent torpedo blast shock wave resistance.
Ww highly elastic homogeneous steel, invented in 1925 on the basis of traditional KNC armor, was used to build Bismarck's main mine protection armor. Its hardness is 190-220HB, tensile strength is 650-750MPa, yield strength is 380-400MPa, and elongation rate is 27%. It is an excellent material that can resist the shock wave of torpedo blasting. It also has good defense against slower kinetic energy armor-piercing projectiles. Ability to effectively prevent artillery shells fired into the mine protection compartment from underwater from entering the inner cabin.
KCn/A surface carburizing hardened steel was developed on the basis of traditional KC armor in 1928. It was used to build Bismarck's sides, gun mounts, turret facades, and conning tower facade armor. It had the highest surface hardness during World War II. , the ship surface-hardened armor with the best ballistic resistance at medium thickness.
Especially the last kind of KCn/A surface carburizing hardened steel, Lin Wei is most familiar with it, because this kind of hardened steel was successfully developed by Lin Wei's father Gustav in three years, Krupp Armor's leading position , dating back to its invention in 1895. The new German nickel-chromium-manganese alloy case-hardened steel immediately overwhelmed all armor in the world. It was equivalent to 125% of the thickness of the latest American Harvey armor at the time, and equivalent to 208% of the thickness of the previously commonly used British armor. The iron-steel composite armor invented by Schneider Steel has become the highest achievement in the field of armor in this era. For half a century, Krupp armor always occupied a very high position among similar products of the same period.
Raeder and Lin Wei boarded the Bismarck battleship. Raeder began to lead Lin Wei on the tour and acted as a commentator. "The main gun mount is 340mmKCn/A, the upper hull is 220mmKCn/A, the lower seat ring is 50mmWh, and the secondary The gun mount is 80mmWh with 20mmWh in the upper hull. Four twin 380MM cannons are enough to destroy all targets. 12 150mm secondary guns are supplemented. Others include 16 heavy anti-aircraft guns 105mm/L65 (8 twins) medium-sized high-altitude guns. 16 37mm/L83 guns (8 twin-mounted guns), 18 20mm/L65 light anti-aircraft guns (2 4-mounted guns, 10 single-mounted guns), 78 20mm/L65 light anti-aircraft guns (18 4-mounted guns, 6 single-mounted guns) , in addition to six 533mm G7aT1 torpedoes."
"What a powerful firepower configuration," Lin Wei praised.
Although Lin Wei didn't quite understand what this kind of naval terminology meant, it didn't dampen Lin Wei's interest at all. Lin Wei kept asking questions about the Bismarck along the way.
The main problem was the Bismarck's anti-sinkability. The result was exactly as Lin Wei expected. Raeder had high hopes for the Bismarck and praised its performance, but Lin Wei knew in his heart that Marshal Raeder's confidence was mainly Comes from confidence in German industry.
Lin Wei knows that there is no unsinkable ship in this world. Although in history, the Bismarck sank because it was bombarded by dozens of warships in a few hours, there is no if in history. If it sinks, it will sink. . All that can be done now is not to let the Bismarck repeat the tragedy of history, to increase the strength of the German navy as much as possible, and to avoid being besieged alone as it was in history.
After visiting the ship, Lin Wei silently returned to the bedroom specially arranged for him by the navy, not knowing what he was thinking.
In a blink of an eye, the day came when the Bismarck was launched. Hitler, Goering, and Hess, all senior government officials, all appeared at the Port of Hamburg, which reflected the importance attached to the navy. As the leader of the German army, the Army also attended the launching ceremony. , Ludwig Beck, von Brauchitsch, von Bock and other members of the officer corps also attended this event.
As expected by Lin Wei, when Hitler saw this behemoth, his performance did not need to be much better than Lin Wei's. At least he couldn't hide the excitement and excitement on his face. He even spoke much more cordially to others, which made Golin accustomed to hearing his roar. Hess and the others felt uncomfortable.
The Port of Hamburg was crowded with people who came to attend the launching ceremony. Women held flowers and men drank beer to celebrate the launching ceremony of the Bismarck. Over the years, since Operation Rainbow, the German navy has been in a state of decline. Perhaps people have forgotten the once powerful High Seas Fleet. But the launching of the Bismarck today proves that the German navy has once again begun to move towards the Atlantic Ocean. This is a signal to the world that the German navy has once again begun to extend its long-hidden claws.