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GERMAN NAVY PRINTS SECTION

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German Navy Prints

World War One German Navy Prints

The most brilliant feature of the war by sea for Germany was the free and uninterrupted career of the cruiser Emden against the merchant shipping of the allies. She had even shelled oil tanks at Madras, but her daring captain, Karl von Müller, was at length outwitted. Having approached the Cocos Islands, with his ship disguised with an additional funnel, her wily captain sent a landing party to destroy the wireless apparatus. But her identity was recognised and immediately the news was flashed to Singapore. The cruisers Sydney and Melbourne, convoying troopships to Europe, caught the message 100 miles off, and, going full speed ahead, the Sydney caught sight of the Emden soon after 9 am on 9th November 1914. Possessing a ship with heavier guns and greater speed, Captain Glossop soon showed his superiority, and Captain von Muller was obliged to drive the Emden ashore on North Keeling Island to save her from sinking. HMS Sydney commanded by Captain J C T Glossop, Attacking the German Cruiser Emden by Maurice Randall (P)Click For DetailsANT0133
Having swept away the periscope and conning tower of the German submarine U15 with a salvo of six shots from the Birminghams guns, Captain Arthur Duff ordered the cruisers engines to be set at full speed. With a turn of the helm she was brought round with her bows pointing straight at the disabled submarine. Then dashing forward at 25 miles per hour the 5,400 ton cruiser rode into U15, which rolled over and sank to the bottom of the sea with its crew of three officers and twenty men. HMS Birmingham Commanded by Captain Arthur Duff, Ramming the German Submarine U15 on August 9th 1914 by M G Swanwick (P)Click For DetailsANT0137
B114. HMS Carmania sinking the German armed liner SS Cap Trafalgar off Ilha da Trindade, South Atlantic. 14th September 1914. By Ivan Berryman. HMS Carmania sinking the German armed liner SS Cap Trafalgar off Ilha da Trindade, South Atlantic. 14th September 1914. By Ivan Berryman.Click For DetailsB0114
U-35 under the command of Kapitänleutnant Lothar von Arnauld de la Perière, the all time most successful u-boat captain sinking 194 ships, many of which were sunk by the u-boats 88mm deck gun. Kapitänleutnant Lothar von Arnauld de la Perière, U-35 by Ivan Berryman.Click For DetailsB0317
DHM216. Battle of Jutland by Charles Dixon. Battle of Jutland by Charles Dixon.Click For DetailsDHM0216
Emerging from a smokescreen SMS Baden surges ahead of her sister ship SMS Bayern to resume battle speed in these fleet manoeuvres in the Baltic, during 1917 The Kaisers Ship by Randall Wilson.Click For DetailsDHM0768
Down by the bows, the battered Seydlitz returns to the Jade after being heavily involved in the gun line action at Jutland. SMS Seydlitz 1916 by Randall Wilson.Click For DetailsDHM0855
Admiral von Spees Flagship SMS Scharnhorst leads SMS Gneisenau in the opening stages of engaging the Royal Naval ships east of the Falklands, 8th December 1914. Battle of the Falkland Islands by Randall Wilson.Click For DetailsDHM1251
SMS Derfflinger at anchor at Kiel, 1918. Astern is SMS Hindenburg.SMS Derfflinger By Randall Wilson.Click For DetailsDHM1269
Admiral Hippers flagship SMS Lutzow followed by Derfflinger and Seydlitz. Also seen in the painting are Moltke and Von der Tann. SMS Lutzow at the Opening of the Battle of Jutland by Anthony SaundersClick For DetailsDHM1416
During a patrol on 6th July 1918, Christiansen spotted a British submarine on the surface of the Thames Estuary. He immediately turned and put his Hansa-Brandenburg W.29 floatplane into an attacking dive, raking the submarine C.25 with machine gun fire, killing the captain and five other crewmen. This victory was added to his personal tally, bringing his score to 13 kills by the end of the war, even though the submarine managed to limp back to safety. Christiansen survived the war and went on to work as a pilot for the Dornier company, notably flying the giant Dornier Do.X on its inaugural flight to New York in 1930. He died in 1972, aged 93. Kapitanleutnant zur See Friedrich Christiansen by Ivan Berryman.Click For DetailsDHM1672
Designed by the great Ernst Heinkel, the diminutive D.1 was an essential stop-gap that provided the Austro-Hungarian pilots with a front line fighter until they were able to re-equip with Albatros scouts in the Summer of 1917. This little aircraft performed well and was generally held in high regard by its pilots, although it did have some shortcomings, namely that forward vision was extremely limited and the Schwarzloses gun was completely concealed in the overwing pod that made it inaccessible in the air. Most unusual of all was its interplane strut arrangement, designed to reduce drag, which gave it the nicknames Starstrutter or Spider. These examples are shown passing above the German cruiser Derfflinger. Brandenburg D.1 by Ivan Berryman.Click For DetailsDHM1754
Ships of the East Asiatic Squadron at anchor in a Pacific Island bay prior to the outbreak of hostilities in 1914. The ships are, left to right, light cruisers Nurnberg and Dresden, cruiser Gneisenau and von Spees flagship Scharnhorst. Peaceful Anchorage by Robert TaylorClick For DetailsDHM2181
DHM2182. Scharnhorst at Anchor by Robert Taylor. Scharnhorst at Anchor by Robert Taylor.Click For DetailsDHM2182
The capture of the German gunboat Komet was an incident worthy of the great days of Nelson. Lieut. Jackson was informed by natives that the Komet was hiding off the coast of New Guinea. He accordingly organised a party to capture her. So well was the affair arranged that the enemy had no inkling of the approach of Lieut. Jacksons boat, and before they could recover from their surprise he and his men had swarmed on board and resistance was useless. Lieutenant J. M. Jacksons Surprise Capture Of The German Gunboat Komet.Click For DetailsDTE0027
It was on the 9th November 1914, that the Emden, disguised with an additional funnel, approached the wireless station of Cocos Island to destroy the gear. News of her arrival was immediately cabled to Singapore and flashed out by wireless, and H.M.S. Sydney was ordered to Cocos at full speed. With heavier guns and superior speed the Sydney possessed the advantage, and her commander, Captain J. C. T. G. Glossop, extracted every ounce of value from her. The Emden opened fire at 9.40 and for a few rounds her shooting was good, but as the Sydneys shells took effect, the Germans began to fire wildly. The Sydney used her speed to get the best advantage out of the superior range of her guns, and after an hour and forty minutes, the Germans ship was reduced to such a condition that her captain ran her ashore on North Keeling Island to prevent her from sinking. Even then, not until she was an absolute wreck, did Captain Muller haul down his flag. Captain Glossop was made a Companion of the Bath for his services, and six men of the Sydneys crew received the D.S.M. The German Cruiser Emden After H.M.S. Sydney Had Done With Her.Click For DetailsDTE0058
For eight months the Konigsberg lay in her undignified retreat, and then two monitors were despatched to East Africa by the Admirality. The Severn (Commander E. Fullerton) and Mersey (Lieut.- Commander R.A. Wilson) made their first attack on July 6th 1915. An aeroplane was sent up to discover the whereabouts of the Konigsberg, and found her with great palm branches lashed to her masts and her decks scattered about with follage so as to render her invisible. With the aeroplane to direct the firing the British gunners soon made hits, but the day ended with the Konigsberg still firing her four guns. The end came on the 11th, when the Severn, decked to resemble a floating island, drifted up the river near to the unsuspecting Konigsberg. A heavy duel ensued, and to cut a long story short the Severn won the day. For this good work, Commander Fitzmaurice, Fullerton and Wilson of the Navy, and Squadron-Commander R. Gordon, Flight-Commander Cull, and Flight-Sub-Lieutenant H. J. Arnold, of the Air Service, each received the D.S.O. An Aeroplane Directing The Fire Of The Severn And Mersey On The German Cruiser Konigsberg.Click For DetailsDTE0070
The German torpedo boats, the A2 and the A6, immediately attacked the three remaining vessels, the Barbados, Miura and Chirsit, riddling their upper works with machine gun fire, though doing little real damage. Their attention was specially directed at first to the Barbados, and her skipper being badly wounded in the foot, Lieutenant-Commander Sir James Domville took the wheel and handled the ship with great dexterity. The Chirsit a vessel captured from the enemy and now commanded by Sub-Lieutenant Stapleford-drew away from the thick of the fight to draw the fire of the enemy upon hi vessel. These tactics were successful, and the A6, which engaged her, was so much occupied that she did not notice the Miura, commanded by Sub-Lieutenant Leslie Kersley, R.N.R., coming up on her quarter. Soon, however, the enemy fired a torpedo. It missed, and a few moments later the Miura crashed into her stern, knocking a hole in her below the water line, besides sending some of her crew overboard. The Miura, Commanded By Sub-Lieutenant Leslie Kersley, R.N.R., Ramming A German Torpedo-Boat.Click For DetailsDTE0154
With the A6 badly damaged and down by the stern, the Germans thought it wise to make for home. The Barbados had, however, got into touch by wireless with the destroyer Leonidas, who in turn summoned three of her sister craft. The two German torpedo boats soon saw four columns of smoke on the horizon, and they knew they were being pursued. Within an hour both vessels had met their fate, and were lying at the bottom of the sea. Forty-four of the total number of fifty-nine officers and men on board the Germans were picked up from the sea It then came to light that when the Columbia sank, one of her officers and two of her men were picked up and afterwards locked up by the Germans. Though the British saved forty-four of the Germans, the latter, utterly indifferent to the fate of the British sailors, left them to drown like rats in a trap. British Torpedo Boat Destroyers In Pursuit Of The German Torpedo Boats A2 and A6.Click For DetailsDTE0157
The Dresden also lacked coal and put into a Chilean port. Here the Governor of the island that she must leave within twenty-four hours, but her captain refused to do so, and remained in defiance of Chilian neutrality told her. When the British ships arrived on the scene, the Glasgow leading, they found the Dresden lying within the territorial waters of a neutral Power and in open defiance of the wishes of that Power. The Glasgow at onece opened fire with her 6-inch guns, and almost the first round landed in the stern of the Dresden and set her ablaze. The Germans replied, and then the Kent came into action, but after the first salvo from her powerful broadside the Germans hoisted a white flag and sent out a steam launch, representing to the British commander that he was outraging international law by attacking the Dresden in neutral waters, but as the Dresden had been violating Chilean neutrality for nearly a week, Captain Luce informed the German commander that he intended to sink the Dresden unless the Germans sank her themselves. Almost The First Round From The Glasgow Landed in the Stern of the Dresden.Click For DetailsDTE0193
DTE210. HMS Birmingham Commanded by Captain Arthur Duff, Hitting the Conning Tower of the German Submarine U15. HMS Birmingham Commanded by Captain Arthur Duff, Hitting the Conning Tower of the German Submarine U15.Click For DetailsDTE0210
The Kent began firing lyddite at a range of 7,500 yards, when the two ships were running broadside to broadside. The upper deck of the Nurnberg was already a mass of twisted and battered iron, while her sides were heavily marked with shell holes. Before long a great fire burst out in the forepart of the ship and her guns ceased firing. But as the Kent which also ceased firing, steamed to within 3,000 yards, the Nurnbergs flag was seen to be still flying. The British gunners began to shell the doomed ship again, and in five minutes her flag was brought down with a run. The action lasted just two hours, and for his gallant services Captain J.D. Allen was awarded a C.B. A Fire Breaks Out In The Forepart Of The Nurnberg.Click For DetailsDTE0305
Early on the morning of Sunday September 13th 1914, while cruising with another submarine. Lieutenant commander Max Kennedy Horton sighted a German cruiser Hela steaming out from Wilhelmshaven. As she came nearer, the two submarines dived right down. Presently the E9 came up again, and Lieutenant commander Horton took his bearings, and in quick succession gave the orders to dive and to release the two bow torpedoes. A muffled report and slight roll of the submarine told that one of the torpedoes had found its mark. The E9 promptly dived and waited below for fifteen minutes. On coming up again the Hela was seen with a heavy list to starboard, and a number of ships had arrived to take off the crew and hunt for her assailant. German destroyers come to the rescue of the crew of the sinking German cruiser Hela torpedoed by the British Submarine E9.Click For DetailsDTE0395
Within a few hours of the outbreak of war a division of British destroyers, accompanied by the light cruiser Amphion, under the command of Captain C. H. Fox, slipped out from Harwich to begin searchlight the lower end of the North Sea. On falling in with a trawler they were told by the skipper that a suspicious looking vessel had been seen throwing things overboard. Steaming on at full speed, the four leading destroyers very soon sighted what appeared to be a Great Eastern Railway steamer making towards the Dutch coast. As they rushed forward, the steamer began to put on speed, and she was soon running for all she was worth. A warning shot was fired, summoning her to stop. But as she failed to do so, the 31-pounders of the destroyers opened fire. British Destroyers, accompanied by the light cruiser Amphion, under the command of Captain C. H. Fox chasing the German mine laying ship Konigin Luise.Click For DetailsDTE0431
When the Scharnhorst had been disposed of, there still remained the Gneisenau to contend with. Though her condition was almost as terrible as that of her sister ship, she continued a determined but ineffectual effort to fight the two battle cruisers Invincible and Inflexible. At half past five, when barely able to move, she headed towards the flagship, and it was thought that her guns had all been silenced. Admiral Sturdee at once gave the order for his ships to cease-fire. Before the order could be signalled, however, the Gneisenau opened fire again, and continued firing at intervals from the only gun remaining intact. But at six oclock she turned over, and in less than a minute sank to the bottom of the sea. The Gneisenaus desperate fight with the British battle cruisers Invincible and Inflexible.Click For DetailsDTE0495
Nearly two hundred of the Gneisenaus crew were picked up after she sank, but many of these died as a consequence of their sudden immersion in nearly freezing water. The survivors declared that nearly six hundred men had been killed outright onboard, and that the entire upper deck of the ship had been shot away. When every round of ammunition had been fired, the surviving officers opened the submerged torpedo tubes to let in the water and sink the ship. For his services in destroying the German squadron, Admiral Sir Frederick Sturdee was created a Baronet. In the Invincible, Mr Thomas A Wells, Carpenter R.N., was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross, while leading seamen (first Class Gunlayer) F.S. Martin, and engine room Artificer G. H. F. McCarten, were given the Distinguished Service Medal, which decoration was also awarded to Chief engine Room Artificer robber Snowdon of the Inflexible. Boats from the British ships picking up the survivors of the Gneisenau.Click For DetailsDTE0496
On the Christmas Eve of 1914 three vessels, carrying seaplanes, left Harwich, escorted by cruisers, destroyers and submarines, for an aerial reconnaissance at Heligoland and the German North Sea ports. Seven aeroplanes were taken, and they were launched in spite of a dense fog. When the fog began to clear, the British ships found themselves pursued by two Zeppelins and several German seaplanes, as they were proceeding to the spot where they were to meet the returning airmen. The light cruisers Arethusa and Undaunted opened fire, and some 6-inch shells burst very close to the Zeppelins, which turned and made off. The seaplanes were more daring, but, though they got directly over the ships, they did not succeed in hitting them. The First Fight Between Warships And Zeppelins.Click For DetailsDTE0714
The range was so short that missing seemed an impossibility, but the gunnery of the German raider was abominable. The British gunners, however, got home on the Greif from the very first. Her bridge was carried away at the first broadside, and then, yard by yard, the British guns searched the upper works for the wireless room from which were issuing the meaningless jargons that jammed the Alcantaras wireless. The enemys wireless was soon smashed, and the British guns then began to batter the hull and water line of their opponent, and in a few minutes the Greif has a great fire balancing aft. A Great Fire Breaks Out Aft Of The Greif.Click For DetailsDTE0779
Presently theyre happened one of those mishaps, which occur to the most efficiently, handled ships. An unlucky shot carried away the Alcantaras steering gear, and, unmanageable, she swung round with her broadside to the enemy. As the Greif settled down into the water she was able to bring her torpedo tubes to bear on this most favourable target. Two torpedoes missed, and then a third caught the Alcantara squarely. It is believed that the Greif carried a big cargo of mines, for presently she blew up with a tremendous explosion and went to the bottom. A few minutes later the Alcantara turned over and sank. A Tremendous Explosion Sends The Greif To The Bottom.Click For DetailsDTE0780
On the early morning of Sunday, January 24th 1915, a powerful German force of battle cruisers, light cruisers and destroyers came pelting across the Dogger Bank bent on shelling English seaside resorts. There was the newly completed Derfflinger, carrying eight 12-inch guns on her 28,000 tons; the Seydlitz and Moltke, armed with ten 11-inch apiece; and the Blucher a sort of semi-Dreadnought with the fine sounding armament of twelve 8.2-inch guns. The light cruisers and destroyers were sent on ahead so as to give timely warning of any danger. The German Battle Cruisers Derflinger, Seydlitz And Moltke, And The Battleship Blucher, The North Sea To Shell English Seaside Resorts.Click For DetailsDTE0807
Bit by bit the Blucher fell behind; bit by bit she was knocked to pieces as the Lion shelled her, passed on to the next ahead, and left the following ship-the Tiger-to give the Blucher a round or two as she sped by. So all the British ships hammered the German ship, nobly fighting to the last against impossible odds, in turn. The Blucher Falls Behind.Click For DetailsDTE0811
<b>Three copies available</b>Destroyers Engaging the German Cruiser Mainz by W L Wyllie.Click For DetailsWY0004
<b>Two copies available</b>Carmania Engages Cap Trafalgar by W L Wyllie.Click For DetailsWY0008
<b>Three copies available</b>Carmania and Cap Trafalgar: The End of the Battle by W L Wyllie.Click For DetailsWY0009
<b>Two copies available</b>Sydney and Emden off North Keeling Island by W L Wyllie.Click For DetailsWY0010
<b>Two copies available</b>The Last of Scharnhorst and Gneisenau by W L Wyllie.Click For DetailsWY0014
<b>Two copies available</b>Leipzig Sinking by W L Wyllie.Click For DetailsWY0015
<b>Two copies available</b>Nürnberg Sinking by W L Wyllie.Click For DetailsWY0016
<b>Two copies available</b>A German Minelayer by W L Wyllie.Click For DetailsWY0036

World War Two German Navy Prints

HMS Glowworm, burning severely after receiving hits from the mighty Admiral Hipper, is depicted turning to begin her heroic sacrifice off the Norwegian coast on 8th April 1940. Hugely out-gunned and already crippled, Glowworms captain, Lieutenant-Commander Roope rammed his destroyer into the side of the Admiral Hipper, inflicting a 40 metre rip in its armour belt before drifting away and exploding. 38 British sailors were rescued from the sea and Roope was awarded a posthumous VC for his bravery, the first earned by the Royal Navy in WWII.HMS Glowworms Attack on the Admiral Hipper by Ivan Berryman.Click For DetailsB0107
B109. Bismarck Entering Hamburg Harbour by Ivan Berryman. Bismarck Entering Hamburg Harbour by Ivan BerrymanClick For DetailsB0109
Showing visible signs of her tangle with British cruisers at the Battle of the River Plate, the German pocket battleship Graf Spee slips into the neutral waters of the Montevideo roadstead for light repairs. This was to be the last haven for the Graf Spee which was later scuttled at the harbour mouth, her commander Kapitan zur See Langsdorff believing a large British fleet to be waiting for attempted escape into the South Atlantic.Admiral Graf Spee by Ivan Berryman.Click For DetailsB0113
The mighty Bismarck returns fire to the fast-approaching HMS Hood a the start of a battle that would see both adversaries tragically sunk. Bismarck Replies to HMS Hood by Ivan Berryman.Click For DetailsB0116
February 1942 and Viz. Admiral Ciliaxs mighty Scharnhorst leads her sister Gneisenau and Prinz Eugen up the English Channel during Operation Cerberus, their daring breakout from the port of Brest on the French Atlantic coast to the relative safety of Wilhelmshaven and Brunsbuttel. All three ships survived what became known as the Channel Dash, not without damage, but the operation proved a huge propaganda success for Germany and a crushing embarrassment for the British. A number of torpedo boats are in attendance, including Kondor and Falke and the Z class destroyer Friedrich Ihn in the distance.Operation Cerberus, Channel Dash by Ivan Berryman.Click For DetailsB0117
HMS Norfolk and HMS Belfast of Force I are shown engaging the Scharnhorst which has already been hit and disabled by both HMS Duke of York and the cruiser HMS Jamaica. Scharnhorst was never to escape the clutches of the British and Norwegian forces for, having been slowed to just a few knots by numerous hits, fell victim to repeated torpedo attacks by the allied cruisers and destroyers that had trapped the German marauder. HMS Norfolk at the Battle of the North Cape by Ivan Berryman.Click For DetailsB0119
The heavy cruiser HMS Dorsetshire is brought up to sink the blazing wreck of the Bismarck with torpedoes at around 10:30 hours on the morning of May 27th 1941. The once proud German ship had been ruthlessly pounded into a twisted and burning wreck by the British battleships Rodney and King George V. HMS Dorsetshire and HMS Maori combed the area of the sinking for survivors, between them picking up a total of 110 out of an original complement of 2,300. HMS Dorsetshire (The End of the Bismarck) by Ivan Berryman.Click For DetailsB0123
Swordfish of 825 Sqn led by Lt-Cdr Esmonde begin their heroic attack on the battlescruisers Scharnhorst and Gneisenau and the heavy cruiser Prinz Eugen as they make their way up the English Channel from Brest during Operation Cerberus on 12th February 1942. Although all the aircraft were lost and no significant damage was done to the German fleet, all the pilots were decorated for their bravery and Lt-Cdr Esmonde received the first Fleet Air Arm VC to be awarded, albeit posthumously. The painting depicts the first wave of Swordfish attacking the Scharnhorst with Gneisenau taking avoiding action in the distance. A German torpedo boat has turned to confront the attacking aircraft. Attack on the Scharnhorst by Ivan Berryman.Click For DetailsB0138
HMS Glowworm, burning severely after receiving hits from the mighty Admiral Hipper, is depicted turning to begin her heroic sacrifice off the Norwegian coast on 8th April 1940. Hugely out-gunned and already crippled, Glowworms captain, Lieutenant-Commander Roope rammed his destroyer into the side of the Admiral Hipper, inflicting a 40 metre rip in its armour belt before drifting away and exploding. 38 British sailors were rescued from the sea and Roope was awarded a posthumous VC for his bravery, the first earned by the Royal Navy in WWII.The Attack on the Admiral Hipper by HMS Glowworm by Ivan Berryman.Click For DetailsB0205
The heavy cruiser Prinz Eugen slips quietly through the waters of Kiel Harbour as one of her own Arado Ar.196s flies overhead. In the background, Bismarck, wearing her Baltic camouflage, is alongside taking on supplies. Prinz Eugen by Ivan Berryman.Click For DetailsB0206
B219. Deutschland Passing Through the Kiel Canal by Ivan Berryman. Deutschland Passing Through the Kiel Canal by Ivan Berryman.Click For DetailsB0219
The German crew of a Type VII U-boat man the guns as their submarine comes under a surprise attack from a Beaufighter of Coastal Command. Surprise Attack by Ivan Berryman.Click For DetailsB0235
The Type VII U-Boat became the standard design for German submarine warfare during the Second World War, sometimes hunting in packs, but more often alone. This Type VIIC has just claimed another victim, surfacing under the cover of night to observe the fiery demise of another victim. Lone Wolf by Ivan Berryman. (P)Click For DetailsB0316
Famed for his night time surface attacks on convoys, Otto Kretschmer, commanding U-99 is shown having claimed another victim beneath a full moon during the Summer of 1940. U-99 by Ivan Berryman. (P)Click For DetailsB0318
A Type VIIC U-Boat slips quietly toward the open sea form her pen at Lorient, France in 1942. Dawn Departure by Ivan Berryman.Click For DetailsB0322
B0332P. Bismarck by Jason Askew. Bismarck by Jason Askew. (P)Click For DetailsB0332
Type VIID U-Boat.Depth Charge Attack by Jason Askew. (P)Click For DetailsB0342
Type VIID U-Boat.U-Boat by Jason Askew. (P)Click For DetailsB0343
B0344P. Bismarck Leaving Port by Jason Askew. Bismarck Leaving Port by Jason Askew. (P)Click For DetailsB0344
B0345P. Bismarck and Swordfish by Jason Askew. Bismarck and Swordfish by Jason Askew. (P)Click For DetailsB0345
Shows the action on 26th May 1941 by Swordfish from HMS Ark Royal on the German battleship Bismarck. Fresh from her triumphant encounter with HMS Hood, Bismarck was struck by Swordfishs torpedo which jammed her rudder and was finished off by the home fleet on 27th May 1941. Sink the Bismarck by Geoff Lea.Click For DetailsDHM0267
Flt. Lt. John Alexander Cruickshank in his consolidated Catalina. Winning his Victoria Cross for sinking U-347. Sinking of U-Boat 347 by Tim Fisher.Click For DetailsDHM0426
The Last of the heavy Cruisers built by Germany (5 in total) The picture shows Admiral Hipper making her first sortie on the 18th February 1940, accompanied by the Scharnhorst and the Gneisenau on Operation Nordmark. (Search for allied convoys on the route between Britain and Norway) The Narvik Squadron by Anthony Saunders.Click For DetailsDHM0524
The battered Bismarck fires its final salvos, during the last stage of the battle, 27th May 1941. Death of the Bismarck by Brian Wood.Click For DetailsDHM0568
Bismarck anchored at No.5 buoy takes on main armament ammo in Gottenhaven, before sailing to Norway and the Atlantic.Operation Rheinubung by Randall Wilson.Click For DetailsDHM0710
The Tirpitz showing her last paint scheme, she sailed from Kaafjord to Hakoy island, Tromso Fjord it was to be her final resting place. Hit by tallboy bombs she capsized and sank. Floating Fortress by Randall Wilson.Click For DetailsDHM0711
Under attack from HMS Ajax, HMS Exeter and HMS Archilles. The German Pocket battleship Graf Spee os shown at speed returning salvos, December 1939. The Battle of the River Plate by Randall Wilson.Click For DetailsDHM0712
With ssalvos landing close, the Bismarck with Prinz Eugen is shown loosing off the salvo that destroyed HMS Hood.Battle of the Denmark Straits by Randall Wilson.Click For DetailsDHM0714
The Bismarck is seen taking the lead from the Prinz Eugen on the breakout from Bergen May 1941.   Breakout by Randall Wilson.Click For DetailsDHM0729
Gneisenau returns to Kiel harbour after participating in Operation Nord Mark. With number one bowline secured crew crew prepares to bring the ship alongside. K.M.S. Gneisenau - Stand by The Bowlines by Randall Wilson.Click For DetailsDHM0735
U-552 heads for home on the surface at sunset in the Atlantic- Summer 1943. U-552 A Lonely Vigil by Robert Barbour.Click For DetailsDHM0759
On 20th October 1943, Wildcat and Avenger aircraft from the Carrier US Core, on patrol north of the Azores, surprised U378, a type VIIC U-boat which had been active in that area. The element of surprise was so complete that the submarines guns remained unmanned throughout the action. The Element of Surprise by Robert Barbour.Click For DetailsDHM0760
A type VIIC U-boat of the German navys 6th-7th Flotilla slowly manouevres within the confines of the Saint Nazaire submarine pens. The type VIIC was armed with 4 torpedo tubes in the bow and one in the stern, and had a range of patrol of approximately 9,700 nautical miles. Time to Go by Robert Barbour.Click For DetailsDHM0763
A U-boat wallows on the surface in typical Atlantic winter weather in February, 1944. approaching at low level is a Luftwaffe FW 200 C-8 Condor of 111KG 40 from the base at Bordeaux-Marignac in S.W. France. Atlantic Rendezvous by Robert Barbour.Click For DetailsDHM0765
D for Donald of 270 squadron, Royal Air Force, out of Freetown, West Africa operating in the Atlantic Ocean. It was during routine operation search that D for Donald surprised U515 on the surface and immediately attacked the submarine. U515 in putting up stiff resistance blew a large hole in the hull of D for Donald and the magazine of the starboard side 0.5 twin Browning was hit and the subsequent shrapnel wounded both blister gunners. U515 escaped but was sunk by an American naval hunter group a year later. D for Donald limped back to base and managed to make the beach before it would sink completely. Catalina Attack by John Wynne Hopkins.Click For DetailsDHM0849
October 1941, U203 approaches her mooring on the western bank at the French port of Brest. Her fate would be sealed by depth charges from the destroyer HMS Pathfinder and aircraft from the escort carrier HMS Biter while attacking the convoy ONS 4 south of Greenland on April 25th 1943. U-203 Under Cover of Darkness by Anthony Saunders.Click For DetailsDHM0853
Fairey Swordfish I, L9726 4M of 818 Sqn, HMS Ark Royal pulls a tight, climbing turn through a hail of anti-aircraft fire as its torpedo strikes home, jamming the steering gear of the mighty Bismarck and setting in motion the beginning of her dramatic end. Bismarck by Ivan Berryman.Click For DetailsDHM0933
Lother Gunther Buchheim based his famous novel The Boat on his voyage aboard U96 in the early days of World War Two. During this operation on 13th February 1941, U96 sank the straggling tanker, Arthur F Conwin, which had dropped back from the westbound convoy, HX106, after being hit by another U-boat, U103.Das Boote by Anthony Saunders.Click For DetailsDHM0968
17th February 1943, U-201 with U-69 were ordered to intercept the westbound convoy ONS165. With fuel low U-201 was eventually forced to surface following a depth charge attack and rammed by the Destroyer HMS Fame. U-201 Deadly Chase by Anthony Saunders.Click For DetailsDHM0969
The Scharnhorst is pictured in 1939 when she and her sister ship Gneisenau menacingly prowled the North Atlantic. She is shown at dawn as two type VII U-Boats glide towards her for a friendly rendezvous and to take on much needed supplies, as well as a few of the luxuries that the tiny u-boats were simply too small to carry. Atlantic Comrades by Ivan Berryman.Click For DetailsDHM1004
Flanked by destroyers, Tirpitz departs Altafjord, July 1942. Passing her port bow is a Focke-Wulf FW200 Condor C3, outbound for Recon duties. Fighter escort was performed by Me110s.Tirpitz by Randall Wilson.Click For DetailsDHM1043
The entry of the United States into the war opened up vast new hunting grounds for the German u-boat fleet. Operation Paukenschlag (Drumbeat in English) began in January 1942, bringing the U-boats their easiest pickings of the war. Over 300 allied vessels were sunk during the Paukenschlag along the US coastline, ranging from New York harbor, to the Straits of Florida. This period, also known as the second Happy Times to the men of the U-boats, was only brought to an end in mid 1942 by the formation of allied convoy systems. On the evening of April 5th 1942, U552, commanded by Kapitanleutnant Erich Topp, sealed the fate of the British tanker MV British Splendour east of Cape Hatteras. The U-boat was part of the fourth wave of boats of Operation Paukenschlag, she returned to Saint Nazaire on April 27th 1942 having sunk seven ships during the patrol.Operation Drumbeat by Anthony Saunders.Click For DetailsDHM1088
Portrayed in the southern lock at the French port of Saint Nazaire during the Autumn of 1941 are from left: U552, commanded by Kapitanleutnant Erich Topp, U567, commanded by Oberleutnant zur See Engelbert Endrass and U93, commanded by Oberleutnant zur See Horst Elfe. Saint Nazaire was home for two U-boat flotillas: 7. U-Flotille, the Wegener Flotilla and 6.U-Flotille, the Hundius Flotilla. It produced some of the top U-boat commanders including Topp, Endrass, Prien and Kretschmer. The base reached a peak of activity in mid 1943, however, by the end of the war the entire port had been flattened by the allied air forces. The only buildings to survive the onslaught were the bomb proof U-bunkers which can still be seen to this day.Wolves at Saint Nazaire by Anthony Saunders.Click For DetailsDHM1089
Bismarck, now complete and newly painted in full Baltic camouflage, returns to Hamburg for the last time as the harsh winter of 1940/41 relents and the pride of the German Kriegsmarine prepares for real action. In the distance, the pre-Dreadnought Schleswig-Holstein awaits her next commission, the old ship alternating between vital ice-breaker and air defence duties at this time. Bismarck at Hamburg by Ivan Berryman.Click For DetailsDHM1180
February 1942 and Viz. Admiral Ciliaxs mighty Scharnhorst leads her sister Gneisenau and Prinz Eugen up the English Channel during Operation Cerberus, their daring breakout from the port of Brest on the French Atlantic coast to the relative safety of Wilhelmshaven and Brunsbuttel. All three ships survived what became known as the Channel Dash, not without damage, but the operation proved a huge propaganda success for Germany and a crushing embarrassment for the British. A number of torpedo boats are in attendance, including Kondor and Falke and the Z class destroyer Friedrich Ihn in the distance. The Channel Dash by Ivan Berryman.Click For DetailsDHM1188
HMS Glowworm, burning severely after receiving hits from the mighty Admiral Hipper, is depicted turning to begin her heroic sacrifice off the Norwegian coast on 8th April 1940. Hugely out-gunned and already crippled, Glowworms captain, Lieutenant-Commander Roope rammed his destroyer into the side of the Admiral Hipper, inflicting a 40 metre rip in its armour belt before drifting away and exploding. 38 British sailors were rescued from the sea and Roope was awarded a posthumous VC for his bravery, the first earned by the Royal Navy in WWII.The attack on the Admiral Hipper by HMS Glowworm by Ivan Berryman.Click For DetailsDHM1236
Showing visible signs of her tangle with British cruisers at the Battle of the River Plate, the German pocket battleship Graf Spee slips into the neutral waters of the Montevideo roadstead accompanied by the Uruguayan gunboat Rio Negro for light repairs. (Damage can be seen on the hull and behind the Conning tower ) . This was to be the last haven for the Graf Spee which was later scuttled at the harbour mouth, her commander Kapitan zur See Langsdorff believing a large British fleet to be waiting for attempted escape into the South Atlantic. Admiral Graf Spee enters Montevideo by Ivan Berryman.Click For DetailsDHM1258
The mighty Bismarck returns fire to the fast-approaching HMS Hood a the start of a battle that would see both adversaries tragically sunk. Bismarck Replies to HMS Hood by Ivan Berryman.Click For DetailsDHM1270
Admiral Hipper Weighing Anchor in Alta Fjord with Admiral Scheer. They sortied to engage convoy PQ17.Admiral Hipper Weighing Anchor by Randall Wilson.Click For DetailsDHM1275
DHM1279. Emden and Blucher by Randall Wilson. Emden and Blucher by Randall Wilson.Click For DetailsDHM1279
The mighty German battleships Bismarck and Tirpitz operated together for only 6 hours on the 18th May 1941.   The Hunters by Randall Wilson.Click For DetailsDHM1284
Germanys U-boat fleet had almost brought Britain to its knees in the First World war, twenty years later the story was very similar. the German U-boat arm came perilously close to cutting the lifeline that crossed the Atlantic between North America and Britain. in the early years of the war Donitz realised that keeping his U-boats at sea for as long as possible would greatly increase their chances of success. here U-93 (left) and U-94 take fuel from the auxiliary cruiser Kormoran whilst in the mid-Atlantic during 1941 Dawn Rendezvous by Anthony Saunders.Click For DetailsDHM1285
The heavy cruiser HMS Dorsetshire is brought up to sink the blazing wreck of the Bismarck with torpedoes at around 10:30 hours on the morning of May 27th 1941. The once proud German ship had been ruthlessly pounded into a twisted and burning wreck by the British battleships Rodney and King George V. HMS Dorsetshire and HMS Maori combed the area of the sinking for survivors, between them picking up a total of 110 out of an original complement of 2,300. HMS Dorsetshire by Ivan Berryman.Click For DetailsDHM1288
Swordfish of 825 Sqn led by Lt-Cdr Esmonde begin their heroic attack on the battlescruisers Scharnhorst and Gneisenau and the heavy cruiser Prinz Eugen as they make their way up the English Channel from Brest during Operation Cerberus on 12th February 1942. Although all the aircraft were lost and no significant damage was done to the German fleet, all the pilots were decorated for their bravery and Lt-Cdr Esmonde received the first Fleet Air Arm VC to be awarded, albeit posthumously. Attack on the Scharnhorst by Ivan Berryman.Click For DetailsDHM1349
One of the finest battleships of all time, Bismarck was built by the Blohm and Voss shipyard in Hamburg and launched in February 1939. Her first duty was for commerce raiding in the north Atlantic. Together with the heavy cruiser Prinz Eugen, the destroyers Z10, Z16 and Z23 and a minesweeper. The Bismarck, commanded by Vice Admiral Gunther Lutjens, left her last anchorage at Grimstadt Fjord in Norway. Once Bismarcks departure was confirmed all available British forces were deployed to meet the threat. On the 24th of May 1941 the Bismarck sailed into naval history - sinking the battlescruiser and pride of the British fleet - HMS Hood. But Bismarck would have little time to celebrate, she was sunk by a scorned British fleet three days later. Here Bismarck is depicted on the evening of the 21st May 1941 entering the open sea on her fateful final voyage. Bismarck - The Final Voyage by Anthony Saunders.Click For DetailsDHM1378
Under attack by swordfish from HMS ark Royal, Bismarck heels to port as she is struck by a torpedo in the Stbd. Aft. rudder area. Bismarck by Randall Wilson.Click For DetailsDHM1396
DHM1449. Tirpitz Passing Through Kiel Canal by Ivan Berryman. Tirpitz Passing Through Kiel Canal by Ivan BerrymanClick For DetailsDHM1449
Battleship Tirpitz weighs anchor and ups steam to move out of Alta Fjord 1944. Time to Move by Randall Wilson.Click For DetailsDHM1510
Leaving the port of Gdynia on May 18th 1941, two large German warships stealthily zig-zagged their way up the coast of Norway at the outset of what was to become one pf the shortest, most fiercely fought naval contests of the Second World War. Operation Rheinubung was under way. With Fleet Commander Admiral Lutjens on the bridge, the brand new battleship Bismarck would leave the relative safety of the Norwegian fjords, destined for the busy shipping lanes in the Atlantic. After refuelling, and in company with the battlecruiser Prinz Eugen, on May 21st the two heavily armed warships headed for the Denmark Strait and out into the wide expanse of the Atlantic. Bound for active convoy routes, Bismarck would play havoc with vital Allied merchant shipping. Faster than almost any warship afloat, the magnificent new 42,000 ton monsters awesome firepower would prove no match for the lightly protected merchantmen or their escorts, as they laboriously plied their desperately needed cargo across the ocean towards Europe. It seemed she was invincible. Within three days of sailing, Bismarcks first encounter was a triumph! Intercepted south west of Iceland by the British Home Fleet, the German battleships gunners went into action for the first time, their second and third salvos striking the battlecruiser Hood. She exploded and sank within three minutes. But Bismarcks success brought the wrath of the Royal Navy upon her and, just three days later, on the morning of May 27th, with her rudder damaged by a torpedo, the pride of the German navy fell to the guns of the British Home Fleet. Outnumbered, she fought bravely, but succumbed, the magnificent new battleships active war lasting less than a week. The battleship Bismarck off the coast of Norway at the start of Operation Rheinubung. Under the watchful eye of Jagdeschwader 77s Me 109 fighters, in company with the battlecruiser Prinz Eugen, and destroyers Hans Lody and Z23, Germanys magnificent new battleship Bismarck is seen manoeuvring near Korsfjord Bergen on May 21, 1941. That evening, with Prinz Eugen, she will leave for Arctic waters, the Denmark Strait, the Atlantic, and destiny. Within days the pride of the German Kriegsmarine will have passed into history. Voyage into Destiny by Robert Taylor.Click For DetailsDHM1642
Captain Erich Topp steers his Type VIIc U-Boat number U-552 Red Devil towards the sanctuary of the base at St Nazaire after another patrol during the gruelling Battle of the Atlantic in 1942. In the skies above, heading back out to hostile waters is a giant Focke Wulf 200 Condor from III/KG40 and three Ju88Ds from KGr 106 whose missions will be to search for vulnerable Allied shipping for the submarine Wolfpacks to attack. The third-highest scoring U-Boat ace, Captain Erich Topp sank a total of thirty ships and damaged three more whilst commanding the Red Devil. Sea Wolves by Nicolas Trudgian. (C)Click For DetailsDHM1685
The mighty Tirpitz demonstrates the effectiveness of her splinter camouflage, surrounded by her net defences at Kaafjord in the Winter of 1943-44. Tirpitz in Kaafjord by Ivan Berryman.Click For DetailsDHM1718
As Me109s from 3./JG77 and Me110s from ZG76 provide aerial cover, the pride of the Kriegsmarine - the battleships Bismarck - together with the heavy cruiser Prinz Eugen, destroyers Z10 Hans Lody and Z16 Friedrich Eckholdt, and a support escort fleet break out from Norwegian waters into the open sea on the evening of 21st May 1941. Heading for the rich pickings of the North Atlantic convoy routes, her ill-fated voyage would last only a few days. After a shattering victory over HMS Hood, Bismarck was caught and sunk by the Royal Navy Home Fleet a few days later on 27th May 1941. There were just 115 survivors from her complement of over 2000 men. Break Out by Anthony Saunders.Click For DetailsDHM1893
On the morning of 11th March 1943, Fw190s from IV./JG5 took off from their base to escort the mighty battleship Tirpitz and a screening fleet of escort destroyers and torpedo boats, at the start of a voyage north to Bogen Bay during Operation Rostock. Designed to escape the increasingly frequent British bombing raids, Tirpitz would leave southern Norway to join an impressive German naval battle fleet gathering near Narvik, one of the largest German naval bases in Norway. Together with the Scharnhorst, the heavy cruiser Lutzow, and the light cruiser Nurnberg, they would pose a grave threat to the Arctic convoys. After repeated attempts to sink her, Tirpitz was eventually destroyed by the RAF at her anchorage in Altenfjord, 12th November 1944. Eismeer Patrol by Anthony Saunders.Click For DetailsDHM1894
The pride of the German Navy, this magnificent battleship attracted the full wrath of the Royal Navy when, by brilliant gunnery, she sank the Hood. Within three days she was herself sunk by the Home Fleet with the loss of all but 110 of her crew. Battleship Bismarck by Robert TaylorClick For DetailsDHM2105
Portrayal of the Channel Dash - three German ships Scharnhorst, Gneisenau embark from Brest, France returning to home ports encounter their own mines.Operation Cerberus by Robert TaylorClick For DetailsDHM2107
The Prinz Eugen, one of the finest and most famous ships in the German Navy, shelling Russian shore positions in Western Samland, the Baltic, January 1945 Earlier in the war The Prinz Eugen took part in the sinking of H.M.S. Hood and later the Channel Dash.Offshore Bombardment by Robert TaylorClick For DetailsDHM2117
Robert Taylors painting protrays the renowned defiance of the U-Boat crews. Caught on the surface by a PBY Catalina the gun crews of a type VIIc U-Boat are quickly into action. The 3.7cm anti-aircraft gun is hurriedly reloaded while on the upper platform the two 2cm anti-aircraft twins take chunks out of the Catalinas tail - enough damage to secure a respite from the attack. Soon they will dive to relative safety beneath the Atlantic swell. Against All Odds by Robert Taylor.Click For DetailsDHM2119
In the early hours of May 24, 1941, as the mighty German battleships Bismarck and Prinz Eugen slipped through the Denmark Strait, they were dramatically intercepted by the Royal Navy battleships Hood and Prince of Wales. Within six minutes of the first salvo being fired, the Hood, pride of the Royal Navy, was blown out of the water in one of the most gigantic explosions ever witnessed at sea. Bismarcks fourth salvo landed a shell forward of the Hoods after turrets, piercing her deck, exploding the 4-inch magazine. Simultaneously this detonated the adjacent 15-inch magazine, and in one mighty eruption the battleship broke in two. Within seconds she was gone. Of the ships company of 1400 officers and sailors only three survived. Outraged at the grievous loss Winston Churchill signaled the Admiralty just three words: Sink the Bismarck! Thus began one of the epic sea chases in the history of naval warfare. Damaged by shells from the Prince of Wales 14-inch guns and losing fuel oil, Admiral Lutjens broke off the engagement and steamed Bismarck towards the anonymity of the North Atlantic. Evading the British warships for 32 hours he had hopes of reaching the safety of Brest, but when spotted by a Catalina of RAF Coastal Command, Lutjens knew it was the beginning of the end for the mighty German warship. When an attack by Ark Royals Swordfish torpedo planes jammed her rudder Bismarcks fate was sealed. As she limped haphazardly through the waves trailing oil, the Home Fleet closed in for the final encounter. Overwhelmed by British guns and torpedoes, Bismarcks crew fought a gallant last battle, but the odds were too great. Watching Bismarcks final moments from King George Vs bridge, Admiral Tovey said: She put up a noble fight against impossible odds, worthy of the old days of the Imperial German Navy.Sighting the Bismarck by Robert Taylor.Click For DetailsDHM2169
The pocket-battleship Graf Spee catches the flood tide, making speed through a choppy cross-current as she leaves the German naval port of Wilhelmshaven for final trials a few weeks before the outbreak of war on 3rd September, 1939. Under her Captain, Hans Langsdorf, she will soon be on station in the South Atlantic in readiness for action against merchant shipping, vital to the survival of island Britain. The Graf Spee by Simon AtackClick For DetailsDHM2184
A tribute by artist Marii Chernev, to the men of the Kriegsmarines most famous ship, the battleship KMS Bismarck and all the navy veterans who fought in the cold waters of the North Atlantic during World War II. The Bismarcks excellent gunnery, improved armour protection and greater speed all contributed to the sinking of the pride of the Royal Navy, HMS Hood. the defeat of the Hood led to the epic sea chase where the entire Royal Navys Home Fleet pulled out all the stops in an effort to avenge the Hood and sink the Bismarck. After an incredibly lucky torpedo hit on her steering gear by Swordfish torpedo planes from the carrier HMS Ark Royal, two battleships and two heavy cruisers of the Royal Navy caught up with the Bismarck on 27th May 1941. The resultant battle ranks as one of the greatest sea battles of all time. Of a crew of over 2200 able bodiedseamen, only 116 survived the momentous battle of 27th May 1941. The senior surviving officer was Burkard Baron von Mullenheim-Rechberg, the gunnery control commander.KMS Bismarck Returns Fire, May 24th, 1941 by Marii Chernev.Click For DetailsDHM2208
Hit and run attacks by fast moving German E-Boats were a constant threat to vital Allied shipping in the Mediterranean during the second World War. Often made under cover of darkness, these fast, highly manoeuvrable craft would speed through a convoy, release their torpedoes, and disappear into the night. During the night of 15 June 1942 German E-Boats of the 3rd Flotilla left their Eastern Mediterranean base at Derna to intercept an Allied convoy bound for the island of Malta. Shortly after midnight, under the command of Leutnant Seigfried Wuppermann, the motor torpedo boat S-56 slipped past two Royal Navy escort destroyers to make a stern attack on the British cruiser HMS Newcastle. Alerted to the incoming attack, suddenly a searchlight at Newcastles foremast switched on, illuminating S-56 from stem to stern. Reacting quickly, Wuppermann fired two torpedoes in quick succession from 600 yards, and turned hard to starboard to make good his escape. A second searchlight aboard Newcastle pin-pointed S-56, but by then it was too late. Travelling at 33 knots, under fire from the escorts, S-56 threw out a smoke screen and released depth charges as a distraction, and disappeared into the darkness. Robert Taylors action packed painting shows S-56 some thirty seconds after release of her torpedoes, as the first explodes against the hull of HMS Newcastle. The second will strike a few seconds later. The cruiser, though badly damaged, limped back to Alexandria. Night Attack on the Newcastle by Robert Taylor.Click For DetailsDHM2259
The awesome battleship Tirpitz under the command of Admiral Schniewind, in company with battleships Scheer and Hipper, setting sail during Operation Rosselsprung, destined for the open sea and the North Atlantic convoy traffic. Messerschmitt Me109s of JG5, based at Petsamo, provide overhead cover while flotilla escort vessels make up the fearsome armada. The magnificent Norwegian mountains provide a spectacular backdrop this comprehensively realistic and stirring World War Two image. Knights Move by Robert TaylorClick For DetailsDHM2304
The Channel Dash (officially known as Operation Cerberus) was one of three operations during the Second World War for which the Swordfish was to become the most famous. Heavily outgunned in the Straits of Dover on this day in February 1942 by the German warships Scharnhorst, Gneisenau and Prinz Eugen, with their accompanying flotilla of destroyers and motor torpedo boats, and with top cover provided by deadly fighter aircraft of the Luftwaffe, all six Fleet Air Arm Swordfish were shot down. Only five of the eighteen aircrew survived. Here we see the Swordfish flown by Sub. Lt. Kingsmill and Sub. Lt. Samples with PO Bunce in the rear, fighting for their lives with his machine gun. Operation Cerberus - The Channel Dash by Philip West.Click For DetailsDHM2329
With her raked bo proudly slicing through the morning swell of Norwegian waters, the mighty 41,000 ton battleship Bismarck leads her consort, the heavy cruiser Prinz Eugen, with destroyers Z10, Z16 and Z23 among her escorts, into the approaches to Korsfjord near Bergen, at 0800hrs on 21st May 1941. Aboard, Bismarcks captain Ernst Lindemann was plotting a voyage that was to result in one of the greatest epics in the annals of naval warfare. As they steam towards Grimstadtfjord, an Arado Ar196A-2 floatplane gives a fly-by salute to the flotilla, this aircraft serving with I./Bordfliegerstaffel 195 which, together with 5./196 was responsible for providing aircraft for German naval vessels. Operated by Luftwaffe crews, and affectionately known as Eyes of the Fleet, the Arado 196 was specially designed for shipboard operation - with an airframe sturdy enought to withstand the rigours of catapult launching it was a highly effective armed Recce aircraft. Bismarck carried no fewer than four Arado 196 floatplanes, one always at readiness on the catapult, with three hangared aft of the funnel. As she sailed, a reconnaissance Spitfire had spotted Bismarcks movements and the British Home Fleet were alerted. The old battlecruiser Hood and new battleship Prince of Wales were despatched north-west from Scapa Flow to join the cruisers Norfolk and Suffolk in the Denmark Strait for a possible interception. And the rest is history: as Bismarck entered the Denmark Strait the two forces met. Hood, pride of the Royal Navy, received a direct hit in the ammunition magazin by a shell from Bismarck and sank so quickly that only three of her crew survived. Stunned by such severe loss, Churchill ordered the Bismarck to be sunk at all cost. Hunted down by the Home Fleet, with her rudder damaged and unable to steer, Bismarck was reduced to a mass of twisted steel by British naval gunfire, finally rolling over and sinking at 10.45 in the morning of the 27th of May. Thus ended one of the most compelling sea chases in naval history. The magnificent German battleship Bismarck at the outset of her final voyage, just five days before her fateful encounter with the British Home Fleet in the north Atlantic, May 1941. Battleship Bismarck by Simon Atack.Click For DetailsDHM2612
DHM4011. Schnell Boats Operating in the Baltic by Randall Wilson. Schnell Boats Operating in the Baltic by Randall Wilson.Click For DetailsDHM4011
This limited edition print depicts the Type VIIC U-Boat U269 during an engagement in the English Channel with a B24 Liberator from 224 Squadron based at St Eval in Cornwall. U-269 by Ivan Berryman.Click For DetailsDHM9004
On October 5th 1942 Lockheed Hudson N of 269 Squadron encountered and sank U-619 which was on its first patrol. Hudson Attack by Marii Chernev.Click For DetailsMCH0002
<b>SOLD OUT. Atlantic Wolves by Robert Taylor.Click For DetailsRST0005
<b>SOLD OUT. Atlantic Rendezvous by Robert Taylor.Click For DetailsRST0007
When the German battleships Scharnhorst and Gneisenau entered Brest in March, 1941, between them they had sunk a total of 22 ships during their North Atlantic operations. Laying in port however, they became a target for constant air attack, Scharnhorst being damaged by bombs, and in February 1942 the decision was made to break out with the famous Channel Dash. Scharnhorst led the flotilla in a daring passage through the English Channel, heading for the sanctuary of Wilhelmshaven. They all got through but, striking two mines en-route, it was March 1943 before the Scharnhorst was able to resume battle operations when, under heavy escort, she sailed for Norway. Simon Atacks panoramic seascape depicts a scene from Operation Paderborn as Scharnhorst ploughs through a lively swell with Fw190s of I./JG5, based at Oslo Fornebu, providing fighter cover. Steaming in company with destroyers Z-28 and Erich Steinbrinck, the mighty German battleship has departed Gotenhafen and is heading towards Bogen Bay, near Narvik in Norway. But Scharnhorsts days were numbered. On 26 December 1943 the huge battleship attacked a convoy off North Cape, but in the heavy seas Scharnhorst became detached from her destroyer escort. With the British Home Fleet aware of her position, and intentions, she was intercepted, the Britishbattleship Duke of York landing a barrage of 14-inch shells on the mighty German warship. The blows were fatal, the coup-de-grace coming shortly after, when 11 torpedoes sent the magnificent but deadly battleship quickly to the bottom. There were just 36 survivors. Escort to the Scharnhorst by Simon AtackClick For DetailsSA0002
On November 2, 1936 the keel was laid for a new German 35,000 ton-class battleship. On April 1, 1939 the new ship was christened the Tirpitz, and by February of 1941 the giant ship had entered service. The hull of the Tirpitz was 90% welded, and the battleship was very heavily armored, rendering it almost unsinkable in the minds of German naval strategists. In service the Tirpitz actually displaced closer to 53,000 tons. With a crew slightly in excess of 2,000 the ship was capable of making 29 knots. With a range of more than 9,000 miles at a speed of 16 knots, the Tirpitz was certain to take a heavy toll on Allied shipping in the North Atlantic. The Royal Navy and RAF determined that the Tirpitz must never be allowed to become an effective convoy buster, and a multi-year campaign of harassment of the huge German warship was undertaken. In July of 1940, while the ship was still being outfitted, an air attack was launched with little significant damage. After completing its sea trials the Tirpitz was based at the Faettenfjord in Norway. The Tirpitz unsuccessfully attacked two convoys in March of 1942, and itself was attacked by a flight of 12 Albacore torpedo bombers. Three more bombing attacks by Halifax and Lancaster bombers took place in March and April with only marginal success. In July the Tirpitz was moved to Altafjord, and in that month it again attacked a convoy with no success. In October the great ship was sent back to Faeteenfjord for servicing. In 1943 several midget submarine attacks were launched at the battleship, but again with no meaningful impact. No air attacks took place in 1943. In early 1944 the Tirpitz was the target for Soviet bombers, but once again the ship pulled through unscathed. In April of 1944 the Brits once again joined the attack and the Royal Navy sent a large group of 40 Barracudas with about 40 escort fighters to attack the battleship at Kaalfjord. This attack resulted in fifteen hits, generated 400 casualties, and did some serious damage to the upper deck. Follow-up air attacks were called off by bad weather, and it was not until August that three more raids took place. None of these had much impact. In September the Brits changed strategies and commenced attacks on the Tirpitz using 11,000-pound Tallboy bombs. A flight of 32 Lancasters delivered 29 Tallboys to the target in November of 1944. Two direct hits and one near miss were recorded. The great battleships armored deck was pierced by the huge bombs, its magazine exploded, and the ship capsized and sunk with more than 1200 killed. In Stan Stokes painting the attack of April 3, 1944 that was code-named Operation Tungsten is depicted. The Fairey Barracuda despite an ungainly appearance was produced in large numbers (2,500) for use as Royal Navy dive and torpedo bombers. With a crew of 3 and a top speed of only 238-MPH the Barracuda required fighter support during most of its missions to prevent it from becoming an easy target for Axis fighters. Attack on the Tirpitz by Stan Stokes.Click For DetailsSTK0127
Commissioned on August 24, 1940, the German battleship Bismarck was the epitome of naval power. The great ship was 823 feet in length, had a beam of 118 feet, and a displacement of 50,000 tons. After nine months of sea trials the Bismarck embarked on its first mission accompanied by the cruiser Prinz Eugen on May 19, 1941. The Bismarcks mission was to destroy and disrupt convoys carrying war relief supplies to Britain from North America. On May 20th the Bismarck was spotted and reported to British intelligence as it passed through the narrow straits between Denmark and Sweden. The British presumed correctly that the Bismarck was headed for the North Atlantic, but by which route? Dividing its naval forces in an attempt to intercept the mighty German battleship, four ships were sent to patrol the Denmark strait, including the newly commissioned battleship Prince of Wales, and the H.M.S. Hood, a heavily armed battle cruiser, pride of the British fleet. On may 23rd the Bismarck was spotted by the H.M.S. Norfolk and the H.M.S. Suffolk. The Bismarck opened fire on the Norfolk, which was out gunned by the German ship, but fortunately was able to elude the Bismarck because of heavy fog and mist. With its position identified British Naval authorities ordered several other ships to the area including the H.M.S. Ark Royal, one of two aircraft carriers dispatched. On May 24th the Bismarck was engaged again. The H.M.S. Hood took a direct hit and exploded with the loss of all but three of its large crew. The Bismarck took two hits from the Prince of Wales during this battle, one of which had the effect of reducing the huge ships effective fuel capacity, and hence range. Later that evening a torpedo plane attack was launched at the German battleship, which sustained one hit with little damage. On May 25th the Bismarck separated from the Prinz Eugen, and set a course for the French coast in hopes of making repairs. On May 26th the Bismarck was located again by a British reconnaissance aircraft. In an attempt to prevent the ship from reaching the safety of Luftwaffe air cover, a second torpedo plane attack was launched from the Ark Royal. Utilizing Fairy Swordfish bi-plane torpedo bombers, two hits were achieved. The first was amidships and caused virtually no damage. The second hit was astern, and resulted in the jamming of the Bismarcks rudder. Unable to maneuver, the great German battleship had little choice that to continue steaming for the French coast. Four more British warships lay in its path including the H.M.S. Rodney, the H.M.S. King George V, the H.M.S. Dorsetshire, and the H.M.S. Norfolk. On the morning of May 27th an enormous sea battle took place, with the unmaneuverable Bismarck taking more than 1,000 direct hits. After losing its fire control system, the Bismarck became a defenseless target. At approximately 10:00 AM Bismarcks Captain gave the orders to scuttle the enormous ship, and about 40 minutes later the great vessel slipped quietly beneath the surface of the Atlantic. Sink the Bismarck by Stan Stokes.Click For DetailsSTK0131

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