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On March 22, 1941, two German capital ships entered the German-occupied port of Brest in France for essential repairs. These vessels, the battle cruisers Scharnhorst and her sister ship Gneisenau, had just completed Operation Berlin, during which they successfully sank 22 Allied merchant vessels in two months. The presence of these formidable ships in the port posed a significant threat to merchant convoys in the Atlantic Sea route.
Both battle cruisers, weighing approximately 32,000 tons each, boasted a top speed of 32 knots and were armed with nine 11-inch guns. These vessels were well-armored, capable of withstanding substantial damage. Post-operation assessments revealed defects in Scharnhorst's boiler, while Gneisenau required minor repairs for a swift return to sea.
German dockyard workers promptly initiated repairs on both ships in the port. Local workers were barred due to concerns about French resistance agents delivering information to the British. Six days after their arrival, the Royal Air Force's reconnaissance aircraft detected the presence of the German capital ships, prompting necessary action to counter the threat.
A series of air raids ensued, with the RAF targeting the port of Brest on the night of March 30-31, dropping approximately 130 tons of bombs. While these attacks caused only minor damage to the battle cruisers, daily air raids continued, met with retaliatory responses from German anti-aircraft guns.
On April 5, Gneisenau was taken out of dry dock for repairs, and aerial reconnaissance identified an opportunity for a successful torpedo attack with four twin-engine bristol beaufort aircraft carrying torpedoes to attack them all torpedoes failed to meet their marks except Flying Officer Kenneth Campbell who executed a low-altitude torpedo launch, damaging Gneisenau's starboard propeller and shaft. Despite this, the Germans fortified the port to prevent further RAF attacks.
In late May 1941, the German battleship Bismarck was sunk by the British Navy at the Battle of Denmark Straits. Following this,her escort ship who mannaged to survive the battle the German heavy cruiser Prinz Eugen arrived in Brest for repairs, facing an air raid in July that caused significant damage. By August, all three German warships—Scharnhorst, Gneisenau, and Prinz Eugen were back at the port of Brest.
The Fuhrer, alarmed by the risks posed by British air raids, decided to redeploy the ships. In early 1942, the battleship Tirpitz sailed to Norway, acting as a deterrent against an Allied invasion and intercepting convoys heading to the Soviet Union. The three ships in Brest, having completed their repairs, faced the challenge of returning to Germany.
Two possible routes were considered: a northern route around Iceland into the North Sea or a riskier direct route through the English Channel. The latter was chosen fearing that the ships would face the same fate as the monster ship Bismark Despite the dangers, Operation Cerberus was launched, successfully guiding the ships through the English Channel under the command of Vice Admiral Otto Ciliax.
The operation, conducted on the night of February 11, 1942, involved meticulous planning and skillful navigation to evade British air and naval forces who have launched operation Fuller, to guide against German capital ships hunting along the English channel. at 6 10 pm as the evening fell the RAF called back the last of the 242 bombers signaling the failure of operation fuller
Although subjected to air raids and attempted torpedo attacks, and naval mines the German fleet emerged unscathed, marking Operation Cerberus as a bold and successful German victory.
The subsequent fate of Scharnhorst, Gneisenau, and Prinz Eugen will be explored in an upcoming article. Stay tuned to Military Times and subscribe for further updates.
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