Luetjens chooses the Iceland-Faeroes Gap instead

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RF
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Re: Luetjens chooses the Iceland-Faeroes Gap instead

Post by RF »

Paul L wrote:
So such minefields were not very effective.
The effect of a minefield can be more in deterrence than actual ship sinkings.
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Re: Luetjens chooses the Iceland-Faeroes Gap instead

Post by A Raven »

Your message of 22/10/15,

Your first paragraph is without meaning.

Your second paragraph is invalid for passage of large surface warships, And ... that is the reason why the Bismarck and consort used the Denmark Strait. At the time, the Strait had a clear passage of about 20 miles. O Hara is, unfortunately an inferior writer.

Your 3rd paragraph re minefields. The mine barrier WAS effective. It stopped traffic with a substantial degree of effectiveness. However the barrier was NOT fully effective until around mid 1941.

This message was successfully submitted on 22 of October 2015 at 11.53 am EST.
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Re: Luetjens chooses the Iceland-Faeroes Gap instead

Post by Paul L »

RF wrote:
Paul L wrote:
So such minefields were not very effective.
The effect of a minefield can be more in deterrence than actual ship sinkings.

true enough. but the KM did use these routes GIUK gap
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Re: Luetjens chooses the Iceland-Faeroes Gap instead

Post by tommy303 »

The effect of a minefield can be more in deterrence than actual ship sinkings.
Or, if the enemy suspects the minefield is there, a mine barrage can also redirect an enemy's vessels passage into a smaller or more easily patrolled search area.

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Re: Luetjens chooses the Iceland-Faeroes Gap instead

Post by Paul L »

Exactly; but the proof of the pie is in the eating and the KM continued to sortie U-boat's & vessels into the late war.
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Re: Luetjens chooses the Iceland-Faeroes Gap instead

Post by RF »

The sortying continued into late 1942. After that it was abandoned for surface ships, after a number of blockade runners were caught by radar equipped cruisers.
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Re: Luetjens chooses the Iceland-Faeroes Gap instead

Post by Paul L »

RF wrote:The sortying continued into late 1942. After that it was abandoned for surface ships, after a number of blockade runners were caught by radar equipped cruisers.
U-Boats are small surface ships with a limited ability to escape by submerging. They did continued to sortie through the war. In addition radar equipped cruisers could never shut down the GIUK gap with out constant radar equipped patrol bombers . Such patrol bombers and radar suffered in bad weather so running the gap was always possible in those conditions. The real key was ULTRA always telling allies when such ships came and went.

The KM continued to sortie through late 1943 but this was mostly 'to and from France'.
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Re: Luetjens chooses the Iceland-Faeroes Gap instead

Post by Dave Saxton »

Paul L wrote:Such patrol bombers and radar suffered in bad weather so running the gap was always possible in those conditions.
I'm interested in this. Can you elaborate on this please?
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