Historical

[Brian James]

Artillery Training Ship Bremse of the Reichsmarine, later Kriegsmarine, also had a secondary function as a testbed for new marine diesel engines later installed in German Panzerschiffe (pocket battleships).
The vessel was launched on Jan. 24th, 1931 by the Reichsmarinewerft Wilhelmshaven, yard number 118, and commissioned on July 14th, 1932 as a replacement for the older Artillery Training Vessels used by the Navy since the 1920's. Bremse was driven by 8 M.A.N. diesel engines with a total power of 28,400 H.P. and a planned service speed of 27 knots. Maximum speed, Bremse achieved 29.1 knots during trial runs. Her armament consisted of 4 x 5-inch guns, 4 x 3,7-cm guns and 8 x 2-cm AA-guns. Additionally she had the capability to load up to 156 mines.
After sea trials and exercises, Bremse was attached to the Artillery Training School at Kiel and remained in that function as a until the outbreak of WW 2. In 1933 she underwent repairs and a complete refit; her mast was shortened to improve stability and her artillery director was removed. In July 1939, Bremse was used in the film "Der letzte Apell" as the British Scout Cruiser HMS Amphion with two additional dummy funnels installed.
After the outbreak of WW 2 on Sept. 1st, 1939, Bremse was first used as an escort vessel for Minelayers and Troopships in September1939 and also controlled neutral shipping for carrying contraband in the Baltic Sea during October. Afterwards, until April 1940, Bremse was again used as a Training Vessel.
On April 9th, 1940, Bremse was part of the "Kriegsschiffgruppe 3" (warship group 3) during Operation Weserübung, the occupation of Denmark and Norway. Group 3 was tasked with occupying the port of Bergen. During the operation, Bremse was shelled by Norwegian coastal artillery in the Grimstadfjord and hit by two 21-cm shells. She was subsequently repaired at Stavanger until August 5th, 1940. In the later course of 1940 Bremse again served as an escort vessel for convoys, traveling between Germany and Norway.
On November 1st, 1940, Bremse was rammed by the steamer Donau whilst anchoring on the roads of Frederikshaven, sustaining damages to her bow. Repairs lasted until November 25th. Within a week, on December 2nd, 1940, Bremse again sustained damages when she struck rocks in the Faa-Fjord. She was taken to Stavanger, where repairs lasted until early June 1941. Afterwards the vessel again served as escort vessel along the Norwegian coast. On July 30th, 1941, Bremse was attacked by 20 Fairey Albacore torpedo planes and 9 Fairey Fulmar fighters off Kirkenes, but remained undamaged. Bremse's AA-artillery and fighters of the 6./JG 5 shot down 11 Albacore and 2 Fulmars.
Bremse's luck ran out on September 6th, 1941. Off the Hammerfjord, near Mageröya Island, while escorting the troop transports Trautenfels and Barcelona, carrying together 1500 mountain troops. Bremse was intercepted and attacked by Cruisers HMS Nigeria and HMS Aurora. Bremse was able to draw the Cruisers away from the transports, so that they could escape, but in the ensuing combat Bremse sustained several bad hits and sunk during the following night. 160 of her crew perished, only about 40 were saved.

[Brian James]

Type U-9 U Boats pictured with Accommodation Ship SMS Acheron (Ex Bismarck Class Corvette SMS Moltke), at Kiel in 1913.

[Brian James]

WWI U Boat and Battleships..no audio..https://www.filmportal.de/en/node/1220503

[Brian James]

The surrendered Deutschland Class U-Boat SMS U-151 pictured at Arsenal de Cherbourg in 1920.

[Brian James]

Lead Ship, Corvette SMS Bismarck pictured in Fitzroy Graving Dock, Cockatoo Island Dockyard, Sydney in 1879.

[Brian James]

Launch day for Brandenberg Class Pre-Dreadnought Battleship SMS Wörth at Friedrich Krupp Germaniawerft Shipyards at Kiel on August 6th 1892.

[Brian James]

Original Kriegsmarine O Class Battlecruiser blueprint dated 1940..The O class was a planned Class of three Battlecruisers for the Kriegsmarine before World War II. Prompted by a perceived lack in ship numbers when compared with the RN, the O Class' design was born with the suggestion of modifying the P-Class Cruiser design with 15 inch guns instead of 11.1 inch. The ships were incorporated into the 1939 Plan Z for the re-equipment and expansion of the Kriegsmarine; while an Aircraft Carrier, H-Class Battleships and smaller ships engaged convoy escorts, one or more O-Class ships would attack the merchant ships. The O Class' design reflected their intended role; a heavy main armament (six 15 inch guns in three dual turrets) for possible encounters with escorting 8 inch -armed Heavy Cruisers, enough armour to defend against the same and nothing more, and a high top speed so that they could get away from slower but much better armoured capital ships. Although planned and ordered, construction did not progress due to lack of materials and higher priorities for ship construction.

[designeraccd]

Two photos of a model of the projected O class........ DFO

[Brian James]

Helgoland Class Dreadnought Battleship SMS Thüringen.

[Brian James]

The surrendered Type U93 Submarine SMS U-111 pictured at Philadelphia Navy Yard on April 8th 1920...she was surrendered to Great Britain at Harwich on November 20th 1918 and transferred to the USN on March 25th 1919.