redcoat
Active member
She had no shells !!!!!
She couldn't have defeated the two cruisers the RN sent to escort her, let alone a battleship
Prinz Eugen in 1945
She couldn't have defeated the two cruisers the RN sent to escort her, let alone a battleship
redcoat
Active member
If she shows any sign of resistance, the RN vessels with hit her with everything they have.
BritinBritain
Per Ardua Ad Astra
No one is ganging up on you Nikki.
The fact is, Brinkman as its been stated before only had two real choices, surrender or scuttle his ship. As for making a run for it or perhaps try and fight her way out, she would have been blown out of the water.
Besides which, she really didn't really have anywhere to go. Brinkman and his crew, like everyone else had enough of war and simply wanted to survive and get home to their families. He in my opinion, did the honourable thing and surrendered.
My 2 cents worth
BritinBritain
Per Ardua Ad Astra
I think its pointless to carry on this thread.:roll:
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GUys,
i know you guys thing om crazy for putting this thread on here.. But i did tell you guys why! a few mpoths back i had a dream. this thread is that dream ok.. But i was talking ti another friend could they tow her back to germany of she didnt go on her own or what would they do??
Nikki
i know you guys thing om crazy for putting this thread on here.. But i did tell you guys why! a few mpoths back i had a dream. this thread is that dream ok.. But i was talking ti another friend could they tow her back to germany of she didnt go on her own or what would they do??
Nikki
MontyB
All-Blacks Supporter
They wouldn't have towed it back to Germany if the crew had refused to sail it back under its own steam they would have sunk it on the spot, had it decided to turn itself in at the first Swedish port rather than surrender the crew would have been interned and the ship turned over to an allied crew who would have taken it back to Germany more than likely with the German crew (certainly its officers) under arrest for disobeying Donetz's order to surrender.
MontyB
All-Blacks Supporter
I think on the whole you are over looking the general war weariness of the German military by 1945, the ship had been at war for 6 years they had seen their country, cities and families destroyed I would suspect that for most German forces by May 1945 they knew they were not going to win this war either so why bother to fight on with more futile loss of life.
As I have said previously the Prinz Eugen has the distinction of having fought through the entire war, it was involved in the action that sank the Hood, survived the Bismarks sinking, took part in the channel dash, covered the withdrawal of countless civilians and soldiers from Prussia, single handed held up the Russian advance with its firepower, perhaps it had earnt the right to be the only operation capital ship of the Kriegsmarine to survive the war and its crew with it.
MontyB,
dont get me wrong, PE was a Good ships,Ande yes sher made it to Brest, when Bismarck didnt. But IF Hans know she was going to the US, He or her first CO Helmuth Brinkmann, would not have given her up so openly.. that was my only pouint im making here ok.. im not tryiong to be Smartass ok.. Also what did you mean on this: They wouldn't have towed it back to Germany if the crew had refused to sail it back under its own steam they would have sunk it on the spot, had it decided to turn itself in at the first Swedish port rather than surrender the crew would have been interned and the ship turned over to an allied crew who would have taken it back to Germany more than likely with the German crew (certainly its officers) under arrest for disobeying Donetz's order to surrender.
Nikki
dont get me wrong, PE was a Good ships,Ande yes sher made it to Brest, when Bismarck didnt. But IF Hans know she was going to the US, He or her first CO Helmuth Brinkmann, would not have given her up so openly.. that was my only pouint im making here ok.. im not tryiong to be Smartass ok.. Also what did you mean on this: They wouldn't have towed it back to Germany if the crew had refused to sail it back under its own steam they would have sunk it on the spot, had it decided to turn itself in at the first Swedish port rather than surrender the crew would have been interned and the ship turned over to an allied crew who would have taken it back to Germany more than likely with the German crew (certainly its officers) under arrest for disobeying Donetz's order to surrender.
Nikki
MontyB,
dont get me wrong, PE was a good crusier, i was talking to another friend about this., and her mentioned they could pin her, in between the two crusiers and the Distroyers, and take her to scapa flow that way, But what do you thing, is that a possable or no?
NIKKI
dont get me wrong, PE was a good crusier, i was talking to another friend about this., and her mentioned they could pin her, in between the two crusiers and the Distroyers, and take her to scapa flow that way, But what do you thing, is that a possable or no?
NIKKI
BritinBritain
Per Ardua Ad Astra
Absolutely.
As I mentioned previously, by 1945, everyone was sick of war including the officers and crew of Prinz Eugen. All they wanted to do was get home and carry on with their lives.
MontyB
All-Blacks Supporter
The thing is that we have answers to this question already as there was nothing forcing the ship to surrender she could have decided to fight it out to the bitter end or make a run for neutral Sweden (and given the distances involved probably would have made it) but the Captain and crew decided that it would be a futile and ultimately unsuccessful venture.
They chose the only real course of action open to them, I think to some degree you are still under estimating the achievement of this ship in just surviving the war, the fact that it sailed into captivity under its own steam and that its crew got to survive the war was an amazing feat by comparison to the rest of the German surface fleet.
They chose the only real course of action open to them, I think to some degree you are still under estimating the achievement of this ship in just surviving the war, the fact that it sailed into captivity under its own steam and that its crew got to survive the war was an amazing feat by comparison to the rest of the German surface fleet.
Guys,
this is going a little off this topic: If Renown and Repulse went up against PE, could they handle her, and get a tow line on her to keep her from helping her brother Bismarck in his last fight against KGV, Rondey, Norfolk and Dorsetshire? I guess what i was trying to ask is could they hold on to her with the towlines til, bismarck got sank, then when KGV and Rondey, when back to scapa flow, the four of them take her back with them, but if they able to get a prize crew on board, they dont have to two her, but say in a net around her, so she can run for freedom, that what i ment ok..
Nikki
this is going a little off this topic: If Renown and Repulse went up against PE, could they handle her, and get a tow line on her to keep her from helping her brother Bismarck in his last fight against KGV, Rondey, Norfolk and Dorsetshire? I guess what i was trying to ask is could they hold on to her with the towlines til, bismarck got sank, then when KGV and Rondey, when back to scapa flow, the four of them take her back with them, but if they able to get a prize crew on board, they dont have to two her, but say in a net around her, so she can run for freedom, that what i ment ok..
Nikki
MontyB
All-Blacks Supporter
Umm the Prinz Eugen wasn't there when the Bismark was sunk and had it been there it would have been sunk as well.
The Prinz Eugen and in fact any warship built in the last 200 years is not something you just sail up to and throw tow lines on or board with grappling hooks and cutlasses especially if it is firing at you I would go as far as to say that the only ships in the last 600 years that have been taken in combat were first beaten to the point that they could no longer remain in action and then struck their colours.
The thing is that had the Prinz Eugen chosen not to surrender the allies would not have risked life and limb to take the vessel undamaged they would have hunted it down and sunk it with overwhelming firepower, there are no other options or scenarios for it.
The Prinz Eugen and in fact any warship built in the last 200 years is not something you just sail up to and throw tow lines on or board with grappling hooks and cutlasses especially if it is firing at you I would go as far as to say that the only ships in the last 600 years that have been taken in combat were first beaten to the point that they could no longer remain in action and then struck their colours.
The thing is that had the Prinz Eugen chosen not to surrender the allies would not have risked life and limb to take the vessel undamaged they would have hunted it down and sunk it with overwhelming firepower, there are no other options or scenarios for it.