You may have had "A History of Bilgewater" in mind. This is a series of long, rambling and largely irrelevant dissertations- it does not concern us here.
Ufo,
Thanks for the point, but I haven't finished yet. Have you read The Elusive Sisters by Richard Garrett? He quotes from Raeder's 23rd May order. "In the great struggle for Germany's destiny, the navy can only fulfil its task by showing an uncompromising spirit and a resolve to inflict damage on the enemy at whatever risk to itself." Diversion tactics?? In strategic principle maybe, in this case a very specific rescue mission for the failing German invasion of North Norway.
And again from Garrett" Saalwachter at Navy Group West was more specific. ""The first and main objective", he told Marschall, "is a surprise penetration of the Andfjord and Vaagsfjord {the approaches to the Allied base at Harstad} and the destruction of enemy warships and transports there encountered, as well as of his beachhead installations."
Garrett had mentioned an earlier plan ( even barmier ) to send the virtually unescorted liners Bremen and Europa on a suicide mission to Narvik to bring reinforcements for Dietl.
Hitler and the top brass had obviously been much impressed by Warspite and her squadron steaming into Ofotfjord/ Narvik, smashing Bonte's destroyers to pulp and bombarding Dietl out of the town and fancied Marschall should do the same at Harstad. He plainly thought the idea was balmy, crammed in constrained waters with the overwhelming Home Fleet somewhere in the vicinity, and told his subordinates so. Luckily, according to Garrett, U-Boat sightings indicated transports at sea, and Marschall went after them. Even after Oil Pioneer, Juniper and Orama had been sunk, Navy Group West reminded him about Harstad. "Convoy attack to be delegated to Hipper and destroyers. Further target Trondheim. Main objective remains Harstad."
He covered the Trondheim requirement by detaching Hipper and the low on fuel detroyers, and headed up north with the battlecruisers. According to B-Dienst appreciation night of 6-7th June he might have to face at least Valiant, Glorious, Ark Royal, Southampton, Devonshire, Coventry and up to 15 destroyers.
He was only obeying orders when he sent them to Trondheim.Yet when he would have needed them for scouting and screening he had send them away on a secondary mission. Questionable at least.
Hey, when you go out to hurt people and break things sometimes Sh*t Happens! There might have been a few torpedoes flying about in Andfjord and Vaagsfjord if he had obeyed his daft orders and much less chance to dodge.The torpedo hit on Scharnhorst is simply not understandable. A battleship should not receive a torpedo on 130 hm from a single destroyer.
Having stirred up a mighty Hornet's Nest (so no Atlantic foray), and with the original mission obsolete, ie no targets, what on earth would be the point of risking his remaining ships further? There was nothing to attack. Dietl was already saved, the Allies were gone. Norway was theirs, Glorious was sunk, mission accomplished, home in time for tea and Schnitzels. Oops, Gniesenau blunders into a sub and more sh*t happens.Why on earth did Marschall turn home? Scharnhorst was well capable of looking after herself. Marschall had a heavy cruiser, a battleship and destroyers at his command and all he managed is to get home safely ?!?
Besides, in the "f**k the mission and getting home safely stakes"
Marschall was no match for the Master of Getting Lost. Lutjen's abandonment of Bonte's destroyers and his "Run away to Iceland Very Fast Indeed" approach to protecting the Norwegian invasion was a classic. Not so much distant cover as extremely remote cover indeed. Bonte needed a diversion in Norway to get away, not somewhere off Iceland.Luetjens in turn fully embraced Raeders (questionable!) strategy.
If the clear minded, incisive Marschall had been in command at Denmark Straits he would have known a wounded bird in the hand was far preferable to simply getting lost in the bush! Thank God he was beached!
All the Best
wadinga