OK , assuming there aren't any but some detail changes , except for the Main Armament swap from 4 x 2 - 8 inch to 4 x 3 - 5.9 inch , that the turrets are now armoured to a similar WEIGHT ( which might come out a little thinner than the 8 inch ones ), and that the Kriegsmarine's enginners have done something to improve the P E / Hipper pattern engines .RF wrote:A Hipper with triple 5.9's instead of 8 inch? I'm not really convinced that it would be that formidable, its like Bismarck being armed with four triple 11 inch turrets - and then what would have happened at the DS battle?hammy wrote: In Germany Admiral Raeder was considering a Hipper development armed with four triple 5.9s ( and on a 14000 ton displacement that should have been a formidable opponent ) at one stage .
Lets call her Kms "Bratwurst" and send her out of Norway in October 1941 under the ( Vigourous and competent ) command of Herr Kapitan-zur-Zee Bernd von Bonensalat , to break through the patrol line between Faroes/Iceland in dirty "breakout" weather that prevents any flying .
The gale will moderate to a strong breeze after 24 hours but Autumnal Grey wet and windy weather is set to last for the next week or so , quite a swell at sea and bad flying weather in the whole North Atlantic and Northwest European areas .
On the way through she has an encounter with an Armed Merchant cruiser at 8.00 am ( 8 x 6 inch guns , 5 on a broadside ) who wireless reports her as a big German cruiser , which brings a "County" class cruiser rushing down across "Bratwursts" track at 3.00 pm and sighting her at 6 miles away in the murk .
If "Bratwurst" can get away , there is a convoy heading generally east towards the Clyde , about 18 hours away approximately to the west , escort one "Town" class cruiser (with 12 x 6 inch) and the convoy commodore in another AMC , all being trailed by a U-boat , which is out of torps but has plenty to say on the radio by way of constant updates on the convoys current position ............. .
Run the likely scenario(s) then for what happens at 8.00 am , at 3.00 pm , and possibly at noon the day after .
Oh and the the Home fleet's Battlewagons , Carriers and escorts happen to be all in Scapa for a variety of reasons , and the first Group cant get out of the Flow for 8 hours after the first sighting report is received and digested , and the Admiral is accordingly very cross .