Company autumn trip
The planned enterprise under the code name Herbstreise was a German diversionary maneuver for the landing in Great Britain ( enterprise sea lion ) in the area of the North Sea . The planning of the company was carried out from August 1, 1940 by the Naval Group Command East under the leadership of Admiral Rolf Carls . The latter suggested the following measures to the naval war command (literal quotation from Carl's letter to the naval war command):
“Three days before the start of the Sea Lion operation, significant troop transfers should be carried out in Denmark and Norway . Subsequently, seven to ten freighters of around 2000 GRT were to leave southern Norway in convoy, followed by two small hospital ships in order to pretend to the enemy that landing troops had indeed been embarked. "
This proposal was supported by Army High Command XXXVI, which planned a landing attack from the German-occupied Norwegian area Oslo - Bergen against the British east coast between Edinburgh and Newcastle . For this purpose, the embarkation of the 69th and 214th Infantry Divisions should be simulated. In addition, Army Command XXXI planned to simulate a landing attack in the area of the English town of Blyth from northern Germany . The 163rd Infantry Division was intended as a deception force for this purpose.
Other marine forces were supposed to simulate the transport company. These should take place in close timely coordination with the simulated or actual landing company "Sea Lion". The heavy cruisers Admiral Hipper and Admiral Scheer were scheduled to appear in the area of the British blockade line of the Northern Patrol between Iceland and the Faroe Islands five to six days before the start of the mock attack . This was intended to attract and bind part of the UK Home Fleet north. Before the start of the actual “Seelöwe” landing operation, these ship associations would have had to call at a supply port to replenish their fuel supplies.
The Naval War Command supplemented Admiral Carl's proposals with additional space for the diversionary operation. The express steamers Europa , Bremen , Gneisenau and Potsdam were therefore also planned . Finally the following convoys were put together.
- Convoy I: the steamers Stettiner Greif , Dr. Heinrich Wiegand and Pommern , secured by eight other small ships.
- Convoy II: the steamers Steinburg , Bugsee , Ilse LM Russ and Flottbeck , secured by eight other small ships.
- Convoy III: the steamers Iller , Sabine Howaldt and Lumme , secured by six other small ships.
- Convoy IV: the express steamers Europa , Bremen , Gneisenau and Potsdam , secured by the light cruiser Emden and five boats of the torpedo school flotilla.
The light cruisers Nuremberg and Cologne as well as the artillery training ship Bremse and five other smaller ships were to be used for remote security of the planned convoy trains. The weather observation ships Sachsen , Fritz Homann and Adolf Vinnen were planned for radio deception .
The entire "Herbstreise" company, like the Seelöwe company, was postponed several times and later not implemented.
To disguise the landing in Normandy ("Operation Overlord") , the Allies carried out " Operation Fortitude " in 1943/1944, an alleged landing near Calais and Norway .
literature
- Peter Schenk: Landing in England. The planned company "Sea Lion". The beginning of large amphibious companies. Oberbaum Verlag, Berlin 1987, ISBN 978-3-926409-44-7 .