MTB attack on Scharnhorst, Gnesienau and Prinz Eugen at Brest

[PMN1]

MTB 74 was specially converted for an attack on Scharnhorst whilst it was at Brest in early 1942 but the Germans very unsportingly decided to conduct the Channel Dash before she could be used. MTB 74 was later used in Operation Chariot.

The conversion had the existing torpedo tubes replaced by two 18" torpedoes in the bows from where they would fire over any protective anti torpedo nets.

Now assuming the Germans play ball and the ships are still there, what are the chances of a successful attack??

I have only seen reference to MTB 74 being converted but is a MTB attack idea anything more than desperation?

According to this

MTB 74 and the St. Nazaire Raid MTB built - Warlord Games

Wanting more diversity in my Vosper force the special attack MTB 74 was a must. Recce had shown that Scharnhorst and Gneisenau had been at Brest behind three rings of protective booms. The RN decided that a 1940 type Vosper MTB was to be converted into a special attack vessel. It got a special...

www.warlordgames.com

It got a special device at bow to cut or jump the booms that never worked well. The 21” TT got removed and replaced with 18” at the bow. They should project the “torpedoes” with compressed air over 150 yards. The projectiles had no engine, so 1200 ibs Aminol explosive found room.

The twin .303 was removed and a new exhaust system with big mufflers was added aft.

After some training MTB 74 under Sub Lt Wynn RNVR made a dummy run to Brest. Only to hear in radio news that the German battleships left Brest.

 

[Scott Kenny]

Ah, launched over the nets and then left to settle onto the bottom, basically as mines with a backup timed fuze.

I'm not sure how well that would have worked. You really need to get a big chunk of the hull inside the bubble pulse of the blast, then the ship basically folds itself in half into the bubble.

 

[Dilandu]

Ah, launched over the nets and then left to settle onto the bottom, basically as mines with a backup timed fuze.

I'm not sure how well that would have worked. You really need to get a big chunk of the hull inside the bubble pulse of the blast, then the ship basically folds itself in half into the bubble.

Well, British would probably be perfectly fine with any damage for Sharnhorst or Gneisenau. Deprived of drydock, they would be very hard to repair in case of even relatively minor underwater damage.

 

[EwenS]

Well, British would probably be perfectly fine with any damage for Sharnhorst or Gneisenau. Deprived of drydock, they would be very hard to repair in case of even relatively minor underwater damage.

At Brest the two identical Laninon dry docks were large enough to dock the twins and both vessels were docked there in 1941. Gneisenau was bombed on 10 April 1941 while in one. The two docks can be seen in this photo at bottom left, just in front of the nose of the lead Halifax and are labelled Bassin 8 & 9 in the following dockyard plan.

German battleship Scharnhorst - Wikipedia

en.m.wikipedia.org

French battleship Dunkerque - Wikipedia

en.m.wikipedia.org

On the extreme left, beside the two Lannion dry docks lies the incomplete dock planned and started by the French pre-WW2 as part of the expansion of the Brest Naval Yard there. A construction dock and a fitting out dock to take the largest battleships were then being planned. The existing Salou construction dock at Brest was too small which meant Dunkerque had to be constructed in two parts (her stern section was added while in Bassin 8), while Richelieu had to be built in 3 parts (her bow and stern sections were added at Laninon)

The Laninon docks were used to fit out both Dunkerque & Richelieu, after the main part of their hulls had been constructed in Bassin 4.

 

[PMN1]

Ah, launched over the nets and then left to settle onto the bottom, basically as mines with a backup timed fuze.

I'm not sure how well that would have worked. You really need to get a big chunk of the hull inside the bubble pulse of the blast, then the ship basically folds itself in half into the bubble.

Yes, presumably why the warhead was increased in size so much.

The tube launched 'Baseball' bouncing bomb would be useful here........

 

[Dilandu]

At Brest the two identical Laninon dry docks were large enough to dock the twins and both vessels were docked there in 1941. Gneisenau was bombed on 10 April 1941 while in one. The two docks can be seen in this photo at bottom left, just in front of the nose of the lead Halifax and are labelled Bassin 8 & 9 in the following dockyard plan.

Then I stand corrected.