The Oberkommando der Marine (OKM) is still in shock over the sinking of their prized pocket battleship Bismarck late last month, May 27, after it had just sunk the HMS Hood. Bismarck was one of the few capital ships already constructed as part of Plan Z. Plan Z was approved by Hitler in January 1939 and called for a massive naval buildup. The blueprint called for approximately 800 ships to be completed by 1945. There will be 4 aircraft carriers, 10 battleships, 12 battlecruisers, 3 armored (Panzerschiffe), ships, 5 heavy cruisers, 44 light cruisers and 249 submarines. If we only had built one of these aircraft carriers to support Bismarck during her encounter with the aircraft carrier, Ark Royal, she may still be afloat today. What a lucky shot their torpedo bombers made to damage Bismarck's steering! This steering damage allowed the British Navy to catch and sink her. Of course, our having a german aircraft carrier is wishful thinking.
So now Hitler will not risk another naval sortie into the Atlantic to challenge the English. Our Atlantic operations will be restricted to the U-Boat campaign to starve England into surrendering. Our Baltic fleet will support Operation Barbarossa by blockading the Gulf of Finland. This blockage will keep the Soviet Navy locked up in their main base of Kronstadt near Leningrad. It is essential to our war effort to maintain free access to Sweden's iron ore shipments across the Baltic Sea. The blockade plan includes use of thousands of sea mines, torpedo boats and anti submarine nets. The Tirpitz, sister ship to Bismarck, will join our Baltic fleet for this blockade operation.
