Germany sends Blucher to Kamerun at war start

[Catspoke]

Blucher was sort of an oddball, too small to fight against other Battlecruisers.

What if at war start, lets say July 28th, the Germans send her out with a company of marines on board to help defend Kamerun.
Douala due to its geography could be a defended port with a little work, and the ship and marines and landed guns could assist defense of the port.

If the Blucher is lost, no big deal, obsolete anyway.
If Britain stays neutral, She could dominate the area.
If Britain comes it might require a big effort to neutralize her like cruiser Konigsberg in 1915.
The navy might score political points even in a short war scenario if the Navy does something active.

 

[YYJ]

Blucher was sort of an oddball, too small to fight against other Battlecruisers.

What if at war start, lets say July 28th, the Germans send her out with a company of marines on board to help defend Kamerun.
Douala due to its geography could be a defended port with a little work, and the ship and marines and landed guns could assist defense of the port.

If the Blucher is lost, no big deal, obsolete anyway.
If Britain stays neutral, She could dominate the area.
If Britain comes it might require a big effort to neutralize her like cruiser Konigsberg in 1915.
The navy might score political points even in a short war scenario if the Navy does something active.

Blucher would be the equal of more than 2 good RN armoured cruisers. Perhaps a couple of Invincibles could be sent from the Mediterranian to deal with her. Or maybe the first cruiser squadron with Defence, Warrior, Duke of Edinburgh, and Black Prince. If Blucher was able to make her rated speed of 25.4 knots she could outrun anything other than RN Battlecruisers and light cruisers.

 

[Peg Leg Pom]

Blucher would be the equal of more than 2 good RN armoured cruisers. Perhaps a couple of Invincibles could be sent from the Mediterranian to deal with her. Or maybe the first cruiser squadron with Defence, Warrior, Duke of Edinburgh, and Black Prince. If Blucher was able to make her rated speed of 25.4 knots she could outrun anything other than RN Battlecruisers and light cruisers.

Time to send a converted (while building) collier to solve the problem. She has the answer to pesky cruisers.

 

[naraic]

How was Kamerun's naval facilities. Were they defended with coastal artillery's?

I remember Konigsberg retreated up river they had to take engines apart, caravan them to a shipyard, caravan them back to the ship and then reinstall them.

I do feel that the British would probably mark blucher with a battlecruiser or multiple armoured cruisers(4+). If Blucher can safely shelter in place this may make sense.

 

[CV12Hornet]

Most likely the Brits would pull Warrior and Black Prince from the Mediterranean to join Defence.

 

[Catspoke]

in OTL, the German locals installed some 75s at the tip if the peninsula there before the Wouri widens into the estuary, mines and obstructions kept the Allied cruisers out until September. In the port were a number of merchant vessels, and a floating dry dock (not big enough for Blucher). The Big AC adding fire support would help the defense much vs OTL, some of the secondary guns could be landed also. Nearby neutral Spanish colonies would be good for smuggling stuff.

If this was a war plan, some more mines, and guns could be kept on hand.

In this TL, the Germans might be able to keep the port open long enough for Spee squadron to head to.

Naval operations of the Kamerun campaign - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[mudhead]

Blucher was sort of an oddball, too small to fight against other Battlecruisers.

What if at war start, lets say July 28th, the Germans send her out with a company of marines on board to help defend Kamerun.

The 1976 movie Shout at the Devil, from a Wilbur Smith novel, has Blücher off German East Africa, for whatever reason. Since the fiendish Huns are up against Roger Moore and Lee Marvin, guess who wins?

Trailer

 

[Catspoke]

The 1976 movie Shout at the Devil, from a Wilbur Smith novel, has Blücher off German East Africa, for whatever reason. Since the fiendish Huns are up against Roger Moore and Lee Marvin, guess who wins?

Trailer

I never heard of the movie, Thanks.

 

[Garrison]

I imagine its fate is similar to SMS Emden. It will enjoy some success for a while but eventually its luck runs out and its either scuttled or sunk by the Royal Navy/Royal Australian Navy.

SMS Emden - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[jlckansas]

If it is in port before the war starts or close enough to make it before they get an idea of where it is at then they can keep more of the RN/MN forces tied up on the West Coast of Africa instead of other places. Even just poking their head out for a bit to keep the rust off so to speak is going to keep the Entente fleet busy.

 

[Coulsdon Eagle]

As a previous poster has noted, the likelihood is that Blucher would be man-marked by one of the early British BC's - probably Invincible as I believe the other three were in the Med, while Australia was at home; not sure about New Zealand.

On paper a British BC should outclass probably the finest AC launched, but given how poor British gunnery could me while German gunners seemed pretty good from the start, and the tin-clad Invincible's & Indefatigable's were I wouldn't want to bet on the outcome.

On the logistical side Kamerun would need to have a lavishly-supplied coaling station, plenty of ammo and spare parts,. One issue could be replacements for casualties - not just those suffered at war, but also from disease when ashore.

 

[Catspoke]

As a previous poster has noted, the likelihood is that Blucher would be man-marked by one of the early British BC's - probably Invincible as I believe the other three were in the Med, while Australia was at home; not sure about New Zealand.

On paper a British BC should outclass probably the finest AC launched, but given how poor British gunnery could me while German gunners seemed pretty good from the start, and the tin-clad Invincible's & Indefatigable's were I wouldn't want to bet on the outcome.

On the logistical side Kamerun would need to have a lavishly-supplied coaling station, plenty of ammo and spare parts,. One issue could be replacements for casualties - not just those suffered at war, but also from disease when ashore.

The tricky part for the British is you have to have an Invincible at all times on blockade, so maybe 2 Invincibles would be necessary based in Lagos to keep one at sea at all times. The port had double digit German merchant ships sheltering in 1914, so might be able to draft from their crews for casualties, coal from their bunkers, etc...

If this was a pre planned thing, might have placed a minimal stockpile of ammo there.

 

[Catspoke]

I imagine its fate is similar to SMS Emden. It will enjoy some success for a while but eventually its luck runs out and its either scuttled or sunk by the Royal Navy/Royal Australian Navy.

SMS Emden - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Emden is a good example, Semi old anway, no big deal if lost, accomplished a lot. By November the war should have been won anyway according to plan, and they Navy has a feel good story.

 

[YYJ]

If Blucher was up the delta, and I was a RN admiral, maybe Craddock, I would send a fast light cruiser to shadow, maybe Glasgow. Then I would park a pre-dreadnought like Canopus off the mouth of the harbour. Done, with minimal expenditure of forces.

 

[YYJ]

As a previous poster has noted, the likelihood is that Blucher would be man-marked by one of the early British BC's - probably Invincible as I believe the other three were in the Med, while Australia was at home; not sure about New Zealand.

On paper a British BC should outclass probably the finest AC launched, but given how poor British gunnery could me while German gunners seemed pretty good from the start, and the tin-clad Invincible's & Indefatigable's were I wouldn't want to bet on the outcome.

On the logistical side Kamerun would need to have a lavishly-supplied coaling station, plenty of ammo and spare parts,. One issue could be replacements for casualties - not just those suffered at war, but also from disease when ashore.

At the Falklands, Spee didn't have trouble hitting Sturdee's BCs with his 21cm guns, but did no damage. Blucher only has 2 more guns on the broadside than Scharnhorst and Gneisensau did. The German 21cm turret guns have a higher angle of elevation, and therefore a slightly better range than S & Gs casemate mounted 21cm guns, but I don't think that will make a lot of difference.

 

[naraic]

As a previous poster has noted, the likelihood is that Blucher would be man-marked by one of the early British BC's - probably Invincible as I believe the other three were in the Med, while Australia was at home; not sure about New Zealand.

On paper a British BC should outclass probably the finest AC launched, but given how poor British gunnery could me while German gunners seemed pretty good from the start, and the tin-clad Invincible's & Indefatigable's were I wouldn't want to bet on the outcome.

On the logistical side Kamerun would need to have a lavishly-supplied coaling station, plenty of ammo and spare parts,. One issue could be replacements for casualties - not just those suffered at war, but also from disease when ashore.

New Zealand was at home at the start of the warm though it had been in the Baltic with the rest of 1st battlecruiser squadron upto June 1914.

Invincible was rushed out of refit at the start of the war.

Inflexible Indomitable and Indefatigible were in the Mediterranean at the start of the war.

At the Falklands, Spee didn't have trouble hitting Sturdee's BCs with his 21cm guns, but did no damage. Blucher only has 2 more guns on the broadside than Scharnhorst and Gneisensau did. The German 21cm turret guns have a higher angle of elevation, and therefore a slightly better range than S & Gs casemate mounted 21cm guns, but I don't think that will make a lot of difference.

Fair. I'm actually curious why that was. Invincible's thickest armour is the same thickness as the armoured cruisers that Spee previously dispatched. Do we know if he was restricted to mainly HE at Falklands?

If Blucher was up the delta, and I was a RN admiral, maybe Craddock, I would send a fast light cruiser to shadow, maybe Glasgow. Then I would park a pre-dreadnought like Canopus off the mouth of the harbour. Done, with minimal expenditure of forces.

Definitely an option. Maybe a more modern predreadnought with 12 inch 40s rather than 12 inch 35s.

 

[YYJ]

If Blucher was up the delta, and I was a RN admiral, maybe Craddock, I would send a fast light cruiser to shadow, maybe Glasgow. Then I would park a pre-dreadnought like Canopus off the mouth of the harbour. Done, with minimal expenditure of forces.

Or... France has a lot of interest in the area. It could be a scenario for a what-if warship vs. warship Blucher vs Edgar Quinet class punchout. The French ship is slower on paper, but the Germans were not known for having the best coal.

Edgar Quinet-class cruiser - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[Catspoke]

Better 1914 map of the area, the Yoss battery is where the main defense is, pretty far up the Estuary. An actual marine company would stiffen the defense there a bit above the the hastily recruited locals.
A few landed guns and some crew from the Blucher itself there would help at the point. Not sure if any torpedo launchers could be landed from Blucher there as well.

Even if a Canopus is patrolling the estuary means two Canopus class ships needed really, since one will have to go to Lagos periodically to refuel.

 

[Catspoke]

OTL the Germans tried to block the channel with sunk ships. With Blucher inside maybe the British assist in that effort.
But then a major land effort is required then to overcome the port. Might take some time to gather that up, Blucher probably lives longer than OTL!

 

[YYJ]

At the Falklands, Spee didn't have trouble hitting Sturdee's BCs with his 21cm guns, but did no damage. Blucher only has 2 more guns on the broadside than Scharnhorst and Gneisensau did. The German 21cm turret guns have a higher angle of elevation, and therefore a slightly better range than S & Gs casemate mounted 21cm guns, but I don't think that will make a lot of difference.

Fair. I'm actually curious why that was. Invincible's thickest armour is the same thickness as the armoured cruisers that Spee previously dispatched. Do we know if he was restricted to mainly HE at Falklands?

The Falklands was mostly fought at ranges between 15,000 and 12,500 yards, getting less as the Germans got more and more damage.

Battle of the Falklands

The Royal Navy’s spectacular retribution on 8th December 1914 in the First World War, for the sinking of Admiral Cradock’s two ships, HMS Good Hope and Monmouth at the Battle of Coronel, with the destruction of Admiral Graf von Spee’s protected cruisers SMS Scharnhorst and Gneisenau and light...

www.britishbattles.com

At Coronel, the battle started at 12,000 yards and came down to 5500 yards after the British were already doomed.

Battle of Coronel

The first major naval battle of the First World War, fought on 1st November 1914: shocking Britain with the loss of her ships to Admiral Graf Spee’s Pacific Squadron and the death of Admiral Sir Christopher Cradock.

www.britishbattles.com

This does not seem like a huge difference, but apparently it was. The Invincibles 12" shells weighed 850 lbs, whereas the German 21cm shells weighed 237 lbs.