In 1940 the Germans captured a Dutch training vessel named Gelderland that they converted over to a naval Flak ship, re-named Niobe.
She was meant to augment the small Finnish Navy that had a small coastal battlship named Väinämöinen that was spotted in the Kotka harbor. The Soviets mistook Niobe for the other ship and sent 131 aircraft to attack her which included IL-2s, LAGGs, Yaks, Pe-2s, and Havocs. In 11 minutes there was a fierce battle with the Kriegsmarine gunners and the attacking force that scored 9 direct hits on Niobe, only 2 of which proved fatal.
The Germans shot-down 9 aircraft but were overwhelmed by sheer numbers. Luftwaffe support was not there but over Helsinki while FAF units did not have operating Bf 109Gs near the area. As she sunk, the Niobe continued to fire but was lost. But the Soviets later learned that they did NOT get the Finnish coastal battleship at all!
It was sold to the USSR as war reparation in 1947, renamed Vyborg, and used as an artillery training ship until 1960. She was obsolete and was scrapped in 1962. One of the big questions remains that of air support. Had the German and FAF units showed up with between 30-40 Me Bf 109Gs then the Soviets probably would have lost. Germans were armed with Bf 109G-6/R6 with 3 cannons and 2 MGs while the FAF units operated G-2s minus the wing cannons.
Gelderland captured in 1940
Dutch training ship, small cruiser on duty
Kriegsmarine converted her easily
As the floating Flakschiff Niobe
It took over three years to complete
Meant to augment the small Finnish fleet
Soviets for Finnish battleship did seek
At Kotka, sent a force there to meet
Mistaken for the Väinämöinen
Red air power forces were joinin’
Fighters and bombers, force 131
Flak gunners tried to fight off this sum!
Battle lasted just 11 minutes
Were no Luftwaffe nor FAF units
Niobe took a total of 9 hits
They shot-down 9 aircraft very quick
Two bad strikes under the waterline
Started to sink evenly over time
German Flak gunners just kept on firing
Niobe was lost with sailors dying….
Luftwaffe Messers over Helsinki
FAF fighters not in vicinity
Huge Soviet force had proven deadly
But never got their sought enemy
Väinämöinen, the target, was missed
Sold to Reds, a reparation ship
Served as the Vyborg, the Red Navy with
She escaped the Kotka incident…
She was meant to augment the small Finnish Navy that had a small coastal battlship named Väinämöinen that was spotted in the Kotka harbor. The Soviets mistook Niobe for the other ship and sent 131 aircraft to attack her which included IL-2s, LAGGs, Yaks, Pe-2s, and Havocs. In 11 minutes there was a fierce battle with the Kriegsmarine gunners and the attacking force that scored 9 direct hits on Niobe, only 2 of which proved fatal.
The Germans shot-down 9 aircraft but were overwhelmed by sheer numbers. Luftwaffe support was not there but over Helsinki while FAF units did not have operating Bf 109Gs near the area. As she sunk, the Niobe continued to fire but was lost. But the Soviets later learned that they did NOT get the Finnish coastal battleship at all!
It was sold to the USSR as war reparation in 1947, renamed Vyborg, and used as an artillery training ship until 1960. She was obsolete and was scrapped in 1962. One of the big questions remains that of air support. Had the German and FAF units showed up with between 30-40 Me Bf 109Gs then the Soviets probably would have lost. Germans were armed with Bf 109G-6/R6 with 3 cannons and 2 MGs while the FAF units operated G-2s minus the wing cannons.
Gelderland captured in 1940
Dutch training ship, small cruiser on duty
Kriegsmarine converted her easily
As the floating Flakschiff Niobe
It took over three years to complete
Meant to augment the small Finnish fleet
Soviets for Finnish battleship did seek
At Kotka, sent a force there to meet
Mistaken for the Väinämöinen
Red air power forces were joinin’
Fighters and bombers, force 131
Flak gunners tried to fight off this sum!
Battle lasted just 11 minutes
Were no Luftwaffe nor FAF units
Niobe took a total of 9 hits
They shot-down 9 aircraft very quick
Two bad strikes under the waterline
Started to sink evenly over time
German Flak gunners just kept on firing
Niobe was lost with sailors dying….
Luftwaffe Messers over Helsinki
FAF fighters not in vicinity
Huge Soviet force had proven deadly
But never got their sought enemy
Väinämöinen, the target, was missed
Sold to Reds, a reparation ship
Served as the Vyborg, the Red Navy with
She escaped the Kotka incident…
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