What was the "Battle of the Barents Sea" in December 1942, and how did its outcome almost cause Hitler to scrap the entire German surface fleet?
Answer
A German force including the heavy cruisers Hipper and Lutzow and six destroyers failed to destroy a convoy of 14 Allied merchant ships escorted by only 6 British destroyers, due to poor tactical decisions and excessive caution
Did You Know?
When Hitler learned that his powerful surface ships had been repelled by inferior forces, he flew into a rage and ordered the entire surface fleet scrapped. Grand Admiral Raeder resigned in protest. His successor, Donitz, talked Hitler out of it, but the incident permanently damaged confidence in German surface warfare.