Far off pic of ones of the H-Class battleships off the coast of Canada
Grand Admiral Raeder, looming over the map, was trying to poinpoint the exact location of where he would direct axis landings. It would not be a sure thing, since there were no amphibious craft to speak of. This meant that the germans had to find relativly safe place to land, and seize a port as soon as possible or see Operation Amerika winkle out in a flicker.
He was getting lost in his thoughts, hearing the deep boom of Bismarck's main canons, bombarding an allied airfield off the coast. Report of a big airbase had drawn his battleships to the area and they were pounding the place to oblivion. Planes from the Graf Zeppelin (Bf 109T) were also flying to the area. He was hoping they would destroy these damned bombers that could wreak havoc in the german fleet.
It had all been a great adventure. He first scketched the plans for operation Amerika just fresh out of the southampton landings, were his then very limited Kriegsmarine had succeeded into securing a crossing for the wermarcht. A great naval building program was started the day Hitler approved the bold plan to invade Amerika. It would have been executed earlier, but german intelligence had not foreseen the entry of America in the war or Soviet Agression. The Reds had been increasingly threatening in 1942, giving no choice to Hitler but attack and establish a solid defensive perimeter.
So were laid the H-Class battleships (3 of them), being the Hindenburg, Frederic Der Grosse, and Baden. One had just been put to sea in Germany (Baden) and would be speeding full steam to America by mid july. They joined the other 2 battleships already laid before the outbreak of war, the Bismarck and the Tirpitz.
Bismnarck (smaller ship) beside an H-Class battleship, during trials in the north sea, 1942.
It was also essential that a high-sea fleet wanting to invade North America get aircover. Raeder originally wanted to have a total of 5 Aircraft Carriers , but only 2 had been completed and likely there wouldn’t be more till 1945 or 1946. The Graf Zeppelin and the Seydlitz were the center piece of operation Amerika.
Graf Zeppelin at sea during the Atlanti's crossing for Operation Amerika
A ME262 on the decks of the Graf Zeppelin during fitting, in Kiel, end of 1942.
Seydlitz at sea, off the coast of Quebec City.
Sharnhorst-Gneisenau class battleships were also built in good numbers, as heavy escort ships for the fleet. Admiral Doenitz wasn’t left alone with the building of a major submariner force.
All I all, Raeder had one of the biggest fleet in the world at his disposal at the moment, save the American and Japanese fleets of the Pacific. Would it be enough?
So far, so good, They had been detected, as expected, off the coast of Quebec. But no major allied fleet in the viscinity, since german and Italian intelligence reported that the main allied battlefleets were currently in the MED, still shore bombarding axis position, and showing no signs of doubling back to North-America.
The previous day had also brought great news, since Admiral Doenitz southern Wolfpack achieved a great victory by sinking a North-Carolina class battleship, the USS Washington.
Now, news of a major cruiser and heavy cruiser force approaching the shores of Canada excited Raeder to the prospects of a grand naval victory. Would the allies take the bait and attack the transport fleet? If they were, the high sea fleet would obliterate them in an instant.
