The tactic known as “Golden Zange” ("Golden Comb”) consisted of a mass torpedo attack by as many as 12 He-111’s flying in wide line-abreast, with a simultaneous release of torpedoes to obtain the maximum spread while dividing defensive fire.
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This one from the net. However I found the term being used in the book " Hurricats" and wondered who it was that invented this attack method and for how long was it used?

Thanx for all info.

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Sounds like a large amount of waste of torpedos just to sink one ship (unless of course you are aiming at an aircraft carrier)

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American by birth, TEXAN by the grace of GOD!

They used it against PQ17 at least.

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Convoys would be another good target. But how close were the ships????

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American by birth, TEXAN by the grace of GOD!

Kai I have looked through the two excellent soft back volumes on anti-shipping by the LW via Chris G. but cannot seem to find it ............yet.

I just sent him an email with the question in hand. He is usually very fast and I will post his response once I hear from him.

E ~ anchors away !!

Thanx Erich!

I´d think this would work against big convoys especially if they are bound to be in a tight formation but then again....

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Kai nothing yet maybe this is thte result why the convoys then did run in a staggered formation with also the U-boots not having a clear shot as well....

E

Kai another thought from an old Sage

this book is going for 20 Euros in Germany/Austria right now and a friend in Wien is picking me up a copy I hope. an older nearly OOP title but one of the best written, not many pics but good maps and descriptions :

Sönke Neitzels "Der Einsatz der Deutschen Luftwaffe über dem Atlantik und der Nordess 1939-1945"

it may be worth to look at Amazon in your area or ? a good pick-up from what I have heard over the many years for the Atlantic library for both LW ops and the KM combined ........... ~

E ~

Weren't the Germans particularly succesfull against PQ17? I know there was a Dutch ship, the PAULUS POTTER that was sunk in this convoy. Well known Dutch WWII story.

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The Germans were successful against PQ17 due to the convoy being scattered due to intelligence that the Tirpitz, the Admiral Scheer and the Admiral Hipper were leaving port towards them. This was not the case and the U-boats ended up having a field day.

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American by birth, TEXAN by the grace of GOD!

this was a joint attack between the Ju 88's and He 111's of KG 26 and the U-boot arm. Stevin hit the nail on the head as this is where the Golden Zange was first used as a tactic. There were so many targets as one LW crewmen said - how could we miss ?

just to place a pic or two as the Zange was continued for some time till spent with the enlargement of the Allied air escorts where torpedo attacks became only a small pinprick due to every and overly large increased casualties

great pic of the FuG200H on a Ju 88Torpedo bomber......and a Torpedo He 111, although it appears to be a practice session in this photo for the propaganda film crews

Attached Images

	JU88-87.jpg (45.3 KB, 3 views)
	He111-H6-43.jpg (21.3 KB, 3 views)

ok hopeful of use, talked with C. Goss by emails a couple of times and he made a reference to his volume 2 Sea Eagles book..........excellent first hand accts and photos/profiles on the little known - LW vs Atlantic convoys~ fighters,etc. This is a soft back under Luftwaffe Colours in the Classic Colours line.

page 112, in brief :

27 Ju 88 of III./KG 26, 60 Ju 88's from KG 30 at Banak and 30 Ju 87's of I./StG 5 at Kirkenes and Fw 200's from I./KG 40 for long range recon and attack.
The convoy-PQ 17 ? was first located on September 8 but not until the 13th tha the first attacks materialized. Obstl. Erich Bloedorns Junker 88's of KG 30 made a split to attack to distract the defenses which allowed He 111, about 26 of them from Major Werner Klümpers I./KG 26 ands 17 Ju 88's from I./KG 30 to employ their attacks, and this was the first time that "Golden Zange" of flying at sea-level, extended line abreast, approaching the convoy from directly abeam, the formation "combing" the convoy ~ mass attack, where if masses of torpedoes are fired at least some would find their target(s). From a British intel report it was found that the LW a/c would form and start their attacks at sea level en-masse rising to some 45 metres for the actual release of torpedos.
PQ 18 was also hit in the same way.

I've not done a direct quote from his second volume ........