1940 German WW2 Navy Kriegsmarine Operation Viking Drakkar Ring

1940 German WW2 Navy Kriegsmarine Operation Viking Drakkar Ring. This ring is Silver plated Bronze and weighs about 6 grams. "Operation Viking" in 1940 refers to Operation Wikinger (German: Unternehmen Wikinger), a disastrous German naval sortie into the North Sea during World War II.

Here's a summary of the operation. Date: February 22, 1940 (though initial movements began on February 19). Objective: Six German destroyers of the Kriegsmarine were sent to attack British fishing trawlers around the Dogger Bank, which the Germans suspected were being used for intelligence gathering and to locate German minefields.

Outcome: The operation was a complete failure and a major embarrassment for the German forces. One German destroyer, the Leberecht Maass, was hit by friendly fire bombs and subsequently struck a mine, sinking with heavy loss of life. Another destroyer, the Max Schultz, also sank, likely after hitting a mine (either German or British). Casualties: Only sixty survivors were rescued from the two sunken destroyers. Operation Wikinger serves as a stark example of the dangers of inadequate coordination between different branches of the military during wartime.

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