parsifal
Colonel
German flak units in Norway
This site gives the Norwegian flak defences as the 83 Flak regiment in attendance (or brigade, to use the terminology the norwegian source uses)
The unit had the following equipment and manpower allocations
158 x 88mm, 73 x 37mm, 332 x 200mm, 152 officers, 4893 EM. These are just the land defences. The shipboard defences were not particualalry heavy, but did include the 8x 15 in guns now with sanshiki style ammunition, the 12x 150mm guns now with limited DP capability, 16 x 105mm, over 30 x 37mm guns and nearly 60 x 20mm guns. Chief defences were smoke generators that made attacks particualarly difficult,placed around the fjord, and designed to fill the valley with thick smoke. .
These defences were heavier than for any other point target that im aware of. i dont know the flak defences of Katfjord,but the flak formation was transferred from that area to the tromso anchorage at about the same time as Tirpitz's move. One can assume it was similar to the tromso defences
The natural benefits of Tirpitzs Katfjord anchorage were appraised by Admiral Fraser and his staff, prior to the April attacks. They advised Cunningham that the natural benefits conferred by the anchorage made it virtually impossible for any success to be expected from air attack. They were remarkably accurate assessments as it turns out. They were so pessimistic about success, that initially Fraser refused to take on the mission. Eventually ABC pursuaded him to try. I think it significant that despite the lack of success, such results did not adversely affect frasers career advanacement. Evidently his bosses must have known just how difficult the operations were. They did not punish him or hold him back because of failure, and his reluctance to take on the job in the first place speaks volumes about just howhard a job it was.
This site gives the Norwegian flak defences as the 83 Flak regiment in attendance (or brigade, to use the terminology the norwegian source uses)
The unit had the following equipment and manpower allocations
158 x 88mm, 73 x 37mm, 332 x 200mm, 152 officers, 4893 EM. These are just the land defences. The shipboard defences were not particualalry heavy, but did include the 8x 15 in guns now with sanshiki style ammunition, the 12x 150mm guns now with limited DP capability, 16 x 105mm, over 30 x 37mm guns and nearly 60 x 20mm guns. Chief defences were smoke generators that made attacks particualarly difficult,placed around the fjord, and designed to fill the valley with thick smoke. .
These defences were heavier than for any other point target that im aware of. i dont know the flak defences of Katfjord,but the flak formation was transferred from that area to the tromso anchorage at about the same time as Tirpitz's move. One can assume it was similar to the tromso defences
The natural benefits of Tirpitzs Katfjord anchorage were appraised by Admiral Fraser and his staff, prior to the April attacks. They advised Cunningham that the natural benefits conferred by the anchorage made it virtually impossible for any success to be expected from air attack. They were remarkably accurate assessments as it turns out. They were so pessimistic about success, that initially Fraser refused to take on the mission. Eventually ABC pursuaded him to try. I think it significant that despite the lack of success, such results did not adversely affect frasers career advanacement. Evidently his bosses must have known just how difficult the operations were. They did not punish him or hold him back because of failure, and his reluctance to take on the job in the first place speaks volumes about just howhard a job it was.
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