This Day in the War in Europe: The Beginning

[parsifal]

16 April 1940 (Part I)
Known Reinforcements
Axis
RaumeBoote MSW R-41

Known Losses
PV V-1703 (DKM 450 grt (est)) The vorpostenboot was torpedoed and sunk by Sub NARWHAL. She was later repaired and returned to service.

MV RUHORT (Ger 5026 grt) (date of loss uncertain, but she was lost 12-16 April): The cargo ship was captured in the Norwegian Sea off Vemoya, Norway on 12 April by Nor COMMONWEALTH, and TBS SLEIPNER and TRYGG. She was later abandoned and thereafter sunk by LW a/c

Steamer MERTAINEN (SD 4531 grt) whilst carrying iron ore from Narvik to Tees, the vessel was sunk by German bombing off Trondheim, but the crew was rescued and landed at Kristiansund (no casualties).

DKM War diary
Selected Extracts

A radio appeal by the old Norwegian Government definitely shows that it has thrown in its lot with the Allies. Narvik and vicinity is said to have been recaptured; Norwegian pilots and officers are aiding the Western Powers' expeditionary corps; the people are asked to accept British and French money. It is the duty of all citizens to help the authorities and to report treachery and espionage.

The fact that the old Norwegian Government is still in a position to exercise certain functions, to influence the people and incite them to resistance, must be regarded as extremely regrettable. It was a definite mistake in the operation that we did not succeed by suitable preparatory steps in ensuring that the Norwegian Government was captured promptly and that a new and capable Government was set up right on the first day of the occupation.

The editor Ansaldo, who acts as a spokesman for Mussolini in certain affairs, gave a radio address to the Italian Army: "Events show that no nation can remain outside the conflict. War could come to Italy as it came to Norway. Italy is preparing herself for this and will choose the most favorable moment, which is perhaps nearer than is believed."

Russia has handed to Roumania an aide memo'ire on various frontier incidents. Tension between Russia and Roumania continues. The Russians are making military preparations. The German Ambassador considers the situation threatening, a point of view which the Army General Staff does not share to the same extent.

Admiral Tamm (Swedish Naval chief) in conference with German diplomatic staff confirmed the great anxiety about German operational plans which existed in Sweden before 9 April. These were regarded as definitely directed against Sweden. He promised
Sweden's strict legality of action and her readiness to conform with German wishes.

UBOATS
Kriegstagebücher (KTB) - War Diary

At 0410 a report was received from U 47 that she had found the transports at anchor in Bygden (Vaagsfjord). 4 misses! U 65 had already fired a double shot (most probably at close range therefore) without success. I am now beginning to suspect that even the use of impact firing is not preventing torpedo failures. Either the G7e is keeping a much greater depth than hitherto known or the pistol does not arm. A second report from U 47 confirms this idea: in a second attack on the transports another 4 torpedoes failed to fire. This means a total of 8 unsuccessful shots by our best U-boat commander. It is quite clear to me that these failures are responsible for the commanding officer's lack of success.

I requested immediate assistance from C-in-C Navy by telephone and made a corresponding T/P to Supreme Command of the Navy, giving a list of failures during the last few days. I requested the Director of the Torpedo Inspectorate to come to Wilhelmshaven tomorrow for a discussion. U 47's reports shows that it was right to leave the boats in the Vaagsfjord in spite of the high risks. It was only in the south of the Vaagsfjord that they were able to regain contact with the transports. But now that U 47's attack has failed and will be followed by a corresponding anti-S/M activity on the part of the enemy. It is necessary to get the boats out of this witches' cauldron and dispose them at the entrance to the Anden fjords.

Reports from U 25 and U 46 confirm my view that things are very difficult for the boats in the fjords, as they have no means of attacking destroyers; an "AZ" shot passes under the destroyers, and "MZ" shot detonates prematurely. The short, light nights and a sea as smooth as glass add to their difficulties. I am therefore withdrawing the U-boats from the Namses and Romsdale fjords as well as from the Vaagsfjord to positions off the fjords.

In reply to her radio message 2100/15/4, received 0948/16/4, U 46 has been ordered to return. The Trondheim position, which was not occupied yesterday, is occupied again. U 46 and U 51 are interrupting their return passage and have been given new positions as they still have torpedoes left.

Group FOELLA has joined the groups mentioned yesterday, between Lofoten and Narvik. U 57 has been ordered to the position off Scapa and further U-boats are to go there. After Kristiansand was occupied, I sent Lieut.(s.g.) Windler, the Flotilla Engineering Officer, with additional personnel, cypher material etc., to fetch U 21. U 21 is now fit to proceed and dive and can sail from Kristiansand today. Lieut.(s.g.) ROESING has inspected the Norwegian S/M's and reports that they are unfit for use either operationally or in the U-boat school. Further details remain to be seen; I have made the organization department responsible for finding and requisitioning Scandinavian S/M's. U 13 reported the sinking of a Tribal class destroyer N. of the Shetlands, so the "MZ" has worked in this area. This points to Zone setting O being being responsible for premature detonators. U 26 and U 43 are to be converted for patrol transport when they get back. U 32, UA, U 101, U 122 are already being adapted for this purpose.

At Sea 16 April 1940
U-3, U-5, U-6, U-7, U-9, U-10, U-13, U-14, U-17, U-19, U-23, U-24, U-25, U-26, U-30, U-34, U-37, U-38, U-43, U-46, U-47, U-48, U-51, U-52, U-56, U-57, U-58, U-59, U-60, U-61, U-62, U-65.
32 boats at sea

 

[Njaco]

April 16 Tuesday
NORTHERN EUROPE: General Mackesy lands 24th Brigade at Harstat, 37 miles North of Narvik. These regular Army troops are equipped for peaceful landings, not for offensive actions against German troops, and they will remain here while reserve troops see action around Trondheim. Lack of preparation characterizes all Allied landings in Norway.

British 148th Territorial (reserve) Brigade under the command of Brigadier Harold Morgan has been waiting for 2 days at Rosyth, on cruisers HMS "Galatea" and "Arethusa" and a transport ship destined for Namsos. They are ordered to Åndalsnes instead, to form a southern pincer for the advance on Trondheim. They disembark and board cruisers HMS "Carlisle" and "Curacoa", losing anti-aircraft guns, ammunition and half a battalion (due to lack of space on the cruisers). They do manage to keep their now-useless maps of Namsos.

The British 146th Brigade (General de Wiart ) lands at Namsos during the night and is immediately moved inland to Steinkjer. The 59 year old Carton de Wiat had personally reconnoitered the town of Namsos, where his flying boat had been attacked by German planes and his aide was wounded. It was a foretaste of the forthcoming campaign where German airpower would dominate. Accompanying his troops by boat into Namsos the convoy was persistently dive bombed. The great bulk of the troops were landed safely but they were missing vital equipment, including transport, anti-aircraft guns and artillery. Crucially they had no skis, which seriously hampered their mobility. Carton de Wiat got his troops out of Namsos, away from the air attacks, as quickly as possible; they had some 80 miles to cover before they could attempt an assault on Trondheim.

The Battle of Dombås is now in its third day. German paratroopers, initially dropped to attack the Norwegian town, are now encircled in a farm building in the countryside. A firefight took place, but was stopped when a white flag appeared above the farm building. The Germans sent a Norwegian soldier out to meet the troops surrounding them. The message was simple: all Norwegian troops should surrender! The Norwegian forces responded by demanding the surrender of the Germans instead! The battle continued during the afternoon, and looked like it would end in much more bloodshed. But then a snow blizzard suddenly swept through, allowing the Germans to escape to the south. Although they are no longer encircled, the Germans are still being chased by the Norwegian troops.

British 15th Brigade is en route to Norway, having been withdrawn from British Expeditionary Force (they left France on April 15).

Torpedo duel between U-3 and British submarine HMS "Porpoise" 10 miles southwest of Egersund, Norway. Neither sub is damaged.

Two victory claims are denied for Uffz. Peter Laufs and Oblt. Herbert Bönsch of Zerst./KG 30 for combat over Narvik.

WESTERN FRONT: Future Experte Oblt. Josef Fözö of 4./JG 51 gets his first victory when he destroys a barrage balloon west of Breisach.

ATLANTIC OCEAN: Iceland declared independence from Denmark and asked United States for recognition.

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[Njaco]

April 17 Wednesday
NORTHERN EUROPE: Five Royal Navy ships launched a daring attack on a German airfield. The Sola Air Station airfield, located in Stavanger in the south-west of occupied Norway, was shelled by the British ships in an attempt to put it out of action, thereby reducing Germany's air superiority over the Norwegian forces. HMS "Suffolk", a heavy cruiser commanded by Captain J Durnford, was accompanied by four destroyers HMS "Kipling", HMS "Juno", HMS "Janus" and HMS "Hereward". The ships launched their attack before dawn using their deck-mounted guns. "Suffolk's" Walrus seaplane, used to drop flares over the airfield, was shot down early in the bombardment, thus the shelling was largely inaccurate and destroyed only 4 aircraft. After sunrise, "Suffolk" was repeated attacked by Ju-88 aircraft for seven hours. She was hit twice and heavily damaged, and was placed out of action until Feb 1941. On the return journey to the British base in Scapa Flow, HMS "Suffolk" became highly unstable, with water covering most of her stern and at times she looked likely to sink. Upon arriving at the base, HMS "Suffolk" was beached to prevent her sinking.

The British continue to send bombers to attack the airfield at Stavanger. One formation is intercepted by fighters from 1./ZG 76. Even though the British do not lose any bombers, several fighter pilots put in claims for destroyed Blenheims which are eventually denied by the Luftwaffe.

UNITED KINGDOM: The British War Cabinet approved direct troop landings at Trondheim, Norway (rather than the landing done at Narvik in which troops were dropped off at undefended beaches far away) after naval bombardment of the coastal batteries (Operation Hammer). The landing was to be supported by simultaneous landings at Namsos in the north and Åndalsnes in the south. General Hotblack is put in charge of Hammer but suffers a stroke the same day.

German submarine U-13 torpedoed and sank British steamer "Swainby" 25 miles north of the Shetland Islands, Scotland, United Kingdom at 1733 hours. 38 survivors reached Norwick Bay in the Shetland Islands on lifeboats.

MEDITERRANEAN: Italian "Grado" naval infantry battalion landed at Sibenik, Croatia, Yugoslavia.

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[parsifal]

16 April 1940 (Part II)
OPERATIONS
Baltic
Western Baltic
Sub PORPOISE unsuccessfully fired six torpedoes at U.3 off Egersund. DKM MSW M.8 carried out an ASW attack off Horten in Oslofjord, later joined by DKM MSW M.7.

North Sea
CA SUFFOLK and DDs HEREWARD, JANUS, JUNO and KIPLING departed Scapa at 1700/16th for Operation DUCK, the bombardment of Sola airfield near Stavanger. The CA launched two Walrus aircraft for spotting duties. Both Walrus flew to Scotland after the operation. Early on the 17th (they were claimed shot down by the LW), this force contacted sub SEAL which was acting as a beacon ship off Stavanger. From 0513 to 0602, SUFFOLK bombarded Sola airfield, following which she was ordered north to check for DKM DDs at sea, reported late on the 16th. SUFFOLK and her DDs began a high speed northbound sortie that took them away from their rendezvous with air cover for their retirement, this was a mistake to operate in daylight in an area dominated by enemy air power with no friendly air cover. She was soon taken under German air attack at 0825 and subjected to seven hours of bombing.

SUFFOLK received heavy damage; the most serious was a hit at the base of X turret by a 500 kilogram bomb. X turret magazine had to be flooded to prevent its explosion. SUFFOLK was wracked by numerous near misses. 30 crew were killed and 2 ratings died of wounds. 42 crew were injured. DD KIPLING was damaged by two near misses. 8 Skuas of 803 Squadron finally arrived after 1415, followed by 9 Skuas of 801 Squadron and Sea Gladiators of 804 Squadron, but they were unable to prevent four more German attacks. BCs RENOWN and REPULSE proceeded through Fair Isle Channel to join SUFFOLK. DDs TARTAR, JAVELIN, GROM and BLYSKAWICA, which departed Scapa at 1345/17th, CLA CALCUTTA and DDs FURY, ECLIPSE, KIMBERLEY and FORESTER joined the relief force.

SUFFOLK arrived at Scapa Flow in the late afternoon 18th heavily damaged. Her quarter deck awash and steering by propellers, under tow of tug BUCCANEER, which joined off Torness. Tugs IMPERIOUS and HENDON joined the cruiser off Switha. RENOWN and DDs HYPERION, which had joined from Sullom Voe, KIMBERLEY, FORESTER, FURY, KIPLING, JANUS, JUNO and HEREWARD, arrived with SUFFOLK. She was grounded at Scapa Flow until 3 May for temporary repairs, departed on 5 May and taken to the Clyde. Repairs began on 24 May and lasted until 24 February 1941. During that dockyard period she was extensively updated, including the installation of Surface Gunnery control radar (Type 284) and replacement air warning radar Type 279 fitted in place of Type 79Z.
Fire control Radar Type 284 fitted for main armament and Type 285 Radar for the control of secondary armament.Twin 4in mountings fitted in place of 4in single mountings.
World War II Day-By-Day: April 2010

Suffolk arriving back at Scapa after her ordeal

DD KIPLING had also been damaged during this operation departed Scapa on the 19th for Southampton where she arrived on the 22nd, for repairing and refitting until 16 July.

DDs MATABELE, MASHONA, NUBIAN, AFRIDI and SIKH landed 2 bns of British troops, at Namsos during the night of 16/17 April. The DDs then re-embarked the advance naval landing parties from CLs GLASGOW and SHEFFIELD. The DDs joined the troopships which had put to sea from Lillesjona. Due to the threat of air attack, troopship EMPRESS OF AUSTRALIA (19,665grt) transferred her troops to CHROBRY (11,442grt) and was sent home, escort DDs VANOC and WITHERINGTON.

CA YORK, CL EFFINGHAM, CLA CALCUTTA, and DD ASHANTI were sent into the Aandalsnes area to prevent the Germans from landing troops there and to cover CALCUTTA which was also reconnoitring in the area. Urgency was given this duty as the disabled DKM DDs HEINEMANN and ECKHOLDT were sighted off Stavanger at 1900 steering course 360. The DDs were returning to Germany from Trondheim but the Admiralty incorrectly believed they were en route to Aandalsnes to land troops. CALCUTTA sighted a U-boat on the surface three miles west of Aandalsnes, and proceeded to seaward having been unable to attack the UBoat with DCs due to proximity to the shore. DD ASHANTI carried ashore a landing party from CALCUTTA on the 17th to hold the area until the arrival of the PRIMROSE force in the night of 17/18 April.

2 Swordfish of 803 Squadron attacked targets at Bergen during an armed recon. A patrol boat was claimed sunk and a coastal sub reported bombed. DKM PV TARANTEL was near missed and had one crewman dead and nine wounded. U.57 did leave port that day and U.58 and U.59 arrived at Bergen on this date. U 58 reports being attacked by a/c but sustained no damage.

Sub TRIDENT arrived at Rosyth after patrol. The sub was attacked by friendly a/c on the 15th but was not damaged. Sub CLYDE arrived at Blyth after patrol. Sub SWORDFISH departed Blyth on patrol. Fr submarine AMAZONE departed Harwich on patrol. U.58 reprovisioned at Bergen.

Ex Nor TB BRAND, ML ULLER were placed in service by German troops as troop carriers at Bergen. Nor TBs HVAS, HAUK, FALK, KJAEK and ML OTRA were placed in service as aux PVs and renamed SEESTERN, KROKODIL, QUALLE, SCHILDKROTE and TOGO, respectively, based at Tonsbjerg.

FN.147 departed Southend, escort DD VALENTINE and sloop WESTON. The convoy arrived in the Tyne on the 18th.

Northern Waters
ASWGp 21 of trawlers DANEMAN, LADY ELSA, MAN O'WAR and WELLARD and ASWGp 23 of trawlers INDIAN STAR, MELBOURNE, BERKSHIRE and RUTLANDSHIRE arrived at Namsos on the 16th. Both gps went on to Skelfjord arriving on the 20th. U.65, which had been undergoing trials at the start of the Norwegian campaign, arrived in Vaagsfjord. U.13 attacked a Tribal class DD north of the Shetlands.

Channel
Steamers AMIENOIS (Fr 3715 grt), CAP BLANC (Fr 3315 grt) and SAUMUR (Fr 2915 grt) departed Brest escort Fr DDs CYCLONE and MISTRAL and accompanied by tkr MEKONG. All arrived safely at Greenock on the 19th. Steamer ALBA (Panama 3444 grt) ran aground on the Goodwins. Tug LADY BRASSEY and salvage vessel DAPPER proceeded from Dover to assist. After jettisoning cargo and the efforts of seven tugs, she was finally refloated on the 17th, brought to the Downs and anchored.

Med- Biscay
Fr CV BEARN, escort DD PANTHERE, passed Gib en route from Brest to Toulon. The DD called at Gib to refuel. Both ships arrived on the 18th and the DD began repairs. Fr steamer PROVIDENCE departed Marseille on the 16th, escort DD L'AUDACIEUX from Gib. The steamer arrived at Brest on the 21st. Fr sub REQUIN arrived at Gib for ASW exercises with the Gib Force.

 

[parsifal]

17 April 1940 (Part I)
Known Reinforcements
Allied
ASW Trawler BIRCH (Tree Class)

Known Losses
MV SWAINBY (UK 4935 grt) Crew: 38 (0 dead and 38 survivors) : Cargo: Ballast Route: Maaloysund - Kirkwall. the unescorted vessel was hit aft in the engine room by one torp from U-13 and sank after 25 minutes 25 miles nth of Muckle Flugga, Shetlands.

[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Tkr JUANITA (UK 1139 grt): The tkr was scuttled as a blockship in Water Sound, Scapa Flow, Orkney Islands. Refloated 1949 and beached

MV AFRIKA (Ger 6503 grt), had come from Narvik with a cargo of ore but was captured by Norwegian forces, On 17 April, AFRIKA was scuttled at Ulvik in Hardangersfjord after being apprehended by Norwegian TB STEGG.

[NO IMAGE FOUND]

MV THESEUS (Ger 956 grt), which had come from Trondheim, were at Hardangersfjord was scuttled after being apprehended by Norwegian TB STEGG.

[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Steamer BALTICIA (SD 1986 grt) was arrested at sea by a German torpedo boat and taken to Haugesand. On 13 May, sher was renamed GOTHIA for German service.

[NO IMAGE FOUND]

LW a/c dropped mines in the Edinburgh Channel and off the Downs. On 20 April, steamers HAWNBY (UK 5380 grt) and MERSEY (UK 1037 grt) were sunk.

HAWNBY. No Image found for the MERSEY

DKM War diary
Selected Extracts

According to a letter from Mussolini to the Fuehrer, the Italian Navy is mobilized and at full war strength. It could not be established to date whether considerable parts of the Italian Fleet have gone to the Dodecanese.

The Italian press states: "The moment has come to review the situation in the Mediterranean with regard to the relations between Great Britain, France and Italy."

6. Lively discussions in the U.S.A., Great Britain and Japan about the possible protection of the Dutch East Indies Holland states angrily that she is strong enough alone to protect the Dutch East Indies with her own forces. In the U.S.A. it is declared that any Japanese action against the Dutch East Indies would come up against very strong U.S. resistance and might perhaps lead to the U.S.A. 's entry into the war.

UBOATS
Kriegstagebücher (KTB) - War Diary

It becomes increasingly obvious that the failure of the torpedoes is the cause of our lack of success. On 15.40 U 48 reported misses and failures at DDs. U 65 one double miss at a transport (Vaagsfjord). U 47: 4 misses at transports lying at anchor (Vaagsfjord). U 47: 1 G7a failure, 3 electric torpedoes failed to fire (Vaagsfjord), probably also at transports. These reports from the Vaagsfjord and Westfjord boats are depressing. The hopes that things would be improved by switching over to "AZ" have proved unfounded. I have placed the most capable commanding officers at these vital points for the operation. From their reports and from what is known of their personal qualities and abilities, there can be no doubt that they made determined efforts and tried everything possible. I can only accept part of the shots as misses. A large part were undoubtedly failures of torpedo or firing unit.
Results have shown that it was a mistake to go over to "AZ". The essential conditions were that the torpedo should not keep a depth more than 1.75 meters below that set and that impact firing should work for certain. These conditions are clearly not fulfilled. The reason for the failures must be either that the torpedo runs considerably deeper and the targets are undershot or that, for some reason, the pistol does not fire or does not arm. This suspicion of mine is increased firstly by the fact that the information which I have received from the responsible authorities on depth-keeping has varied considerably with time, so that I have the impression that there is no certainty on this point, and secondly by the fact that already in October and November odd reports were received from boats which indicated that shots had hit without an explosion following.

This partly confirmed by information from the Torpedo Inspectorate. U 65 and U 48 were fitted out with pistols with 4 bladed propellers. It appears that these pistols are liable not to arm. They too have been issued to the boats without adequate trial.
The Director of the Torpedo Inspectorate visited me today with some of his assistants to discuss the failures during the last few days and the possible causes and remedies.

The results of the conference were:
1) 10% failures to arm must be expected with 4 bladed pistols. Due to an oversight, improvements which had already been recognized as necessary, were not made to these pistols. This is a fresh, quite unjustifiable source of failures and it remains to be seen who is responsible.
2) The Torpedo Inspectorate does not consider it possible that the pistol fails to arm when switch setting "A" is made.
3) According to information given to the Torpedo Inspectorate by the hydrographer, magnetic influences on the pistol must be expected in the fjords. But this influence need only be feared close inshore. It could only be present in the open sea area if there are hitherto undiscovered layers of ore below the sea bottom and then only in depths of water up to 100 meters.
4) The Director of the Torpedo Inspectorate is doubtful of the advisability of using impact firing with switch setting "A" as he does not trust the torpedo's depth keeping, and he strongly advised a return to "MZ".
5) Experiments with torpedoes with adapted depth-gear have been satisfactory on the whole so far. Variations in depths were between plus or minus 0.5 meters. Sufficient experiments have not yet been made, however, to give a final judgment.

As a result of the conference the following instructions were given to the boats, in agreement with the Torpedo Inspectorate:
a) The G7e probably runs more than 2 meters below the depth set.
b) Boats in zone O are therefore no longer to use switch setting "A", but to fire with "MZ" except inside narrow fjords. Danger of premature detonation is greater in these.
c) No fans with time switches are to be fired with "MZ", but multiple shots according to fire control memorandum or improvised fans with 8 second intervals.
d) With "MZ", set depth to equal draft, 4 meters against destroyers, 3 or 4 meters against S/M's.
e) With "AZ" set 4 meters, 3 meters in good weather.

These instructions are so complicated that I would never give them to operational boats except in present circumstances.

Departures
Wilhelmshaven: U-29

At Sea 17 April 1940
U-3, U-5, U-6, U-7, U-9, U-10, U-13, U-14, U-17, U-19, U-23, U-24, U-25, U-26, U-30, U-34, U-37, U-38, U-43, U-46, U-47, U-48, U-51, U-52, U-56, U-57, U-58, U-59, U-60, U-61, U-62, U-65.
32 boats at sea

OPERATIONS
North Sea
Fr subs CASABIANCA, SFAX, ACHILLE and PASTEUR of Fr SubDiv 2 (renamed SubFlot 9 on arrival) docked at Harwich escort sloop ROSEMARY and trawler BERBERIS. PASTEUR was damaged while manoeuvring at Harwich and was unable to submerge, but the other 3 departed Harwich on the 18th for Dundee. CASABIANCA departed Dundee on patrol on the 21st for patrol in the Bergen area, SFAX on the 23rd for Flekkefjord and Egersund area, and ACHILLE on the 20th for patrol at the sth entrance to Stavanger. On their next patrol, the subs were deployed at the entrance of the Skagerrak on the longitude of Lindesnes. German U-boats off southern Norway were ordered to withdraw. Subs NARWHAL, UNITY and SPEARFISH arrived back at Blyth after patrols.

2 Skuas of 800 Squadron departed Hatston to attack German targets at Bergen. A Skua flown by Lt E.G. Finch-Noyes attacked DKM ML BREMSE without success. The other Skua flown by Captain R.T. Partridge RM, made no attack and on its return to Sumburgh crashed on the field and was a total loss. Crew safe. OA.131 departed Southend escorted by destroyer VESPER from the 17th to 19th, and VENETIA on the 17th.

FN.148 departed Southend, escort DDs WALLACE and VALOROUS. The convoy arrived at the Tyne on the 19th. MT.53 departed Methil, escort DDs WOLSEY and WESTMINSTER. The convoy arrived in the Tyne later that day. FS.148 departed the Tyne, escort DDs WOLSEY and WESTMINSTER and arrived at Southend on the 19th.

Northern Waters
BC REPULSE with DDs HAVELOCK, HAVANT and FAME departed Scapa Flow for Narvik. D HIGHLANDER, conducting ASW patrols in Lillesjona Fjord, ran aground damaging her rudder, propellers and all projecting underwater fittings. She was able to proceed under her own power at reduced speed from Lillesjona on the 17th for Hull where she arrived on the 19th for repairs completed on 20 May. HIGHLANDER arrived at Scapa on 23 May for duty.

CLs GALATEA, ARETHUSA, CLAs CARLISLE, CURACOA, and DDs ARROW and ACHERON departed Rosyth with troops to be landed at Molde and Aandalsnes . GALATEA and CARLISLE landed troops of the 148th Bde at Aandalsnes in the dusk light of the 18th, while ARETHUSA and CURACOA landed troops of the 148th Brigade at Molde, and the DDs ferried them to Aandalsnes. There was no opposition to the landings. The sloops carrying the "PRIMROSE" detachment, arrived at Aandalsnes at 2200 17 April. By dawn on the 18th, disembarkation of the troops was completed. Sloop BLACK SWAN remained in the area to provide AA support until the 21st and the other sloops departed.

 

[parsifal]

17 April 1940 (Part II)
OPERATIONS (Cont'd)
Northern Waters (Cont'd)
DD ESCORT departed Lerwick after safely delivering the damaged DD ECLIPSE and proceeded towards Scapa Flow. A sub contact was reported by a/c at midday which ESCORT attacked and summoned DDs TARTAR and JAVELIN from Scapa to assist. Further investigation proved this was the wreck depth charged by DD CODRINGTON on 5 April. All 3 DDs arrived at Scapa on the 18th. Sub TAKU was stationed off Sulenfjord 20 miles from Aalesund to prevent German ships from entering the area. Uninformed of TAKU's presence and patrolling in the same area was DD ASHANTI. In th4e early hrs of the morning, TAKU fired 4 torps at ASHANTI, which all missed. TAKU was then taken under attack by ASHANTI which dropped 1 DC charge before TAKU was identified. She sustained a strained fore hatch.

At Harstad, the unloading of the convoy NP.1 transports was completed on the 17th and by 18 April the quays were cleared of cargos. The convoy, troopships MONARCH OF BERMUDA, BATORY and REINA DEL PACIFICO, departed Vaagsfjord escort DDs AMAZON, VOLUNTEER and WITHERINGTON early morning 17th. It arrived in the Clyde on the 20th, escorted by DDs FEARLESS, FURY, HYPERION.

During the night of 16/17 April, DDs AFRIDI, MATABELE, MASHONA and NUBIAN met Polish troopship CHROBRY at sea and led her up Namsenfjord to Namsos supported by CLAs CAIRO and CURLEW. CLs GLASGOW and SHEFFIELD with DD SIKH remained at sea on guard. MATABELE and MASHONA ferried troops ashore from CHROBRY while AFRIDI and NUBIAN patrolled in the Fjord. Before dawn 17th, MATABELE and SIKH re-embarked GLASGOW and SHEFFIELD's landing parties put ashore on the 14th. DD SOMALI arrived at Scapa 17th from Lillesjona. When CHROBRY left Namsenfjord early on the 18th, she was not completely unloaded and returned to Lillesjona. It was decided to send CHROBRY back to Namsos the night of 18/19 April to complete unloading as Fr FP.1, en route to Namsos, was a day late and would not arrive until late on the 19th. DD MOHAWK had departed Scapa on the 17th, and arrived at Namsos on the 18th with ammunition for the ships. MOHAWK was ordered to join DD ASHANTI to patrol the Trondheim Leads until the 22nd when they departed to refuel at Scapa. GLASGOW and SHEFFIELD arrived at Scapa for refuelling on the 18th. After dark on the 18th, MATABELE was detached to refuel at Sullom Voe. CAIRO refuelled at Skelfjord, but returned in time to rejoin CURLEW escorting CHROBRY. Unloading was completed the night of the 18th/19th. CHROBRY returned to Scapa on the 20th. AFRIDI arrived at Scapa to refuel and re-ammunition, while CHROBRY, escorted by SIKH and MASHONA, went on to the Clyde, arriving 21st. NUBIAN arrived at Namsos as an AA guard on the 20th.

West Coast UK
OB.131 departed Liverpool escort sloop FOLKESTONE from the 18th to 20th, when she detached to SL.27. OB.131 dispersed on the 21st.

Channel
DDs BASILISK, BEAGLE, CAMPBELL, BROKE, WREN, VANSITTART, ANTELOPE, WOLVERINE and WITCH departed Dover for Scapa . DD VANSITTART has just arrived at Dover escorting a convoy. At 0900, they were diverted en route to search for a Uboat. BASILISK, BEAGLE, BROKE and ANTELOPE were ordered at 0900/18th to search for the submarine sinking steamer SWAINBY, while WREN, WOLVERINE, WITCH, CAMPBELL and VANSITTART were sent to search for a German submarine reported by a/c. They arrived at Scapa on the 19th. Meanwhle BASILISK, BEAGLE, BROKE and ANTELOPE were sent to search for the crew of a downed Whitley bomber. They rescued four crew and arrived at Scapa on the 19th. DDs WILD SWAN, WHITSHED and VERITY arrived at Dover on the 18th to replace them.

UK - France
BC.33 with 4 steamers departed the Loire escort DD MONTROSE, and arrived in the Bristol Channel on the 18th.

Central Atlantic
SLF.28 departed Freetown escort AMC CARNARVON CASTLE until 22 April. On 22 April, the convoy merged with SL.28. On 29 April, DDs VESPER and WALPOLE joined the convoys and escorted them to Liverpool arriving on 1 May.

 

[Njaco]

April 18 Thursday
NORTHERN EUROPE: The Norwegian government declared war on Germany after several days of fighting. The British 148th Brigade arrived in Åndalsnes overnight. Commanding officer Brigadier Morgan was given orders to advance 150 miles northeast to Trondheim. However, Morgan has also received opposite instructions (directly from Chief of the Imperial General Staff General Ironside) to support the Norwegian troops currently to the southeast defending the Gudbrandsdal and Østerdal valleys leading up from Oslo. Meanwhile, troops of the German 181st infantry division begins reinforcing Trondheim, arriving in numerous transport planes, one conventional transport ship and 2 submarines operating as undersea troop transports. German troops moving north out of Oslo are held up by Norwegian forces in the village of Bagn in the district of Valdres, approximately midway between Oslo and Bergen.

'Operation Hammer', the proposed landings at Trondheim, suffers a further setback. Brigadier Berney-Ficklin is put in charge but he is injured when his plane crashes en route to embark at Scapa Flow.

Two days ago, with the Germans surrounded by Norwegian forces, it looked like the end had come for the paratroopers at Dombås and that they would soon have to surrender. But luck was with the Germans and soon a snow storm fell on the area. With visibility reduced in the heavy snow, the Germans sneaked out of the farm building they had occupied. Last night a 40mm anti-aircraft gun arrived with Norwegian reinforcements. The Norwegians then learnt that Germans had relocated to a farmstead called North and South Lindse Farm, located atop a nearby hill. The hill had a clear view of railway lines and nearby main roads, thereby giving the Germans a good position to defend and stop attackers. The Norwegians then began firing at and shelling the North and South Lindse Farm. For German commander Oberleutnat Schmidt, the danger suddenly became much more real. Fortunately for the Germans, this evening brought relief when a Junkers Ju-52 air dropped ammunition, warm clothing, provisions, medical supplies and the radio frequency for communicating with headquarters.

British submarine HMS "Sterlet" disappeared off Norway. It was either sunk by German anti-submarine trawlers UJ-125, UJ-126, and UJ-128, or sunk after hitting a mine.

GERMANY: The German submarine U-99 was commissioned with Captain Otto "Smiling Otto" Kretschmer in command. U-99 would be responsible for sinking 282,000 tons of Allied shipping before being cornered and sunk in Mar 1941. Depth charged to the surface and sunk, U-99's captain and crew were taken prisoner by Donald Macintyre of the corvette HMS "Walker".

.

.

 

[parsifal]

18 April 1940 (Part I)
Known Reinforcements
Axis
Type VIIB U-99, Type 1935 MSW M-21

ML Brummer II (ex Nor OLAV TRYGGVASON), MSW RaumeBootes R-46-49 (4 Boats)

Neutral
IT Marconi Class Subs BARACCA and MALASPINA

The earlier pre-war Italian subs were of doubtful value, however the Marconi class were top class fleet boats

Known Losses
Sub SEAWOLF fired 2 torps at one ship and 4 torps at another ship from a group of 3 MVs escort 4 UJ trawlers. One torp struck and sank Troopship HAMM (Ger 5874 grt), returning from Oslo, off the Skaw.

Pre-WWI TB SAEL (Nor 84 grt): In one of the first MTB engagements of the war, SAEL engaged 3 larger S Bootes. She left one E Boat disabled and listong but was raked stem to stern with 20mm rounds. 3 torps were launched, one detonating on the bottom causing bow damge and forcing her skipper to beach the SAEL. Despite her damage, all crew were saved when they swam to shore. One man was injured. The SAEL was sunk in Hardangerfjord near Bergen.

Steamer EDDA (SD 1587 grt) The clearly neutral vesel was seized by German forces outside Larvik and renamed AXEL for German service. The Swedes raise no protest.

[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Steamer KARE (SD 1203 grt) was attacked by German bombers, and the crew abandoned ship and went ashore. She was seized and named HELA for German service. There is no protest from the Swedish govt.

[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Sub STERLET (RN 768 grt) The S-class sub was sunk in the Skagerrak south of Larvik, Norway. Exact cause of loss is un-deterrmined. It is possible she was sunk in a combined attack by Aux SCs UJ.125, UJ.126, and UJ.128 in Karingoefjord. It is now fairly certain that this attack did not sink the STERLET. A more likely candidate was ASW attacks late in the day by the escort of a sth bound convoy consisting of MSW M.75 and WWI TB T.190. It is also possible she was lost in a minefield nearby. All hands were lost.

DKM War diary
Selected Extracts

1. Report on OKW directive. The Fuehrer has ordered:

a) Group Narvik has the task of defending itself along the ore railroad, of tying down the enemy and of preparing thorough destruction of the ore railroad. It is being supplied with ammunition and food. Fresh forces will not be brought up.

b) Trondheim is of decisive importance as a naval and air base. Occupying forces, as well as blocking the way nthwards against landings, are to defend the railroad to the Swedish border and open up communications to the sth. The Gp cannot be made too strong for this. C in C, LW will provide increased air transports as far as possible.

d) C in C, DKM, in conjunction with Group 21, is to take over the bringing up by sea of heavy weapons and ammunition
required and carry this out even at the risk of losses.

e) Severe steps are to be taken against passive resistance from the population.

2. Operations by our BCs : Naval Staff considers that a sudden appearance by the BCs in the Lister-Utsire-Krakenaes area is
urgently necessary in order to relieve the west coast of Norway, where troop and supply transports of the Western Powers are
constantly arriving under the protection of numerous British naval forces. The enemy disposition of forces, at present still showing a concentration in the Lofoten area, provides favorable conditions for such an operation. Prospects of success are expected from pushing through the Shetlands line into the area west of Stadlandet-Frohavet, according to reports on the enemy to date (primarily light forces in this area). The dangers of such sorties, the possibilities of which in Naval Staff's opinion should not be exhausted in isolated operations but must form a constant threat to the enemy, lie in danger from the air, submarines and mines, especially on the approach routes. These dangers can be reduced to a tolerable degree with suitable anti-mine and air escort (the effectiveness
of air patrol and air escort has been materially increased by the newly acquired bases at Aalborg and Stavanger).

UBOATS
Kriegstagebücher (KTB) - War Diary

Following Naval War Staff's new instructions "4654", boats are being distributed as follows:

A) Small boats: The following will go to the U-boat School as soon as possible: U 1 - 7, 9, 10, 18, 19, 20 and 21 - 13 boats. The following will remain off Bergen until their supplies are exhausted: U 14, 17, 23, 24 - 4 boats. Total 17 boats. The following will remain for operations: U 13, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62.
B) Large boats: U 25, 38, 49, 65 will remain in the Lofoten area until they have used all their torpedoes. U 30, 34, 50 will remain in the Trondheim area. U 47, 48 37 are on their way back. U 29 is on her way out. U 46, 51, 52 are being recalled. U 28 is under repair. Total: 15 boats.
The following are intended for transport to north Norway: U 26, 32, 43, 101, 122, UA - 6 boats. These will patrol up and down the Norwegian coast at the same time. Of these only U 26 is at sea, about to enter Trondheim. With these preliminary arrangements there will be: 8 small boats, 15 large boats, 23 U-boats left for the main operation by the beginning of May, and the 6 transport boats will only be available to a limited extent.
U 47, which was recalled owing to engine defects, is ready again and she has been ordered to the area west of the Shetlands-North Minch. U 26 entered Trondheim. U 13 and U 61 have been ordered to put in to Bergen to refuel. They are to operate again with U 57, 58, 59 and the first wave of the remaining small operational boats. U 37 has returned from patrol. This boat also had premature detonators in zone O, but nevertheless sank 3 steamers, totaling about 18,600 tons, and a warship, probably a cruiser, with switch setting "A" or sth of zone O. U 51 reported a double shot at a Southampton class cruiser, no success. Reports from U 52 and U 65 show again under what difficulties the boats are operating in the fjords: almost no darkness, strong anti-S/M activity at times, reloading only possible by moving away. It is therefore correct to withdraw the boats in the Namsos fjord to positions further out. U 34 and U 50 have been ordered to waiting positions off Folla, near the island of Kya.

Arrivals
Trondheim: U-26
Wilhelmshaven: U-37

At Sea 18 April 1940
U-3, U-5, U-6, U-7, U-9, U-10, U-13, U-14, U-17, U-19, U-23, U-24, U-25, U-30, U-34, U-38, U-43, U-46, U-47, U-48, U-51, U-52, U-56, U-57, U-58, U-59, U-60, U-61, U-62, U-65.
30 boats at sea.

OPERATIONS
Baltic
Western Baltic
DKM MLs HANSESTADT DANZIG, KAISER, ROLAND, COBRA, PREUSSEN and KONIGIN LUISE laid ASW mine barrages in the Kattegat. The MLs were escorted by TBs GREIF, SEEADLER and MOEWE and MSWs R 25 and R 27. GREIF was relieved by TB WOLF.

North Sea
ORP sub ORZEL arrived at Rosyth after patrol. Sub SEALION and Fr sub LA SYBILLE arrived at Harwich after patrol. FN.149 departed Southend, escort DD WINCHESTER and sloop LONDONDERRY. DD WHITLEY relieved the sloop, which on relief proceeded to Rosyth. On 19 April, WINCHESTER hit a submerged object 5.6 miles from Tongue Light Vessel, but was able to continue with the convoy with damage to her asdic and propeller. The convoy arrived at the Tyne on the 20th with WHITLEY and WINCHESTER. MT.54 departed Methil, escort DD VEGA and sloop HASTINGS. The convoy arrived at the Tyne later that day. FS.149 departed the Tyne, escort DD VEGA and sloop HASTINGS. The convoy arrived at Southend on the 20th.

Northern Waters
Operation HAMMER, allied troop landings at Trondheim, was cancelled. DDs ESK, ICARUS, IVANHOE departed Scapa for Immingham where they arrived on the 19th. DDs JUNO, JANUS, HEREWARD, HASTY departed Scapa for the Clyde to escort CV GLORIOUS from Greenock to Scapa. DDs HASTY and JACKAL arrived at Scapa for duty with the Home Flt after repairs. HASTY arrived at Scapa with DD WHITLEY escorting tkr WAR NIZAM. WHITLEY then returned to Rosyth. DD ESCORT departed Scapa for Lerwick with personnel and stores for damaged DD ECLIPSE.

Near Tromso, CVL FURIOUS, escort DD ISIS and ILEX, was damaged by the concussion of a near miss from a single LW He 111 bomber attack carried out at extreme range. FURIOUS's hull was damaged and she stripped some turbine blades. Then on 24 April, she reported two propeller shafts out of action. A Swordfish a/ct of 816 Sdn from FURIOUS crashed near Tromso when it struck a H/T wire stretched across the fjord, pilot was killed, two other crewman seriously injured. DD FORTUNE escorting tkr WAR PINDARI arrived at Tromso.

West Coast UK
OB.132 departed Liverpool escort DD WARWICK from 18 to 21 April. The convoy dispersed on the 22nd. OG.26 was formed from convoys OA.130G, which departed Southend on the 16th escort DD VIVACIOUS and OB.130G, which departed Liverpool on the 16th escort DD VIMY, with 54 ships. The convoy arrived at Gib on the 25th, escort Fr sloop ANNAMITE and escort ship VIKINGS, which joined on the 19th from Lorient

Channel
MSW HUSSAR completed boiler cleaning at Dover. MSW HALCYON went alongside depot ship SANDHURST in the Sub Basin at Dover for boiler cleaning. Escort vessel WINCHESTER, which was working up (after conversion) carried out ASW exercises with sub H.28.

 

[parsifal]

18 April 1940 (Part II)
OPERATIONS (CONT'D
Nth Atlantic
HX.36 departed Halifax escort RCN DDs SAGUENAY, SKEENA and ST LAURENT, which were detached on the 19th. After screening the ocean escort, BB REVENGE to sea, ST LAURENT returned to Halifax, with SAGUENAY and SKEENA arriving back on the morning of the 20th. The BB was detached on the 26th. DDs VIMY and WAKEFUL joined the convoy on the 30th, with VIMY detaching on 2 May and WAKEFUL on the 3rd, when the convoy arrived at Liverpool.

Med- Biscay
Convoy HG.27F of 26 ships departed Gib. DD VELOX escorted the convoy on the 18th, Fr DD CHACAL and TB BATAILLEUSE from the 18th to 24th, and sloops SCARBOROUGH and LEITH from the 24th to 27th. SCARBOROUGH arrived in the Downs on the 26th with the Thames section of the convoy, while the main convoy arrived at Liverpool on the 27th.

The Ex-Italian DDs (SELLA Class), purchased by Sweden, departed Naples, but a collision soon occurred between PUKE and PSILANDER (as they were now named). Damage required the DDs to call at Cartagena, where they arrived on the 23rd. The transfer of these vessels was not a smooth straightforward affair. It would be July before they reached Sweden.

Deck shot of the PUKE enroute to Sweden . The variations of uniform suggest a mixed Swedish/Italian crew. Psilander shown in the drydock at Cartagena, under repair

 

[parsifal]

19 April 1940 (Part I)
Known Reinforcements
Axis
IJN Kagero Class DD URAKAZE, SC CH13 (precise comm date uncertain)

Allied
ASW Trawler HICKORY (Tree Class), - Gunboat MOSQUITO (Dragonfly Class) - MTB 67, 68

Pictured left to right HMS SYCAMORE of the Tree Class, Dragon Fly Class Gunboat, model of the 55' Thornycroft MTB
Known Losses
MV JAUNTJELGAVA (Ex-Lat, Ger 1509 grt): The cargo ship collided with DKM THOR and sank in the Baltic Sea. She had been seized by the Germans October 26 1939

[NO IMAGE FOUND]

DKM War diary
Selected Extracts

The Naval Attache believes that at best Italy will enter the war actively when the Western Powers are so hampered that there is no longer any danger for Italy. The Attache' considers Imminent intervention by Italy out of the question.

In spite of this, great preparations are being made for war. New Defense Council created, naval mobilization complete, different necessities rationed, Red Cross measures. Numerous wishes are constantly being submitted to Germany regarding help with heavy guns, anti-aircraft guns, etc.

General attitude to Germany: The Duce and his adherents are in favor of support for Germany dissolution of all dependence on Great Britain, seizure of the most favorable moment to enter the war; they see the fulfillment of vital Italian Interests only on Germany's side. According to a statement by Prince von Hessen, the King and Crown Prince are now said to support Mussolini's attitude strongly and to be convinced of the necessity for cooperation with Germany.

Press : follows this attitude very strongly since the Brenner meeting and emphasizes Axis policy. The people are constantly being Influenced towards Germany by propaganda in spite of British counter-propaganda. Far-reaching conclusions should not be drawn from this. No enthusiasm for war.

General Staff : has constant objections; forsees many difficulties. Threat to Lybia is considered very serious. The loss of Lybia would mean a severe setback. Its defense is by no means adequate.

Naval Staff : very cautious. Cavagnari is apparently seriously ill, his successor, Sommigli, follows Mussolini's lead but is very skeptical. Commencement of Italian operations would mean no great gain for German naval warfare , apart from the diversionary
effect of the Italian Fleet. In the Attache's opinion there Is no question of the 120 Italian submarines being thrown into the scales on Germany's side. Clear definition of mutual spheres of interest end operations is always mentioned. The Attache' ascribes the very objective and officially very cautious manner of the Italians to the Naval Attache to unsatisfactory reports from Peccori, the Italian Naval Attache in Berlin, Peccori is apparently embittered, unsympathetic and without the necessary interest in his post. He is probably reporting unfavorably on the German Navy and has no idea of the effect of his reports on the attitude of his Naval Staff and its general disposition towards Germany.

In spite of the Naval Attache 1 s report, Naval Staff considers it quite possible that when a favorable time to strike comes, Mussolini will enter the war on Germany's side much earlier than his General Staff or Naval Staff consider desirable. Not in the form of participation in a general large-scale offensive in the west, but in the shape of a partial war to create a favorable basis for the attainment of later Italian goals in the Mediterranean. Naval Staff sees a sign that Italy does not intend to wait another one or two years before taking action in the strength of the present mobilization, which she can on no account keep up without results for any length of time.

UBOATS
Arrivals
Bergen: U-13
Wilhelmshaven: U-3, U-5 , U-6

Departures
Trondheim: U-26

At Sea 19 April 1940
U-7, U-9, U-10, U-14, U-17, U-19, U-23, U-24, U-25, U-26, U-30, U-34, U-38, U-43, U-46, U-47, U-48, U-51, U-52, U-56, U-57, U-58, U-59, U-60, U-61, U-62, U-65.
27 boats at sea

OPERATIONS

Baltic
Western Baltic
Sub TRIAD fired 4 torps at DKM MSW NAUTILUS, but all missed. In operations by German naval auxiliary Schiff 18 and MSWer M.1, (which was part of the Egersund invasion force and had been left behind because of mechanical defects), 5 S-boats of the S-Flot 1 operated in Hardangersfjord, south of Bergen. These were the boats that sank Norwegian torpedo boat SAEL and one S-boat was damaged by two hits in the engagement at Anuglo

North Sea
Sub SEAL arrived at Rosyth after patrol, but departed that day and proceeded to Blyth, arriving on the 20th. Fr subs DORIS and ORPHEE departed Harwich on patrol. Sub SNAPPER and Fr sub ANTIOPE arrived at Harwich after patrol. Sub SUNFISH arrived at Harwich after patrol.

Fr Contre torpilleur DDs INDOMPTABLE, MALIN and TRIOMPHANT en route to Rosyth anchored in the Downs for the night, and on the 20th, continued on to Rosyth. Fr subs CALYPSO and THETIS of SubDiv 13 arrived at Harwich on the 19th, escort sloop FOXGLOVE, to reinforce SubFlot 10 for patrols in the southern Nth Sea.

MT.55 departed Methil, escort DD WOOLSTON and PV yacht BREDA. The convoy arrived in the Tyne later that day. FS.150 departed the Tyne, escort DD WOOLSTON and PV patrol yacht BREDA. The convoy arrived at Southend on the 21st.

Northern Waters
CL EFFINGHAM was attacked by U.38, sw of the Lofotens, but was not damaged. CL ENTERPRISE, arriving in Vaagsfjord during the evening of 19 April, was attacked by U.65. All the torps exploded prematurely and no damage was done. DKM U-boats off Vaagsfjord, Vestfjord, Namsenfjord and Romdalsfjord were ordered to return to Germany.

DD FEARLESS, FURY and HYPERION departed Scapa to meet homebound HNP 1 and relieve escort DDs VOLUNTEER and WITHERINGTON, which then proceeded to Scapa and the Clyde, respectively. A Swordfish of 818 Squadron from FURIOUS forced landed intact on a snowfield of Lake Skogsfjord, Ringvassoy. the crewwere rescued uninjured and the a/c subsequently salved as well. ORP DDs GROM, BURZA and BLYSKAWICA departed Scapa for Harstad to relieve DDs there. DD ESCORT rendezvoused with them off Lerwick, but BURZA was forced to return to Scapa with storm damage to her bow, arriving there on the 20th. Also on the 20th, U.9 attacked BLYSKAWICA NE of the Shetlands and was counterattacked in return. The 3 DDs arrived safely on the 21st off Harstad without further incident and were led into port by DD FAULKNOR.

BB VALIANT and BC RENOWN, which were to embark special shells for the Trondheim bombardment, escorted by CLs GALATEA, ARETHUSA and DDs VANSITTART, CAMPBELL, WITCH and WOLVERINE, departed Scapa at 1700 for Rosyth. DD GREYHOUND departed with the force and continued on to Blackwall for structural repairs.

Fr convoy FP.1, carrying the 5th Chasseur Alpins Demi Brigade, consisted of Fr AMCs EL D'JEZAIR, EL KANTARA and EL MANSOUR, escort by Contre Torpileur DDs BISON, EPERVIER and MILAN of Fr DesDiv 11 , and AMC VILLE D'ORAN, in a Gp arriving behind the first, escort Contre Torpilleurs DDs CHEVALIER PAUL, MAILLÉ BRÉZÉ and TARTU of Fr DesDivv 5 , which departed Scapa on the 20th for Namsenfjord. EL MANSOUR, EL KANTARA, VILLE D' ORAN, British troopship FRANCONIA, and TARTU, CHEVALIER PAUL, MAILLÉ BRÉZÉ and EPERVIER had departed the Clyde on the 16th and arrived at Scapa on the 17th. The convoys' passage was given close cover by Fr CL EMILE BERTIN and heavy support by BC REPULSE and CLA CURLEW. Enemy opposition to the convoys was considerable.

 

[parsifal]

19 April 1940 (Part II)
OPERATIONS (CONT'D)

Northern Waters (cont'd)
On the 18th, U.34 unsuccessfully attacked EMILE BERTIN, and on the afternoon of the 19th, U.46 launched torps without success at MAILLÉ BRÉZÉ, which counterattacked and drove her off. However, she lost touch with the convoy and did not rejoin until it had arrived at Namsos. The two gps and their escorts arrived off Namsos and were joined by CLA CAIRO which came out from there. During the disembarkation, EMILE BERTIN in Namsenfjord was hit by a German bomb which resulted in moderate damage, and as she withdrew, escorted by MAILLÉ BRÉZÉ, she was unsuccessfully attacked by U.51. They were joined at sea by EPERVIER and RN CL MANCHESTER, and the gp proceeded to Sullom Voe. DDs ANTELOPE and BROKE departed Scapa on 20 May and joined the Fr CL for escort. After seeing her near to Scapa, they returned to escort convoy FP.1 back.

VILLE D'ORAN was damaged by a near miss at 2200 while sailing up Namsenfjord and fell behind. She was able to catch up and disembark her cargo, but had to go to Glasgow for repairs. After the disembarkation, the Fr ships left before dawn on the 20th with CAIRO and arrived at Sullom Voe 21st, escort DD TARTU, CHEVALIER PAUL, MAILLÉ BRÉZÉ, BROKE and ANTELOPE. Troopships EL D'JEZAIR, EL KANTARA and EL MANSOUR departed Sullom Voe 22nd for Scapa escort DDs BROKE, ANTELOPE, TARTU and CHEVALIER PAUL, and arrived on the 23rd, while VILLE D'ORAN departed Sullom Voe 22nd, escort DD EPERVIER, for the Clyde. CAIRO which had suffered some bomb damage from a near miss at Namsos arrived at Scapa on the 21st, while CURLEW, which was supposed to go to Namsos as AA guard ship, had insufficient fuel and had to return to Scapa arriving on the 20th. With no AAt protection, Namsos was heavily bombed by unopposed Luftwaffe forces and the port sustained heavy damage. DD NUBIAN arrived on the 20th as an AA guard ship, departing 21st.

Namsos after the LW attacks April 20

BB WARSPITE, departing Vestfjord for Rosyth escort DDs HAVOCK, HOSTILE, HERO and FOXHOUND, was attacked by U.47 but the torps prematured. The escorting DDs subjected U.47 to a heavy DC attack, and WARSPITE was recalled to Narvik. DD WREN departed Scapa for Lerwick to escort steamer ST ROGNVALD (1069grt) carrying troops from Lerwick to Aberdeen. WREN then arrived back at Scapa on the 20th, but was ordered to the Clyde without entering harbour.

DD MATABELE on passage to Scapa was diverted to escort ML TEVIOTBANK from Sullom Voe to Rosyth. DD FORESTER departed Scapa 20th, relieved MATABELE for the remainder of the voyage, and she and TEVIOTBANK arrived in the Humber on the 22nd. FORESTER went on to Hull for repairs.

Med- Biscay
DD KEPPEL arrived at Gib from Malta on completion of her repairs from her January collision.

 

[Njaco]

April 19 Friday
NORTHERN EUROPE: Quote by Norwegian King Haakon to the President of the Norwegian Supreme Court in Oslo:

"…the Norwegian Government can negotiate on no basis but the removal of the German troops from the country".

The first engagement between British and German troops in Norway took place at Verdal, north of Trondheim. General de Wiart's 146th Brigade joined Norwegian forces at Steinkjer, at the northern end of the Trondheimfjord, and pushed forward 10 km to Verdal. They were met by German 138th Gebirgsjäger Regiment, advancing north from Trondheim. The units of the Brigade which have advanced from Namsos to Steinkjer were forced to retreat by the German troops who have support from the warships in Trondheim Fiord.

Overnight, 3 battalions of French Chasseurs Alpins (mountain infantry) arrive at Namsos, to reinforce 146th Brigade, but their skis, mules, trucks and anti-aircraft guns do not. When their skis do arrive, they lack straps and are useless.

Further South, Brigadier Morgan meets Norwegian General Ruge, at Ruge's HQ in Øyer, near Lillehammer. German 196th Division takes the towns of Hamar and Elverum only 50 miles South. Morgan is persuaded to abandon his orders to move on Trondheim and instead instructs 148th Brigade to advance from Åndalsnes, 200 miles Southeast down the Gudbrandsdal to reinforce Ruge's troops blocking the German advance from Oslo.

Three prototype Neubaufahrzeug heavy tanks (35 tons, three turrets with 75 mm main and 37 mm secondary gun) arrive in Oslo and are paraded through the streets to intimidate the locals, before joining the drive to Trondheim.

After six days, 20 Norwegian and 15 German killed, the Battle of Dombås came to an end. The German paratroopers, besieged in two farmsteads, found this morning the Norwegians had completed surrounding their position. The Norwegians had brought in fresh reinforcements and weaponry overnight, including another heavy gun. With shells targeting the farmstead, the Germans sent a negotiator down to the Norwegians hoping to arrange peace. The Norwegians replied by insisting they would accept nothing less than unconditional surrender from the Germans. They gave them ten minutes to decide before shelling of the farms would resume and the Germans would be wiped out. For nine-and-a-half minutes the Norwegians awaited the response. Finally the Germans agreed.The Fallschirmjägers at Dombås surrender, surrounded, outnumbered, out of ammunition and bombarded by a railway howitzer. Of 185 that parachuted in, only 45 survive. Oberleutnant Schmidt has remained in command despite serious wounds to the hip and stomach. He will survive and receive the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 24 May.

A 1(F)./122 Heinkel performed an early overflight of Namsos and found some British cruisers. In addition a 1(F)./122 Heinkel overflew Aandalsnes reporting the sighting of two battleships, three cruisers, five destoyers and several supply ships. This was an error, however, the Royal Navy cruisers "Arethuser" and "Galatae" had been in the vicinity but had already sailed for Rosyth. "Émile Bertin" was damaged by German aircraft off Namsos. She would be sent to Brest, France for repairs.

German Orders are issued for a planned attack on Namsos for the next day. The small town of Namsos was the base for Anglo-French forces in central Norway. The buildings in the town were mostly wooden built and it immediately became a target for German air attack;

"Main command of the Wehrmacht
WFA Nr. 827/40g. Kdos. Abt. L
Berlin, 19.4.40
Secret
The Fuhrer and supreme commander of the Wehrmacht has ordered the Luftwaffe to destroy locations (villages, cities) outside those coastal areas occupied by us, which are either occupied by the English or declared by British announcements as British occupied, without consideration of the civil population.

So far this has been ordered by the Fuhrer for Namsos and Andalsnes. For these areas, also railways and streets as close as possible to these locations shall be destroyed.

The head of the main command of the Wehrmacht.
(signed) Keitel"

Germany announced the formation of the Reich Commissariat for the occupied Norwegian Territories.

ASIA: Japan informed the United States that Japan had no aggressive intentions toward the Dutch East Indies.

GERMANY: Admiral Donitz greets the crew of U-37 on their return to Wilhelmshaven. U-37 had patrolled for 20 days and had sunk three ships, one Swedish, one Norwegian and one British. The commander, Werner Hartmann was soon to receive the Knights Cross (on the 9th May). This was his last patrol before he became a training commander and later a Flotilla commander. He would undertake only one further war patrol and would survive the war. The First Officer Nicolai Clausen was awarded the U-Boat War Badge, usually granted after two war patrols, on 18th April 1940. He would later return to become the commander of U-37 in 1941. He died in 1942 as commander of U-182, sunk by depth charges while returning from a long patrol to the Indian Ocean.

.

 

[parsifal]

20 April 1940 (Part I)
Known Reinforcements
Axis
IJN CL KATORI

Neutral
SU Gnevnyi Class DD RAZYARYONNYI

Allied
Fr CH-5 Class SC CH-11

Known Losses
ASW Trawler S RUTLANDSHIRE (RN 350 grt (est)): The ASW trawler was bombed and sunk in the Namsenfjorden off Namsos, Norway by a/c of KG 26, Luftwaffe.

[NO IMAGE FOUND]

CVL FURIOUS intercepted trawler RHEIN (Ger 254 grt) off North Cape, which was taken in prize and escorted to Harstad by DD IMOGEN.

Battle Of Uskedal in the Bergen Fjords)
From her anchorage south of Uskedal Pre-1900 ML TYR first damaged an E-boat and then, with her 12 cm main gun, put a large hole below the waterline of the armed trawler Schiff 18 forcing her to be beached to avoid sinking. At 05.30 a.m. the battle turned against the Norwegians as another ASW trawler, Schiff 221 (DKM) landed more troops at Trones which advanced on Uskedal from a new direction. All the while during the battle TYR was providing Gunfire spt from her position in the Storsund midway between Uskedal and Heroysund, bombarding the Germans with HE shells. Even though she came under heavy MG fire from German troops, TYR helped the Norwegian land forces hold their ground until taken by surprise by the sudden arrival of the Gunnery training ship BREMSE (Ger). Fire from the larger enemy ship forced TYR to back out the fight and go to the docks in Uskedal. After a short while at anchor Tyr was ordered back into the fight to help the TB Stegg that was fighting BREMSE. Once TYR returned to the battle she again gained the attention of the DKM warship and was forced to take cover in a small bay at Skorpo. The TYR's skipper now considered the battle as hopeless he ordered his crew ashore to rest, also sending small arms and ammunition on land. The cptn started preparations to scuttle his ship with explosives, but before he could carry out his intentions two E-boats entered the bay and boarded TYR. Before long Schiff 221 arrived and took TYR in tow. By afternoon TYR was on her way back to Bergen with a German crew. Her service with DKM was brief, she was damaged and then abandoned 2 May.

In operations by German gunnery training ship BREMSE, ASW Trawler Schiff 18 (DKM 550 grt (Est)), MSE M.1 (DKM) and S-boats in Hardangersfjord, TB STEGG (Nor 256grt) at Heroysund and Aux PV SMART (Nor 122 grt) at Usekedel were sunk by BREMSE. ML TYR (Nor 290 grt) was sent to assist STEGG, engaged Schiff 18 which was damaged and ran aground at Usekedel, near Bergen, but was captured later by German forces when the Norwegian crew went ashore during daylight hours. She was taken for German use. TYR with ML ULLER departed Bergen on the 30th to lay mines at the entrance to Sognefjord, where they were attacked by Norwegian a/c and ULLER damaged and ran aground. The crew was taken aboard TYR which returned towards Bergen. On 1 May, she was attacked by a Norwegian gunboat and sustained many casualties to the German crew. TYR served no further use to the German forces, but was returned after the war to the Norwegians.

No Image for Schiff 18, or SMART, TB STEGG shown

This battle, by seemingly inconsequential forces, led to some major breakthroughs. DKM MSW M.1 seized some 40,000 tons of merchant shipping at Haugesand and took them to Stavanger. Included in this haul was steamer CLARE HUGO STINNES (Ex-Ger 5294 grt) at Kinsarvik, recaptured after it had been seized by the Norwegians at the start of the campaign, and a number of steamers - SAN MIGUEL (Nor 2380 grt) at Ulvik, BLACK PRINCE (Nor 5039 grt), KONG OSCAR II (Nor 914 grt), and VENUS (Nor 5407 grt) at Stanghelle, near Bergen.

DKM War diary
Selected Extracts

Commander in Chief, Navy Issued the following order of the day: "Men of the Navy, today on the birthday of our Fuehrer and Supreme Commander we renew the oath of unconditional loyalty and obedience we swore to him.

True to this oath we will pursue the fight forced upon us with unshakable courage, firm resolve and unbounded will to win and add new successes to those unexampled ones gained by the Navy in combat against overwhelming odds. With unshakable confidence we look to the man who is leading our people upwards to new greatness. We follow on the way he shows us in the proud consciousness that the goal set will be attained and final victory be ours. So let it be. Long live the Fuehrer!
Items of Political Importance

1. Norway :
An address by the King of Norway contains the following passage: "The Administrative Council appointed In Oslo for the German-occupied territories is an emergency measure and is not a substitute for the Norwegian Government. It therefore does not represent the will of the people and has no legal basis according to Norwegian law. It goes without saying that the Council must relinquish its authority in areas where the Royal Norwegian Government regains its power."

In conclusion he stated: By our united efforts we shall win back our Fatherland and make the Norwegian people masters of their own country again.

UBOATS
Kriegstagebücher (KTB) - War Diary

U 34 reported convoys yesterday and today, but had no success with a double shot. U 47 managed to shadow a convoy. The boats which previously in the Vaagsfjord and U 25 can operate against this.In the open sea, far off the coast, they will probably be able to make their attacks without constant interference from a/c. Whether or not the torpedoes will detonate remains to be seen!
This morning alone there have been reports of 12 unsuccessful shots! U 9 reported the sinking of an ex-Polish DD. Sth of zone O!
U 23 has been given a new position east of the Shetlands. U 57, U 58 and U 59 can transfer their operations areas 70 miles in direction 350, as in their present positions they are restricted by strong ASW activity at present. U 13, which has refueled in Bergen, has been ordered to a position west of Pentland Firth. U 38 reported, among other things, that she could not maintain a high continuous speed owing to consumption of lubricating oil. It is not desirable to judge from here what effect technical defects are having on the boat. The commander will have to decide himself what to do. U 48 entered port. U 21, which left Kristiansand on 16.4, released from internment, entered Kiel. I am withdrawing U 30, 34, 50, which are still north of the Trondheim Fjord, to the southwest.

Arrivals
Kiel: U-21, U-48

At Sea 20 April 1940
U-7, U-9, U-10, U-14, U-17, U-19, U-23, U-24, U-25, U-26, U-30, U-34, U-38, U-43, U-46, U-47, U-51, U-52, U-56, U-57, U-58, U-59, U-60, U-61, U-62, U-65.
26 boats at sea

OPERATIONS
Baltic
Western Baltic
Sub TRIAD sighted a German convoy of 3 steamers and 4 escorts , attacked 1 of the steamers off Arendal and claimed to have sunk her, but no damage was done. At 1318, sub SWORDFISH fired 6 torps at the same convoy in Bohus Bay, which she reported as 3 freighters and 4 F-type escort ships. One of the torps just missed steamer SANTOS (Ger 5943 grt).

North Sea
Sloop AUCKLAND was damaged by a near miss in the same bombing attack at Namsos. CLA CARLISLE at Aandalsnes was damaged by a near miss by LW Bombers, suffering a leak in her starboard condenser. Subs URSULA arrived at Blyth, and TAKU at Rosyth after patrols. Fr sub CIRCE departed Harwich on patrol, but returned on the 22nd with her after planes out of action. CL ARETHUSA embarked RAF personnel and fuel at Rosyth and proceeded unaccompanied to Andalsnes where the personnel and cargo were landed early on the 22nd.

Steamer WESTERN PRINCE (10,926grt) was machine gunned and damaged by LW bombers near Edinburgh Light Vessel. ASW yacht MOLLUSC (627grt) attacked a submarine contact in 52-34N, 2-01E. Patrol sloop SHELDRAKE reinforced this attack somewhat later. FN.150 departed Southend, escort DDs WESTMINSTER and WOLSEY, and WOLSEY was machine gunned by LW bombers in the area of Smith's Knoll. The convoy arrived at the Tyne on the 22nd. MT.56 departed Methil, escort DD VALENTINE and sloop WESTON, and sub SEAL took passage with them. The convoy arrived in the Tyne later that day. FS.151 departed the Tyne, escort DD VALENTINE and sloop WESTON, and arrived at Southend on the 22nd.

 

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20 April 1940 (Part II)
OPERATIONS{CONT"D]

Northern Waters (cont'd)
Tkr BRITISH LADY escort DDs HOTSPUR, PUNJABI and JUPITER departed Skelfjord during the forenoon for Scapa, arriving on the 23rd with tug BRIGAND in attendance. DDs BEAGLE and VOLUNTEER departed Scapa with tkr ALDERSDALE for Skelfjord, where they arrived on the 24th.

CLs SOUTHAMPTON and ENTERPRISE were at Tromso. DDs FAULKNOR, ESCAPADE and JUPITER conducted ASW ops in Vestfjord screening CLs AURORA and EFFINGHAM. At first light on the 20th, JUPITER was relieved for refuelling by DD GRENADE, and EFFINGHAM was relieved early on the 21st by CL ENTERPRISE. DDs SOMALI and TARTAR departed Scapa establish a patrol in Kraakvaagford by dusk on the 21st. They joined DDs ASHANTI and MOHAWK, already in the area, patrolling the Trondheim Leads, later departing on the 22nd for Scapa for fuel and ammunition, where they arrived on the 23rd. DDs BASILISK, BEAGLE and HESPERUS departed Scapa to operate as an ASW striking force east of the Orkneys and Fair Island. BEAGLE arrived back at Scapa for escort duties, and BASILISK and HESPERUS were ordered on the 21st to the Clyde for escort duties.


Liner FRANCONIA (UK 20,175 grt) arrived at Harstad escort BC REPULSE and DDs HAVANT, HAVELOCK, FAME. Congestion was so great that 1141 men of a labour force were sent back home without ever disembarking. However, wounded and prisoners were taken onboard for transport back to England.

Skuas of 800 and 801 Sqns from Hatston individually attacked Bergen. German motor torpedo boat S.22 was unsuccessfully attacked. Midshipman J R Crossley and Petty Officer M Hall were lost when their Skua of 800 Sqn crashed between Lerwick and the Orkneys.

Channel
Fr ContreTorpilleur DDs ALBATROS and VAUTOUR (DesDiv 7) cleared Brest on the 18th, and arrived in the Clyde as escort for Fr troopships DJENNE (8790grt), FLANDRE (8503grt) and PRESIDENT DOUMER (11,898grt). The convoy was met at sea by DDs FEARLESS, FURY and VANOC which escorted them into the Clyde. DD VEGA damaged her asdic dome hitting a submerged object, docked at Chatham on the 22nd and was under repair until mid May. DD KEITH completed boiler cleaning at Dover, while DD BRILLIANT began hers. Fr DD L'ADROIT escorted 8 Norwegian merchant ships from Dunkirk to the Downs on the Dungeness route.

Central Atlantic
DD VELOX arrived at Gib escorting whaling ship KOSMOS II (Nor 16966 grt). The ship had departed Teneriffe and was captured by Fr sloop BOUGAINVILLE off Casablanca.

Med- Biscay
Fr submarines PHOQUE, DAUPHIN, NARVAL and ESPADON departed Casablanca on the 19th, passed Gib, escort DD TRAMONTANE, and were joined by sub REQUIN which had been exercising at Gib. They arrived at Bizerte on the 21st, along with submarine PROTEE which departed Casablanca on the 18th; she passed Gib with DD TROMBE on the 19th.

 

[Njaco]

April 20 Saturday
WESTERN FRONT: The aircraft of III./JG 53 fly a Freie jagd in the Zweibrucken area and encounter French Curtiss Hawk 75s of GC II/4 escorting a Potez 63 reconnaissance plane of GC II/36. The Messerschmitts attack and in the ensuing battle, anti-aircraft guns fire at both sides. The Gruppenkommandeur of III Gruppe, Hptm. Werner Mölders shoots down a Hawk 75 east of Saarbrucken for his eighth victory. Another Hawk 75 is damaged by anti-aircraft fire. Oblt. Otto 'Otsch' Bertram of I./JG 2, with eight Spanish victories, shoots down a Hawk 75 near Saarbrucken. Hptm. Horst 'Jakob' Tietzen, Staffelkapitän of 5./JG 51 with seven victories in Spain, catches and shoots down a French recon Bloch 174 near Strasbourg for his first victory of the war. That evening, at 0045 hours, Ofw. Willi Schmale of IV(N)./JG 2, shoots down a Fairey Battle of RAF No. 218 Squadron dropping leaflets over Darmstadt and Mainz. It becomes the first night-fighter kill of the war for the Luftwaffe and the last RAF Battle aircraft lost in action during the 'Sitzkrieg'.

British steamship "City of Simla" unloads war material in Antwerp, Belgium, for use by British troops.

Danish Army began to demobilize.

UNITED KINGDOM: The British War Cabinet canceled the plans for direct landings at Trondheim, Norway (Operation Hammer) in fear of heavy casualties and naval losses to German air attack and coastal batteries.

Keith Park took command of the 11 Group of the Royal Air Force Fighter Command.

NORTHERN EUROPE: The British 148th Brigade arrived at Lillehammer, Norway by train at 0250 hours and began to march south toward the front lines held by Norwegian troops on both sides of Lake Mjøsa. The German forces advancing from Oslo reach the Norwegian positions at Lillehammer and Rena.

Namsos is heavily bombed by the Germans and the harbor installations, such as they are, are severely damaged. The port is ruined as a landing place. There is no natural cover from air attacks and, of course, the Germans have complete air superiority. The German aircraft destroyed large quantities of British supplies and equipment piled near the docks. The British could do little to fight back as they were short on anti-aircraft weapons. In an attempt to remedy this, the 263 Squadron RAF dispatched 18 Gladiator biplanes (under Squadron Leader John Donaldson) to Scapa Flow, where they would be ferried to Norway by HMS "Glorious". 1(F)./122 took part in strikes against Namsos and area around Aandalsnes loosing an He 111 on the return journey from the area. There was only one British ship in Namsos at the time of the first attack, the Anti-Submarine Trawler HMS "Rutlandshire" that received a hit in the waterline on the starboard side and sank.

British War Cabinet does not inform the Norwegians or French (or the British commanders on the flanks of Trondheim) that the direct landings at Trondheim (Operation Hammer) have been cancelled. General de Wiart's 146th Brigade maintains dangerously exposed positions on Trondheimfjord to support the landings. A failure in communications meant that the Brigade remained in these precarious positions.

GERMANY: German High Command issued a secret order to discharge servicemen with mixed Jewish heritage and servicemen who were married to Jewish women.


.

.

 

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21 April 1940 (Part I)
Known Losses
MV CEDARBANK (UK 5159 grt) Crew:45 (15 dead and 30 survivors) :Cargo: 400t of military stores, ammunition and vehicles: Route: Leith - Aandalsnes, Norway. At 0427 on the 21st, DD JACKAL attacked a UBoat contact. However, at 0635, before CEDARBANK (5159grt) could disembark her cargo, which included vital AA guns for area defence, artillery, mortars, transport and Bren carriers for troops of the 148th Infantry Brigade, she was sunk by U.26 offshore. Escorting DDs JACKAL and JAVELIN were unable to inflict damage on U.26 which was returning from delivering supplies to Trondheim. ST MAGNUS and ST SUNNIVA arrived safely with their troops at Aandalsnes that evening.

Trawler HERCULES II (UK 165 grt): The trawler was bombed and sunk in the Nth Sea by LW aircraft. Some sources list the cause of loss as "unknown". Between 5 and 7 crew were lost (no survivors)

[NO IMAGE FOUND]

MV HURGEN FRITZEN (Ger 4465 grt) The cargo ship ran aground and sunk in the Kattegat off Landsort, Sweden.

Trawler PENN (UK 217 grt), possibly 162 grt some confusion with this listing: The trawler was bombed and sunk in the North Sea by LW a/c. Some sources say she was renamed LEONARA and was lost 1 year later

LW a/c dropped mines off Ramsgate and Nth Foreland and in King's Channel. On the 23rd, steamer LOLWORTH (UK see 23 Apr entry) was sunk 1/2 mile NW of Elbow Buoy near Nth Foreland; 2 crew were lost and 22 survivors rescued. On the 24th, steamer RYDAL FORCE (UK - see 24 April) was sunk 400 south of Gull Light Vessel; 11 crew were missing, and 2 survivors rescued by MSW trawler SARAH HIDE (162grt).Then on the 25th, steamer MARGAM ABBEY (UK 2470 grt) from FS.53 was sunk due nth, nine cables, from East Knob Buoy, but the entire crew was rescued. Due to the minings, convoy HX.34, escorted by destroyer WHITEHALL, anchored in Dungeness Roads.

DKM War diary
Selected Extracts

Norway :
According to announcements by the King of Norway, there is no doubt that the whole of Norway is at war with Germany.
Administrative Council in Oslo without influence. The Fuehrer has now therefore assigned General von Falkenhorst,
Commanding General, Armed Forces, Norway executive power. The latter will pass on to the base Commanders all powers
in their area which are suitable and necessary to force the speediest subjection and pacification of the country.

The Attache considers the present political situation in Norway to be entirely confused . He has had violent disagreements with the Army and the Commanding General, General von Falkenhorst, on the subject of the treatment of the civilian population. The Armed Forces Command wishes to proceed as rigorously as possible and to carry out very severe measures such as taking hostages, in order to counter attempts at sabotage. The Attache considers such draconic treatment to be incorrect from his knowledge of the mentality of the Norwegians as an old Germanic race. Commanding Admiral, Norway is also of the opinion that reprisals against hostages will not prevent acts of sabotage, but must lead to a general passive resistance and hereby injury to our German interests.

The Attache has so far carried his point but fears, following General von Falkenhorst' s assumption of executive power, the severest measures which he considers unsuitable for the treatment of the Norwegians. In his opinion Norway will only be pacified if the Fuehrer directs that the "we come as friends to protect Norway" attitude and not the "Poland Scheme" is adopted.

Norway was never subjected to quite the horror that Polansd was to endure, but German rule was increasingly harsh as the war progressed, and co-operation with the local population never given. Germany was forced to maintain a constant military occupation for the remainder of the war, preparing for an invasion that never came, and maintaining control over a resentful population.

UBOATS
Kriegstagebücher (KTB) - War Diary

U 47 has pursued the convoy which she reported yesterday and has brought up U 65 and U 38. U 61 has arrived at Bergen and will take over oil and exchange pistols. Different pistols have been sent for her by air. She is then to proceed off the Minch. There have been no reports for some days from the following:
U 1: last sailing report 6.4 from Nordeney. U 1 is in the inner position off Stavanger.
U 25: last report 16.4 Ofotfjord.
U 49: " " 13.4 square 3510 AF.
U 50: " " 6.4 leaving Nordeney.
There is a radio intelligence report of 19.4 of the landing of 40 U-boat prisoners-of-war in Scotland and the sinking credited to a trawler. No conclusions can be drawn. Observations covering the last 5 days show that the convoys from England to the Lofoten Islands and Tromsoe sail from off the North Minch and proceed via square 7500 AF. U 13, 52, 30, 34, as "western boats", will therefore occupy the area around the Shetlands: .
U 13 square 1500 AN U 30 square 1300 AN and 7700, 3400 AM
U 52 square 3500 and 3600 U 34 square 1100 and 1200 AM.
Because of Y-reports received, all boats were warned of S/M danger in square 3700 and 3500 AN. U 51: was fired on unsuccessfully in square 3751. There is danger of mines and S/M's off approach route "GRUEN"; this route has been used for a long time. It is necessary to change to route I. U 7 and U 10 entered port.

Arrivals
Kiel: U-7
Wilhelmshaven: U-10

Departures
Bergen: U-13

At Sea 21 April 1940
U-9, U-13, U-14, U-17, U-19, U-23, U-24, U-25, U-26, U-30, U-34, U-38, U-43, U-46, U-47, U-51, U-52, U-56, U-57, U-58, U-59, U-60, U-61, U-62, U-65.
25 boats at sea

OPERATIONS
North Sea
BB VALIANT with DDs GRAFTON, ARROW, ACHERON departed Rosyth bound for Scapa. DD NUBIAN departed Namsos, proceeded to sea and arrived back in the fjord at 1840 to find sloop AUCKLAND in harbour. AUCKLAND relieved her as AA guard ship and NUBIAN departed Namsos on the 22nd, and arrived at Scapa on the 23rd. AUCKLAND remained on station until relieved on the 24th. Sloops PELICAN and FLEETWOOD departed Rosyth with military advance parties for Aandalsnes and Molde. German steamer TOGO (5054grt) was damaged by a mine laid earlier in the month by sub NARWHAL off Arendal.

Northern Waters
CL EFFINGHAM was relieved by CL ENTERPRISE on patrol off Harstad. AP.1 with steamers ST SUNNIVA (1368grt) and ST MAGNUS (1312grt) departed Aberdeen on the 19th escort DDs HESPERUS and JACKAL, which departed Scapa on the 18th for Aberdeen. They were joined at sea by steamer CEDARBANK (5159grt) escort DD JAVELIN which departed Scapa also on the 19th. At that time, HESPERUS was detached and returned to Scapa. The convoy arrived at Aalesund early on the 21st and commenced unloading by 0500. CLA CURACOA joined for AA spt on the 21st. CEDARBANK, as indicated above was lost to U-26. ASWGp 22 with Trawlers WARWICKSHIRE, HAMMOND, LARWOOD, BRADMAN, JARDINE arrived at Aandalsnes later in the day

In the early hrs of the morning of the 21st, a small steamer of some 300 tons, escort DKM DD JACOBI, landed 400 troops at Kirknesvaag to reinforce German positions in Trondheimsfjord and outflank British troops at Stenkjer. A TB landed an infantry company at Verdalsora to secure railway and road bridges there.

CAs DEVONSHIRE, BERWICK and DD INGLEFIELD arrived at Scapa. CLA CURACOA relieved sloop BLACK SWAN as AA guard ship at Aandalsnes. DD BRAZEN departed Scapa with ML ATREUS, escorted her as far as Cape Wrath, and arrived back on the 22nd. DDs ESCORT, BEDOUIN, FAULKNOR and the ORP BLYSKAWICA and GROM sortied into Rombaksfjord near Narvik to reconnoitre and harass German troop positions.

Fr sub ORPHEE on patrol in the North Sea 70 miles SSW of Lister fired 2 torps at U.51, which was being followed closely by U.19. Sub SEVERN arrived back at Rosyth after patrol off Kristiansand. MT.57departed Methil, escort DDs WALLACE and VALOROUS, and arrived later that day in the Tyne. FS.152 departed the Tyne, escort DDs WALLACE and VALOROUS, and arrived at Southend on the 23rd.

West Coast UK
DDs HYPERION, HEREWARD and HASTY departed Greenock with CV GLORIOUS for flying on and off. They departed the Clyde at 1800 for Scapa. On 22 April, during flying on, a Skua of 803 Squadron crashed attempting to land, and while Lt A S Griffith was rescued by a DD, Naval Airman K A Brown was killed. 9 Sea Gladiators of 804 Squadron were flown onto the ship. DDs ARROW, ACHERON and BRAZEN departed Scapa on the 22nd to join GLORIOUS during flying on and off west of the Orkneys, but where then detached for Rosyth.

Model of a Sea Gladiator HMS Glorious 804 sqn June 1940, by model maker Joe Lyons
GLORIOUS landed 812 and 825 Sqns, while maintaining 9 Sea Gladiators of 802 Squadron, 9 Sea Gladiators of 804 Squadron, and 11 Skuas of 803 Squadron. The detached Sqns were for the e moment employed in ML and convoy escort duties on the sth and east coasts from shore bases. They then were employed around Dunkirk. 823 Squadron was temporarily disembarked to make space for 18 RAF Gladiators of 263 Squadron, which were flown for transport to Norway.

 

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21 April 1940 (Part II)
OPERATIONS (CONT'D)
Channel
Fr AMC VILLE D'ALGER , sailing as a troopship, had departed Brest on the 15th, and arrived at Scapa on the 18th escorted by Fr DDs BISON and FOUDROYANT. Designated convoy FP1B, she cleared Scapa on the 21st, escort RN CL BIRMINGHAM and CLA CALCUTTA, BISON and FOUDROYANT, and RN DD MAORI and sloop AUCKLAND arriving off Namsos on the night of the 21st. However, she was refused entry into Namsos that night. FOUDROYANT was detached on the 22nd for refuelling at Scapa. The force returned at dusk on the 22nd and the French troops were disembarked but the equipment was not landed due to a damaged dock and heavy snow storm. MAORI, which was there with steamer BLACKHEATH, ferried Fr troops to the pier, after which VILLE D'ALGER departed Namsos on the 23rd and was escorted back to Scapa by BISON.

DDs VETERAN and VISCOUNT departed Plymouth for the Clyde, where they arrived on the 22nd to join the Home Flt. DD WALKER departed Workington for Scapa arriving 23rd. Fr DD MILAN arrived at Scapa with French tkr LE LOT (4220grt).
.
Med- Biscay
DDs DIAMOND and DAINTY arrived at Gib on the 12th from the Sth Atlantic. After refuelling and some refit, they departed on the 19th for Malta, where they arrived on the 21st for duty with the Med Flt.

CL CALYPSO was refitting at Malta from 21 April to 14 May 1940. HG.27 of 32 ships departed Gib escort DDs WISHART and ACTIVE from the 21st to 28th, after which they proceeded to Portsmouth to give leave. Sloops FOWEY and DEPTFORD from OG.27 escorted the convoy from 28 April to 1 May. Convoy HG.27 A separated from HG.27 on the 28th. Section HG.27 A was escorted by sloop FOWEY only for five hours before the convoys split . Sloop DEPTFORD escorted convoy HG.27 from 28 April to 1 May when the convoy arrived at Liverpool.

 

[parsifal]

Map showing the campaigns for lower Norway. The allies suffered another humiliating defeat on this battlefield

 

[parsifal]

22 April 1940 (Part #)
Known Reinforcements
Neutral
SU Series X Bis Sub SHCH135

Allied
Flower Class Corvette HMS CLARKIA

Known Losses
Fishing Vessel BEP (NE 151 grt): The fishing vessel was sunk in the North Sea of Terschelling, Friesland by an E boat. The crew were rescued.

[NO IMAGE FOUND]

MV BRAVORE (Nor 1450 grt) The cargo ship struck a mine and sank in the North Sea off Ramsgate, Kent, United Kingdom with the loss of 17 of the 24 people on board.

MV DELAMORE (Ex-Nor, Ger 350 grt (est)): Seized by the Germans 9 April 1940. Hit underwater rock inside Marsteinen, Norway on Apr. 22-1940 and sank. Subsequent salvage attempts were unsuccessful.

[NO IMAGE FOUND]

MV SIGURD JARL (Nor 924 grt): The cargo ship was bombed and set on fire in Moldefjord by LW a/c. She sank the next day. Raised in 1942 but not repaired, sold for scrapping in 1947.
Norwegian Homefleet WW II - D/S Sigurd Jarl

This loss was part of a larger operation. Steamer ST MAGNUS (1312grt) of convoy AP.1, escort DDs JACKAL and JAVELIN, arriving in Moldefjord were attacked by LW bombers. JACKAL's main radio antenna was damaged by bomb splinters, and she was detached to escort damaged sloop PELICAN. Some time later the steamer SIGURD JARL was set afire in the bombing and lost.

Vessel WOCANA (NE 100 grt (est)): The schuit was intercepted by, and collided with, sloop PINTAIL in the North Sea off Great Yarmouth, Norfolk and sank.

Schuits were a flat bottom barge, often used as a pleasure craft and used extensively in the North Sea

DKM War diary
Selected Extracts

Russia :
It is revealed from a reliable source:
1. The Baltic States will be swallowed up by Russia in the summer, in August at the latest;

2. The internal political effect of the Finnish war has, by means of skillful propaganda by him, led to a great strengthening of Stalin's position inside Russia;

3. The Russian Army is at present divided into three main groups:
a) in the Baltic States
b) in front of Bessarabia
c) around Murmansk (as a front against surprise attacks from the Norwegian theater).
d) substantial reinforcements have not gone to the Caucasus.
4. Russia does not wish to quarrel with Great Britain and France.

Narvik ;
Tromsoe transmitter advised the civilian population to leave the town as a British bombardment was imminent. At 1200 Group
Narvik reported bombardment of railroad lines and defense installations by an ENTERPRISE class cruiser and a PENELOPE
class cruiser and four DDs. Further DDs are obviously covering troop disembarkations in Bogen Fjord.
Major General Dletl reports that Narvik will be held at all costs. At night British DDs are patrolling in the immediate vicinity of Narvik and in Rombaken Fjord.

Trondhelm:
Army operation against Steinkjaer and Verdalsoeren, supported by one DDr and one torpedo boat.

Bergen ;
Unit advanced as far as Vaksdal in Soer Fjord with the support of Ship "18". Ship "18" destroyed a Norwegian patrol vessel.
The BREMSE was refloated and is to go into dock in Stavanger. At the request of Admiral, West Norwegian Coast, the 1st S Boote
Flotilla has been put at his disposal to help the Army operation against Voss. Group West must therefore relinquish operational
control of the S Bootes for this period.

Skagerrak/Kattegat :
According to radio intelligence there were 5 enemy subs in the Skagerrak area on the morning of 22 April. 2 subs left Harwich for the Skagerrak in the forenoon. Some of them are French.

UBOATS
Kriegstagebücher (KTB) - War Diary

U 47, 65 and 38 were still shadowing the convoy reported by U 47 on 20.4. U 38 attacked unsuccessfully. Contact was lost late yesterday evening in spite of bright moonlight. The wind was NNW 6 and there was a swell; from time to time the convoy steered a course N. The boats therefore had difficulty in following and hauling ahead. It would be useless to try to regain contact in this weather and it is also very doubtful if the torpedoes would fire. This morning at 0230 I therefore gave the order for these boats to move off to square 1200 AN, if they had lost contact, and to report their stocks of torpedoes by short signal. U 59 reported very light nights. It was hardly possible to operate close to the coast.

Arrivals
Kiel: U-51

Departures
Wilhelmshaven: U-10

At Sea 22 April 1940
U-9, U-13, U-14, U-17, U-19, U-23, U-24, U-25, U-26, U-30, U-34, U-38, U-43, U-46, U-47, U-52, U-56, U-57, U-58, U-59, U-60, U-61, U-62, U-65.
24 boats at sea

OPERATIONS
North Sea
U-43 was bombed by 2 Hudson a/c in the Nth Sea, suffering slight damage. CLs GALATEA, SHEFFIELD, GLASGOW with DDs ICARUS, IVANHOE, IMPULSIVE, VANSITTART, WITCH and CAMPBELL embarked 2200 troops of the 15th Bde, stores and 3 trucks at Rosyth on the 21st. They departed on the 22nd and arrived at Aandalsnes and Molde on the 23rd. SHEFFIELD, VANSITTART and CAMPBELL went to Molde and the rest to Aandalsnes. The troops and equipment were disembarked from all ships beginning at 2100 and the British force got away before dawn on the 24th. GALATEA had embarked some 200 cases of Norwegian Govt gold at Aandalsnes for transshipment to England. She proceeded to Rosyth, and DDs IVANHOE, ICARUS and IMPULSIVE to Immingham, with the rest of the force proceeding to Scapa.

Fr sub SFAX fired 2 torps at steamers PALIME (Ger 2863 grt) or PELIKAN (Ger 3264 grt) on their way to Stavanger, which missed.
Midshipman (A) J.O. Burr was killed when his Skua of 759 Squadron crashed on take off at Eastleigh. OA.134 departed Southend escort DD WHITEHALL.

OA.134 departed Southend escort DD WHITEHALL. FN152 departed Southend, escort DD WOOLSTON, sloop HASTINGS, armed patrol yacht BREDA. The convoy arrived at Rosyth on the 24th. MT.57 departed Methil, escort DD WHITLEY and sloop LONDONDERRY. The convoy arrived in the Tyne later that day. FS.153 departed the Tyne, escort DD WHITLEY and sloop LONDONDERRY. The convoy had to anchor in the Tees, as no ship was permitted sth of that point until a channel could be swept in the German minefield laid by a/c the night before. The convoy arrived at Southend on the 24th.

Operation "SHELLFISH" was implemented by the Nore Cmd. The operation was to intercept U-boats or surface craft using the telegraphic cable as an aid to navigation. The operation began on the 22nd and was conducted on subsequent nights.

Northern Waters
DD SOMALI sighted an object on the surface which changed position before it could be attacked, but SOMALI and sister ship TARTAR attacked the contact. TARTAR attacked another sub contact at 1210. The contact was U.29 which escaped.

Sloop PELICAN, en route with a Naval Base Party for Molde, was attacked by 2 Ju.87s at 1350 in Romdalsfjord. The ship was badly damaged after a bomb hit caused the detonation of her DCs. 53 sailors and shore personnel from the base party were killed, and 1 man wounded. The uninjured members of the Base Party were put aboard steamer ST SUNNIVA, which escorted by DD SOMALI proceeded to Molde for fuel. The wounded were put aboard DD JACKAL and sloop FLEETWOOD. Steamer ST MAGNUS was coaling at Aalesund, while DD JAVELIN was standing by. JAVELIN was then attacked by 4 Ju87s in Heisse Fjord but was undamaged.

JACKAL and ST SUNNIVA departed the fjord in the morning of the 23rd for Kirkwall, while PELICAN was towed by FLEETWOOD and escorted to Lerwick by JACKAL, SOMALI and sister ship TARTAR later joining them. Tug ST MELLONS came out from Lerwick and tug BRIGAND was detached from DD HOTSPUR's convoy. While screening PELICAN, JACKAL twice attacked a UBoat contact. SOMALI arrived at Scapa on the 24th, and PELICAN, in tow of ST MELLONS at Lerwick on the 24th. JACKAL and TARTAR proceeded from Lerwick and arrived at Scapa. On 2 May PELICAN left Lerwick in tow of BRIGAND and escorted by DD WANDERER to Rosyth. They were diverted en route to Sheerness and arrived in the Nore 5 May. PELICAN was taken to Chatham for repairs lasting until 3 December 1940.
Early Action in Norway

HMS. Pelican in trouble with stern damage in the Norwegian fiord (Picture taken from Fleetwood ) she was towed back to Lerwick

A Swordfish from 818 Sqn from CVL FURIOUS was brought down by flak, crew lost. The pilot S/Lt (A) R C Roberts was wounded, but rescued by CL AURORA. ASW whaler BUTTERMERE (560grt) ran aground at Narvik, and requested relief to permit repairs to be done.

 

[parsifal]

22 April 1940 (Part II)
OPERATIONS (CONT'D)
Northern Waters (cont'd)
DDs KIMBERLEY and GRIFFIN departed Scapa for Rosyth to escort steamer RUTLAND (1437grt) to Namsos. DD MAORI with cargo ship BLACKHEATH (4637grt) was diverted from Namsos to Skelfjord on the 22nd, but was then redirected back to Namsos. They arrived there, but at 2028 were ordered to stand off and arrive at dusk on the 23rd. They went back out to sea and returned the next night. DD FORTUNE departed Scapa on the 22nd to join MAORI for escort duties. During the night of the 23rd/24th, from 2330 to 0230, BLACKHEATH's cargo of trucks and a small quantity of ammunition and fuel were unloaded. Fr DD BISON ran aground at Namsos and was towed off by MAORI. DD FORTUNE was detached on the 24th for Narvik, and BLACKHEATH returned to Namsos at on the 24th to complete unloading during the night of the 24th/25th. A limited amount of MT and all the petrol, ammunition and rations were unloaded. At daylight on the 25th, BLACKHEATH proceeded to Scapa, arriving there on the 27th with MAORI. DD VANSITTART, screening Crusqn 2, attacked a sub contact closing to attack the cruisers. Sloop BLACK SWAN attacked a sub contact at 2150.

West Coast UK
CV ARK ROYAL departed Greenock escort DDs SIKH, MASHONA and JUNO. They arrived at Scapa on the 23rd. BB RESOLUTION with DDs BASILISK, WREN and HESPERUS departed Greenock for the Narvik area. On the 25th they met sthbound BB WARSPITE with DDs HAVOCK, HOSTILE, HERO and FOXHOUND returning to Scapa. RESOLUTION and her destroyers arrived at Bygden on the 26th. BC REPULSE and DDs HAVELOCK, HAVANT and FAME arrived at Scapa.

DS.1 departed Bristol Channel for the Clyde as part of the HAMMER operation. The steamers in this convoy were JOHN HOLT (3815grt), THISTLEFORD (4764grt), PIZZARO (1367grt) and CISNEROS (1886grt). OB.134 departed Liverpool escort sloop ROCHESTER from the 21st to 25th, and dispersed on the 26th.

OG.27F was formed from OB.133GF from Liverpool and Bristol, escort sloops LEITH and FOWEY on the 20th, OA.133GF, which departed Southend on the 20th escort sloops SCARBOROUGH and BIDEFORD, with 60 ships. The convoy was escorted by sloops SCARBOROUGH and LEITH from 22 to 24 April. The sloops were then detached to convoy HG.27 F.Sloop BIDEFORD escorted the convoy from 22 to 28 April. The convoy arrived at Gib on the 28th.

Channel
MSW HALCYON completed boiler cleaning at Dover. Fr ASW trawlers L'ORIENTAISE, LA NANTAISE, LA CANCALAISE arrived at Dover for training prior to taking over part of the Dover Strait patrol.

Nth Atlantic
HX.37 departed Halifax escort RCN DDs RESTIGOUCHE and ST LAURENT, which were detached on the 23rd. On the 23rd, the DDs turned the convoy over to the ocean escort AMC ALAUNIA, which was detached on 6 May. DD VIVACIOUS and sloop LEITH joined the convoy in home waters on 4 May and escorted it until its arrival at Liverpool on 7 May.

Central Atlantic
CL ORION arrived at Gib for duty with the Med Flt after having departed Trinidad on the 14th. CL DUNEDIN departed Kingston on patrol.

Med- Biscay
Fr sub LE CONQUERANT departed Casablanca on the 21st, escort DD TORNADE.Both ships arrived Oran 23 April.

Indian Ocean

Far East/Pacific/Australia
From 22 to 27 April, CL CERES was refitting at Singapore.