Operation Checkmate (commando raid)
Encyclopedia
Operation Checkmate was the codename for a raid on shipping at Haugesund
, Norway
in April 1943 during the Second World War by British Commandos
.
The raiding party consisted of seven men of No. 14 (Arctic) Commando
who managed to sink several ships using limpet mines. While waiting in hiding for the transport back to the United Kingdom
they were all captured on 15 May 1943 and eventually taken to Sachsenhausen
and Belsen
Concentration Camps where six of them were executed, victims of the Commando Order
. The seventh died of typhus
.
from No. 14 (Arctic) Commando
.
The No. 14 (Arctic) Commando had been formed in late 1942, to conduct operations inside of the Arctic
circle, following the request of the Chief of Combined Operations Headquarters Louis Mountbatten to meet the demand for further raids in Norway. No. 14 (Arctic) Commando was under the command of Lieutenant Colonel
E.A.M Wedderburn, comprising two troops: No. 1 (Boating) Troop which had an establishment of nine officers and 18 other ranks
who specialized in small boat operations and No. 2 Troop which had an establishment of six officers and 22 other ranks who specialized in cross-country skiing and mountain climbing. They were especially to be used to attack German Navy
and German Air Force bases in Norway
, that the Germans were using to attack the Allied Arctic Convoys.
For Operation Checkmate the men selected for the raid came from No. 1 (Boating) Troop. The raid commander was Lieutenant
John Godwin, Royal Navy Volunteer Reserve, who was originally from Buenos Aires
, Argentina
. The rest of the raiding party comprised one British Army
sergeant
—Victor John Cox, on attachment from No. 12 Commando
; two Royal Navy
petty officer
s—Alfred John Roe and Harold Hiscock; and three Royal Navy able seaman
—Neville Arthur Burgess, Keith Mayor and Andrew Anthony West. Their mission was to attack shipping in Oslo
and Kopervik
in the Haugesund
by entering the harbours by canoe and attaching Limpet mine
s to ships' hulls.
by Motor Torpedo Boat
. On arrival in Norwegian waters they set up their patrol base on the island of Karmøy
, before the Motor Torpedo Boat left them and returned to the United Kingdom. The raiding party were left with a small fishing coble
and their canoes. It was always intended that the Motor Torpedo Boat would return at a later date and transport them back to the United Kingdom.
The commandos had been issued with two canoes with which to carry out their mission. Lieutenant Godwin and Able Seaman Burgess were one crew and the other was crewed by Able Seamen Mayor and West. Their plan was for the coble, under the cover of darkness, to move within striking distance of their targets and then use the canoes to get in closer and plant their Limpet mines. They did only manage to sink one german ship, a mine sweeper
, M 5207. A captured German document when translated quotes "a number of German steamers were sunk in Oslo and Kopervik." This report covers both the ship sunk during this operation and the ones that that the Oslogjengen
- the Oslo gang, sunk in Oslo.
The two canoes then returned to the location where the coble had been. It had meanwhile been moved by the three remaining soldiers, with the assistance of norwegian civilians, to a safer location further inland. The two canoes then moved westward, towards the islands Urter, where they waited for their MTB pickup. The coble had been moved further inland in an attempt to get it fixed, but had to be left by its crew. This party was eventually captured on 14. May 1943, after an extensive search by the German Army and police with the assistance of Norwegian civilians. The day after the four men on Urter were also captured. After capture they were initially held in the prison at Grini where they were interrogated, before they were handed over to the Sicherheitsdienst
(better known as the SD) and transported to Sachsenburg concentration camp
in Germany.
had issued the Commando Order
that stipulated that all captured commandos, no matter if they were in uniform or not, were to be executed shortly after interrogation.
While at Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp, the men from Operation Checkmate were forced into breaking in German Army boots by marching 30 miles (48.3 km) a day over cobblestones. Five of the team excluding Mayor and Roe were executed at Sachsenhausen on 2 February 1945. Mayor and Roe were transferred to Belsen concentration camp, where Mayor was executed on 7 April 1945 and Roe died of Typhus. Godwin was posthumously Mentioned in Despatches on 9 November 1945, "For great gallantry and inspiring example whilst a prisoner of war in German hands in Norway and afterwards at Sachsenhausen, near Oranienburg, Germany, 1942-1945", he is commemorated on the Portsmouth Naval Memorial, one of the memorials for those of the naval service with no known grave. Mayor was posthumously Mentioned on 22 April 1947 "for great fortitude and resolution while in the hands of the Germans, from; the time of his capture in 1943 to the time of his death at Belsen in April 1945", and is commemorated on the Plymouth Naval Memorial
. Cox is commemorated on the Brookwood Memorial. Roe is also commemorated on the Portsmouth Naval Memorial, Hiscock on the Lowestoft Naval Memorial, Burgess on the Chatham Naval Memorial
, and West also on the Plymouth Naval Memorial.
Haugesund
is a town and municipality in the county of Rogaland, Norway.-Location:Haugesund was separated from Torvastad as a town and municipality of its own in 1855. The rural municipality of Skåre was merged with Haugesund on January 1, 1958. Haugesund is a small municipality, only 73 km²...
, Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
in April 1943 during the Second World War by British Commandos
British Commandos
The British Commandos were formed during the Second World War in June 1940, following a request from the British Prime Minister, Winston Churchill, for a force that could carry out raids against German-occupied Europe...
.
The raiding party consisted of seven men of No. 14 (Arctic) Commando
No. 14 (Arctic) Commando
No. 14 Commando sometimes also called the Special Commando Boating Group,was a battalion sized British Commando unit of the British Army during the Second World War. The Commando was formed in 1942 for service in the Arctic and was disbanded in 1943.-Background:The commandos were formed in 1940,...
who managed to sink several ships using limpet mines. While waiting in hiding for the transport back to the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
they were all captured on 15 May 1943 and eventually taken to Sachsenhausen
Sachsenhausen concentration camp
Sachsenhausen or Sachsenhausen-Oranienburg was a Nazi concentration camp in Oranienburg, Germany, used primarily for political prisoners from 1936 to the end of the Third Reich in May, 1945. After World War II, when Oranienburg was in the Soviet Occupation Zone, the structure was used as an NKVD...
and Belsen
Bergen-Belsen concentration camp
Bergen-Belsen was a Nazi concentration camp in Lower Saxony in northwestern Germany, southwest of the town of Bergen near Celle...
Concentration Camps where six of them were executed, victims of the Commando Order
Commando Order
The Commando Order was issued by Adolf Hitler on 18 October 1942 stating that all Allied commandos encountered by German forces in Europe and Africa should be killed immediately, even if in uniform or if they attempted to surrender...
. The seventh died of typhus
Typhus
Epidemic typhus is a form of typhus so named because the disease often causes epidemics following wars and natural disasters...
.
Background
Operation Checkmate was the last of 12 commando raids on the Norwegian coast during the Second World War. The raiding party assembled for the operation was composed of one officer and six other ranksOther Ranks
Other Ranks in the British Army, Royal Marines and Royal Air Force are those personnel who are not commissioned officers. In the Royal Navy, these personnel are called ratings...
from No. 14 (Arctic) Commando
No. 14 (Arctic) Commando
No. 14 Commando sometimes also called the Special Commando Boating Group,was a battalion sized British Commando unit of the British Army during the Second World War. The Commando was formed in 1942 for service in the Arctic and was disbanded in 1943.-Background:The commandos were formed in 1940,...
.
The No. 14 (Arctic) Commando had been formed in late 1942, to conduct operations inside of the Arctic
Arctic
The Arctic is a region located at the northern-most part of the Earth. The Arctic consists of the Arctic Ocean and parts of Canada, Russia, Greenland, the United States, Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Iceland. The Arctic region consists of a vast, ice-covered ocean, surrounded by treeless permafrost...
circle, following the request of the Chief of Combined Operations Headquarters Louis Mountbatten to meet the demand for further raids in Norway. No. 14 (Arctic) Commando was under the command of Lieutenant Colonel
Lieutenant colonel
Lieutenant colonel is a rank of commissioned officer in the armies and most marine forces and some air forces of the world, typically ranking above a major and below a colonel. The rank of lieutenant colonel is often shortened to simply "colonel" in conversation and in unofficial correspondence...
E.A.M Wedderburn, comprising two troops: No. 1 (Boating) Troop which had an establishment of nine officers and 18 other ranks
Other Ranks
Other Ranks in the British Army, Royal Marines and Royal Air Force are those personnel who are not commissioned officers. In the Royal Navy, these personnel are called ratings...
who specialized in small boat operations and No. 2 Troop which had an establishment of six officers and 22 other ranks who specialized in cross-country skiing and mountain climbing. They were especially to be used to attack German Navy
German Navy
The German Navy is the navy of Germany and is part of the unified Bundeswehr .The German Navy traces its roots back to the Imperial Fleet of the revolutionary era of 1848 – 52 and more directly to the Prussian Navy, which later evolved into the Northern German Federal Navy...
and German Air Force bases in Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
, that the Germans were using to attack the Allied Arctic Convoys.
For Operation Checkmate the men selected for the raid came from No. 1 (Boating) Troop. The raid commander was Lieutenant
Lieutenant
A lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer in many nations' armed forces. Typically, the rank of lieutenant in naval usage, while still a junior officer rank, is senior to the army rank...
John Godwin, Royal Navy Volunteer Reserve, who was originally from Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires is the capital and largest city of Argentina, and the second-largest metropolitan area in South America, after São Paulo. It is located on the western shore of the estuary of the Río de la Plata, on the southeastern coast of the South American continent...
, Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
. The rest of the raiding party comprised one British Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
sergeant
Sergeant
Sergeant is a rank used in some form by most militaries, police forces, and other uniformed organizations around the world. Its origins are the Latin serviens, "one who serves", through the French term Sergent....
—Victor John Cox, on attachment from No. 12 Commando
No. 12 Commando
No. 12 Commando was a battalion-sized commando unit of the British Army during the Second World War. Formed in 1940 in Northern Ireland, they carried out a number of small-scale raids in Norway and France between 1941 and 1943 before being disbanded and its personnel dispersed to other commando...
; two Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
petty officer
Petty Officer
A petty officer is a non-commissioned officer in many navies and is given the NATO rank denotion OR-6. They are equal in rank to sergeant, British Army and Royal Air Force. A Petty Officer is superior in rank to Leading Rate and subordinate to Chief Petty Officer, in the case of the British Armed...
s—Alfred John Roe and Harold Hiscock; and three Royal Navy able seaman
Able seaman
An able seaman is an unlicensed member of the deck department of a merchant ship. An AB may work as a watchstander, a day worker, or a combination of these roles.-Watchstander:...
—Neville Arthur Burgess, Keith Mayor and Andrew Anthony West. Their mission was to attack shipping in Oslo
Oslo
Oslo is a municipality, as well as the capital and most populous city in Norway. As a municipality , it was established on 1 January 1838. Founded around 1048 by King Harald III of Norway, the city was largely destroyed by fire in 1624. The city was moved under the reign of Denmark–Norway's King...
and Kopervik
Kopervik
Kopervik is the largest city on the island of Karmøy in the county of Rogaland, Norway and is the administrative centre of the municipality of Karmøy, and Kopervik have 8,192 inhabitants. It is part of the traditional district of Haugaland. -Population:...
in the Haugesund
Haugesund
is a town and municipality in the county of Rogaland, Norway.-Location:Haugesund was separated from Torvastad as a town and municipality of its own in 1855. The rural municipality of Skåre was merged with Haugesund on January 1, 1958. Haugesund is a small municipality, only 73 km²...
by entering the harbours by canoe and attaching Limpet mine
Limpet mine
A limpet mine is a type of naval mine attached to a target by magnets; they are so named because of their superficial similarity to the limpet, a type of mollusk....
s to ships' hulls.
Mission
The commandos of the raiding force were transported across the North SeaNorth Sea
In the southwest, beyond the Straits of Dover, the North Sea becomes the English Channel connecting to the Atlantic Ocean. In the east, it connects to the Baltic Sea via the Skagerrak and Kattegat, narrow straits that separate Denmark from Norway and Sweden respectively...
by Motor Torpedo Boat
Motor Torpedo Boat
Motor Torpedo Boat was the name given to fast torpedo boats by the Royal Navy, and the Royal Canadian Navy.The capitalised term is generally used for the Royal Navy boats and abbreviated to "MTB"...
. On arrival in Norwegian waters they set up their patrol base on the island of Karmøy
Karmøy
Karmøy is a municipality in Rogaland county, Norway. It is located southwest of the city of Haugesund in the traditional district of Haugaland....
, before the Motor Torpedo Boat left them and returned to the United Kingdom. The raiding party were left with a small fishing coble
Coble
The coble is a type of open traditional fishing boat which developed on the North East coast of England. The southern-most examples occur around Hull The coble is a type of open traditional fishing boat which developed on the North East coast of England. The southern-most examples occur around Hull...
and their canoes. It was always intended that the Motor Torpedo Boat would return at a later date and transport them back to the United Kingdom.
The commandos had been issued with two canoes with which to carry out their mission. Lieutenant Godwin and Able Seaman Burgess were one crew and the other was crewed by Able Seamen Mayor and West. Their plan was for the coble, under the cover of darkness, to move within striking distance of their targets and then use the canoes to get in closer and plant their Limpet mines. They did only manage to sink one german ship, a mine sweeper
Minesweeper (ship)
A minesweeper is a small naval warship designed to counter the threat posed by naval mines. Minesweepers generally detect then neutralize mines in advance of other naval operations.-History:...
, M 5207. A captured German document when translated quotes "a number of German steamers were sunk in Oslo and Kopervik." This report covers both the ship sunk during this operation and the ones that that the Oslogjengen
Oslogjengen
Oslogjengen was a sabotage group operating in Oslo from May 1944 to May 1945, during the last year of the occupation of Norway by Nazi Germany. The group had its basis in both the British Special Operations Executive and the Norwegian Milorg, was coordinated by Gunnar Sønsteby, and had around ten...
- the Oslo gang, sunk in Oslo.
The two canoes then returned to the location where the coble had been. It had meanwhile been moved by the three remaining soldiers, with the assistance of norwegian civilians, to a safer location further inland. The two canoes then moved westward, towards the islands Urter, where they waited for their MTB pickup. The coble had been moved further inland in an attempt to get it fixed, but had to be left by its crew. This party was eventually captured on 14. May 1943, after an extensive search by the German Army and police with the assistance of Norwegian civilians. The day after the four men on Urter were also captured. After capture they were initially held in the prison at Grini where they were interrogated, before they were handed over to the Sicherheitsdienst
Sicherheitsdienst
Sicherheitsdienst , full title Sicherheitsdienst des Reichsführers-SS, or SD, was the intelligence agency of the SS and the Nazi Party in Nazi Germany. The organization was the first Nazi Party intelligence organization to be established and was often considered a "sister organization" with the...
(better known as the SD) and transported to Sachsenburg concentration camp
Sachsenburg (concentration camp)
Sachsenburg was a Nazi concentration camp in eastern Germany, located in Frankenberg, Saxony, near Chemnitz. Along with Lichtenburg, it was among the first to be built by the Nazis, and operated by the SS from 1933 to 1937...
in Germany.
Aftermath
All involved in Operation Checkmate were captured in uniform and should have been treated as prisoners of war. However in 1942 Adolf HitlerAdolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler was an Austrian-born German politician and the leader of the National Socialist German Workers Party , commonly referred to as the Nazi Party). He was Chancellor of Germany from 1933 to 1945, and head of state from 1934 to 1945...
had issued the Commando Order
Commando Order
The Commando Order was issued by Adolf Hitler on 18 October 1942 stating that all Allied commandos encountered by German forces in Europe and Africa should be killed immediately, even if in uniform or if they attempted to surrender...
that stipulated that all captured commandos, no matter if they were in uniform or not, were to be executed shortly after interrogation.
While at Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp, the men from Operation Checkmate were forced into breaking in German Army boots by marching 30 miles (48.3 km) a day over cobblestones. Five of the team excluding Mayor and Roe were executed at Sachsenhausen on 2 February 1945. Mayor and Roe were transferred to Belsen concentration camp, where Mayor was executed on 7 April 1945 and Roe died of Typhus. Godwin was posthumously Mentioned in Despatches on 9 November 1945, "For great gallantry and inspiring example whilst a prisoner of war in German hands in Norway and afterwards at Sachsenhausen, near Oranienburg, Germany, 1942-1945", he is commemorated on the Portsmouth Naval Memorial, one of the memorials for those of the naval service with no known grave. Mayor was posthumously Mentioned on 22 April 1947 "for great fortitude and resolution while in the hands of the Germans, from; the time of his capture in 1943 to the time of his death at Belsen in April 1945", and is commemorated on the Plymouth Naval Memorial
Plymouth Naval Memorial
The Plymouth Naval Memorial is a war memorial in Devon, England to British and Commonwealth sailors who were lost in the World Wars.-History:...
. Cox is commemorated on the Brookwood Memorial. Roe is also commemorated on the Portsmouth Naval Memorial, Hiscock on the Lowestoft Naval Memorial, Burgess on the Chatham Naval Memorial
Chatham Naval Memorial
Chatham Naval Memorial is a large obelisk situated in the town of Chatham, Kent, which is in the Medway Towns.Chatham was a principal manning port of the Royal Navy during the First World War and thus was dedicated as the site of one of three memorials to sailors of the Royal Navy killed during the...
, and West also on the Plymouth Naval Memorial.