Operation Judgement, Kilbotn
Encyclopedia
Operation Judgement, Kilbotn was an operation carried out at the end of World War II
by the Home Fleet of the Royal Navy
in North Norway on May 4, 1945, when 44 aircraft of the Fleet Air Arm
attacked a U-boat
base five miles south of the town and port of Harstad
. The attack was directed at vessels in the natural harbour at Kilbotn
. It lasted seven minutes and left two ships and a U-boat sunk. No Norwegians in the village of Kilbotn were injured during or after the attack. Operation Judgement was the last air raid of World War II in Europe. Much of the history of Operation Judgement has been written in Norwegian, and this is a brief summary.
From 1939 to 1945 the German war effort made extensive use of the U-boat as a strategic weapon. From bases in Northern Norway U-boats sailed against the Allied convoys making for Russian ports in the Arctic Ocean. In autumn 1944, when German forces retreated from the extreme north, the U-boat base at Hammerfest
was moved south to Kilbotn .
The base consisted of the 5000-ton depot-ship Black Watch, a former North-Sea passenger ferry , supported by a Norwegian cruiser converted by the Germans into a flak-ship, two barges fitted with anti-aircraft guns, and numerous gun emplacements on the land round the harbour. Several other ships were employed in ferrying supplies and ammunition to the base at Kilbotn, including the 950-ton Norwegian cargo ship Senja. The attack destroyed Black Watch and Senja and also U-711 which had been moored alongside Black Watch. Two British aircraft with four aircrew were lost, and an estimated 150 German personnel also lost their lives.
in his flagship Norfolk
. The force included the cruiser Diadem
, three escort carriers, and eight destroyers and other vessels. In the carriers three Naval Air Squadrons were embarked: 846 Squadron in Trumpeter
contributed eight Avenger torpedo-bombers and four Wildcat fighters to the attack, 853 Squadron in Queen
contributed eight Avengers and four Wildcats, while 882 Squadron in Searcher
contributed twenty Wildcats. The force sailed from Scapa Flow
on May 1 .
The force was aware of the strength of the defences at Kilbotn and of the presence of a German fighter base at Bardufoss
, fifty miles to the east. Four Wildcats were assigned to provide top-cover against the arrival of enemy aircraft, while the majority of the other Wildcats were to arrive at Kilbotn at the start of the operation, to attack the gun emplacements on land and in the harbour. Eight of the Wildcats were in addition each armed with a single 250-lb bomb to attack the flak-ship Thetis, formerly Harald Haarfagre
. The Avengers would then arrive, each armed with four 500-lb bombs, and carry out their glide-bombing runs in quick succession, 846 Squadron attacking Black Watch and 853 Senja. Bombs were launched from a height of 2000 ft after a glide from 6–8000 ft .
The Germans' early-warning systems in the islands – radar, gun emplacements and spotters – could not have failed to observe and identify the aircraft passing over, but by great good luck for the attackers the headquarters staff at Harstad failed to circulate a warning. As a result the airborne force, under the command of Lt. Cdr. C.L.F. Webb RN, arriving from the west over Kilbotn at 17.00 on a sunny afternoon, achieved almost complete surprise. In the initial attack a Wildcat of 882 Squadron was hit and entered the water with the loss of the pilot. In the next minutes as the attack developed several aircraft received flak damage but the attack went according to plan. One Avenger of 846 Squadron made a forced landing which the three-man crew did not survive .
In Kilbotn village, one mile from the main target Black Watch, one bomb fell near some houses after a fault in the launching mechanism of one of the Avengers. With its time-delayed fuse it exploded after entering soft ground, which absorbed the worst of the splinters. Two houses suffered windows blown out and some damaged woodwork.
The remaining 42 aircraft returned to the carriers. On board U-711 the harbour crew of eight (some sources say twelve) survived by moving the boat away from the worst of the attack. It was damaged and sank some hours later but the crew were picked up. The captain, Hans-Günther Lange
, was among the survivors. He was interviewed in 2008 at the age of 92 for a book published in Norway which also contains information from Norwegian and British eyewitnesses . A summary of the Operation is also given on a Norwegian website for divers , and background information is given in the Commander-in-Chief Home Fleet's War Diary for 1945 .
(Operation Cleaver) and arrived back at Scapa Flow on May 10. Allied ships continued to be sunk by U-boats based in Norway until May 7 .
Of the four British aircrew lost in Operation Judgement, one, Lt. Hugh Morrison from Wellington
, New Zealand
, Senior Pilot of 882 Squadron, is buried in Narvik New Cemetery. A photograph of his grave is shown on the web . The other three were buried by the Germans, assisted by a Norwegian priest with local Norwegians present, in Sørvik
Churchyard near Kilbotn. Photographs of the area and some aircraft parts, and photographs of the graves of Lt. Francis Gahan, Sub-Lt. Alasdair Elder and L/A Peter Mansfield of 846 Squadron can be seen on the web
Decorations to personnel taking part in Operation Judgement were awarded in the King's Birthday Honours
of June 14 and listed in the London Gazette
. At the same time, the commanding officer of HMS Trumpeter, Capt. K.S.Colquhoun RN, was appointed to the Distinguished Service Order
.
Details of the wrecks of Black Watch and U-711 are available on the web .
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
by the Home Fleet of the 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...
in North Norway on May 4, 1945, when 44 aircraft of the Fleet Air Arm
Fleet Air Arm
The Fleet Air Arm is the branch of the British Royal Navy responsible for the operation of naval aircraft. The Fleet Air Arm currently operates the AgustaWestland Merlin, Westland Sea King and Westland Lynx helicopters...
attacked a U-boat
U-boat
U-boat is the anglicized version of the German word U-Boot , itself an abbreviation of Unterseeboot , and refers to military submarines operated by Germany, particularly in World War I and World War II...
base five miles south of the town and port of Harstad
Harstad
is the second largest city and municipality by population, in Troms county, Norway – the city is also the third largest in North Norway. Thus Harstad is the natural centre for its district. Situated approximately north of the Arctic Circle, the city celebrated its 100th anniversary in...
. The attack was directed at vessels in the natural harbour at Kilbotn
Kilbotn
Kilbotn is a village in the municipality of Harstad in Troms county, Norway. The population of the village is 332, but since 2002 it has been considered a part of the Harstad urban area. The village is located about south of the center of the city of Harstad, along the Vågsfjorden on the east...
. It lasted seven minutes and left two ships and a U-boat sunk. No Norwegians in the village of Kilbotn were injured during or after the attack. Operation Judgement was the last air raid of World War II in Europe. Much of the history of Operation Judgement has been written in Norwegian, and this is a brief summary.
From 1939 to 1945 the German war effort made extensive use of the U-boat as a strategic weapon. From bases in Northern Norway U-boats sailed against the Allied convoys making for Russian ports in the Arctic Ocean. In autumn 1944, when German forces retreated from the extreme north, the U-boat base at Hammerfest
Hammerfest
is a city and municipality in Finnmark county, Norway. The municipality encompasses parts of three islands: Kvaløya, Sørøya, and Seiland. Hammerfest was established as a municipality on 1 January 1838...
was moved south to Kilbotn .
The base consisted of the 5000-ton depot-ship Black Watch, a former North-Sea passenger ferry , supported by a Norwegian cruiser converted by the Germans into a flak-ship, two barges fitted with anti-aircraft guns, and numerous gun emplacements on the land round the harbour. Several other ships were employed in ferrying supplies and ammunition to the base at Kilbotn, including the 950-ton Norwegian cargo ship Senja. The attack destroyed Black Watch and Senja and also U-711 which had been moored alongside Black Watch. Two British aircraft with four aircrew were lost, and an estimated 150 German personnel also lost their lives.
The attack
The attack was carried out by the First Cruiser Squadron under the command of Vice Admiral Rhoderick McGrigorRhoderick McGrigor
Admiral of the Fleet Sir Rhoderick Robert McGrigor GCB was a Royal Navy officer and the British First Sea Lord from 1951 to 1955. During his years as professional head of the Royal Navy, he is most remembered as a leading proponent of carrier-based air power.-Early life:Rhoderick Robert McGrigor...
in his flagship Norfolk
HMS Norfolk (78)
HMS Norfolk was a County-class heavy cruiser of the Royal Navy; along with her sister ship , she was part of a planned four-ship subclass.She served throughout the Second World War....
. The force included the cruiser Diadem
HMS Diadem (84)
HMS Diadem was a Dido-class light cruiser of the Bellona subgroup of the Royal Navy. She was a modified Dido design with only four turrets but improved AA armament - aka Dido Group 2. She was built by R. and W. Hawthorn, Leslie and Company, Limited , UK), with the keel being laid down on 15...
, three escort carriers, and eight destroyers and other vessels. In the carriers three Naval Air Squadrons were embarked: 846 Squadron in Trumpeter
HMS Trumpeter (D09)
The USS Bastian was an escort aircraft carrier built by Seattle-Tacoma Shipbuilding of Tacoma, Washington, laid down on 25 August 1942 and launched 15 December 1942...
contributed eight Avenger torpedo-bombers and four Wildcat fighters to the attack, 853 Squadron in Queen
HMS Queen (D19)
The USS St. Andrews was assigned to MC hull 260 on 23 August 1942, a ship to be built to modified C3-S-A1 plans. She was laid down on 12 March 1943 by the Seattle-Tacoma Shipbuilding Corporation of Tacoma, Washington; redesignated CVE-49 on 15 July; and launched on 31 July; sponsored by Mrs....
contributed eight Avengers and four Wildcats, while 882 Squadron in Searcher
HMS Searcher (D40)
HMS Searcher was an Ruler-class escort carrier escort carrier of the Royal Navy. Built in Seattle in the United States she was transferred to the United Kingdom under Lend-Lease. Launched in 1942 she served until 29 November 1945. She was sold into merchant service and renamed Captain Theo...
contributed twenty Wildcats. The force sailed from Scapa Flow
Scapa Flow
right|thumb|Scapa Flow viewed from its eastern endScapa Flow is a body of water in the Orkney Islands, Scotland, United Kingdom, sheltered by the islands of Mainland, Graemsay, Burray, South Ronaldsay and Hoy. It is about...
on May 1 .
The force was aware of the strength of the defences at Kilbotn and of the presence of a German fighter base at Bardufoss
Bardufoss
Bardufoss is a small village in the municipality of Målselv in Troms county, Norway. The population was 2,580. Bardufoss is located in the Målselvdalen valley near the confluence of the Barduelva and Målselva rivers. It is located about north of the city of Narvik and about south of the city...
, fifty miles to the east. Four Wildcats were assigned to provide top-cover against the arrival of enemy aircraft, while the majority of the other Wildcats were to arrive at Kilbotn at the start of the operation, to attack the gun emplacements on land and in the harbour. Eight of the Wildcats were in addition each armed with a single 250-lb bomb to attack the flak-ship Thetis, formerly Harald Haarfagre
HNoMS Harald Haarfagre
HNoMS Harald Haarfagre, known locally as Panserskipet Harald Haarfagre, was a Norwegian coastal defence ship. She, her sister-ship and the slightly newer were built as part of the general rearmament in the time leading up to the events in 1905...
. The Avengers would then arrive, each armed with four 500-lb bombs, and carry out their glide-bombing runs in quick succession, 846 Squadron attacking Black Watch and 853 Senja. Bombs were launched from a height of 2000 ft after a glide from 6–8000 ft .
The Germans' early-warning systems in the islands – radar, gun emplacements and spotters – could not have failed to observe and identify the aircraft passing over, but by great good luck for the attackers the headquarters staff at Harstad failed to circulate a warning. As a result the airborne force, under the command of Lt. Cdr. C.L.F. Webb RN, arriving from the west over Kilbotn at 17.00 on a sunny afternoon, achieved almost complete surprise. In the initial attack a Wildcat of 882 Squadron was hit and entered the water with the loss of the pilot. In the next minutes as the attack developed several aircraft received flak damage but the attack went according to plan. One Avenger of 846 Squadron made a forced landing which the three-man crew did not survive .
In Kilbotn village, one mile from the main target Black Watch, one bomb fell near some houses after a fault in the launching mechanism of one of the Avengers. With its time-delayed fuse it exploded after entering soft ground, which absorbed the worst of the splinters. Two houses suffered windows blown out and some damaged woodwork.
The remaining 42 aircraft returned to the carriers. On board U-711 the harbour crew of eight (some sources say twelve) survived by moving the boat away from the worst of the attack. It was damaged and sank some hours later but the crew were picked up. The captain, Hans-Günther Lange
Hans-Günther Lange
Hans-Günther Lange was a Kapitänleutnant with the Kriegsmarine during World War II and later served with the Bundesmarine. He is also a recipient of the coveted Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves...
, was among the survivors. He was interviewed in 2008 at the age of 92 for a book published in Norway which also contains information from Norwegian and British eyewitnesses . A summary of the Operation is also given on a Norwegian website for divers , and background information is given in the Commander-in-Chief Home Fleet's War Diary for 1945 .
Aftermath
The First Cruiser Squadron sailed south to provide air-cover for the passage of ships in the SkagerrakSkagerrak
The Skagerrak is a strait running between Norway and the southwest coast of Sweden and the Jutland peninsula of Denmark, connecting the North Sea and the Kattegat sea area, which leads to the Baltic Sea.-Name:...
(Operation Cleaver) and arrived back at Scapa Flow on May 10. Allied ships continued to be sunk by U-boats based in Norway until May 7 .
Of the four British aircrew lost in Operation Judgement, one, Lt. Hugh Morrison from Wellington
Wellington
Wellington is the capital city and third most populous urban area of New Zealand, although it is likely to have surpassed Christchurch due to the exodus following the Canterbury Earthquake. It is at the southwestern tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Rimutaka Range...
, New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
, Senior Pilot of 882 Squadron, is buried in Narvik New Cemetery. A photograph of his grave is shown on the web . The other three were buried by the Germans, assisted by a Norwegian priest with local Norwegians present, in Sørvik
Sørvik
Sørvik is a village approximately south of the city of Harstad in Troms county, Norway. Its population is about 451. The community includes a school, Sørvik Barne- og Ungdomsskole, housing grades 5 through 10; a kindergarten, Sørvik barnehage; and a retirement home, Sørvik eldrehjem...
Churchyard near Kilbotn. Photographs of the area and some aircraft parts, and photographs of the graves of Lt. Francis Gahan, Sub-Lt. Alasdair Elder and L/A Peter Mansfield of 846 Squadron can be seen on the web
Decorations to personnel taking part in Operation Judgement were awarded in the King's Birthday Honours
Queen's Birthday Honours
The Queen's Birthday Honours is a part of the British honours system, being a civic occasion on the celebration of the Queen's Official Birthday in which new members of most Commonwealth Realms honours are named. The awards are presented by the reigning monarch or head of state, currently Queen...
of June 14 and listed in the London Gazette
London Gazette
The London Gazette is one of the official journals of record of the British government, and the most important among such official journals in the United Kingdom, in which certain statutory notices are required to be published...
. At the same time, the commanding officer of HMS Trumpeter, Capt. K.S.Colquhoun RN, was appointed to the Distinguished Service Order
Distinguished Service Order
The Distinguished Service Order is a military decoration of the United Kingdom, and formerly of other parts of the British Commonwealth and Empire, awarded for meritorious or distinguished service by officers of the armed forces during wartime, typically in actual combat.Instituted on 6 September...
.
Details of the wrecks of Black Watch and U-711 are available on the web .