Operation Kitbag
Encyclopedia
Operation Kitbag was a raid in Norway
by British Commandos
of No 6 Commando and No. 12 Commando
in December 1941, during the Second World War.
On 9 December 1941, detachments from No. 6 and No. 12 Commandos, some Norwegian soldiers, took part in a raid on the town of Florø
in Norway
. Embarking on the HMS Prince Charles
, an infantry landing ship, they set out from Scapa Flow
. During the voyage an incident occurred while some of the men were priming grenade
s for the raid which resulted in six men were killed and another 11 were seriously wounded, nevertheless the decision was made to continue with the raid. In the end, however, due to navigational difficulties the operation was eventually called off when the naval commander was unable to locate the fjord upon which Florø was located.
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...
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...
of No 6 Commando and 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...
in December 1941, during the Second World War.
On 9 December 1941, detachments from No. 6 and No. 12 Commandos, some Norwegian soldiers, took part in a raid on the town of Florø
Florø
is a town and the administrative centre of Flora municipality in the county of Sogn og Fjordane, Norway. It is also a former municipality that existed for just over 100 years. The town was founded on the Florelandet island between the Botnafjorden and Solheimsfjorden by royal decree in 1860. In...
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...
. Embarking on the HMS Prince Charles
HMS Prince Charles
HMS Prince Charles was the name of two ships in the Royal Navy:* Prince Charles was a Q ship in the Great War* HMS Prince Charles was a ferry taken into military service as an LSI in the Second World War....
, an infantry landing ship, they set out 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...
. During the voyage an incident occurred while some of the men were priming grenade
Grenade
A grenade is a small explosive device that is projected a safe distance away by its user. Soldiers called grenadiers specialize in the use of grenades. The term hand grenade refers any grenade designed to be hand thrown. Grenade Launchers are firearms designed to fire explosive projectile grenades...
s for the raid which resulted in six men were killed and another 11 were seriously wounded, nevertheless the decision was made to continue with the raid. In the end, however, due to navigational difficulties the operation was eventually called off when the naval commander was unable to locate the fjord upon which Florø was located.