Black Friday (1945)
Encyclopedia
On 9 February 1945 a force of Allied Bristol Beaufighter
aircraft suffered heavy casualties during an unsuccessful attack on German destroyer Z33
and escorting vessels; the operation was labelled "Black Friday" by the surviving Allied aircrew. The German ships were sheltering in a strong defensive position in Førde Fjord, Norway
, forcing the Allied aircraft to attack through heavy anti-aircraft
fire. The Beaufighters and their escort of North American P-51 Mustang fighters were also surprised by twelve German Focke-Wulf Fw 190
fighters of the Luftwaffe
fighter wing Jagdgeschwader 5
. In the resulting attack the Allies damaged at least two of the German ships for the loss of seven Beaufighters shot down by flak guns
. Another two Beaufighters and one Mustang were shot down by the Fw 190s. Four or five German fighters were shot down by the Allied aircraft, including one flown by an ace
.
The decision to attack Z33 and her escorts rather than a nearby group of merchant ships was in accordance with RAF Coastal Command's
orders from the British Admiralty
. The heavy casualties sustained in the raid led to merchant ships being prioritised over destroyers and small warships in subsequent operations. In addition, another squadron
of P-51 Mustangs was assigned to protect Allied aircraft operating near Norway from German fighters.
and Norwegian waters by late 1944. This left ports in Norway as Germany's last remaining bases to continue the Battle of the Atlantic and conduct trade with Sweden
. When the Baltic iced over during the winter of 1944–45, Germany was forced to transport its vital imports of Swedish iron ore from the port of Narvik
in northern Norway.
In response to the growing importance of German maritime transport routes through Norwegian waters, the Royal Air Force's
Coastal Command transferred seven squadrons of anti-shipping aircraft from bases in eastern England
to northern Scotland
during September and October 1944. Three squadrons equipped with Mosquito
light bombers were stationed at RAF Banff while a wing made up of four squadrons operating Beaufighter heavy fighters was based at RAF Dallachy
. The Dallachy Wing comprised the British No. 144 Squadron
, Canadian No. 404 Squadron
, Australian No. 455 Squadron and New Zealand No. 489 Squadron. These four squadrons were veterans of many anti-shipping operations over the North Sea
.
Attacks by the Banff Wing quickly forced German ships travelling along the Norwegian coast to sail at night and take shelter in deep fjords during the day where they were very difficult to attack. In order to locate German ships the two wings sent out aircraft on almost daily patrols along the Norwegian coastline from the Skagerrak
to Trondheim
. During this period the Allied squadrons developed a tactic of sending two 'outriders' ahead of the main body of the patrol; these aircraft were manned by experienced aircrew and penetrated into fjords in search of shipping which might not be spotted by the other aircraft. By December 1944 patrols were also routinely escorted by RAF Mustang Mk III fighters and accompanied by Vickers Warwick
air-sea rescue aircraft. Only a single squadron of Mustangs was available, however, as these long-ranged fighters were needed to escort daylight raids by heavy bombers against Germany. German fighters began to be encountered off the Norwegian coast in December, and from the end of the month onwards it was common for Allied wing-sized operations near Norway to be attacked by groups of up to 30 fighters. In March 1945 the Luftwaffe
had 85 single-engined and about 45 twin-engined aircraft operating from ten or twelve airfields south of Trondheim.
During the first weeks of 1945 the Allied strike wings flew few operations due to severe weather. On 15 January, the Banff Wing was intercepted by 30 Fw 190 fighters from the III. Gruppe of Jagdgeschwader 5
(III./JG 5) during a raid on the town of Leirvik
. In the resulting fighting five Mosquitos and five Fw 190s were shot down. By 9 February, the Ninth and Twelfth Squadrons of JG5 were based at Herdla
near Bergen
, about 65 miles (104.6 km) to the south of Førde Fjord. These units were equipped with Fw 190s and the Twelfth Squadron was commanded by Leutnant
Rudi Linz
, a 28-year-old flying ace with 69 'kills' to his credit.
The German Z33 entered service in February 1943. She served in Norwegian waters from July of that year and saw combat on several occasions. She was the last German destroyer to leave northern Norway, and sailed for Germany on 5 February 1945. It was intended that Z31, which had completed initial repairs at Bergen after being heavily damaged in the Action of 28 January 1945
, would join her to make a joint passage to the Baltic. However, Z33 ran aground in Brufjord on 7 February, damaging her port shaft and propeller and causing both engines to fail. She was subsequently taken under tow to be repaired in Trondheim. Z33 and the two tugboat
s that were towing her chose to shelter in Førde Fjord during the daylight hours of 9 February while en-route to Trondheim.
and two flak ships in Førde Fjord. The aircraft continued their patrol and spotted five large merchant ships in the Nord Gulen and two minesweepers and a flak ship near Bremanger
. Despite the pilots' surprise, the Allied command was aware that Z33 was in the area from Ultra
signals intelligence.
The Dallachy Wing was on alert to attack any ships found by the reconnaissance patrol. Although the group of five merchant ships were highly vulnerable to attack and a worthwhile target, Coastal Command came under the operational command of the Admiralty and was bound by its decision to give higher priority to attacking warships than merchant vessels. As a result the wing was dispatched against Z33 even though the destroyer and its escorts were well protected and in a difficult position for aircraft to attack.
Wing Commander Jack Davenport, who had commanded No. 455 Squadron until October 1944 and was now on the staff of No. 18 Group RAF
, planned the attack on Z33. The plan called for two 'outriders' to precede the main force and confirm the location of the German ships. The Beaufighters would then arrive to the east of the German anchorage, turn to the west and attack the ships before escaping over the sea. Davenport sought to minimise Allied casualties, but the location of the German ships in a narrow and protected fjord meant that the operation was inherently risky. The strike leader was Wing Commander Colin Milson, the 25-year-old commanding officer of No. 455 Squadron, and a veteran of anti-shipping operations against Italian and German ships in the Mediterranean and North Seas. Milson had reservations about making what was likely to be a costly raid, particularly given that the war was clearly coming to an end, but carried out the order to attack Z33 to the best of his ability.
After being spotted, the German ships in Førde Fjord sailed further up the fjord and prepared for an Allied attack. Z33 and several of her escorts anchored close to the steep southern slopes of the fjord near the village of Bjørkedal. Meanwhile other ships moored near the northern shore after breaking up pack ice with gunfire. This anchorage was also protected by flak batteries on the shore of the fjord.
and two Warwick air-sea rescue aircraft from No. 279 Squadron RAF
carrying life rafts to help any aircrew forced to ditch. All four of the Dallachy Wing's squadrons contributed aircraft to the force. The No. 404 and No. 455 Squadron Beaufighters were armed with rockets
while the aircraft from No. 144 Squadron and the single No. 489 Squadron Beaufighter dispatched were armed only with cannon and machine guns.
After the attackers crossed the Norwegian coastline at 3:40 pm, two Beaufighters from No. 144 and No. 489 Squadrons detached themselves from the main force and pressed ahead as outriders. The two 'outriders' crossed Førde Fjord near where the German ships had been sighted that morning. At 3:50 pm they sent Milson a radio message stating that they could not see the ships. The 'outriders' then turned to the east and overflew the town of Førde
before searching the next fjord to the north; during their flight near Førde Fjord they did not spot the German warships in their new position. Meanwhile the Ninth and Twelfth Squadrons of JG5 were scrambled from Herdla at 3:50 pm and ordered to attack the Dallachy Wing and its escorts.
Several minutes later, the main body of the raid reached the southern shore of Førde Fjord travelling north. To their surprise, the Allied planes passed directly over the German ships and came under intense attack from anti-aircraft guns, though no aircraft were hit. In response, Milson wheeled his force to the right in an attempt to attack the ships from east to west as planned. The steep walls of the fjord protected Z33 from attack from this direction, however. As a result, Milson led the force west to near the mouth of the fjord and ordered the Beaufighters to attack in relays from west to east. This required the aircraft to fly into the face of alerted German defences and then escape over steep mountains. The narrow confines of the fjord also meant that the Beaufighters had to attack individually from a single direction and would not be able to swamp the German defences as they normally sought to do.
Milson led the first group of Beaufighters into Førde Fjord at about 4:10 pm. His aircraft escaped undamaged after attacking a flak ship and other Beaufighters followed him into the fjord. At about this time 12 Fw 190s arrived at Førde Fjord and flew through German flak to intercept the Beaufighters that were waiting their turn to attack. The British Mustangs were taken by surprise, but dived to intercept the German fighters. This led to an intense air battle, with over 50 aircraft either engaged in dogfight
s or diving to attack the German ships; it was the largest aerial conflict ever fought over Norway.
The fighting continued until 4:25 pm. By this time seven Beaufighters had been shot down by the German ships and another two by Fw 190s. One of the Mustangs was also downed by a German fighter. The Allied losses included six of the eleven No. 404 Squadron aircraft involved in the attack. Overall, 14 Allied aircrew were killed and another four taken prisoner of war
. In exchange, the Allied force damaged Z33 and several of the other German ships and shot down either four or five Fw 190s. Linz and another German pilot were killed. German Navy
fatalities included four sailors on board Z33 and another three on the converted trawler
VP6808; both of these ships were also damaged during the attack. There may also have been further fatalities on the other German ships.
damage, but no further aircraft were lost. The air and ground crew were shocked by the scale of the losses, and the battle became known to them as "Black Friday". The losses suffered by the Dallachy Wing on 9 February were the highest any of Coastal Command's strike wings sustained in a single operation during the war.
The German fighters, many of which were short of fuel and ammunition, also broke off at about 4:25 pm and returned to base. On the night of 9/10 February the German ships left Førde Fjord and continued their journey to Trondheim. A subsequent Allied attack on the ships by a different strike wing was also unsuccessful. Z33 arrived in Trondheim on 11 February and was repaired. She subsequently departed for Germany on 26 March and safely arrived in Swinemünde
on 2 April. She did not see any further combat, and was decommissioned at Brunsbüttel
in late April as the Navy lacked the fuel needed to operate her.
The losses incurred during the raid on Førde Fjord led to changes in the tactics used by RAF Coastal Command's anti-shipping squadrons. Following the attack, the Admiralty agreed to a proposal by Air Chief Marshal Sir Sholto Douglas, the commander of Coastal Command, to assign a higher priority to attacking merchant vessels than to destroyers and small warships. A second squadron of Mustangs was also assigned to protect Coastal Command aircraft operating near Norway from early March. Milson was awarded a bar
to his Distinguished Service Order
on 13 July 1945 for his leadership and personal courage during the raid on Førde Fjord, which was described in the citation as a "brilliantly executed operation".
The raid was commemorated in Norway after the war. A monument to the aircrew killed in the battle was dedicated in the town of Førde on 8 May 1985, the 40th anniversary of Norway's liberation. This monument was later moved to Bergen Airport
. The Air Combat Museum in the town of Naustdal
also houses photos, maps, aircraft parts and other artifacts relating to the battle.
At least one of the Focke-Wulf Fw 190 fighters of JG 5 that crashed as a result of the "Black Friday" aerial engagements, an F-model airframe with factory serial number, or Werknummer of 931 862, was found and recovered as a salvageable aircraft wreck in September 1983. It currently resides in Kissimmee, Florida
, and is under restoration by the "White 1 Foundation" towards a resumption of full flightworthy status. In 2005 its last pilot, the former Luftwaffe Unteroffizier
Heinz Orlowski visited it and sat one final time in the cockpit of his "under-restoration" Fw 190F-8, some sixty years after he last flew it and five years before his death in 2010.
Bristol Beaufighter
The Bristol Type 156 Beaufighter, often referred to as simply the Beau, was a British long-range heavy fighter modification of the Bristol Aeroplane Company's earlier Beaufort torpedo bomber design...
aircraft suffered heavy casualties during an unsuccessful attack on German destroyer Z33
German destroyer Z33
Z33 was a German that saw service during World War II. She was commissioned in the Kriegsmarine in February 1943 and served in Norwegian waters until March 1945. She was decommissioned from the Kriegsmarine in late April 1945 but was handed over to the Soviet Union in December that year...
and escorting vessels; the operation was labelled "Black Friday" by the surviving Allied aircrew. The German ships were sheltering in a strong defensive position in Førde Fjord, 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...
, forcing the Allied aircraft to attack through heavy anti-aircraft
Anti-aircraft warfare
NATO defines air defence as "all measures designed to nullify or reduce the effectiveness of hostile air action." They include ground and air based weapon systems, associated sensor systems, command and control arrangements and passive measures. It may be to protect naval, ground and air forces...
fire. The Beaufighters and their escort of North American P-51 Mustang fighters were also surprised by twelve German Focke-Wulf Fw 190
Focke-Wulf Fw 190
The Focke-Wulf Fw 190 Würger was a German Second World War single-seat, single-engine fighter aircraft designed by Kurt Tank in the late 1930s. Powered by a radial engine, the 190 had ample power and was able to lift larger loads than its well-known counterpart, the Messerschmitt Bf 109...
fighters of the Luftwaffe
Luftwaffe
Luftwaffe is a generic German term for an air force. It is also the official name for two of the four historic German air forces, the Wehrmacht air arm founded in 1935 and disbanded in 1946; and the current Bundeswehr air arm founded in 1956....
fighter wing Jagdgeschwader 5
Jagdgeschwader 5
Jagdgeschwader 5 Eismeer was a Luftwaffe fighter Wing that served during World War II. As the name Eismeer implies, it was created to operate in the far North of Europe, namely Norway, Scandinavia and northern parts of Finland, all nearest the Arctic Ocean...
. In the resulting attack the Allies damaged at least two of the German ships for the loss of seven Beaufighters shot down by flak guns
Anti-aircraft warfare
NATO defines air defence as "all measures designed to nullify or reduce the effectiveness of hostile air action." They include ground and air based weapon systems, associated sensor systems, command and control arrangements and passive measures. It may be to protect naval, ground and air forces...
. Another two Beaufighters and one Mustang were shot down by the Fw 190s. Four or five German fighters were shot down by the Allied aircraft, including one flown by an ace
Flying ace
A flying ace or fighter ace is a military aviator credited with shooting down several enemy aircraft during aerial combat. The actual number of aerial victories required to officially qualify as an "ace" has varied, but is usually considered to be five or more...
.
The decision to attack Z33 and her escorts rather than a nearby group of merchant ships was in accordance with RAF Coastal Command's
RAF Coastal Command
RAF Coastal Command was a formation within the Royal Air Force . Founded in 1936, it was the RAF's premier maritime arm, after the Royal Navy's secondment of the Fleet Air Arm in 1937. Naval aviation was neglected in the inter-war period, 1919–1939, and as a consequence the service did not receive...
orders from the British Admiralty
Admiralty
The Admiralty was formerly the authority in the Kingdom of England, and later in the United Kingdom, responsible for the command of the Royal Navy...
. The heavy casualties sustained in the raid led to merchant ships being prioritised over destroyers and small warships in subsequent operations. In addition, another squadron
Squadron (aviation)
A squadron in air force, army aviation or naval aviation is mainly a unit comprising a number of military aircraft, usually of the same type, typically with 12 to 24 aircraft, sometimes divided into three or four flights, depending on aircraft type and air force...
of P-51 Mustangs was assigned to protect Allied aircraft operating near Norway from German fighters.
Background
Due to Allied victories in France and Eastern Europe, Germany's surface shipping was largely confined to the lower BalticBaltic Sea
The Baltic Sea is a brackish mediterranean sea located in Northern Europe, from 53°N to 66°N latitude and from 20°E to 26°E longitude. It is bounded by the Scandinavian Peninsula, the mainland of Europe, and the Danish islands. It drains into the Kattegat by way of the Øresund, the Great Belt and...
and Norwegian waters by late 1944. This left ports in Norway as Germany's last remaining bases to continue the Battle of the Atlantic and conduct trade with Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
. When the Baltic iced over during the winter of 1944–45, Germany was forced to transport its vital imports of Swedish iron ore from the port of Narvik
Narvik
is the third largest city and municipality in Nordland county, Norway by population. Narvik is located on the shores of the Narvik Fjord . The municipality is part of the Ofoten traditional region of North Norway, inside the arctic circle...
in northern Norway.
In response to the growing importance of German maritime transport routes through Norwegian waters, the Royal Air Force's
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
Coastal Command transferred seven squadrons of anti-shipping aircraft from bases in eastern England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
to northern Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
during September and October 1944. Three squadrons equipped with Mosquito
De Havilland Mosquito
The de Havilland DH.98 Mosquito was a British multi-role combat aircraft that served during the Second World War and the postwar era. It was known affectionately as the "Mossie" to its crews and was also nicknamed "The Wooden Wonder"...
light bombers were stationed at RAF Banff while a wing made up of four squadrons operating Beaufighter heavy fighters was based at RAF Dallachy
RAF Dallachy
The former Royal Air Force Station Dallachy, commonly known as RAF Dallachy, was a British Royal Air Force airbase situated east of Elgin, in Moray, Scotland. During World War II it was a fighter station, used by 18 Group Coastal Ops....
. The Dallachy Wing comprised the British No. 144 Squadron
No. 144 Squadron RAF
No. 144 Squadron, RAF, was a British aviation and missle squadron during World War I, World War II, and the Cold War.-World War I:No. 144 Squadron, RFC, was formed at Port Said, Egypt, on 20th March 1918...
, Canadian No. 404 Squadron
No. 404 Squadron RCAF
404 Maritime Patrol and Training Squadron is a long range patrol and training squadron in the Royal Canadian Air Force. The squadron was originally No. 404 Squadron of the Royal Canadian Air Force .-History:...
, Australian No. 455 Squadron and New Zealand No. 489 Squadron. These four squadrons were veterans of many anti-shipping operations over the North Sea
North 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...
.
Attacks by the Banff Wing quickly forced German ships travelling along the Norwegian coast to sail at night and take shelter in deep fjords during the day where they were very difficult to attack. In order to locate German ships the two wings sent out aircraft on almost daily patrols along the Norwegian coastline from the Skagerrak
Skagerrak
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:...
to Trondheim
Trondheim
Trondheim , historically, Nidaros and Trondhjem, is a city and municipality in Sør-Trøndelag county, Norway. With a population of 173,486, it is the third most populous municipality and city in the country, although the fourth largest metropolitan area. It is the administrative centre of...
. During this period the Allied squadrons developed a tactic of sending two 'outriders' ahead of the main body of the patrol; these aircraft were manned by experienced aircrew and penetrated into fjords in search of shipping which might not be spotted by the other aircraft. By December 1944 patrols were also routinely escorted by RAF Mustang Mk III fighters and accompanied by Vickers Warwick
Vickers Warwick
The Vickers Warwick was a multi-purpose British aircraft used during the Second World War. Built by Vickers-Armstrongs at Brooklands, Surrey, the Warwick was used by the Royal Air Force as a transport, air-sea rescue and maritime reconnaissance platform, and by the civilian British Overseas...
air-sea rescue aircraft. Only a single squadron of Mustangs was available, however, as these long-ranged fighters were needed to escort daylight raids by heavy bombers against Germany. German fighters began to be encountered off the Norwegian coast in December, and from the end of the month onwards it was common for Allied wing-sized operations near Norway to be attacked by groups of up to 30 fighters. In March 1945 the Luftwaffe
Luftwaffe
Luftwaffe is a generic German term for an air force. It is also the official name for two of the four historic German air forces, the Wehrmacht air arm founded in 1935 and disbanded in 1946; and the current Bundeswehr air arm founded in 1956....
had 85 single-engined and about 45 twin-engined aircraft operating from ten or twelve airfields south of Trondheim.
During the first weeks of 1945 the Allied strike wings flew few operations due to severe weather. On 15 January, the Banff Wing was intercepted by 30 Fw 190 fighters from the III. Gruppe of Jagdgeschwader 5
Jagdgeschwader 5
Jagdgeschwader 5 Eismeer was a Luftwaffe fighter Wing that served during World War II. As the name Eismeer implies, it was created to operate in the far North of Europe, namely Norway, Scandinavia and northern parts of Finland, all nearest the Arctic Ocean...
(III./JG 5) during a raid on the town of Leirvik
Leirvik
Leirvik is a town and the administrative centre of Stord municipality in the county of Hordaland, Norway. Leirvik is the regional centre of Sunnhordland, and has many public services and offices such as the regional court and Sunnhordland Museum, as well as shops and restaurants...
. In the resulting fighting five Mosquitos and five Fw 190s were shot down. By 9 February, the Ninth and Twelfth Squadrons of JG5 were based at Herdla
Herdla
Herdla is an island in Askøy, Norway, at the north end of the island of Askøy. The island was part of the municipality of Herdla until 1 January 1964. The island has a nature reserve with 220 registered species of birds...
near Bergen
Bergen
Bergen is the second largest city in Norway with a population of as of , . Bergen is the administrative centre of Hordaland county. Greater Bergen or Bergen Metropolitan Area as defined by Statistics Norway, has a population of as of , ....
, about 65 miles (104.6 km) to the south of Førde Fjord. These units were equipped with Fw 190s and the Twelfth Squadron was commanded by Leutnant
Second Lieutenant
Second lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces.- United Kingdom and Commonwealth :The rank second lieutenant was introduced throughout the British Army in 1871 to replace the rank of ensign , although it had long been used in the Royal Artillery, Royal...
Rudi Linz
Rudi Linz
Rudi Linz was a Luftwaffe fighter ace during the Second World war. Linz was posthumously awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross for a total of 70 aerial victories claimed...
, a 28-year-old flying ace with 69 'kills' to his credit.
The German Z33 entered service in February 1943. She served in Norwegian waters from July of that year and saw combat on several occasions. She was the last German destroyer to leave northern Norway, and sailed for Germany on 5 February 1945. It was intended that Z31, which had completed initial repairs at Bergen after being heavily damaged in the Action of 28 January 1945
Action of 28 January 1945
The Action of 28 January 1945 was an inconclusive naval battle of the Second World War fought between two British Royal Navy light cruisers and three Kriegsmarine destroyers near Bergen, Norway...
, would join her to make a joint passage to the Baltic. However, Z33 ran aground in Brufjord on 7 February, damaging her port shaft and propeller and causing both engines to fail. She was subsequently taken under tow to be repaired in Trondheim. Z33 and the two tugboat
Tugboat
A tugboat is a boat that maneuvers vessels by pushing or towing them. Tugs move vessels that either should not move themselves, such as ships in a crowded harbor or a narrow canal,or those that cannot move by themselves, such as barges, disabled ships, or oil platforms. Tugboats are powerful for...
s that were towing her chose to shelter in Førde Fjord during the daylight hours of 9 February while en-route to Trondheim.
Preliminaries
On the morning of 9 February, two New Zealand-crewed Beaufighters from No. 489 Squadron conducted a patrol of the Norwegian coast. These aircraft first sighted a 1,500-ton merchant ship in Stong Fjord. Continuing north, they were surprised to find a Narvik-class destroyer accompanied by a minesweeperMinesweeper (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:...
and two flak ships in Førde Fjord. The aircraft continued their patrol and spotted five large merchant ships in the Nord Gulen and two minesweepers and a flak ship near Bremanger
Bremanger
Bremanger is a municipality in the county of Sogn og Fjordane, Norway. Bremanger is the only municipality in Sogn og Fjordane, which is located in two districts. The north-eastern parts comprising Oldeide, Berle, Rugsund, Davik, Isane and Ålfoten is located in Nordfjord, while Bremanger, Kalvåg,...
. Despite the pilots' surprise, the Allied command was aware that Z33 was in the area from Ultra
Ultra
Ultra was the designation adopted by British military intelligence in June 1941 for wartime signals intelligence obtained by "breaking" high-level encrypted enemy radio and teleprinter communications at the Government Code and Cypher School at Bletchley Park. "Ultra" eventually became the standard...
signals intelligence.
The Dallachy Wing was on alert to attack any ships found by the reconnaissance patrol. Although the group of five merchant ships were highly vulnerable to attack and a worthwhile target, Coastal Command came under the operational command of the Admiralty and was bound by its decision to give higher priority to attacking warships than merchant vessels. As a result the wing was dispatched against Z33 even though the destroyer and its escorts were well protected and in a difficult position for aircraft to attack.
Wing Commander Jack Davenport, who had commanded No. 455 Squadron until October 1944 and was now on the staff of No. 18 Group RAF
No. 18 Group RAF
No. 18 Group of the Royal Air Force was a group active from 1918 to 1919, and from 1938 to 1996.- 1918 - 1919 :The Group was initially formed on 1 April 1918 in No 4 Area. It was transferred to North-Eastern Area, 8 May 1918...
, planned the attack on Z33. The plan called for two 'outriders' to precede the main force and confirm the location of the German ships. The Beaufighters would then arrive to the east of the German anchorage, turn to the west and attack the ships before escaping over the sea. Davenport sought to minimise Allied casualties, but the location of the German ships in a narrow and protected fjord meant that the operation was inherently risky. The strike leader was Wing Commander Colin Milson, the 25-year-old commanding officer of No. 455 Squadron, and a veteran of anti-shipping operations against Italian and German ships in the Mediterranean and North Seas. Milson had reservations about making what was likely to be a costly raid, particularly given that the war was clearly coming to an end, but carried out the order to attack Z33 to the best of his ability.
After being spotted, the German ships in Førde Fjord sailed further up the fjord and prepared for an Allied attack. Z33 and several of her escorts anchored close to the steep southern slopes of the fjord near the village of Bjørkedal. Meanwhile other ships moored near the northern shore after breaking up pack ice with gunfire. This anchorage was also protected by flak batteries on the shore of the fjord.
Attack
At 1:30 pm on 9 February, Milson led 31 or 32 Beaufighters into the air from Dallachy. The strike force was joined by either ten or twelve P-51 Mustang fighters from No. 65 Squadron RAFNo. 65 Squadron RAF
No. 65 Squadron was a squadron of the Royal Air Force.-World War I:The squadron was first formed at Wyton on 1 August 1916 as a squadron of the Royal Flying Corps with a core provided from the training ground at Norwich. By the end of World War I, it had claimed over 200 victories...
and two Warwick air-sea rescue aircraft from No. 279 Squadron RAF
No. 279 Squadron RAF
No 279 Squadron RAF was a Royal Air Force air-sea rescue squadron of World War II. The squadron was formed on 16 November 1941 and disbanded on 10 March 1946.-History:...
carrying life rafts to help any aircrew forced to ditch. All four of the Dallachy Wing's squadrons contributed aircraft to the force. The No. 404 and No. 455 Squadron Beaufighters were armed with rockets
RP-3
The RP-3 , was a British rocket used in the Second World War. Though primarily an air-to-ground weapon, it saw limited use in other roles. Its 60 lb warhead gave rise to the alternative name of the "60 lb rocket"; the 25 lb solid-shot armour piercing variant was referred to as the "25 lb rocket"...
while the aircraft from No. 144 Squadron and the single No. 489 Squadron Beaufighter dispatched were armed only with cannon and machine guns.
After the attackers crossed the Norwegian coastline at 3:40 pm, two Beaufighters from No. 144 and No. 489 Squadrons detached themselves from the main force and pressed ahead as outriders. The two 'outriders' crossed Førde Fjord near where the German ships had been sighted that morning. At 3:50 pm they sent Milson a radio message stating that they could not see the ships. The 'outriders' then turned to the east and overflew the town of Førde
Førde
Førde is a municipality in the county of Sogn og Fjordane, Norway. It is located in the traditional district of Sunnfjord. The administrative center is the town of Førde which in 2010 had 12,035 inhabitants. The historic village of Bruland is located just east of the town of Førde...
before searching the next fjord to the north; during their flight near Førde Fjord they did not spot the German warships in their new position. Meanwhile the Ninth and Twelfth Squadrons of JG5 were scrambled from Herdla at 3:50 pm and ordered to attack the Dallachy Wing and its escorts.
Several minutes later, the main body of the raid reached the southern shore of Førde Fjord travelling north. To their surprise, the Allied planes passed directly over the German ships and came under intense attack from anti-aircraft guns, though no aircraft were hit. In response, Milson wheeled his force to the right in an attempt to attack the ships from east to west as planned. The steep walls of the fjord protected Z33 from attack from this direction, however. As a result, Milson led the force west to near the mouth of the fjord and ordered the Beaufighters to attack in relays from west to east. This required the aircraft to fly into the face of alerted German defences and then escape over steep mountains. The narrow confines of the fjord also meant that the Beaufighters had to attack individually from a single direction and would not be able to swamp the German defences as they normally sought to do.
Milson led the first group of Beaufighters into Førde Fjord at about 4:10 pm. His aircraft escaped undamaged after attacking a flak ship and other Beaufighters followed him into the fjord. At about this time 12 Fw 190s arrived at Førde Fjord and flew through German flak to intercept the Beaufighters that were waiting their turn to attack. The British Mustangs were taken by surprise, but dived to intercept the German fighters. This led to an intense air battle, with over 50 aircraft either engaged in dogfight
Dogfight
A dogfight, or dog fight, is a form of aerial combat between fighter aircraft; in particular, combat of maneuver at short range, where each side is aware of the other's presence. Dogfighting first appeared during World War I, shortly after the invention of the airplane...
s or diving to attack the German ships; it was the largest aerial conflict ever fought over Norway.
The fighting continued until 4:25 pm. By this time seven Beaufighters had been shot down by the German ships and another two by Fw 190s. One of the Mustangs was also downed by a German fighter. The Allied losses included six of the eleven No. 404 Squadron aircraft involved in the attack. Overall, 14 Allied aircrew were killed and another four taken prisoner of war
Prisoner of war
A prisoner of war or enemy prisoner of war is a person, whether civilian or combatant, who is held in custody by an enemy power during or immediately after an armed conflict...
. In exchange, the Allied force damaged Z33 and several of the other German ships and shot down either four or five Fw 190s. Linz and another German pilot were killed. German Navy
Kriegsmarine
The Kriegsmarine was the name of the German Navy during the Nazi regime . It superseded the Kaiserliche Marine of World War I and the post-war Reichsmarine. The Kriegsmarine was one of three official branches of the Wehrmacht, the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany.The Kriegsmarine grew rapidly...
fatalities included four sailors on board Z33 and another three on the converted trawler
Naval trawler
A naval trawler is a vessel built along the lines of a fishing trawler but fitted out for naval purposes. Naval trawlers were widely used during the First and Second world wars. Fishing trawlers were particularly suited for many naval requirements because they were robust boats designed to work...
VP6808; both of these ships were also damaged during the attack. There may also have been further fatalities on the other German ships.
Aftermath
After departing the Førde Fjord area the surviving Beaufighters, many of which were damaged, returned to Dallachy. Several had difficulty making safe landings, and two were forced to land on their bellies due to undercarriageUndercarriage
The undercarriage or landing gear in aviation, is the structure that supports an aircraft on the ground and allows it to taxi, takeoff and land...
damage, but no further aircraft were lost. The air and ground crew were shocked by the scale of the losses, and the battle became known to them as "Black Friday". The losses suffered by the Dallachy Wing on 9 February were the highest any of Coastal Command's strike wings sustained in a single operation during the war.
The German fighters, many of which were short of fuel and ammunition, also broke off at about 4:25 pm and returned to base. On the night of 9/10 February the German ships left Førde Fjord and continued their journey to Trondheim. A subsequent Allied attack on the ships by a different strike wing was also unsuccessful. Z33 arrived in Trondheim on 11 February and was repaired. She subsequently departed for Germany on 26 March and safely arrived in Swinemünde
Swinoujscie
Świnoujście is a city and seaport on the Baltic Sea and Szczecin Lagoon, located in the extreme north-west of Poland. It is situated mainly on the islands of Uznam and Wolin, but also occupies smaller islands, of which the largest is Karsibór island, once part of Usedom, now separated by a Piast...
on 2 April. She did not see any further combat, and was decommissioned at Brunsbüttel
Brunsbüttel
Brunsbüttel is a town in the district of Dithmarschen, in Schleswig-Holstein, northern Germany that lies on the mouth of the Elbe river, near the North Sea. It is the location of the western entrance to the Kiel Canal, the eastern entrance being located at Kiel-Holtenau...
in late April as the Navy lacked the fuel needed to operate her.
The losses incurred during the raid on Førde Fjord led to changes in the tactics used by RAF Coastal Command's anti-shipping squadrons. Following the attack, the Admiralty agreed to a proposal by Air Chief Marshal Sir Sholto Douglas, the commander of Coastal Command, to assign a higher priority to attacking merchant vessels than to destroyers and small warships. A second squadron of Mustangs was also assigned to protect Coastal Command aircraft operating near Norway from early March. Milson was awarded a bar
Medal bar
A medal bar or medal clasp is a thin metal bar attached to the ribbon of a military decoration, civil decoration, or other medal. It is most commonly used to indicate the campaign or operation the recipient received the award for, and multiple bars on the same medal are used to indicate that the...
to his 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...
on 13 July 1945 for his leadership and personal courage during the raid on Førde Fjord, which was described in the citation as a "brilliantly executed operation".
The raid was commemorated in Norway after the war. A monument to the aircrew killed in the battle was dedicated in the town of Førde on 8 May 1985, the 40th anniversary of Norway's liberation. This monument was later moved to Bergen Airport
Bergen Airport, Flesland
Bergen Airport, Flesland is an international airport located southwest of Bergen, Norway. Opened in 1955, it is the second-busiest airport in Norway, with 5,296,325 passengers in 2010. Flesland is operated by the state-owned Avinor...
. The Air Combat Museum in the town of Naustdal
Naustdal
Naustdal is a municipality in the county of Sogn og Fjordane, Norway. It is located in the traditional district of Sunnfjord. The administrative centre is the village of Naustdal, which has 1,072 inhabitants . Other villages in Naustdal include Vevring and Helle.Tourists come from all over the...
also houses photos, maps, aircraft parts and other artifacts relating to the battle.
At least one of the Focke-Wulf Fw 190 fighters of JG 5 that crashed as a result of the "Black Friday" aerial engagements, an F-model airframe with factory serial number, or Werknummer of 931 862, was found and recovered as a salvageable aircraft wreck in September 1983. It currently resides in Kissimmee, Florida
Kissimmee, Florida
Kissimmee is a city in Osceola County, Florida, United States. As of the 2010 census, the population was 59,682. It is the county seat of Osceola County...
, and is under restoration by the "White 1 Foundation" towards a resumption of full flightworthy status. In 2005 its last pilot, the former Luftwaffe Unteroffizier
Unteroffizier
Unteroffizier is both a specific military rank as well as a collective term for non-commissioned officers of the German military that has existed since the 19th century. The rank existed as a title as early as the 17th century with the first widespread usage occurring in the Bavarian Army of the...
Heinz Orlowski visited it and sat one final time in the cockpit of his "under-restoration" Fw 190F-8, some sixty years after he last flew it and five years before his death in 2010.