Operation Anklet
Encyclopedia
Operation Anklet was the codename given to a British Commando raid during the Second World War. The raid on the Lofoten Islands was carried out in December 1941, by 300 men from No. 12 Commando
and the Norwegian Independent Company 1
. The landing party was supported by 22 ships from three navies.
At the same time, another raid was taking place in the Lofoten Islands. This raid was Operation Archery
, on 27 December 1941, and was seen as a diversionary raid for Operation Anklet, intended to draw away the German naval and air forces.
had been evacuated from Dunkirk
in 1940, the then British Prime Minister
Winston Churchill
called for a force to be assembled and equipped to inflict casualties on the Germans and bolster British morale. Churchill told the joint Chiefs of Staff to propose measures for an offensive against German-occupied Europe, and stated: "they must be prepared with specially trained troops of the hunter class who can develop a reign of terror down the enemy coast."
One staff officer, Lieutenant-Colonel Dudley Clarke
, had already submitted such a proposal to General
Sir John Dill
, the Chief of the Imperial General Staff. Dill, aware of Churchill's intentions, approved Clarke's proposal.
The Commandos came under the operational control of the Combined Operations Headquarters. The man initially selected as the commander was Admiral
Sir Roger Keyes, a veteran of the Gallipoli Campaign and the Zeebrugge Raid
in the First World War. In 1940, the call went out for volunteers from among the serving Army soldiers within certain formations still in Britain, and men of the disbanding Divisional Independent Companies originally raised from Territorial Army Divisions who had seen service in Norway.
The Lofoten Islands form part of the north western Norwegian coastline about 100 mi (160.9 km) inside the Arctic Circle
. Operation Anklet would be the second raid on the islands. The first, Operation Claymore
, had taken place in March 1941, and the third raid, Operation Archery
, would take place at the same time as Operation Anklet.
The raid was organised by the Combined Operations Headquarters, and would only use naval and land assets, the Royal Air Force
was not involved. But it would be the last raid undertaken without air support.
The naval force formed for Operation Anklet consisted of 22 ships from three navies. The Royal Navy
provided the most ships which included the light cruiser
; six destroyer
s ; three minesweeper
s ; two Landing Ship Infantry (HMS Prins Albert and Prinses Josephine Charlotte); the submarine
; and the survey ship . The Royal Fleet Auxiliary
provided two fleet tankers (RFA Grey Ranger and Black Ranger); the freighter
Gudrun Maersk; and the Tugboat
Jaunty.
The Royal Norwegian Navy
provided the corvette
s HNoMS Andenes and Eglantine, while the Polish Navy
provided the destroyers ORP Krakowiak and Kujawiak.
The landing force was supplied by 223 men of No. 12 Commando
, supported by 77 men of the Norwegian Independent Company 1
.
, Greenock
and Lerwick
. The task force, now known as Force J, left Scapa and Greenock for the Lofoten Islands on Monday 22 December, and those at Lerwick the following day. En route to join up with the main force, the infantry landing ship Prinses Josephine Charlotte developed engine trouble, and together with her destroyer escort Wheatland was sent back to Scapa, arriving on 24 December. Wheatland left Scapa alone on 25 December to catch up with the rest of Force J. As the task force approached the islands, the submarine Sealion was already in position to act as a navigational beacon for the attack, which was planned for 26 December.
When the task force arrived, the infantry landing ship Prins Albert, escorted by destroyer Lamerton and corvettes Eglantine and Acanthus, headed towards Moskenesøya
to land the commandos. Some of the other ships conducted operations around the islands. The destroyer Bedouin destroyed a radio station at Flakstadøya
, while the cruiser Arethusa and destroyers Somali, Ashanti, and Eskimo entered the Vestfjord
. Here they captured the Norwegian coastal steamers Kong Harald and Nordland and the Ashanti sunk a German patrol boat.
The 300-man landing force landed at 06:00 on Boxing Day
. The date had been selected by British planners, who expected the German garrison to be concentrating on the Christmas
festivities and would therefore be caught unprepared. The landings were unopposed as the commandos, dressed in white camouflaged overalls, were landed on the western side of the island of Moskenesøya
. They soon occupied the towns of Reine
and Moskenes
, capturing the small German garrison and a number of Norwegian Quisling
s at the radio station at Glåpen.
The raiding force was attacked on 27 December 1941 by a German seaplane that bombed the cruiser Arethusa. Although it was not hit, it did suffer some damage that would require 14 weeks in dock to repair. With no air support of their own, the commander of the raid Admiral
Hamilton
, having occupied the Norwegian towns for two days, decided to pull out and head back to Scapa, where they arrived on 1 January 1942.
with its associated wheels and settings from the patrol ship they had sunk. They also returned with over 200 Norwegians who had volunteered to serve in the Free Norwegian Forces
. The raid was successful, with no casualties to the Allied force, and at least one lesson seemed to have been learnt, as it was the last raid undertaken without air support. During the war, there were 12 commando raids directed against Norway, the German response to theses raids was to increase the number of troops they had stationed there. By 1944, the German garrison in Norway had risen to 370,000 men. By comparison, a British infantry division in 1944 had an establishment of 18,347 men.
67°59′N 13°00′E
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...
and the Norwegian Independent Company 1
Norwegian Independent Company 1
Norwegian Independent Company 1 was a British SOE group formed in March 1941 originally for the purpose of performing commando raids during the Occupation of Norway by Nazi Germany. It was organized under the leadership of Captain Martin Linge...
. The landing party was supported by 22 ships from three navies.
At the same time, another raid was taking place in the Lofoten Islands. This raid was Operation Archery
Operation Archery
Operation Archery, also known as the Vaagso Raid, was a British Combined Operations raid during World War II against German positions on Vaagso Island , Norway, on 27 December 1941....
, on 27 December 1941, and was seen as a diversionary raid for Operation Anklet, intended to draw away the German naval and air forces.
Background
After the British Expeditionary ForceBritish Expeditionary Force (World War II)
The British Expeditionary Force was the British force in Europe from 1939–1940 during the Second World War. Commanded by General Lord Gort, the BEF constituted one-tenth of the defending Allied force....
had been evacuated from Dunkirk
Operation Dynamo
The Dunkirk evacuation, commonly known as the Miracle of Dunkirk, code-named Operation Dynamo by the British, was the evacuation of Allied soldiers from the beaches and harbour of Dunkirk, France, between 26 May and the early hours of 3 June 1940, because the British, French and Belgian troops were...
in 1940, the then British Prime Minister
Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the Head of Her Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom. The Prime Minister and Cabinet are collectively accountable for their policies and actions to the Sovereign, to Parliament, to their political party and...
Winston Churchill
Winston Churchill
Sir Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill, was a predominantly Conservative British politician and statesman known for his leadership of the United Kingdom during the Second World War. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest wartime leaders of the century and served as Prime Minister twice...
called for a force to be assembled and equipped to inflict casualties on the Germans and bolster British morale. Churchill told the joint Chiefs of Staff to propose measures for an offensive against German-occupied Europe, and stated: "they must be prepared with specially trained troops of the hunter class who can develop a reign of terror down the enemy coast."
One staff officer, Lieutenant-Colonel Dudley Clarke
Dudley Clarke
Dudley Wrangel Clarke, CBE, CB was a Brigadier in the British Army who was behind several deception operations during the Second World War and who founded the British Army's Commando force. He was born at Ladysmith, Natal, and educated at Charterhouse School...
, had already submitted such a proposal to General
General
A general officer is an officer of high military rank, usually in the army, and in some nations, the air force. The term is widely used by many nations of the world, and when a country uses a different term, there is an equivalent title given....
Sir John Dill
John Dill
Field Marshal Sir John Greer Dill, GCB, CMG, DSO was a British commander in World War I and World War II. From May 1940 to December 1941 he was the Chief of the Imperial General Staff, the professional head of the British Army, and subsequently in Washington, as Chief of the British Joint Staff...
, the Chief of the Imperial General Staff. Dill, aware of Churchill's intentions, approved Clarke's proposal.
The Commandos came under the operational control of the Combined Operations Headquarters. The man initially selected as the commander was Admiral
Admiral
Admiral is the rank, or part of the name of the ranks, of the highest naval officers. It is usually considered a full admiral and above vice admiral and below admiral of the fleet . It is usually abbreviated to "Adm" or "ADM"...
Sir Roger Keyes, a veteran of the Gallipoli Campaign and the Zeebrugge Raid
Zeebrugge Raid
The Zeebrugge Raid, which took place on 23 April 1918, was an attempt by the British Royal Navy to neutralize the key Belgian port of Bruges-Zeebrugge...
in the First World War. In 1940, the call went out for volunteers from among the serving Army soldiers within certain formations still in Britain, and men of the disbanding Divisional Independent Companies originally raised from Territorial Army Divisions who had seen service in Norway.
The Lofoten Islands form part of the north western Norwegian coastline about 100 mi (160.9 km) inside the Arctic Circle
Arctic Circle
The Arctic Circle is one of the five major circles of latitude that mark maps of the Earth. For Epoch 2011, it is the parallel of latitude that runs north of the Equator....
. Operation Anklet would be the second raid on the islands. The first, Operation Claymore
Operation Claymore
Operation Claymore was the codename for a British Commandos raid on the Lofoten Islands in Norway during the Second World War. The Lofoten Islands were an important center for the production of fish oil and glycerine, used in the German war industry. The landings were carried out on 4 March 1941,...
, had taken place in March 1941, and the third raid, Operation Archery
Operation Archery
Operation Archery, also known as the Vaagso Raid, was a British Combined Operations raid during World War II against German positions on Vaagso Island , Norway, on 27 December 1941....
, would take place at the same time as Operation Anklet.
The raid was organised by the Combined Operations Headquarters, and would only use naval and land assets, the Royal Air Force
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...
was not involved. But it would be the last raid undertaken without air support.
The naval force formed for Operation Anklet consisted of 22 ships from three navies. 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...
provided the most ships which included the light cruiser
Light cruiser
A light cruiser is a type of small- or medium-sized warship. The term is a shortening of the phrase "light armored cruiser", describing a small ship that carried armor in the same way as an armored cruiser: a protective belt and deck...
; six destroyer
Destroyer
In naval terminology, a destroyer is a fast and maneuverable yet long-endurance warship intended to escort larger vessels in a fleet, convoy or battle group and defend them against smaller, powerful, short-range attackers. Destroyers, originally called torpedo-boat destroyers in 1892, evolved from...
s ; three minesweeper
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:...
s ; two Landing Ship Infantry (HMS Prins Albert and Prinses Josephine Charlotte); the submarine
Submarine
A submarine is a watercraft capable of independent operation below the surface of the water. It differs from a submersible, which has more limited underwater capability...
; and the survey ship . The Royal Fleet Auxiliary
Royal Fleet Auxiliary
The Royal Fleet Auxiliary is a civilian-manned fleet owned by the British Ministry of Defence. The RFA enables ships of the United Kingdom Royal Navy to maintain operations around the world. Its primary role is to supply the Royal Navy with fuel, ammunition and supplies, normally by replenishment...
provided two fleet tankers (RFA Grey Ranger and Black Ranger); the freighter
Cargo ship
A cargo ship or freighter is any sort of ship or vessel that carries cargo, goods, and materials from one port to another. Thousands of cargo carriers ply the world's seas and oceans each year; they handle the bulk of international trade...
Gudrun Maersk; and the 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...
Jaunty.
The Royal Norwegian Navy
Royal Norwegian Navy
The Royal Norwegian Navy is the branch of the Norwegian Defence Force responsible for naval operations. , the RNoN consists of approximately 3,700 personnel and 70 vessels, including 5 heavy frigates, 6 submarines, 14 patrol boats, 4 minesweepers, 4 minehunters, 1 mine detection vessel, 4 support...
provided the corvette
Corvette
A corvette is a small, maneuverable, lightly armed warship, originally smaller than a frigate and larger than a coastal patrol craft or fast attack craft , although many recent designs resemble frigates in size and role...
s HNoMS Andenes and Eglantine, while the Polish Navy
Polish Navy
The Marynarka Wojenna Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej - MW RP Polish Navy, is the branch of Republic of Poland Armed Forces responsible for naval operations...
provided the destroyers ORP Krakowiak and Kujawiak.
The landing force was supplied by 223 men of 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...
, supported by 77 men of the Norwegian Independent Company 1
Norwegian Independent Company 1
Norwegian Independent Company 1 was a British SOE group formed in March 1941 originally for the purpose of performing commando raids during the Occupation of Norway by Nazi Germany. It was organized under the leadership of Captain Martin Linge...
.
Mission
The naval task force was assembled at three locations: Scapa FlowScapa 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...
, Greenock
Greenock
Greenock is a town and administrative centre in the Inverclyde council area in United Kingdom, and a former burgh within the historic county of Renfrewshire, located in the west central Lowlands of Scotland...
and Lerwick
Lerwick
Lerwick is the capital and main port of the Shetland Islands, Scotland, located more than 100 miles off the north coast of mainland Scotland on the east coast of the Shetland Mainland...
. The task force, now known as Force J, left Scapa and Greenock for the Lofoten Islands on Monday 22 December, and those at Lerwick the following day. En route to join up with the main force, the infantry landing ship Prinses Josephine Charlotte developed engine trouble, and together with her destroyer escort Wheatland was sent back to Scapa, arriving on 24 December. Wheatland left Scapa alone on 25 December to catch up with the rest of Force J. As the task force approached the islands, the submarine Sealion was already in position to act as a navigational beacon for the attack, which was planned for 26 December.
When the task force arrived, the infantry landing ship Prins Albert, escorted by destroyer Lamerton and corvettes Eglantine and Acanthus, headed towards Moskenesøya
Moskenesøya
Moskenesøya is an island in Lofoten in Nordland county of Norway. The island consists of an agglomeration of glaciated hills with the highest peak at . It is elongated from south-west to north east, is about 40 km long and 10 km wide, and has a very uneven shoreline...
to land the commandos. Some of the other ships conducted operations around the islands. The destroyer Bedouin destroyed a radio station at Flakstadøya
Flakstadøya
Flakstadøya is an island in Lofoten in Nordland county, Norway. It is located in Flakstad municipality.The island is connected to Moskenesøya in the west by Kåkern Bridge, and to Vestvågøya through the undersea tunnel Nappstraumtunnelen....
, while the cruiser Arethusa and destroyers Somali, Ashanti, and Eskimo entered the Vestfjord
Vestfjord
Vestfjord is a Norwegian fjord, which would be described as a firth or an open bight of sea between the Lofoten archipelago and mainland Norway, northwest of Bodø...
. Here they captured the Norwegian coastal steamers Kong Harald and Nordland and the Ashanti sunk a German patrol boat.
The 300-man landing force landed at 06:00 on Boxing Day
Boxing Day
Boxing Day is a bank or public holiday that occurs on 26 December, or the first or second weekday after Christmas Day, depending on national or regional laws. It is observed in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and some other Commonwealth nations. In Ireland, it is recognized as...
. The date had been selected by British planners, who expected the German garrison to be concentrating on the Christmas
Christmas
Christmas or Christmas Day is an annual holiday generally celebrated on December 25 by billions of people around the world. It is a Christian feast that commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ, liturgically closing the Advent season and initiating the season of Christmastide, which lasts twelve days...
festivities and would therefore be caught unprepared. The landings were unopposed as the commandos, dressed in white camouflaged overalls, were landed on the western side of the island of Moskenesøya
Moskenesøya
Moskenesøya is an island in Lofoten in Nordland county of Norway. The island consists of an agglomeration of glaciated hills with the highest peak at . It is elongated from south-west to north east, is about 40 km long and 10 km wide, and has a very uneven shoreline...
. They soon occupied the towns of Reine
Reine
Reine is the administrative centre of Moskenes municipality, Norway. Its population is 342. It has been a commercial centre since 1743. Today tourism is important. In spite of its remote location thousands of people visit this neighborhood annually....
and Moskenes
Moskenes
Moskenes is a municipality in Nordland county, Norway. The area of the municipality comprises the southern part of Moskenesøya. It is part of the Lofoten traditional region...
, capturing the small German garrison and a number of Norwegian Quisling
Quisling
Quisling is a term used in reference to fascist and collaborationist political parties and military and paramilitary forces in occupied Allied countries which collaborated with Axis occupiers in World War II, as well as for their members and other collaborators.- Etymology :The term was coined by...
s at the radio station at Glåpen.
The raiding force was attacked on 27 December 1941 by a German seaplane that bombed the cruiser Arethusa. Although it was not hit, it did suffer some damage that would require 14 weeks in dock to repair. With no air support of their own, the commander of the raid Admiral
Admiral
Admiral is the rank, or part of the name of the ranks, of the highest naval officers. It is usually considered a full admiral and above vice admiral and below admiral of the fleet . It is usually abbreviated to "Adm" or "ADM"...
Hamilton
Frederick Dalrymple-Hamilton
Admiral Sir Frederick Hew George Dalrymple-Hamilton KCB was a British naval officer who served in World War I and World War II.-Naval career:...
, having occupied the Norwegian towns for two days, decided to pull out and head back to Scapa, where they arrived on 1 January 1942.
Aftermath
During Operation Anklet, two radio transmitters were destroyed, several small German boats were captured or sunk and a small number of Germans and Quislings were made prisoners of war. The navy had also captured an Enigma coding machineEnigma machine
An Enigma machine is any of a family of related electro-mechanical rotor cipher machines used for the encryption and decryption of secret messages. Enigma was invented by German engineer Arthur Scherbius at the end of World War I...
with its associated wheels and settings from the patrol ship they had sunk. They also returned with over 200 Norwegians who had volunteered to serve in the Free Norwegian Forces
Free Norwegian Forces
The Norwegian Armed Forces in exile were remnants of the armed forces of Norway that continued to fight the Axis powers from Allied countries, such as Britain and Canada, after they had escaped the German occupation of Norway during World War II.-Background:...
. The raid was successful, with no casualties to the Allied force, and at least one lesson seemed to have been learnt, as it was the last raid undertaken without air support. During the war, there were 12 commando raids directed against Norway, the German response to theses raids was to increase the number of troops they had stationed there. By 1944, the German garrison in Norway had risen to 370,000 men. By comparison, a British infantry division in 1944 had an establishment of 18,347 men.
External links
67°59′N 13°00′E