Operation Gauntlet
Encyclopedia
During World War II
, Operation Gauntlet was a Combined Operations raid by Canadian
troops, with British Army logistics support and Free Norwegian Forces
servicemen on the Norwegian island of Spitsbergen
, 600 miles south of the North Pole
, from 18 August 1941.
The objective was to destroy the rich coal mines there together with associated equipment and stores, which it was correctly assumed the Germans intended to make use of. These mines on Norwegian territory were owned and operated by Norway
(at Longyearbyen
) and by the Soviet Union
(at Barentsburg
) and both governments agreed to their destruction and the evacuation of their nationals.
in June 1940 and in June 1941, the Soviet Union (USSR) had been invaded (Operation Barbarossa
). Immediately, the British Prime Minister, Winston Churchill
, had declared common cause with the USSR. The Soviets requested a British naval presence off northern Russia and Rear Admiral
Philip Vian
visited Murmansk
to assess the local situation. Due to logistical and other circumstances the British presence was limited to submarines.
Political pressure continued for an active British presence and Force K was formed at Scapa Flow
to operate in the Arctic under the command of Philip Vian.
. All this had been done without alerting the Germans and the Germans remained in ignorance of Allied activity.
Lt Tamber maintained normal radio contacts with the mainland and encouraged the despatch of colliers to collect coal, but detained them with the expectation that they would, in fact, sail to Britain. Eventually three ships were held at Longyearbyen.
En route to Britain, the Force visited Bear Island, destroyed the weather station there and evacuated the Norwegian personnel on 1 August. This action finally alerted the Germans to the allied activity and, thereafter, Force K was shadowed by enemy aircraft.
Vian returned to London to discuss the possibilities with the Chiefs of Staff
. His advice was that a military occupation would be possible but the location was unsuitable as a naval base, mainly due to seasonal ice. Winston Churchill
applied pressure for a plan to be devised quickly. The plan, agreed with Churchill, the Soviet Ambassador and King Haakon
, was for Force K to return to Spitsbergen, destroy the mining facilities and fuel stocks, repatriate the Russians, bring the Norwegians and any available ships to Britain.
had not yet garrisoned the area. The troops mainly comprised elements of the 2nd Canadian Infantry Brigade, under Brigadier A E Potts, with 3 Field Company, RCE attached, a party of Norwegian servicemen based in the United Kingdom
. There was demolition and logistic support from British Army units including a detachment from the Kent Fortress Royal Engineers
, a unit with demolition experience. This was a total force of 645 All Ranks, including 527 Canadians.
The liner Empress of Australia acted as the troopship, escorted by Force K: two Royal Navy
cruisers, HMS Nigeria
(flagship) and Aurora
and three destroyers: HMS Icarus
, Anthony
and Antelope
; Philip Vian
remained in command. The force sailed on August 19.
, in Russia, on the RMS Empress of Canada
, escorted by Nigeria, where a group of nearly 200 Free French
were found waiting. These French had escaped from German prison camps and were duly taken on board for passage to the United Kingdom. Meanwhile, the rest of Force K and the demolition parties had moved on to Longyearbyen.
On 1 September the ships returned from Arkhangelsk and all forces ashore embarked together with some 800 locals and 15 sled dogs. Two radio stations were destroyed which, up to this point, had continued to broadcast normally and even falsely reported fog to deter any German observation planes.
The demolition teams completed all their tasks destroying the mines, equipment not taken away, and 450,000 tons of coal and 275,000 Imperial gallons of fuel, oil, petrol and grease. 1,000 tons of steam coal was left in case needed by Allied ships who may stop there in the future. The only "casualties" occurred when the rearguard at Barentsburg had accessed the vodka stores and had to be carried aboard.
, a whaler
, a tug
and two sealers. Vian was alerted to the presence of a German convoy. The destroyers continued to escort the convoy to Britain while the two cruisers intercepted the German ships at Hammerfjord on 7 September and engaged its escort, sinking the German training ship Bremse
. During the action, HMS Nigeria's bow was seriously damaged, reportedly by ramming the Bremse, although later analysis suggested that a mine was the cause.
The ships which made the excursion on to Russia had made a 7,000 mile round trip from the United Kingdom.
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...
, Operation Gauntlet was a Combined Operations raid by Canadian
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
troops, with British Army logistics support and 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:...
servicemen on the Norwegian island of Spitsbergen
Spitsbergen
Spitsbergen is the largest and only permanently populated island of the Svalbard archipelago in Norway. Constituting the western-most bulk of the archipelago, it borders the Arctic Ocean, the Norwegian Sea and the Greenland Sea...
, 600 miles south of the North Pole
North Pole
The North Pole, also known as the Geographic North Pole or Terrestrial North Pole, is, subject to the caveats explained below, defined as the point in the northern hemisphere where the Earth's axis of rotation meets its surface...
, from 18 August 1941.
The objective was to destroy the rich coal mines there together with associated equipment and stores, which it was correctly assumed the Germans intended to make use of. These mines on Norwegian territory were owned and operated by 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...
(at Longyearbyen
Longyearbyen
Longyearbyen is the largest settlement and the administrative centre of Svalbard, Norway. It is located on the western coast of Spitsbergen, the largest island of the Svalbard archipelago, on the southern side on Adventfjorden , which continues inland with Adventdalen...
) and by the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
(at Barentsburg
Barentsburg
Barentsburg is the second largest settlement on Svalbard, with about 500 inhabitants , almost entirely Russians and Ukrainians. The Russian-owned Arktikugol has been mining coal here since 1932.-Status:...
) and both governments agreed to their destruction and the evacuation of their nationals.
Background
German forces had completed their occupation of NorwayNorwegian Campaign
The Norwegian Campaign was a military campaign that was fought in Norway during the Second World War between the Allies and Germany, after the latter's invasion of the country. In April 1940, the United Kingdom and France came to Norway's aid with an expeditionary force...
in June 1940 and in June 1941, the Soviet Union (USSR) had been invaded (Operation Barbarossa
Operation Barbarossa
Operation Barbarossa was the code name for Germany's invasion of the Soviet Union during World War II that began on 22 June 1941. Over 4.5 million troops of the Axis powers invaded the USSR along a front., the largest invasion in the history of warfare...
). Immediately, the British Prime Minister, 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...
, had declared common cause with the USSR. The Soviets requested a British naval presence off northern Russia and Rear Admiral
Rear Admiral
Rear admiral is a naval commissioned officer rank above that of a commodore and captain, and below that of a vice admiral. It is generally regarded as the lowest of the "admiral" ranks, which are also sometimes referred to as "flag officers" or "flag ranks"...
Philip Vian
Philip Vian
Admiral of the Fleet Sir Philip Louis Vian, GCB, KBE, DSO & Two Bars was a British naval officer who served in both World Wars....
visited Murmansk
Murmansk
Murmansk is a city and the administrative center of Murmansk Oblast, Russia. It serves as a seaport and is located in the extreme northwest part of Russia, on the Kola Bay, from the Barents Sea on the northern shore of the Kola Peninsula, not far from Russia's borders with Norway and Finland...
to assess the local situation. Due to logistical and other circumstances the British presence was limited to submarines.
Political pressure continued for an active British presence and Force K was formed at 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...
to operate in the Arctic under the command of Philip Vian.
Preliminary visit
At the end of July 1941, Vian's Force visited Spitsbergen to ascertain the situation. It was not known whether or not a German garrison was in occupation. They were not and both the Norwegian and Soviet settlers were cooperative. A Norwegian officer, Lt R Tamber, was left at Longyearbyen to act as a representative and Force K returned to Britain with 70 volunteers for the Free Norwegian forces and a loaded collierCollier (ship type)
Collier is a historical term used to describe a bulk cargo ship designed to carry coal, especially for naval use by coal-fired warships. In the late 18th century a number of wooden-hulled sailing colliers gained fame after being adapted for use in voyages of exploration in the South Pacific, for...
. All this had been done without alerting the Germans and the Germans remained in ignorance of Allied activity.
Lt Tamber maintained normal radio contacts with the mainland and encouraged the despatch of colliers to collect coal, but detained them with the expectation that they would, in fact, sail to Britain. Eventually three ships were held at Longyearbyen.
En route to Britain, the Force visited Bear Island, destroyed the weather station there and evacuated the Norwegian personnel on 1 August. This action finally alerted the Germans to the allied activity and, thereafter, Force K was shadowed by enemy aircraft.
Vian returned to London to discuss the possibilities with the Chiefs of Staff
Chiefs of Staff Committee
The Chiefs of Staff Committee is composed of the most senior military personnel in the British Armed Forces.-History:The Chiefs of Staff Committee was initially established as a sub-committee of the Committee of Imperial Defence in 1923. It remained as such until the abolition of the CID upon the...
. His advice was that a military occupation would be possible but the location was unsuitable as a naval base, mainly due to seasonal ice. 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...
applied pressure for a plan to be devised quickly. The plan, agreed with Churchill, the Soviet Ambassador and King Haakon
Haakon VII of Norway
Haakon VII , known as Prince Carl of Denmark until 1905, was the first king of Norway after the 1905 dissolution of the personal union with Sweden. He was a member of the House of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg...
, was for Force K to return to Spitsbergen, destroy the mining facilities and fuel stocks, repatriate the Russians, bring the Norwegians and any available ships to Britain.
Allied forces
Originally a ground force of two battalions had been allocated to the landings, but this was reduced to one on confirmation that the GermansNazi Germany
Nazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...
had not yet garrisoned the area. The troops mainly comprised elements of the 2nd Canadian Infantry Brigade, under Brigadier A E Potts, with 3 Field Company, RCE attached, a party of Norwegian servicemen based in 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...
. There was demolition and logistic support from British Army units including a detachment from the Kent Fortress Royal Engineers
Kent Fortress Royal Engineers
The Kent Fortress Royal Engineers were a volunteer Territorial unit of the British Army. They are notable for their successful actions in May 1940, when they destroyed substantial oil stocks and installations just ahead of the German advance....
, a unit with demolition experience. This was a total force of 645 All Ranks, including 527 Canadians.
The liner Empress of Australia acted as the troopship, escorted by Force K: 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...
cruisers, HMS Nigeria
HMS Nigeria (60)
HMS Nigeria was a Crown Colony-class light cruiser of the British Royal Navy completed early in World War II and served throughout that conflict. She was named for the British territory of Nigeria.-Home waters:...
(flagship) and Aurora
HMS Aurora (12)
HMS Aurora was an Arethusa-class light cruiser of the Royal Navy. She was built by Portsmouth Dockyard , with the keel being laid down on the 27 July 1935. She was launched on the 20 August 1936, and commissioned 12 November 1937....
and three destroyers: HMS Icarus
HMS Icarus (D03)
HMS Icarus was an I-class destroyer that served with the Royal Navy in World War II.On 29 November 1939, Icarus sighted the German U-boat U-35 between the Shetland Islands and Bergen , but was unable to launch an effective attack because her ASDIC was out of commission. Fellow destroyers and ...
, Anthony
HMS Anthony (H40)
HMS Anthony was an A-class destroyer of the Royal Navy. She served during the Second World War.-Construction and commissioning:Anthony was ordered from Scotts Shipbuilding and Engineering Company, Greenock, Scotland on 6 March 1928 under the 1927 Programme...
and Antelope
HMS Antelope (H36)
HMS Antelope was a British A-class destroyer. She was completed 20 March 1930 and assigned to the 18th Destroyer Flotilla, Channel Force, Home Fleet....
; Philip Vian
Philip Vian
Admiral of the Fleet Sir Philip Louis Vian, GCB, KBE, DSO & Two Bars was a British naval officer who served in both World Wars....
remained in command. The force sailed on August 19.
The operation
The troops landed on the 25 August and, as hoped, met no opposition throughout and were enthusiastically greeted by the islanders. When the demolitions at Barentsburg were complete, some 2,000 Soviet miners and their movable belongings and equipment were taken to ArkhangelskArkhangelsk
Arkhangelsk , formerly known as Archangel in English, is a city and the administrative center of Arkhangelsk Oblast, Russia. It lies on both banks of the Northern Dvina River near its exit into the White Sea in the north of European Russia. The city spreads for over along the banks of the river...
, in Russia, on the RMS Empress of Canada
RMS Empress of Canada (1922)
RMS Empress of Canada was an ocean liner built in 1920 for the Canadian Pacific Steamships by Fairfield Shipbuilding & Engineering Company at Govan on the Clyde in Scotland. This ship -- the first of two CP vessels to be named Empress of Canada -- regularly traversed the trans-Pacific route...
, escorted by Nigeria, where a group of nearly 200 Free French
Free French Forces
The Free French Forces were French partisans in World War II who decided to continue fighting against the forces of the Axis powers after the surrender of France and subsequent German occupation and, in the case of Vichy France, collaboration with the Germans.-Definition:In many sources, Free...
were found waiting. These French had escaped from German prison camps and were duly taken on board for passage to the United Kingdom. Meanwhile, the rest of Force K and the demolition parties had moved on to Longyearbyen.
On 1 September the ships returned from Arkhangelsk and all forces ashore embarked together with some 800 locals and 15 sled dogs. Two radio stations were destroyed which, up to this point, had continued to broadcast normally and even falsely reported fog to deter any German observation planes.
The demolition teams completed all their tasks destroying the mines, equipment not taken away, and 450,000 tons of coal and 275,000 Imperial gallons of fuel, oil, petrol and grease. 1,000 tons of steam coal was left in case needed by Allied ships who may stop there in the future. The only "casualties" occurred when the rearguard at Barentsburg had accessed the vodka stores and had to be carried aboard.
German convoy
The allied force sailed for the United Kingdom on 3 September, with the three captured colliers, an icebreakerIcebreaker
An icebreaker is a special-purpose ship or boat designed to move and navigate through ice-covered waters. Although the term usually refers to ice-breaking ships, it may also refer to smaller vessels .For a ship to be considered an icebreaker, it requires three traits most...
, a whaler
Whaler
A whaler is a specialized ship, designed for whaling, the catching and/or processing of whales. The former included the whale catcher, a steam or diesel-driven vessel with a harpoon gun mounted at its bows. The latter included such vessels as the sail or steam-driven whaleship of the 16th to early...
, a tug
Tug
Tuğ is a village in the Khojavend Rayon of Azerbaijan....
and two sealers. Vian was alerted to the presence of a German convoy. The destroyers continued to escort the convoy to Britain while the two cruisers intercepted the German ships at Hammerfjord on 7 September and engaged its escort, sinking the German training ship Bremse
German training ship Bremse
The Bremse was built as an artillery training ship of the German Kriegsmarine with a secondary function as a testbed for new marine diesel engines later installed in German panzerschiffs...
. During the action, HMS Nigeria's bow was seriously damaged, reportedly by ramming the Bremse, although later analysis suggested that a mine was the cause.
The ships which made the excursion on to Russia had made a 7,000 mile round trip from the United Kingdom.
Reading
- Action This Day, Philip Vian, 1960
- contemporary report; LIFE magazine 29 Sept 1941