OF BRITISH SUBMARINES
OF BRITISH SUBMARINES
from bases of the Kola Peninsula in 1941 - 1942.
12 June 1941 the UK government Chiefs of Staff has ordered the country to prepare a military mission, which could be immediately sent to Moscow in the event of an attack in Germany the Soviet Union. June 25, 1941 she had already arrived in Moscow. It was headed by Rear Adm. Miles. One of the objectives of the mission, according to his admiral, was "a coordinated strategy for Russian with our "; with the same goal in London came the Soviet naval mission.
Original Russian asked for support of amphibious assault in the north Petsamo-Kirkenes. It was assumed that while naval forces of Britain will provide maritime protection, delivering troops and protect the air, while he Troopers will consist of Soviet sailors. It was impossible. However, the additional request was more realistic, namely: British forces were to attack the German transports cargo and troops, who provided the Nazis to attack Murmansk.
July 6 Admiralty notified the Chief of the imperial fleet, which should be used every possible means to assist Russia in this area. In particular, he was ordered to deliver air strikes from aircraft carriers in Petsamo and Kirkenes before the end of July. All objections to the fact that the risk is much greater than expected results of operations, were swept away by the Prime Minister.
also planned and a permanent military presence of offensive forces in Britain in the Arctic. They were expected to consist of a strike force consisting of 2 cruisers and 4 destroyers, mine-enhanced three minesweepers. Their logistics had to perform 2 tankers and 2 small cargo transport, which was supposed to be based either near Murmansk, either in the archipelago Svalbard.
success of an attack with an aircraft carrier at Kirkenes and Petsamo day on July 30 depended on surprise attack and accuracy of intelligence about the target. However, surprise, it was impossible to achieve in the daytime, and intelligence could not be obtained in a timely manner. Only luck could justify the inevitable casualties. As a result, in Kirkenes was damaged and sank only one small vessel, and was destroyed by a torpedo pier, while the 20 British torpedo bomber was shot down on 11 and only 1 returned undamaged. Defence Petsamo was weaker, however, and goals have been less. Only one ship was sunk, whereas there were 3 aircraft shot down British naval aviation.
Plans for a surface-based strike force Royal Navy in Murmansk or Svalbard is not implemented. Admiral rear, Bevan, the most energetic leader operation, which was to lead a squadron of cruisers, personally conducted reconnaissance of the two potential base and reported that none of them are not suitable: no Murmansk, because it was poorly protected against attack from the air, or Svalbard, as there was no defense, no facilities.
was the only opportunity for direct participation in Britain in offensive operations in the Arctic. July 20, 1941, with the consent of the Soviet naval mission in London, the Admiralty decided to send two submarines to perform operations against Soviet naval base in the Arctic. July 26 submarine navy of His Majesty the Tigris "out of the Clyde in the Gulf of Kola Peninsula on 1 August was followed by a submarine Trident. They were, according to the agreement to use the facilities of the base in the Arctic. However, it was necessary to establish a coordinating team (group) for the interaction of the coastal forces of the united forces, and so Captain R. N. Bevan (soon he was promoted to the rank of rear admiral) on 30 July sent directly from Scotland to Murmansk and made his senior naval officer in North Russia. He arrived in Murmansk on 30 July. In his small staff included unit communication service (connection), which was due to the obvious organizational reasons and causes of linguistic nature. But since the appointment of captain Bevan implied broader responsibilities than just the operation of submarines, to him Davis joined the commander. Coming from a naval mission in Britain in Moscow to serve as a staff officer of underwater naval forces. By August 3 from the Soviet side had agreed to a small repair submarines at the base of the food supply and placing on the shore teams submarines.
Russian had the Captain and Commander Davis Bivanu warm reception, they attributed it to the local military unit in charge of the squadron of submarines and placed in the same residence.
For better interaction between the submarine forces exchanged intelligence information, some of which was obtained as a result of interception of radio transmissions by the British German naval forces. In fact, the Arctic has become the first real headquarters of the combined forces of the Allies World War II.
British submarine Tigris "arrived in the Arctic on August 4, and the Trident six days later. Command of both boats were welcome meeting of Soviet seas, but the time for acclimatization was very little. In August an agreement was reached that the submarine Tigris "make first short patrol road around the fjord Porsanger, east of North Cape, followed by a raid Trident in the region of Sora in the southwest. August 11 "Tigris" went to the first combat patrol, carried out by naval forces of Britain in the Arctic waters.
Submarine Tigris "came into its zone patrol on August 13 and immediately detect enemy ships. But over the next 3 days it was impossible to attack them as against the backdrop of a calm and smooth sea would be clearly visible once the submarine periscope.
And only by 17 August conditions were appropriate: the visibility deteriorated due to heavy rain, and commander of the Bone was finally able to give battle, which resulted in the submarine forces of the Allies opened the account to the ship, sinking the German ship of 1,480 tons.
During their stay, "Tigris" in the zone patrolled by August 22 it was noticed only one merchant ship, however, become apparent significant activation of anti-submarine forces in Germany.
Submarine Trident out of the Arctic shortly before midnight on Aug. 16 and headed to the area of Sora. August 19 it is the fault of their team missed an enemy cargo ship, but immediately surfaced and led to his firing from guns, while the vessel is a displacement of 4,770 tons is not hidden a cape.
After 2 days the commander of Slender missed the German warship, and later he could not get the shot in a small tanker. Happy August 22 Trident finally was rewarded: she attacked a convoy and hit a cargo ship, firing three torpedoes from a distance of only 600 yards.
Another week passed before he was found another German convoy. With the remaining two torpedoes on the shore commander Slender approached to a distance of 700 yards penetrated the fence Escorts of 2 destroyers and three minesweepers and opened fire on the two largest merchant ships, sinking heavily laden ships "Bahia Laura" and "Don." In response German torpedo boats attacked the "Trident", dropping on her 56 depth charges, but the submarine was only minor damage.
This was undoubtedly the most successful operation of the British submarines. The officers of the Soviet submarine fleet showed great interest in the details raid submarine "Trident" and especially methods of combat used by the naval forces of Great Britain. As a result, a Russian submarine personnel was organized series of lectures on battlefield tactics with the demonstration of techniques. The conductivity Commander Slenderom analysis of the causes of previous failures during a patrol was not as valuable as the exchange of experience on the tactics applied in operations that have yielded success.
in the UK do not know exactly whether it was the result of the said exchange of experience or just a coincidence, but three days later - September 12 - Soviet submarine under the command of Lieutenant-Malysheva torpedoed and sank the Norwegian cargo ship displacement of 1,460 tons of Transforda.
successful and British surface ships. After the evacuation of Russian miners and engineers from Svalborda Admiral Independently introduced into coastal waters 2 cruisers in search of German ships in northern Norway. At dawn on September 7 in very bad weather cruisers met and attacked convoy in the fjord Porsanger. Two merchant ships managed to escape intact, but "Bremse" was rammed and sunk by a British ship "Nigeria."
meeting of active defenses, nor the "Tigris" or "Trident" is no longer sunk a single enemy ship.
German command high commended the British ships in the Arctic. It wrote: "The British are aware of the vital importance of the sea route and the Arctic coast for the supply of German armed forces. They operate in the northern region, having only a few cruisers, torpedo boats, small aircraft carriers and submarines. Our own naval resources are insignificant. Currently, the transports with the troops can not pass to the east of North Cape, transports cargo may only do this with a very big risk. "
Of course, the above exaggerates the threat to the Germans by British naval forces and the degree of their participation in operations in the Arctic, but it probably indicates that the moral significance of a modest contribution to the UK in the fight against a common enemy in the North.
third and last patrol raid "Tigris" from the Arctic was quite unsuccessful, though at the time believed he had sunk a ship. Failure aggravated also the fact that the senior naval officer, a squadron of submarines Northern Fleet Captain Lieutenant Bibiev was on board as an observer.
next campaign "Trident" was postponed due to lack of torpedoes, and when they finally were delivered to the Arctic, it turned out that they represent a mixture of modern and old samples, and they can not release a single gulp.
However, time spent in harbor, not wasted, as the Russian divers were asked to demonstrate the use of artillery tactics submarine to destroy ships. This proved very successful and it was again discussed in lectures for the Soviet sailors.
Submarine Trident published on 30 October and during his last patrol sank the anti- traller and cargo ship of 1,930 tons. Trident returned to Britain on November 15 after a very successful action, during which she sank 4 trading vessel and two escort ships.
to replace the "Tigris" and "Trident submarine came another: November 6 -" Silayen, and November 10 - "Sivulf. "Silayen" went on his first patrol before leaving the Trident. He sank a small coastal tanker of gasoline going to Kirkenes. "Sivulf" found more ships, but his first two attacks failed. November 24 he was lucky: he drowned, "Bahia," a displacement of 4000 tons. However, this was preceded by several unpleasant moments when his shot off course and nearly fell into the very pop-up U-boat, passing by with a noise resembling the sound of a diving bomber. So said the eyewitnesses.
Each of these submarines will be made on one more patrol, during which "Silayen December 5, sank a coaster with a displacement of 680 tons, which has become the latest victim of Britain's submarines, stationed on the Kola Peninsula. Last, tenth, arctic patrol was conducted "Sivulfom" between 5 and 20 December. Weather in the area of this submarine was patrolling the worst in all this time and prevented a single attack that was made.
«Silayen" went to Britain on Dec. 21, followed by 5 January 1942 was followed by "Sivulf. Came to replace the submarine "Stugeron" arrived in the Polar 11 January 1942, but she stayed there for a brief period, since the arrival of the battleship Tirpitz in Trondheim made immediately withdraw the "Stugeron (January 17). Other British submarine, which went into the polar during the Second World War, did so only to refuel fuel. They were part of the escort, defending convoys PQ-17 and PQ-18 on the battleship Tirpitz in July and September 1942
British historian, it is difficult impartially assess the involvement of submarines the Navy of Great Britain in the theater of military operations in the Arctic. Tonnage of ships sunk was, of course, is very small compared with the results of German submarines in the North Atlantic, where the success of a German U-boats could surpass all successful of British submarines in a night operation against the convoy in 1941, but the conditions were quite different, as the "foundation" of merchant ships from Germany was much less than that of the Allies, and even small cargo vessels used in the Arctic were indispensable, as the German army in the Kola front entirely dependent of cabotage for resupply and military force. It is for this reason, the destruction of every ship sailing to the east is a real tactical victory.
It is hoped that British submarines had fought shoulder-shoulder with Russian as their sole partner in the This section of the Northern Front, played a positive role by participating - albeit briefly - in the heroic defense of the Red Army, a very important area - the Gulf Kola Peninsula. At least they have contributed in an active demonstration of solidarity allies at a critical point in the war with Germany. However, information about the joint struggle against the British and Russian submarines in the north of Russia against the common enemy, which we have, deserve a deeper analysis than this short survey.
David Brown
© D. Brown, 2000
http://arcticwar.pomorsu.ru/sea/nc3/research/braun.html
Authors of the anthology "The northern convoys N3"
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