Action of 28 January 1945
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The action of 28 January 1945 was an inconclusive naval battle of the
Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
fought between two British
Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years' War against F ...
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. Prior to thi ...
s and three ''
Kriegsmarine The (, ) was the navy of Germany from 1935 to 1945. It superseded the Imperial German Navy of the German Empire (1871–1918) and the inter-war (1919–1935) of the Weimar Republic. The was one of three official branches, along with the a ...
'' (German navy)
destroyer In naval terminology, a destroyer is a fast, manoeuvrable, long-endurance warship intended to escort larger vessels in a fleet, convoy or battle group and defend them against powerful short range attackers. They were originally developed in ...
s near
Bergen Bergen (), historically Bjørgvin, is a city and municipality in Vestland county on the west coast of Norway. , its population is roughly 285,900. Bergen is the second-largest city in Norway. The municipality covers and is on the peninsula of ...
,
Norway Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe, the mainland territory of which comprises the western and northernmost portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and t ...
. The battle was the last of many actions between British and German warships off Norway during the war and the second-to-last surface engagement to be fought by the ''Kriegsmarine''. It resulted in heavy damage to one of the German destroyers and light damage to another destroyer and both British cruisers. Shortly after midnight on the night of 27/28 January, as the three destroyers of the German 4th Destroyer Flotilla were sailing from northern Norway to the
Baltic Sea The Baltic Sea is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that is enclosed by Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Russia, Sweden and the North and Central European Plain. The sea stretches from 53°N to 66°N latitude and from ...
, they were intercepted by the British cruisers and . The destroyers ''Z31'' and ''Z34'' were damaged by gunfire but the German flotilla outran the slower British ships and escaped. The German warships eventually reached the Baltic, though ''Z31'' was delayed until repairs were completed in Norway.


Background

The ''Kriegsmarine''s 4th Destroyer Flotilla comprised the ''Narvik''-class destroyers ''Z31'', ''Z34'', and ''Z38''. By January 1945, these ships had been stationed in northern Norwegian waters for three and a half years, but had only occasionally put to sea during 1944. Due to Germany's deteriorating position, the flotilla was directed in January to leave Norwegian waters and return to the Baltic. The three destroyers departed
Tromsø Tromsø (, , ; se, Romsa ; fkv, Tromssa; sv, Tromsö) is a List of municipalities of Norway, municipality in Troms og Finnmark county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the Tromsø (city), city of Tromsø. Tromsø lies ...
on the 25th of the month.O'Hara (2004), p. 254Koop (1995), p. 112 The Royal Navy's
Home Fleet The Home Fleet was a fleet of the Royal Navy that operated from the United Kingdom's territorial waters from 1902 with intervals until 1967. In 1967, it was merged with the Mediterranean Fleet creating the new Western Fleet. Before the First ...
conducted a number of attacks on German shipping travelling off the coast of Norway during January 1945. These included successful attacks by motor torpedo boats on three escorted ships between 6 and 8 January and the interception of a convoy by the
heavy cruiser The heavy cruiser was a type of cruiser, a naval warship designed for long range and high speed, armed generally with naval guns of roughly 203 mm (8 inches) in caliber, whose design parameters were dictated by the Washington Naval Tr ...
and
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. Prior to thi ...
near
Egersund Egersund is a town in Eigersund municipality in Rogaland county, Norway. The town is located along the southwestern coast of Norway, about south of the city of Stavanger. The town is situated along a strait which separates the mainland from t ...
on the night of 11/12 January.Roskill (1961), p. 253 On 27 January, the
escort carrier The escort carrier or escort aircraft carrier (U.S. hull classification symbol CVE), also called a "jeep carrier" or "baby flattop" in the United States Navy (USN) or "Woolworth Carrier" by the Royal Navy, was a small and slow type of aircraft ...
s , and departed the Home Fleet's main base at
Scapa Flow Scapa Flow viewed from its eastern end in June 2009 Scapa Flow (; ) is a body of water in the Orkney Islands, Scotland, sheltered by the islands of Mainland, Graemsay, Burray,S. C. George, ''Jutland to Junkyard'', 1973. South Ronaldsay and ...
to conduct a raid against shipping near Vaago which was designated Operation Winded. The carriers were escorted by the heavy cruiser and six destroyers. The British were alerted to the 4th Destroyer Flotilla's movement by
Ultra 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 (GC&CS) at Bletchley Park. '' ...
signals intelligence. The commander of the Home Fleet, Admiral
Henry Moore Henry Spencer Moore (30 July 1898 – 31 August 1986) was an English artist. He is best known for his semi- abstract monumental bronze sculptures which are located around the world as public works of art. As well as sculpture, Moore produced ...
, was informed that the destroyers had sailed on 27 January, shortly after the three carriers and their escort had put to sea. He believed that the German ships were likely to use a route between the coastal islands and the shore, as was common for the ''Kriegsmarine''. If this route was used, it would be preferable for strike aircraft of No. 18 Group RAF to attack the destroyers as Norway's inshore waters were protected by
naval mine A naval mine is a self-contained explosive device placed in water to damage or destroy surface ships or submarines. Unlike depth charges, mines are deposited and left to wait until they are triggered by the approach of, or contact with, any ...
s and
coastal batteries Coastal artillery is the branch of the armed forces concerned with operating anti-ship artillery or fixed gun batteries in coastal fortifications. From the Middle Ages until World War II, coastal artillery and naval artillery in the form of c ...
. Alternatively, the German ships could make a high-speed night passage outside of the coastal islands. In case an offshore route was used, Moore ordered Vice Admiral
Frederick Dalrymple-Hamilton Admiral Sir Frederick Hew George Dalrymple-Hamilton KCB (27 March 1890 – 26 December 1974) was a British naval officer who served in World War I and World War II. He was captain of ''HMS Rodney'' when it engaged the ''Bismarck'' on 27 May ...
, the commander of the 10th Cruiser Squadron, to sail with the cruisers ''Diadem'' and ''Mauritius'' and patrol off Bergen. The Home Fleet did not have any destroyers available to accompany Dalrymple-Hamilton's force, though Moore considered but decided against cancelling the carrier operation in order to make some of these ships available.Roskill (1961), p. 254


Action

Contrary to British expectations, the commander of the 4th Destroyer Flotilla, Captain H.F. von Wangenheim, chose to take the faster route outside of the coastal islands. On the evening of 27 January, the destroyers were spotted and attacked by British aircraft whilst west of
Sognefjord The Sognefjord or Sognefjorden (, en, Sogn Fjord), nicknamed the King of the Fjords ( no, Fjordenes konge), is the largest and deepest fjord in Norway. Located in Vestland county in Western Norway, it stretches inland from the ocean to the smal ...
, but continued their voyage.Whitley (1991), p. 172 Contact was made between the two naval forces at 00:48 am on 28 January. At this time, the 4th Destroyer Flotilla was proceeding south and was located about southwest of the
Utvær Utvær is an island group in Solund Municipality in Vestland county, Norway. It is the westernmost archipelago in Norway. The main residential area on the rocky islands is also called Utvær. It lies on the western side of the Sognesjøen which ...
lighthouse and northwest of Bergen. The sea was calm and visibility was excellent due to a full moon. The British and German forces spotted each other simultaneously; at the time the cruisers were about west of the 4th Destroyer Flotilla. Upon sighting the destroyers, the British ships fired star shells to illuminate the area and turned to the south on a course parallel to that of the German ships.O'Hara (2004), p. 255 ''Z31'' suffered extensive damage early in the engagement. She was struck by seven shells, which caused her to catch fire, damaged the
hydrophone A hydrophone ( grc, ὕδωρ + φωνή, , water + sound) is a microphone designed to be used underwater for recording or listening to underwater sound. Most hydrophones are based on a piezoelectric transducer that generates an electric potenti ...
compartment and
torpedo A modern torpedo is an underwater ranged weapon launched above or below the water surface, self-propelled towards a target, and with an explosive warhead designed to detonate either on contact with or in proximity to the target. Historically, su ...
transmitting stations and destroyed her forward
gun turret A gun turret (or simply turret) is a mounting platform from which weapons can be fired that affords protection, visibility and ability to turn and aim. A modern gun turret is generally a rotatable weapon mount that houses the crew or mechani ...
. ''Z31''s speed was not affected but 55 sailors were killed and another 24 wounded.O'Hara (2004), pp. 255–256 After ''Z31'' was damaged, Commander Karl Hetz on board ''Z34'' assumed command of the flotilla. ''Z34'' made two torpedo attacks on the British cruisers to force them to change course but failed. ''Z38'' also tried to launch torpedoes but had to break off this attack when her funnel caught fire and a
boiler A boiler is a closed vessel in which fluid (generally water) is heated. The fluid does not necessarily boil. The heated or vaporized fluid exits the boiler for use in various processes or heating applications, including water heating, central h ...
tube burst. ''Z34'' suffered a hit on her
waterline The waterline is the line where the hull of a ship meets the surface of the water. Specifically, it is also the name of a special marking, also known as an international load line, Plimsoll line and water line (positioned amidships), that indi ...
during this period. After ''Z34'' was damaged, Hetz decided to turn to the north to outrun the British cruisers. ''Z34'' fired a third salvo of torpedoes as the flotilla made this turn, again without result and the three ships laid
smoke screen A smoke screen is smoke released to mask the movement or location of military units such as infantry, tanks, aircraft, or ships. Smoke screens are commonly deployed either by a canister (such as a grenade) or generated by a vehicle (such as ...
s to conceal their position. The two cruisers also turned north to chase the German ships. A running fight began in which ''Mauritius'' sustained a hit on her mess deck that did not cause any casualties and ''Diadem'' was struck on her boat deck by a shell six minutes later that killed one man and wounded three. The German destroyers were capable of making while ''Diadem'' had a maximum speed of and ''Mauritius'' . The German vessels gradually pulled ahead and came under the protection of shore batteries at about 2:00 am. The British ships broke off the pursuit and returned to Scapa Flow after these batteries fired on them.


Aftermath

Early in the morning of 28 January, the 4th Destroyer Flotilla resumed its journey south and put into Bergen. ''Z31'' entered the docks to be repaired while ''Z34'' and ''Z38'' departed on the evening of 28 January. The two ships were attacked from the air the next day but did not suffer any damage and sheltered in a fjord south of
Stavanger Stavanger (, , American English, US usually , ) is a city and municipalities of Norway, municipality in Norway. It is the fourth largest city and third largest metropolitan area in Norway (through conurbation with neighboring Sandnes) and the a ...
until dark. They put to sea again on the evening of 29 January and reached
Kiel Kiel () is the capital and most populous city in the northern Germany, German state of Schleswig-Holstein, with a population of 246,243 (2021). Kiel lies approximately north of Hamburg. Due to its geographic location in the southeast of the J ...
in Germany on 1 February.Rohwer (2005), p. 391 At Bergen, ''Z31'' received initial repairs, which included removing the wreckage of her forward turret. She departed the town on 8 February bound for
Horten is a town and municipality in Vestfold in Vestfold og Telemark county, Norway—located along the Oslofjord. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Horten. The municipality also includes the town of Åsgårdstrand an ...
. After arriving she received further repairs and had her anti-aircraft armament upgraded. Her forward turret was not replaced but a gun was mounted instead; this was intended to be a temporary measure but remained in place for the remainder of her career. After these repairs were completed, ''Z31'' eventually reached
Gotenhafen Gdynia ( ; ; german: Gdingen (currently), (1939–1945); csb, Gdiniô, , , ) is a city in northern Poland and a seaport on the Baltic Sea coast. With a population of 243,918, it is the 12th-largest city in Poland and the second-largest in th ...
on 15 March. The last German destroyer remaining in northern Norwegian waters, ''Z33'', sailed for Germany on 5 February 1945 but ran aground and suffered further damage in the Allied Black Friday air raid on the ninth of the month. Following repairs, she arrived at Swinemünde on 2 April. The British and German navies were dissatisfied with the results of the engagement on 28 January. The British were disappointed with the inconclusive result and Moore regretted his decision to not cancel the escort carrier operation so that destroyers could be attached to the cruiser force. Historians have judged that the combination of excellent visibility on the night of 27/28 January and the superior speed of the German destroyers meant that the British had no ability to force a result. In a post-war assessment, First Sea Lord Admiral Andrew Cunningham endorsed the tactics Dalrymple-Hamilton used during the engagement but stated that the size of the British force was "inadequate". The ''Kriegsmarine'' was also unsatisfied with the conduct of the battle, with German naval authorities believing that the destroyers should have taken shelter in coastal waters after they were sighted by Allied aircraft on the evening of 27 January. The Action of 28 January was the final engagement between British and German warships in Norwegian waters during World War II.Smith (1981), p. 233 It was also the second last surface action fought by the ''Kriegsmarine'', with its final engagement taking place on 18 March 1945 when a force of two
torpedo boat A torpedo boat is a relatively small and fast naval ship designed to carry torpedoes into battle. The first designs were steam-powered craft dedicated to ramming enemy ships with explosive spar torpedoes. Later evolutions launched variants of se ...
s and a destroyer was defeated by two British destroyers in the
Battle of the Ligurian Sea The Battle of the Ligurian Sea was a naval surface action of the Second World War fought on 18 March 1945, in the Gulf of Genoa in the Mediterranean Sea. A '' Kriegsmarine'' flotilla of two torpedo boats and one destroyer was conducting an offensi ...
. By this time, most of the ''Kriegsmarine''s remaining warships were stationed in the Baltic Sea where they supported German military operations and the evacuation of civilians until the end of the war in May.O'Hara (2004), pp. 257–258


References


Bibliography

* * * * * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Action of 1945 01 28 Conflicts in 1945 1945 in Norway A Naval battles of World War II involving Germany January 1945 events Germany–United Kingdom military relations