The raid on Kirkenes and Petsamo took place on 30 July 1941 during the Second World War. The Royal Navy air arm launched this unsuccessful raid from the aircraft carriers HMS Victorious and Furious to inflict damage on merchant vessels owned by Germany and Finland and to show support for their new ally, the Soviet Union.
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During the Russian Civil War, Finland declared independence from the Soviet Union with the north port of Petsamo under the Treaty of Tartu (1920). In the Winter War, the Soviet Union occupied Petsamo. In the following peace agreement, only the Finnish part of the Rybachy Peninsula (fin. Kalastajan saarento) was ceded to the Soviet Union (321 km²/124 mi²), although the Soviet Union had occupied all of Petsamo during the Winter War. In 1941, during the Continuation War, Petsamo was used by Nazi Germany as a staging area for the attack toward Murmansk.
Kirkenes is in Norway, which was neutral at the start of the war, but was invaded by Germany and occupied.
War officially broke out between Britain and Nazi Germany on 3 September 1939. In December, Joseph Stalin decided to invade Finland and, although they put up a stubborn defense, Finland had to give up some of territory after they agreed to sign an armistice in February 1940. Subsequently, Denmark and Norway were invaded in April 1940 and France was defeated in May.
By June 1940, Britain was the only European country standing against Adolf Hitler. However, after defeat in the Battle of Britain, Germany focused eastward and invaded the Soviet Union on 22 June 1941 and Finland fought as a co-belligerent, in what is known the Continuation War.
Operation Barbarossa threatened the survival of the Soviet Union. The British decided that the best way to show support for their new ally would be to attack ports occupied by the Axis: the use of aircraft from ships having previously been shown effective at Taranto and against the battleship Bismarck.
The strike force—consisting of the two carriers, two cruisers[2], HMS Devonshire and Suffolk, and six destroyers—left Scapa Flow for Seidis Fjord in Iceland on 23 July 1941.[3] They arrived two days later, refuelled and sailed the following day for Norway.[3] The strike was supposed to be a surprise attack but, since it was light for 24 hours a day at that time of year, surprise was almost impossible and was lost when the attacking force was spotted by aircraft shortly before launch of the attack.[3]
Furious attacked ships in Petsamo launching nine Fairey Albacores from 817 Squadron, nine Fairey Swordfish of 812 Squadron and six bomb armed Fairey Fulmars[4] from 800 Squadron.[3] In the end, the harbour was almost entirely empty and the raiders claimed sinking only one small steamer and the destruction of several jetties.[3] One Albacore and one Fulmar were lost due to enemy action and one more Fulmar was lost due to engine failure prior to the attack. [5]
The raid on Kirkenes was a disaster.[6] The Luftwaffe had been alerted and had their Bf 109 and Bf 110 fighters in the air and waiting.[6] Victorious launched two sub flights consisting of a total of 12 Albacores from 827 Squadron, eight Albacores from 828 Squadron, and nine Fulmars from 809 Squadron.[3][6]The Fulmars, unfortunately, were unable to rendezvous with the Albacore squadrons, who were then left without fighter protection.[7] The Albacores had to attack by flying over the mountains and the fjord rather than attacking from the sea.[8] There were only four cargo vessels within the harbour.[9] The aircraft released their torpedoes quickly to get away from anti-aircraft fire, sinking one 2,000 long tons (2,000 t) vessel and setting another on fire and causing minor damage ashore.[3] One Bf 109, two Bf 110s and one Ju 87[10] were claimed shot down[i] for the loss of 11 Albacores and two Fulmars with a further eight Albacores damaged.[3] Incomplete German loss records confirm the loss of at least one Bf 110 to a Fulmar and one Ju 87 to an Albacore.[11]
The attack was a failure. Unlike the Battle of Taranto, it had no impact on the course of the war. A number of aircraft were lost and even harder to replace aircrews were killed.
^[i] The references differ on the numbers of aircraft claimed. Sturtivant states one Bf 109 and two Bf 110, the Fleet Air Arm Archive web site states two Bf 109s and one Bf 110. Tovey provides the official numbers on page 3172, and they amount to one Bf 109, two Bf 110s and one Ju 87.