Setting the trap
On 19 December 1943, during a conference held in Hitler's Wolfsschanze headquarters, Admiral Doenitz informed the Fuhrer that 'Scharnhorst will attack the next allied convoy headed from England to Russia.' A week later, on 26 December, the Scharnhorst lay at the bottom of the Barents Sea, sunk off Norway in the Battle of North Cape.
Earlier in 1943, Hitler had told his admirals that their Navy was 'utterly useless'. All the heavy ships of the German Navy should be reduced to scrap, their guns removed and used for coastal defences. However Doenitz persuaded Hitler to send the battle cruisers Scharnhorst and Tirpitz to arctic Norway to harass Russian-bound convoys. However, an attack by British midget submarines badly damaged the Tirpitz, leaving the Scharnhorst to operate alone.
'"Lucky Scharnhorst", as she was known in Germany, was a focus for national pride.'
'Lucky' Scharnhorst, as she was known in Germany, was a focus for national pride. With her flared "clipper" bow and an extraordinary top speed of 33 knots, she had been described as one of the most beautiful warships ever built. 'Lucky', that is, until she was sunk by HMS Duke of York. On Christmas Day, Doenitz signalled Scharnhorst: 'The enemy is attempting to aggravate the difficulties of our eastern land forces in their heroic struggle by sending an important convoy of provisions and arms to the Russians. We must help'.
The Scharnhorst set sail, unaware that she was being lured into a carefully constructed Royal Navy trap with two convoys providing the bait. Shadowing the westbound convoy, and forming the anvil for the attack, was Force One - the cruisers, Belfast, Norfolk and Sheffield. The hammer was Force Two - the battleship Duke of York, the cruiser Jamaica, and four destroyers, which were approaching from the west. One of those destroyers was the Royal Norwegian Navy's destroyer Stord.
Published: 2001-08-01
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