Akkajaure
Encyclopedia
Akkajaure is one of the largest reservoirs in Sweden
. It lies at the headwaters of the Lule River
in Norrbotten County
, in Swedish Lappland, within the Stora Sjöfallet
national park. The lake formed after the construction of the first Suorva
dam in 1913–1923. The rim of the current dam is at an elevation of 453 m (1,486 ft). When full, the lake's maximum depth is 92 m (302 ft), and its mean depth is about 30 m (98 ft). Because it is used for power generation, the lake depth fluctuates by up to 30 m (98 ft).
On 12 November 1944, Avro Lancaster
bombers of RAF squadrons 9 and 617 flying from Lossiemouth
and Milltown rendezvoused over Akkajaure and began their approach to destroy the German battleship Tirpitz
. The lake was readily recognizable from the air and its location afforded time to climb to the attack altitude of 14000–16000 ft (4,267.2–4,876.8 ) and for a required five minutes of straight and level flying to the target for the bombsights to stabilize. Twenty-nine bombers made the rendezvous on time and attacked as planned. Two other bombers arrived late over the lake, proceeded on course, found the Tirpitz already capsized from the previous attack, and returned to Scotland with their bombs intact.
A report that the rendzvous point was instead a "lake 100 miles [160 km] south-east of Tromsø
" is not accurate.
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
. It lies at the headwaters of the Lule River
Lule River
Lule River is a major river in Sweden, rising in northern Sweden and flowing southeast for before reaching the Gulf of Bothnia at Luleå. It is the second longest river by watershed area or length in Norrbotten County , but is the largest by average discharge.It has a watershed of 25,240.5 km² of...
in Norrbotten County
Norrbotten County
Norrbotten County is the northernmost county or län of Sweden. It borders Västerbotten County to the southwest, the Gulf of Bothnia to the southeast. It also borders the counties of Nordland and Troms in Norway to the northwest, and Lapland Province in Finland to the northeast.The name...
, in Swedish Lappland, within the Stora Sjöfallet
Stora Sjöfallet
Stora Sjöfallet is a national park in Norrbotten County in northern Sweden, in Gällivare Municipality. It is situated by the Norwegian border. It was declared a national park in 1909. The national park is part of the Laponian area which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site...
national park. The lake formed after the construction of the first Suorva
Suorva
Suorva or Suorvadammen is a small settlement situated at the southern parts of Akkajaure, in Stora Sjöfallet National Park. The settlement can be reached by car . It consists of a few houses and a hydroelectric dam operated by Vattenfall...
dam in 1913–1923. The rim of the current dam is at an elevation of 453 m (1,486 ft). When full, the lake's maximum depth is 92 m (302 ft), and its mean depth is about 30 m (98 ft). Because it is used for power generation, the lake depth fluctuates by up to 30 m (98 ft).
On 12 November 1944, Avro Lancaster
Avro Lancaster
The Avro Lancaster is a British four-engined Second World War heavy bomber made initially by Avro for the Royal Air Force . It first saw active service in 1942, and together with the Handley Page Halifax it was one of the main heavy bombers of the RAF, the RCAF, and squadrons from other...
bombers of RAF squadrons 9 and 617 flying from Lossiemouth
Lossiemouth
Lossiemouth is a town in Moray, Scotland. Originally the port belonging to Elgin, it became an important fishing town. Although there has been over a 1,000 years of settlement in the area, the present day town was formed over the past 250 years and consists of four separate communities that...
and Milltown rendezvoused over Akkajaure and began their approach to destroy the German battleship Tirpitz
German battleship Tirpitz
Tirpitz was the second of two s built for the German Kriegsmarine during World War II. Named after Grand Admiral Alfred von Tirpitz, the architect of the Imperial Navy, the ship was laid down at the Kriegsmarinewerft in Wilhelmshaven in November 1936 and launched two and a half years later in April...
. The lake was readily recognizable from the air and its location afforded time to climb to the attack altitude of 14000–16000 ft (4,267.2–4,876.8 ) and for a required five minutes of straight and level flying to the target for the bombsights to stabilize. Twenty-nine bombers made the rendezvous on time and attacked as planned. Two other bombers arrived late over the lake, proceeded on course, found the Tirpitz already capsized from the previous attack, and returned to Scotland with their bombs intact.
A report that the rendzvous point was instead a "lake 100 miles [160 km] south-east of Tromsø
Tromsø
Tromsø is a city and municipality in Troms county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the city of Tromsø.Tromsø city is the ninth largest urban area in Norway by population, and the seventh largest city in Norway by population...
" is not accurate.