Operation Juno
Encyclopedia
Operation Juno was a German
naval offensive late in the Norwegian Campaign
. The German ships involved were the battlecruisers and , the heavy cruiser and the destroyer
s Karl Galster, Hans Lody, Erich Steinbrinck and Hermann Schoemann.
The mission was launched on 8 June 1940, as an attack on Harstad
to relieve pressure on the German garrison at Narvik
. After refuelling at Jan Mayen Island
the mission became unnecessary as the Allies
were evacuating from Norway. On his own initiative, however, the German commander, Admiral Marschall, decided to seek and destroy the Allied transports. The troop transport Orama, the tanker Oil Pioneer and the minesweeper were sunk. Marschall ordered the Hipper and the destroyers to Trondheim
, where they arrived in the morning of 9 June.
The next day, Admiral Hipper attempted to leave Trondheim, but was forestalled by the sighting of a British submarine.
and Gneisenau sank the British aircraft carrier and her escorting destroyer
s and on 8 June at around 64° N off Norway.
On the night of 7-8 June, the Glorious, under the command of Captain Guy D'Oyly-Hughes
(who was a submarine specialist and had only 10 months experience in aircraft carrier operations), took on board 10 Gloster Gladiator
s and eight Hawker Hurricane
s from No. 46 Squadron RAF
and No. 263 Squadron
Royal Air Force
, the first landing of modern aircraft
without arrestor hooks on a carrier. These had been flown off from land bases to keep them from being destroyed in the evacuation. Glorious was part of a troop convoy
headed for Scapa Flow
, also including the carrier .
In the early hours of 8 June, Glorious requested permission to proceed independently, and at a faster speed. It is believed this was because D'Oyly-Hughes was impatient to hold a court-martial of his Commander (Air), J. B. Heath, who had refused an order to attack certain shore targets on the grounds that his aircraft were unsuited to the task, and had therefore been left behind in Scapa to await trial.
It has been noted that Glorious was is a low state of readiness. The high crow's nest look-out position was not manned, leaving the observation task to the destroyers with much lower observing angles. Only 12 out of 18 of boilers were in use, so she could not develop full speed (from 17 kn (20.7 mph; 33.3 km/h) to 30 kn (36.5 mph; 58.8 km/h)) as fast as was required. Most importantly, D'Oyly-Hughes failed to launch any aircraft to form a Combat Air Patrol
around the carrier group, reportedly to give the aircrews a rest. The previous commander always had some aircraft in the air. Had he done so, Glorious might have been able to spot incoming threats, or have been able to either turn and run or fight. No aircraft were even on the deck for a quick launch. In her hangars were 10 Hurricanes and 10 Gladiators from the RAF, and her own nine Sea Gladiators plus five Swordfish.
While sailing through the Norwegian Sea
, the carrier and her two escorts, the destroyer
s and , were intercepted by the German battleship
s and . The carrier and her escorts were sunk in two hours, roughly 170 nmi (195.6 mi; 314.8 km) west of Harstad
, with the loss of 1,519 men; there were only 45 survivors. The single survivor from Acasta was rescued by the Norwegian steam merchant Borgund which also saved 38 men from one of Glorious lifeboats. All 39 men saved by Borgund were set ashore at Tórshavn
in the Faroe Islands
on 14 June.
Scharnhorsts salvoes hit Glorious at 16:32, before her torpedo-bombers could be launched. Scharnhorsts second salvo, at 16:38, struck Glorious at the extreme range of 26300 yd (24,048.7 m), one of the longest range hits ever recorded. A Gneisenau salvo subsequently hit the bridge. The destroyers had started to lay smoke to protect Glorious and themselves. Ardent and Acasta made continual attempts to launch torpedoes at the German ships. At about 17:39, Scharnhorst was hit by one of four torpedoes launched by Acasta. Fifty sailors were killed, 2500 LT (2,540.1 t) of water flooded into her and her aft turret was put out of action. Ardent was sunk at around 17:20 having made seven attacks with torpedoes.
The approximate sinking position based on last transmission from Glorious: 69°0′N 04°0′E.
Admiral Wilhelm Marschall, aboard his flagship Gneisenau ordered Scharnhorst to cease fire and wasting ammunition on Glorious. At this point, Gneisenau was 4374 yd (3,999.6 m) closer to Glorious than Scharnhorst.
Scharnhorst in company with Gneisenau made for Trondheim for repairs, due to their exposed position they were not able to stop to rescue survivors of any of the ships. On 13 June, Fleet Air Arm
Blackburn Skua
bombers from Ark Royal attacked Scharnhorst in harbour; only a single bomb struck her.
As a result of the action, between 1, 474 and 1, 530 British sailors were killed, the greatest military loss of life for Britain up to that time in the war.
Despite this notable success, damage from the torpedo attacks forced Scharnhorst to return to Trondheim, for emergency repairs. It was not until 23 June that she was able to reach Kiel
and a dry dock
. She remained there under repair for most of the rest of 1940. Although the sacrifice of Glorious was great, the withdrawal of these two powerful German warships allowed the remaining Allied convoys to reach Britain with a greatly reduced threat.
In 1997, Channel 4 (UK)
screened a documentary
in its Secret History series entitled "The Tragedy of HMS Glorious" and interviewed one of the surviving RAF pilots. There is a degree of mystery about the sinking of the Glorious because papers relating to the sinking have a "100 year rule" embargo on their release.
In the later Battle off Samar
, a force of small U.S. escort carriers and destroyer escorts was surprised by a very large battleship force. An antisubmarine patrol spotted the surprise approach of an incoming battle force, and aircraft were in a state ready to launch. Though some escorts and one carrier were lost to surface fire, aggressive action by small destroyer escorts and harassment by aircraft (together the Americans had over a dozen carriers and hundreds of aircraft at their disposal) caused sufficient damage and confusion to turn back a much more powerful surface fleet.
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...
naval offensive late in the Norwegian Campaign
Norwegian Campaign
The Norwegian Campaign was a military campaign that was fought in Norway during the Second World War between the Allies and Germany, after the latter's invasion of the country. In April 1940, the United Kingdom and France came to Norway's aid with an expeditionary force...
. The German ships involved were the battlecruisers and , the heavy cruiser and the destroyer
German World War II destroyers
At the outbreak of the Second World War, the German Navy, the Kriegsmarine, had 21 destroyers . These had all been built in the 1930s, making them modern vessels...
s Karl Galster, Hans Lody, Erich Steinbrinck and Hermann Schoemann.
The mission was launched on 8 June 1940, as an attack on Harstad
Harstad
is the second largest city and municipality by population, in Troms county, Norway – the city is also the third largest in North Norway. Thus Harstad is the natural centre for its district. Situated approximately north of the Arctic Circle, the city celebrated its 100th anniversary in...
to relieve pressure on the German garrison at Narvik
Narvik
is the third largest city and municipality in Nordland county, Norway by population. Narvik is located on the shores of the Narvik Fjord . The municipality is part of the Ofoten traditional region of North Norway, inside the arctic circle...
. After refuelling at Jan Mayen Island
Jan Mayen
Jan Mayen Island is a volcanic island in the Arctic Ocean and part of the Kingdom of Norway. It is long and 373 km2 in area, partly covered by glaciers . It has two parts: larger northeast Nord-Jan and smaller Sør-Jan, linked by an isthmus wide...
the mission became unnecessary as the Allies
Allies
In everyday English usage, allies are people, groups, or nations that have joined together in an association for mutual benefit or to achieve some common purpose, whether or not explicit agreement has been worked out between them...
were evacuating from Norway. On his own initiative, however, the German commander, Admiral Marschall, decided to seek and destroy the Allied transports. The troop transport Orama, the tanker Oil Pioneer and the minesweeper were sunk. Marschall ordered the Hipper and the destroyers to Trondheim
Trondheim
Trondheim , historically, Nidaros and Trondhjem, is a city and municipality in Sør-Trøndelag county, Norway. With a population of 173,486, it is the third most populous municipality and city in the country, although the fourth largest metropolitan area. It is the administrative centre of...
, where they arrived in the morning of 9 June.
The next day, Admiral Hipper attempted to leave Trondheim, but was forestalled by the sighting of a British submarine.
Sinking of HMS Glorious
As a notorious sideline to Operation Juno, Scharnhorst under the command of Kapitän zur See Kurt-Caesar HoffmannKurt-Caesar Hoffmann
Vizeadmiral Kurt-Caesar Hoffmann was a Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross recipient during World War II and commander of the battleship Scharnhorst...
and Gneisenau sank the British aircraft carrier and her escorting destroyer
Destroyer
In naval terminology, a destroyer is a fast and maneuverable yet long-endurance warship intended to escort larger vessels in a fleet, convoy or battle group and defend them against smaller, powerful, short-range attackers. Destroyers, originally called torpedo-boat destroyers in 1892, evolved from...
s and on 8 June at around 64° N off Norway.
On the night of 7-8 June, the Glorious, under the command of Captain Guy D'Oyly-Hughes
Guy D'Oyly-Hughes
Guy D'Oyly-Hughes, DSO and bar, DSC, , was an officer in the Royal Navy.During the First World War, Lt D'Oyly-Hughes was a submariner and second in command of HMS E11 which was highly successful in the Dardanelles Campaign. He was awarded the DSC in June 1915 after a patrol in which his captain,...
(who was a submarine specialist and had only 10 months experience in aircraft carrier operations), took on board 10 Gloster Gladiator
Gloster Gladiator
The Gloster Gladiator was a British-built biplane fighter. It was used by the Royal Air Force and the Royal Navy and was exported to a number of other air forces during the late 1930s. It was the RAF's last biplane fighter aircraft and was rendered obsolete by newer monoplane designs even as it...
s and eight Hawker Hurricane
Hawker Hurricane
The Hawker Hurricane is a British single-seat fighter aircraft that was designed and predominantly built by Hawker Aircraft Ltd for the Royal Air Force...
s from No. 46 Squadron RAF
No. 46 Squadron RAF
No. 46 Squadron of the Royal Flying Corps and the Royal Air Force, formed in 1916, was disbanded and re-formed three times before its last disbandment in 1975. It served in both World War I and World War II.- World War I :...
and No. 263 Squadron
No. 263 Squadron RAF
No 263 Squadron was an Royal Air Force fighter squadron formed in Italy towards the end of World War I. After being disbanded in 1919 it reformed in 1939 flying mainly strike and heavy fighter aircraft until becoming No 1 Squadron in 1958.-First World War:...
Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
, the first landing of modern aircraft
Aircraft
An aircraft is a vehicle that is able to fly by gaining support from the air, or, in general, the atmosphere of a planet. An aircraft counters the force of gravity by using either static lift or by using the dynamic lift of an airfoil, or in a few cases the downward thrust from jet engines.Although...
without arrestor hooks on a carrier. These had been flown off from land bases to keep them from being destroyed in the evacuation. Glorious was part of a troop convoy
Convoy
A convoy is a group of vehicles, typically motor vehicles or ships, traveling together for mutual support and protection. Often, a convoy is organized with armed defensive support, though it may also be used in a non-military sense, for example when driving through remote areas.-Age of Sail:Naval...
headed for Scapa Flow
Scapa Flow
right|thumb|Scapa Flow viewed from its eastern endScapa Flow is a body of water in the Orkney Islands, Scotland, United Kingdom, sheltered by the islands of Mainland, Graemsay, Burray, South Ronaldsay and Hoy. It is about...
, also including the carrier .
In the early hours of 8 June, Glorious requested permission to proceed independently, and at a faster speed. It is believed this was because D'Oyly-Hughes was impatient to hold a court-martial of his Commander (Air), J. B. Heath, who had refused an order to attack certain shore targets on the grounds that his aircraft were unsuited to the task, and had therefore been left behind in Scapa to await trial.
It has been noted that Glorious was is a low state of readiness. The high crow's nest look-out position was not manned, leaving the observation task to the destroyers with much lower observing angles. Only 12 out of 18 of boilers were in use, so she could not develop full speed (from 17 kn (20.7 mph; 33.3 km/h) to 30 kn (36.5 mph; 58.8 km/h)) as fast as was required. Most importantly, D'Oyly-Hughes failed to launch any aircraft to form a Combat Air Patrol
Combat air patrol
Combat air patrol is a type of flying mission for fighter aircraft.A combat air patrol is an aircraft patrol provided over an objective area, over the force protected, over the critical area of a combat zone, or over an air defense area, for the purpose of intercepting and destroying hostile...
around the carrier group, reportedly to give the aircrews a rest. The previous commander always had some aircraft in the air. Had he done so, Glorious might have been able to spot incoming threats, or have been able to either turn and run or fight. No aircraft were even on the deck for a quick launch. In her hangars were 10 Hurricanes and 10 Gladiators from the RAF, and her own nine Sea Gladiators plus five Swordfish.
While sailing through the Norwegian Sea
Norwegian Sea
The Norwegian Sea is a marginal sea in the North Atlantic Ocean, northwest of Norway. It is located between the North Sea and the Greenland Sea and adjoins the North Atlantic Ocean to the west and the Barents Sea to the northeast. In the southwest, it is separated from the Atlantic Ocean by a...
, the carrier and her two escorts, the destroyer
Destroyer
In naval terminology, a destroyer is a fast and maneuverable yet long-endurance warship intended to escort larger vessels in a fleet, convoy or battle group and defend them against smaller, powerful, short-range attackers. Destroyers, originally called torpedo-boat destroyers in 1892, evolved from...
s and , were intercepted by the German battleship
Battleship
A battleship is a large armored warship with a main battery consisting of heavy caliber guns. Battleships were larger, better armed and armored than cruisers and destroyers. As the largest armed ships in a fleet, battleships were used to attain command of the sea and represented the apex of a...
s and . The carrier and her escorts were sunk in two hours, roughly 170 nmi (195.6 mi; 314.8 km) west of Harstad
Harstad
is the second largest city and municipality by population, in Troms county, Norway – the city is also the third largest in North Norway. Thus Harstad is the natural centre for its district. Situated approximately north of the Arctic Circle, the city celebrated its 100th anniversary in...
, with the loss of 1,519 men; there were only 45 survivors. The single survivor from Acasta was rescued by the Norwegian steam merchant Borgund which also saved 38 men from one of Glorious lifeboats. All 39 men saved by Borgund were set ashore at Tórshavn
Tórshavn
Tórshavn is the capital and largest town of the Faroe Islands. It is located in the southern part on the east coast of Streymoy. To the north west of the town lies the high mountain Húsareyn, and to the southwest, the high Kirkjubøreyn...
in the Faroe Islands
Faroe Islands
The Faroe Islands are an island group situated between the Norwegian Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, approximately halfway between Scotland and Iceland. The Faroe Islands are a self-governing territory within the Kingdom of Denmark, along with Denmark proper and Greenland...
on 14 June.
Scharnhorsts salvoes hit Glorious at 16:32, before her torpedo-bombers could be launched. Scharnhorsts second salvo, at 16:38, struck Glorious at the extreme range of 26300 yd (24,048.7 m), one of the longest range hits ever recorded. A Gneisenau salvo subsequently hit the bridge. The destroyers had started to lay smoke to protect Glorious and themselves. Ardent and Acasta made continual attempts to launch torpedoes at the German ships. At about 17:39, Scharnhorst was hit by one of four torpedoes launched by Acasta. Fifty sailors were killed, 2500 LT (2,540.1 t) of water flooded into her and her aft turret was put out of action. Ardent was sunk at around 17:20 having made seven attacks with torpedoes.
The approximate sinking position based on last transmission from Glorious: 69°0′N 04°0′E.
Admiral Wilhelm Marschall, aboard his flagship Gneisenau ordered Scharnhorst to cease fire and wasting ammunition on Glorious. At this point, Gneisenau was 4374 yd (3,999.6 m) closer to Glorious than Scharnhorst.
Scharnhorst in company with Gneisenau made for Trondheim for repairs, due to their exposed position they were not able to stop to rescue survivors of any of the ships. On 13 June, Fleet Air Arm
Fleet Air Arm
The Fleet Air Arm is the branch of the British Royal Navy responsible for the operation of naval aircraft. The Fleet Air Arm currently operates the AgustaWestland Merlin, Westland Sea King and Westland Lynx helicopters...
Blackburn Skua
Blackburn Skua
The Blackburn B-24 Skua was a carrier-based low-wing, two-seater, single-radial engine aircraft operated by the British Fleet Air Arm which combined the functions of a dive bomber and fighter. It was designed in the mid-1930s, and saw service in the early part of the Second World War...
bombers from Ark Royal attacked Scharnhorst in harbour; only a single bomb struck her.
As a result of the action, between 1, 474 and 1, 530 British sailors were killed, the greatest military loss of life for Britain up to that time in the war.
Despite this notable success, damage from the torpedo attacks forced Scharnhorst to return to Trondheim, for emergency repairs. It was not until 23 June that she was able to reach Kiel
Kiel
Kiel is the capital and most populous city in the northern German state of Schleswig-Holstein, with a population of 238,049 .Kiel is approximately north of Hamburg. Due to its geographic location in the north of Germany, the southeast of the Jutland peninsula, and the southwestern shore of the...
and a dry dock
Dry dock
A drydock is a narrow basin or vessel that can be flooded to allow a load to be floated in, then drained to allow that load to come to rest on a dry platform...
. She remained there under repair for most of the rest of 1940. Although the sacrifice of Glorious was great, the withdrawal of these two powerful German warships allowed the remaining Allied convoys to reach Britain with a greatly reduced threat.
In 1997, Channel 4 (UK)
Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...
screened a documentary
Documentary film
Documentary films constitute a broad category of nonfictional motion pictures intended to document some aspect of reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction or maintaining a historical record...
in its Secret History series entitled "The Tragedy of HMS Glorious" and interviewed one of the surviving RAF pilots. There is a degree of mystery about the sinking of the Glorious because papers relating to the sinking have a "100 year rule" embargo on their release.
In the later Battle off Samar
Battle off Samar
The Battle off Samar was the centermost action of the Battle of Leyte Gulf, one of the largest naval battles in history, which took place in the Philippine Sea off Samar Island, in the Philippines on 25 October 1944...
, a force of small U.S. escort carriers and destroyer escorts was surprised by a very large battleship force. An antisubmarine patrol spotted the surprise approach of an incoming battle force, and aircraft were in a state ready to launch. Though some escorts and one carrier were lost to surface fire, aggressive action by small destroyer escorts and harassment by aircraft (together the Americans had over a dozen carriers and hundreds of aircraft at their disposal) caused sufficient damage and confusion to turn back a much more powerful surface fleet.