Operation Leader
Encyclopedia
Operation Leader was the code name for an attack undertaken by aircraft from the carrier
on 4 October 1943 on German shipping along the coast of Norway in the Bodø
area. The escorting force included the battleships and , the cruisers and , and 12 American and British destroyers including the .
The task force reached launch position off Vestfjord
before dawn on 4 October completely undetected. At 06:18, USS Ranger launched 20 SBD Dauntless
dive bomber
s and an escort of eight F4F Wildcat
fighter
s. One division of dive bombers attacked the 8000 LT (8,128.4 t) freighter LaPlata, while the rest continued north to attack a German ship convoy. The bombers severely damaged a 10000 LT (10,160.5 t) tanker and a smaller troop transport. They also sank two of four small German merchant ships in the Bodø roadstead.
A second attack group from Ranger—consisting of 10 TBF Avenger
torpedo bomber
s and six Wildcats—destroyed a German freighter and a small coastal ship, and bombed a troop-laden transport. Three of the aircraft were lost to anti-aircraft fire
. On the afternoon of 4 October, Ranger was located by three Luftwaffe
aircraft; her combat air patrol
shot down two of the enemy planes and chased away the third.
Aircraft carrier
An aircraft carrier is a warship designed with a primary mission of deploying and recovering aircraft, acting as a seagoing airbase. Aircraft carriers thus allow a naval force to project air power worldwide without having to depend on local bases for staging aircraft operations...
on 4 October 1943 on German shipping along the coast of Norway in the Bodø
Bodø
is a city and a municipality in Nordland county, Norway. It is part of the Salten region.The city of Bodø was established as a municipality on 1 January 1838 . Bodin was merged with Bodø on 1 January 1968. Skjerstad was merged with Bodø on 1 January 2005...
area. The escorting force included the battleships and , the cruisers and , and 12 American and British destroyers including the .
The task force reached launch position off Vestfjord
Vestfjord
Vestfjord is a Norwegian fjord, which would be described as a firth or an open bight of sea between the Lofoten archipelago and mainland Norway, northwest of Bodø...
before dawn on 4 October completely undetected. At 06:18, USS Ranger launched 20 SBD Dauntless
SBD Dauntless
The Douglas SBD Dauntless was a naval dive bomber made by Douglas during World War II. The SBD was the United States Navy's main dive bomber from mid-1940 until late 1943, when it was largely replaced by the SB2C Helldiver...
dive bomber
Dive bomber
A dive bomber is a bomber aircraft that dives directly at its targets in order to provide greater accuracy for the bomb it drops. Diving towards the target reduces the distance the bomb has to fall, which is the primary factor in determining the accuracy of the drop...
s and an escort of eight F4F Wildcat
F4F Wildcat
The Grumman F4F Wildcat was an American carrier-based fighter aircraft that began service with both the United States Navy and the British Royal Navy in 1940...
fighter
Fighter aircraft
A fighter aircraft is a military aircraft designed primarily for air-to-air combat with other aircraft, as opposed to a bomber, which is designed primarily to attack ground targets...
s. One division of dive bombers attacked the 8000 LT (8,128.4 t) freighter LaPlata, while the rest continued north to attack a German ship convoy. The bombers severely damaged a 10000 LT (10,160.5 t) tanker and a smaller troop transport. They also sank two of four small German merchant ships in the Bodø roadstead.
A second attack group from Ranger—consisting of 10 TBF Avenger
TBF Avenger
The Grumman TBF Avenger was a torpedo bomber developed initially for the United States Navy and Marine Corps, and eventually used by several air or naval arms around the world....
torpedo bomber
Torpedo bomber
A torpedo bomber is a bomber aircraft designed primarily to attack ships with aerial torpedoes which could also carry out conventional bombings. Torpedo bombers existed almost exclusively prior to and during World War II when they were an important element in many famous battles, notably the...
s and six Wildcats—destroyed a German freighter and a small coastal ship, and bombed a troop-laden transport. Three of the aircraft were lost to anti-aircraft fire
Anti-aircraft warfare
NATO defines air defence as "all measures designed to nullify or reduce the effectiveness of hostile air action." They include ground and air based weapon systems, associated sensor systems, command and control arrangements and passive measures. It may be to protect naval, ground and air forces...
. On the afternoon of 4 October, Ranger was located by three Luftwaffe
Luftwaffe
Luftwaffe is a generic German term for an air force. It is also the official name for two of the four historic German air forces, the Wehrmacht air arm founded in 1935 and disbanded in 1946; and the current Bundeswehr air arm founded in 1956....
aircraft; her 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...
shot down two of the enemy planes and chased away the third.