Operation Regenbogen (Arctic)
Encyclopedia
Operation Regenbogen was the sortie
in 1942 into the Arctic Ocean
by warships
of the German
Navy
(Kriegsmarine
) during World War II
. This operation culminated in the Battle of the Barents Sea
.
supply convoys
to the Soviet Union
had been temporarily suspended. In December 1942 they started again with a new series, the JW/RA convoy series.
Against this possibility the German Navy had concentrated a large force of surface vessels and U-boats, assisted/augmented by aircraft from the German air force
.
. A patrol line of four U-boats was established off Bear Island and a surface force consisting of cruisers Hipper
, Lutzow
and six destroyers was assembled at Altafjord
.
In the event of a convoy report the fleet would sail as two battlegroups; one to engage the expected cruiser escort and the other to attack the convoy.
The German force was handicapped by strict orders from Hitler
himself not to risk the loss of, or damage to, the capital ships, which led to a general loss of aggressiveness/excess of caution; the Regenbogen plan was also hampered by an additional aim of sending Lutzow on into the Atlantic following the action, which also led to a reluctance to take the risk of damage.
sailed for Murmansk
, and was detected by U-354 on 30 December. On hearing this, the fleet sailed from Altafjord the same day, on an interception course.
In the resulting action, the Battle of the Barents Sea
the Regenbogen plan had some success, in that Hipper was able to draw off the escort as planned, allowing Lutzow to close with the convoy However excessive caution on the part of Lutzow’s captain caused him to break off the attack having caused little damage.
Notwithstanding this, Hitler was furious when he heard about the dismal performance by the navy.
He subjected Raeder
, the head of the Kriegsmarine
, to a 90 minute tirade, in which he berated the uselessness of the German surface fleet, and announced a decision to scrap all its ships, and use its guns and men as shore defences.
Raeder felt unable to continue in post without the confidence of his leader, and offered his resignation, which was accepted. Raeder was replaced supreme as commander of the Kriegsmarine
by Admiral Karl Dönitz
, the commander of the U-boat fleet.
Sortie
Sortie is a term for deployment or dispatch of one military unit, be it an aircraft, ship, or troops from a strongpoint. The sortie, whether by one or more aircraft or vessels, usually has a specific mission....
in 1942 into the Arctic Ocean
Arctic Ocean
The Arctic Ocean, located in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Arctic north polar region, is the smallest and shallowest of the world's five major oceanic divisions...
by warships
Warship
A warship is a ship that is built and primarily intended for combat. Warships are usually built in a completely different way from merchant ships. As well as being armed, warships are designed to withstand damage and are usually faster and more maneuvrable than merchant ships...
of the German
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...
Navy
Navy
A navy is the branch of a nation's armed forces principally designated for naval and amphibious warfare; namely, lake- or ocean-borne combat operations and related functions...
(Kriegsmarine
Kriegsmarine
The Kriegsmarine was the name of the German Navy during the Nazi regime . It superseded the Kaiserliche Marine of World War I and the post-war Reichsmarine. The Kriegsmarine was one of three official branches of the Wehrmacht, the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany.The Kriegsmarine grew rapidly...
) during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. This operation culminated in the Battle of the Barents Sea
Battle of the Barents Sea
The Battle of the Barents Sea took place on 31 December 1942 between German surface raiders and British ships escorting convoy JW 51B to Kola Inlet in the USSR. The action took place in the Barents Sea north of North Cape, Norway...
.
Background
Following the hard fought PQ 18 and the disastrous PQ 17 battles in the autumn and summer of 1942 the AlliedAllies of World War II
The Allies of World War II were the countries that opposed the Axis powers during the Second World War . Former Axis states contributing to the Allied victory are not considered Allied states...
supply convoys
Arctic convoys of World War II
The Arctic convoys of World War II travelled from the United Kingdom and North America to the northern ports of the Soviet Union—Arkhangelsk and Murmansk. There were 78 convoys between August 1941 and May 1945...
to the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
had been temporarily suspended. In December 1942 they started again with a new series, the JW/RA convoy series.
Against this possibility the German Navy had concentrated a large force of surface vessels and U-boats, assisted/augmented by aircraft from the German air force
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....
.
The operation
Regenbogen was the operation planned to intercept the next Allied convoy to MurmanskMurmansk
Murmansk is a city and the administrative center of Murmansk Oblast, Russia. It serves as a seaport and is located in the extreme northwest part of Russia, on the Kola Bay, from the Barents Sea on the northern shore of the Kola Peninsula, not far from Russia's borders with Norway and Finland...
. A patrol line of four U-boats was established off Bear Island and a surface force consisting of cruisers Hipper
German cruiser Admiral Hipper
Admiral Hipper, the first of five ships of her class, was the lead ship of the Admiral Hipper–class of heavy cruisers which served with the German Kriegsmarine during World War II. The ship was laid down at the Blohm & Voss shipyard in Hamburg in July 1935 and launched February 1937; Admiral Hipper...
, Lutzow
German pocket battleship Deutschland
Deutschland was the lead ship of her class of heavy cruisers which served with the Kriegsmarine of Nazi Germany during World War II. Ordered by the Weimar government for the Reichsmarine, she was laid down at the Deutsche Werke shipyard in Kiel in February 1929 and completed by April 1933...
and six destroyers was assembled at Altafjord
Altafjord
Altafjord is a fjord in the municipality Alta in Finnmark county, Norway, and is about 38 kilometres long. In the inner southern part of the fjord, near the town of Alta, is the outlet of the 200 kilometre long river Altaelva...
.
In the event of a convoy report the fleet would sail as two battlegroups; one to engage the expected cruiser escort and the other to attack the convoy.
The German force was handicapped by strict orders from Hitler
Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler was an Austrian-born German politician and the leader of the National Socialist German Workers Party , commonly referred to as the Nazi Party). He was Chancellor of Germany from 1933 to 1945, and head of state from 1934 to 1945...
himself not to risk the loss of, or damage to, the capital ships, which led to a general loss of aggressiveness/excess of caution; the Regenbogen plan was also hampered by an additional aim of sending Lutzow on into the Atlantic following the action, which also led to a reluctance to take the risk of damage.
Action
On 22 December 1942 JW 51BConvoy JW 51B
Convoy JW 51B was an Arctic convoy sent from Great Britain by the Western Allies to aid the Soviet Union during World War II. It sailed in late December 1942, reaching the Soviet northern ports in early January 1943....
sailed for Murmansk
Murmansk
Murmansk is a city and the administrative center of Murmansk Oblast, Russia. It serves as a seaport and is located in the extreme northwest part of Russia, on the Kola Bay, from the Barents Sea on the northern shore of the Kola Peninsula, not far from Russia's borders with Norway and Finland...
, and was detected by U-354 on 30 December. On hearing this, the fleet sailed from Altafjord the same day, on an interception course.
In the resulting action, the Battle of the Barents Sea
Battle of the Barents Sea
The Battle of the Barents Sea took place on 31 December 1942 between German surface raiders and British ships escorting convoy JW 51B to Kola Inlet in the USSR. The action took place in the Barents Sea north of North Cape, Norway...
the Regenbogen plan had some success, in that Hipper was able to draw off the escort as planned, allowing Lutzow to close with the convoy However excessive caution on the part of Lutzow’s captain caused him to break off the attack having caused little damage.
Aftermath
The failure of the operation can be attributed to the spirited defence made by the convoy escort, and the restrictive and contradictory orders given by Hitler to the force commander.Notwithstanding this, Hitler was furious when he heard about the dismal performance by the navy.
He subjected Raeder
Erich Raeder
Erich Johann Albert Raeder was a naval leader in Germany before and during World War II. Raeder attained the highest possible naval rank—that of Großadmiral — in 1939, becoming the first person to hold that rank since Alfred von Tirpitz...
, the head of the Kriegsmarine
Kriegsmarine
The Kriegsmarine was the name of the German Navy during the Nazi regime . It superseded the Kaiserliche Marine of World War I and the post-war Reichsmarine. The Kriegsmarine was one of three official branches of the Wehrmacht, the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany.The Kriegsmarine grew rapidly...
, to a 90 minute tirade, in which he berated the uselessness of the German surface fleet, and announced a decision to scrap all its ships, and use its guns and men as shore defences.
Raeder felt unable to continue in post without the confidence of his leader, and offered his resignation, which was accepted. Raeder was replaced supreme as commander of the Kriegsmarine
Kriegsmarine
The Kriegsmarine was the name of the German Navy during the Nazi regime . It superseded the Kaiserliche Marine of World War I and the post-war Reichsmarine. The Kriegsmarine was one of three official branches of the Wehrmacht, the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany.The Kriegsmarine grew rapidly...
by Admiral Karl Dönitz
Karl Dönitz
Karl Dönitz was a German naval commander during World War II. He started his career in the German Navy during World War I. In 1918, while he was in command of , the submarine was sunk by British forces and Dönitz was taken prisoner...
, the commander of the U-boat fleet.