Oslo Mosquito raid
Encyclopedia
The Oslo Mosquito raid was a British
air raid on Oslo
, Norway
, during World War II
. The target of the raid was the Victoria Terrasse building, the headquarters of the Gestapo
. It was intended to be a "morale booster
" for the Norwegian people and was scheduled to coincide with a rally of Norwegian collaborators.
aircraft of No. 105 Squadron RAF
, led by Squadron Leader George Parry, flying with navigator Flying Officer "Robbie" Robson. The other three crews consisted of:
In order to shorten the mission distance, the four aircraft were flown to RAF Leuchars
in Fife
, Scotland
, where they were refuelled and loaded with four delayed action 500 pounds (226.8 kg) bombs each.
at heights of less than 100 ft (30.5 m) to avoid interception by enemy aircraft and navigated by dead reckoning
. Each aircraft was armed with four 500 lb bombs with 11 second delayed action fuses since in such a low level attack the bombs had the potential to damage the aircraft that had dropped them.
Despite their low altitude, the Mosquitos were intercepted by two Focke-Wulf Fw 190
fighters of 3/JG 5
flying from Stavanger
, causing Gordon Carter's Mosquito to make a forced landing in Oslofjord
. Rowland and Reilly were pursued by the other Fw 190 until it clipped a tree and was forced to break off the attack.
At least four bombs penetrated the Gestapo HQ; one failed to detonate, while the other three crashed out through the opposite wall before exploding. The building was not destroyed, but several civilian residences were, and 80 civilians were killed or injured. The Norwegian government in exile, which did not know about the raid, later expressed serious concern to the British government. Official announcements by the German occupation forces claimed that several British aircraft had been shot down, when in reality a single Mosquito had been lost.
learned that a new aircraft - the Mosquito - had been revealed for the first time by the RAF, and that four had made a low level attack on Oslo.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
air raid on Oslo
Oslo
Oslo is a municipality, as well as the capital and most populous city in Norway. As a municipality , it was established on 1 January 1838. Founded around 1048 by King Harald III of Norway, the city was largely destroyed by fire in 1624. The city was moved under the reign of Denmark–Norway's King...
, Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
, 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...
. The target of the raid was the Victoria Terrasse building, the headquarters of the Gestapo
Gestapo
The Gestapo was the official secret police of Nazi Germany. Beginning on 20 April 1934, it was under the administration of the SS leader Heinrich Himmler in his position as Chief of German Police...
. It was intended to be a "morale booster
Morale
Morale, also known as esprit de corps when discussing the morale of a group, is an intangible term used to describe the capacity of people to maintain belief in an institution or a goal, or even in oneself and others...
" for the Norwegian people and was scheduled to coincide with a rally of Norwegian collaborators.
Preparation
The operation was carried out by four de Havilland MosquitoDe Havilland Mosquito
The de Havilland DH.98 Mosquito was a British multi-role combat aircraft that served during the Second World War and the postwar era. It was known affectionately as the "Mossie" to its crews and was also nicknamed "The Wooden Wonder"...
aircraft of No. 105 Squadron RAF
No. 105 Squadron RAF
No. 105 Squadron was a flying squadron of the Royal Air Force, active for three periods between 1917 and 1969. It was originally established during the First World War as a squadron of the Royal Flying Corps and disbanded after the war. Reactivated shortly before the Second World War, it was...
, led by Squadron Leader George Parry, flying with navigator Flying Officer "Robbie" Robson. The other three crews consisted of:
- Flight Lieutenant Pete Rowland and Flying Officer Richard Reilly
- Flying Officer Alec Bristow and Pilot Officer Bernard Marshall
- Flight Sergeant Gordon Carter and Sergeant William Young.
In order to shorten the mission distance, the four aircraft were flown to RAF Leuchars
RAF Leuchars
RAF Leuchars is the most northerly air defence station in the United Kingdom. It is located in Leuchars, Fife, on the east coast of Scotland, near to the university town of St Andrews.-Operations:...
in Fife
Fife
Fife is a council area and former county of Scotland. It is situated between the Firth of Tay and the Firth of Forth, with inland boundaries to Perth and Kinross and Clackmannanshire...
, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
, where they were refuelled and loaded with four delayed action 500 pounds (226.8 kg) bombs each.
The operation
The operation involved a round trip distance of 1100 miles (1,770.3 km), with a flying time of 4.75 hours, making it the longest mission flown with Mosquitos at that date. The bombers crossed the North SeaNorth Sea
In the southwest, beyond the Straits of Dover, the North Sea becomes the English Channel connecting to the Atlantic Ocean. In the east, it connects to the Baltic Sea via the Skagerrak and Kattegat, narrow straits that separate Denmark from Norway and Sweden respectively...
at heights of less than 100 ft (30.5 m) to avoid interception by enemy aircraft and navigated by dead reckoning
Dead reckoning
In navigation, dead reckoning is the process of calculating one's current position by using a previously determined position, or fix, and advancing that position based upon known or estimated speeds over elapsed time, and course...
. Each aircraft was armed with four 500 lb bombs with 11 second delayed action fuses since in such a low level attack the bombs had the potential to damage the aircraft that had dropped them.
Despite their low altitude, the Mosquitos were intercepted by two Focke-Wulf Fw 190
Focke-Wulf Fw 190
The Focke-Wulf Fw 190 Würger was a German Second World War single-seat, single-engine fighter aircraft designed by Kurt Tank in the late 1930s. Powered by a radial engine, the 190 had ample power and was able to lift larger loads than its well-known counterpart, the Messerschmitt Bf 109...
fighters of 3/JG 5
Jagdgeschwader 5
Jagdgeschwader 5 Eismeer was a Luftwaffe fighter Wing that served during World War II. As the name Eismeer implies, it was created to operate in the far North of Europe, namely Norway, Scandinavia and northern parts of Finland, all nearest the Arctic Ocean...
flying from Stavanger
Stavanger
Stavanger is a city and municipality in the county of Rogaland, Norway.Stavanger municipality has a population of 126,469. There are 197,852 people living in the Stavanger conurbation, making Stavanger the fourth largest city, but the third largest urban area, in Norway...
, causing Gordon Carter's Mosquito to make a forced landing in Oslofjord
Oslofjord
The Oslofjord is a bay in the south-east of Norway, stretching from an imaginary line between the Torbjørnskjær and Færder lighthouses and down to Langesund in the south to Oslo in the north....
. Rowland and Reilly were pursued by the other Fw 190 until it clipped a tree and was forced to break off the attack.
At least four bombs penetrated the Gestapo HQ; one failed to detonate, while the other three crashed out through the opposite wall before exploding. The building was not destroyed, but several civilian residences were, and 80 civilians were killed or injured. The Norwegian government in exile, which did not know about the raid, later expressed serious concern to the British government. Official announcements by the German occupation forces claimed that several British aircraft had been shot down, when in reality a single Mosquito had been lost.
Impact
Although the raid had failed to achieve its main objective, it was considered dramatic enough to be used to reveal the existence of the Mosquito to the British public, and the following day (26 September) listeners to the BBC Home ServiceBBC Home Service
The BBC Home Service was a British national radio station which broadcast from 1939 until 1967.-Development:Between the 1920s and the outbreak of The Second World War, the BBC had developed two nationwide radio services, the BBC National Programme and the BBC Regional Programme...
learned that a new aircraft - the Mosquito - had been revealed for the first time by the RAF, and that four had made a low level attack on Oslo.