Part of Arctic naval operations of the Second World War
A Hampden TB.1 of the Leuchars Wing makes a torpedo attack on a German vessel during the Second World War. (A photograph taken by a member of 18 Group on an unrelated operation.)
Date
September 1942
Location
Barents Sea
75°N40°E / 75°N 40°E / 75; 40
Result
Allied victory
Belligerents
United Kingdom Australia Soviet Union (airfields) United States (sea transport)[a]
Germany Finland (fighter bases)
Commanders and leaders
F. L. (Frank) Hopps
Rolf Carls
Units involved
Search & Strike Force
Leuchars Wing
144 Squadron RAF
455 Squadron RAAF
detachments from
210 Squadron RAF
1 PRU RAF
Marinegruppenkommando Nord (Naval Group Command North) Jagdgeschwader 5 (Fighter Wing 5)
Air crew killed: c. 18 POW c. 12 Aircraft: 9 torpedo bombers (en route to USSR) 2 PRU Spitfires
v
t
e
Arctic naval operations of World War II
1940
Weserübung
Narvik
Alphabet
Juno
1941
Claymore
Polyarny
1942
Sportpalast
Rösselsprung
Doppelschlag (cancelled)
Zarin
Wunderland
Cape Pikshuev
Orator
Motovsky Gulf
Barents Sea
Regenbogen
1943
Kara Sea
Zitronella
Ostfront
North Cape
1944
Mascot
Petsamo–Kirkenes
Convoys 1941
Dervish
PQ 1
PQ 2
PQ 3
PQ 4
PQ 5
PQ 6
PQ 7
QP 1
QP 2
QP 3
QP 4
1942
PQ 8
PQ 9/10
QP 10
PQ 11
PQ 12
PQ 13
QP 13
PQ 14
QP 14
PQ 15
QP 15
QP 11
PQ 16
PQ 17
PQ 18
FB
JW 51A
JW 51B
QP 5
QP 6
QP 7
QP 8
QP 9
QP 12
RA 51
1943
JW 52
JW 53
JW 54A
JW 54B
JW 55A
JW 55B
RA 52
RA 53
RA 54A
RA 54B
RA 55A
RA 55B
1944
JW 56A
JW 56B
JW 57
JW 58
JW 59
JW 60
JW 61
JW 61A
JW 62
JW 63
JW 64
RA 56
RA 57
RA 58
RA 59
RA 59A
RA 60
RA 61
RA 61A
RA 62
RA 63
1945
JW 64
JW 65
JW 66
JW 67
RA 64
RA 65
RA 66
RA 67
v
t
e
Military operations, Norway 1941–1945
1941
Claymore
Gauntlet
Kitbag
Anklet
Archery
Fritham
Gearbox
Gearbox II
1942
Musketoon
1943
Cartoon
Checkmate
Leader
Martin
North Cape
1944
Guidance
Almenrausch
Blumenpflücken
Finnmark
Provident
1945
Woodlark
28 January 1945
Black Friday
9 February 1945
Rype
Haglebu
Bjørn West
Judgement
Doomsday
Associated articles
Heavy water (1942–1944)
Sabotage
Freshman
Gunnerside
SF Hydro
Attacks on Tirpitz (1942–1944)
Title
Source
Tungsten
Mascot
Goodwood
Paravane
Obviate
Catechism
Tirpitz operations (1942–1944)
Sportpalast
Rösselsprung
Zitronella
RAF–Fleet Air Arm
Benedict
Kirkenes, Petsamo
Orator
Operation Orator was the code name for the defence of the Allied Arctic convoy PQ 18 by British and Australian air force units, based temporarily in North-West Russia, against attack by the German battleship Tirpitz and other Kriegsmarine surface vessels. The wing, known as the Search & Strike Force, was commanded by Group Captain Frank Hopps and its maritime strike element was the Leuchars Wing, comprising No. 144 Squadron, Royal Air Force (RAF) and No. 455 Squadron, Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) equipped with Handley-Page Hampden TB 1 torpedo bombers.
The Hampden crews made a long and dangerous flight from bases in Scotland (4–5 September) and assembled at Vaenga airfield on the Kola Inlet, 25 mi (40 km) north of Murmansk. The two squadrons lost nine aircraft shot down or crashed in transit but the remainder joined a detachment of 210 Squadron Catalina flying boats and a section of photographic reconnaissance Spitfires from 1 Photographic Reconnaissance Unit to make up the Search & Strike Force (S&SF).
At 7:30 a.m. on 14 September, 23 Hampdens were scrambled, after Tirpitz was reported absent from its moorings. The Hampdens flew to the maximum distance that Tirpitz could have reached then turned to follow the track back to Altafjord, as far as the Catalina cross over patrols. After an uneventful flight, the Hampdens returned at 3:00 p.m. from what turned out to be a false alarm; Tirpitz having moved to a nearby fjord. The S&SF Hampdens stayed at readiness and the Spitfires watched over Tirpitz until October. Operation Orator had deterred the Germans from risking their capital ships against PQ 18 and after converting the Soviet Air Forces (VVS) to the Hampden and Spitfire aircraft to be left behind, the aircrew and ground personnel returned to Britain.
^Schofield & Nesbit 2005, p. 195.
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Global Information
United Kingdom
Australia
Soviet Union (airfields)
United States (sea transport)[a]
Germany
Finland (fighter bases)