HMS Warspite, found at:http://ww2today.com/the-second-battle-of-narvik
On April 13th 1940 The Royal Navy with 9 destroyers screening the battleship HMS Warspite, attacked 3 German destroyers and a submarine at Narvik. The Swordfish biplane launched from HMS Warspite attacked and sunk the submarine taking damage from the U-Boat's anti-aircraft gun. The three German warships were sunk by a combination of shell fire from the Royal navy ships and the Fairey Swordfish.http://ww2today.com/the-second-battle-of-narvik
Gun position at Hegra Fortress, found at:http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/84/Hegra_Fortress_gun_position.jpg/300px-Hegra_Fortress_gun_position.jpg
On 11th April 1940, German forces advanced so to link up from Oslo to Trondheim.
The German ship Lutzow was badly damaged by the British submarine HMS Spearfish, as a result Lutzow returned to base on April 18th 1940.
Why was Britain and France involved in Norway? The reason was its neighbour - Sweden. In winter, iron ore from Sweden was exported from the Norwegian port of Narvik - whoever occupied Norway would control the supply of iron ore to Germany. If Britain controlled the Norwegian ports, the North Sea would be virtually closed to the German navy, and the Baltic would be in striking distance.
Blackburn Sea Skuas on deck of HMS Ark Royal, image found at:http://media-cache-ec0.pinimg.com/736x/d0/d2/3b/d0d23b34fcba0e724e7022d46459b8ae.jpg
I thought I would get some info on this aircraft as it took part in the Norway campaign on the carrier HMS Ark Royal. On 10th April 1940, 16 Skuas from the Orkney Isles sank the Konigsburg in Bergen harbour, this was the first time a destroyer had been sunk by aircraft alone. It was withdrawn from front line service in 1941, as it was too vulnerable to attack by land based fighters such as the Me-Bf109.
Diagram of Blackburn Skua found at:http://home.online.no/~oela/Skua%20snitt.jpg
Powered by a Bristol Perseus XII radial engine of 890 hp, the Skua was armed with 4 x .303 in forward firing Browning machine guns and a single flexibly mounted .303 in Lewis or Vickers K machine gun in the rear cockpit. It also had the capacity to carry a 500 lb bomb mounted under the fuselage and up to 4 x 40 lb or 8 x 20 lb bombs in racks under each wing.http://www.tangmere-museum.org.uk/aircraft-month/blackburn-skua
Other Specifications
Crew - 2
Max range - 435 miles
Service Ceiling - 20,200ft
Max Speed - 225mph.
Skuas in flight, found at:https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE04_RXfru99pdGrqM8ZIydgS0De4ZDCcb4GxVqs1EblHrrQsLGle3HenUjg6eri53Us11y2xdPT0V08bvZTRfmeIIp9qioEJjpS5yDOLUwV807lAJBRg73FStqJnIVdfADoaEV_jyulUb/s1600/Blackburn_B-24_Skua.jpg
HMS Hunter sunk at First Battle Of Narvik, found at: https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-c02WufFlBsM/UOuVjacSJYI/AAAAAAAAjPU/oxlRj8ljbRg/s800/HMS_Hardy_1936.jpg
On this day in 1940 The First Battle Of Narvik took place.Five British destroyers took on ten German destroyers and shore batteries near Narvik, (Ofot Fjord). 2 destroyers from both sides were sunk; Hardy & Hunter (British) and Wilhelm Heidkamp & Anton Schmitt (German).Three German destroyers were also damaged in the daring British attack. Eight German merchant ships and one ammunition carrier also were sunk. The British submarine Thistle was sunk by U-4 off Stavanger.
It was no victory for either side, but the British had made their presence felt, and the Germans had half their destroyers put out of action.
Wrecked shipping at Narvik, found at:http://i4.minus.com/ibkaLRXtEBFfzU.jpg
Today in 1940 Denmark was invaded and captured by German forces - notably 170th & 198th Infantry Divisions. Norway was also attacked, Egersund and Arendal captured without any resistance.
Me109 found at:http://www.flugzeug-bild.de/name/galerie/kategorie/historische-flugzeuge~militaerische-propellermaschinen~messerschmitt-me-109.html
The Me-109 first saw action with the Condor Legion in the Spanish Civil War 1936 proving itself a useful fighter aircraft. Four months before the beginning of The Second World War, the Me-109 was declared to be a record holder of 469.22 m.p.h.
This was not an Me-109, it was an Me209VI, but the F.A.I (Fédération_Aéronautique_Internationale) had not been told. They can't have looked very hard either.The aircraft looks totally different.
Me209 VI found at:http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/0d/Messerschmitt_Me_209.jpg
At the outbreak of the Second World War the Germans had some useful propaganda - declaring they had the world's fastest fighter aircraft. The Battle of Britain would help dispel the myth.
The Great Escape (1963). I have to put this one in first, why? Because this is the first one I remember watching as a child with my Dad. It has a start studded cast, James Garner, Richard Attenborough, David McCallum etc. The story is based on the escape from Stalagluft III and a well organised set of prisoners headed by 'Big X' played by Attenborough. They plan to get hundreds of prisoners out of 3 tunnels and are constantly causing their German guards problems, as all good Allied prisoners should. The One That Got Away (1957). This is a great film based on the escape of Luftwaffe pilot Franz Von Werra who is played by Hardy Kruger. Von Werra proves a very troublesome prisoner for the British, and attempts escape many times, including trying to steal a Hurricane from an airfield.
The Wooden Horse (1950). This film is based on events from the same P.O.W camp as the Great Escape. The Allied prisoners used an excersise horse for cover in an excersise yard. The idea was simple. Two men were carried underneath the horse to the yard, the horse put down and the men dug a tunnel out. Easy. The Germans never thought to check under the horse. It was made on a low budget and starred Leo Genn and Anthony Steel also featuring many amateur actors.
The Great Escape II (1988). This sequel to the Great Escape starred many actors including Ian McShane, Christopher Reeve and Donald Pleasence. It tells the true story of the fate of the captured prisoners from Stalagluft III and the investigation after the war. This is a very good and under-rated film, that sticks more to the real story than the first Great Escape film did.
As Far As My Feet Will Carry Me (2001). Starring Bernhard Bettermann This film is about a German prisoner of war held in a Soviet Union gulag. He has been sentenced to 25 years hard labour for 'crimes against partisans'. He escapes from the camp and endures much hardship across the Soviet Union to Turkey via Iran. This is a brilliant story of endurance and triumph of the human will against all odds.
Last but not least, The Password Is Courage, (1962), this film stars Dirk Bogarde and is based on the true story of John Castle's memoirs as a prisoner under the pseudonym Charles Coward. He proves a real thorn in the side of the Germans and attempts to escape many times, disguised as a german soldier, digging tunnels etc. He also helps sabotage a labour camp much to the amusement of fellow prisoners and distress of the guards. A must see film.
Douglas Bader, found at:http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/41683000/jpg/_41683370_bader_long203.jpg
Just read in the papers today about plans to make another Second World War escape film. This one is based on the escape from a camp in Germany called Warburg on August 30th 1942. The prisoners made light ladders in their music room where the music drowned out the noise of hammering etc. 41 men rushed the fence, one ladder collapsed, 28 men escaped and 3 men made 'home runs'. The film is based on the book Zero Night by Mark Felton. It was a plot hatched by Scottish lieutenant Jock Hamilton-Baillie, 23. An officer from the Durham Light Infantry, Major Tom Stallard teamed up with Douglas Bader, the infamous fighter pilot who was a double amputee. Their roles were to help with the planning, disguising the ladders as book shelves. The potential escapers drilled and planned the escape for months in secret, most including Bader were recaptured after the attempt. Bader saw out the rest of the war in Colditz as he was so troublesome to the Germans.
This sounds excellent, and will make a change from The Great Escape. I can't wait to see it. If you can't wait, watch the classic Reach For The Sky advert below:
