Christmas 1943, bad day for sailing in the Far North.
Picture: BC Scharnhort, circa 1939. Source: Wikipedia from German Federal Archives/Kommando der Volksmarine - Bildbestand (DVM 10 Bild), Accession number DVM 10 Bild-23-63-12
With BB Tirpitz damaged by attack of midget submarines, BC Scharnhorst remains the only Kriegsmarine capital ship available to be utilized against the Arctic convoys from Great Britain to Soviet Union.
Admiral Fraser, Home Fleet commander, decides to set a trap to the last operational German capital ship, reinforcing the convoys escort, and using HUMINT from Norwegian agents for request information about the Scharnhorst movements.
At the closing hours of December, 25, 1943, westbound convoy RA55A was converging with eastbound convoy JW55B, near the Bear Island area, while the German group, coming from Altafjord, was approaching the area from south.
At 0755 on December, 25, 1943, Konteradmiral Erich Bey on command of BC Scharnhorst orders his accompanying DDs of the 4th Zerstorer-Flotille to explore in search of the convoys. Bad transmitted orders, bad weather and bad luck, and the BC and the DDs lost contact one with the others.
It's the time of the British trap execution ...
Some links:
http://www.scharnhorst-class.dk/scharnhors...rnostfront.html
http://www.naval-history.net/Cr03-56-00NorthCape.htm
http://www.9thflottilla.de/9s130.htm
For U-Boat patrols on this date:
http://uboat.net/boats/patrols/patrol_1673.html
http://uboat.net/boats/patrols/search.php
Enrique Mas, September 2009.