Battle of the Barents Sea
Part of World War II
Date December 31, 1942 Location Barents Sea, north of North Cape, Norway Result Strategic British Victory
Combatants
United Kingdom	Nazi Germany
Commanders
Rear-Admiral Robert L. Burnett Captain Robert St. Vincent Sherbrooke	Vice-Admiral Oskar Kummetz
Strength
2 Cruisers (after 3 hours) 6 Destroyers 2 Corvettes 1 Minesweeper 2 Trawlers	2 Heavy Cruisers 6 Destroyers
Casualties
1 Destroyer 1 Minesweeper 250 killed	1 Destroyer 330 killed

The Battle of the Barents Sea took place on December 31, 1942 between British ships escorting convoy JW 51B to Kola Inlet in the USSR, and German surface raiders. The action took place in the Barents Sea north of North Cape, Norway. Combatants Allied powers: China France Great Britain Soviet Union United States and others Axis powers: Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Chiang Kai-shek Charles de Gaulle Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki Tōjō Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead: 33,000... December 31 is the 365th day of the year (366th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1942 (MCMXLII) was a common year starting on Thursday (the link is to a full 1942 calendar). ... Location of the Barents Sea. ... North Cape is the name of several capes: North Cape is a cape in Prince Edward Island, Canada North Cape is a cape in northern New Zealand North Cape is a cape in northern Norway, also known as Nordkapp The North Cape was a barge which ran aground in Rhode... Image File history File links Naval_Ensign_of_the_United_Kingdom. ... Image File history File links War_Ensign_of_Germany_1938-1945. ... Nazi Germany, or the Third Reich, commonly refers to Germany in the years 1933–1945, when it was under the firm control of the totalitarian and fascist ideology of the Nazi Party, with the Führer Adolf Hitler as dictator. ... Robert St. ... A modern Icelandic trawler A trawler is a fishing vessel designed for the purpose of operating a trawl, a type of fishing net that is dragged along the bottom of the sea (or sometimes above the bottom at a specified depth). ... Combatants Royal Navy Royal Canadian Navy United States Navy (1941–5) Kriegsmarine Regia Marina (1940–3) Commanders Sir Percy Noble Sir Max K. Horton Percy W. Nelles Leonard W. Murray Ernest J. King Erich Raeder Karl Dönitz Casualties 30,248 merchant sailors 3,500 merchant vessels 175 warships 28... Combatants Germany United Kingdom New Zealand Commanders Hans Langsdorff Henry Harwood Strength 1 heavy cruiser 1 heavy cruiser 2 light cruisers Casualties 1 heavy cruiser damaged 36 dead 60 wounded 1 heavy cruiser heavily damaged 2 light cruisers damaged 72 dead 28 wounded For other uses, see The Battle of... This article or section is in need of attention from an expert on the subject. ... SC-7 was a World War II convoy of 35 merchant ships which sailed eastbound from Sydney, Nova Scotia for Liverpool, England and other British ports on October 4, 1940. ... HX-84 was a World War II convoy of 38 ships which sailed eastbound from Halifax, Nova Scotia for Liverpool, England on 28 October 1940. ... Convoy HX-106 consisted of some 41 ships, eastbound from Halifax, Nova Scotia to Liverpool, England. ... Operation Berlin was the commerce raid performed by German warships KM Scharnhorst and KM Gneisenau between January and March, 1941. ... This article or section is in need of attention from an expert on the subject. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into Operation Rheinübung. ... Combatants Royal Navy Kriegsmarine Regia Marina Strength 62 U-boats Casualties 95 merchant ships sunk 24 warships sunk 62 U-boats lost The Mediterranean U-boat Campaign went on and off from September 21, 1941 to May 1944 during World War II. The Nazi Kriegsmarine aimed at isolating Gibraltar, Malta... Operation Cerberus (German: Zerberus after Cerberus the three-headed dog of Greek mythology who guards the gate to Hades) was the name given to the break-out during World War II of the Kriegsmarines ships Scharnhorst, Gneisenau, Prinz Eugen and a number of smaller ships from Brest to their... The Battle of the St. ... The Laconia incident was a 1942 incident during World War II when RMS Laconia, carrying some 80 civilians and 268 British soldiers, and about 1800 Italian POWs with 160 Polish soldiers on guard, was struck by a torpedo from a German U-boat off the coast of West Africa and... PQ-17 was a World War II convoy carrying war materiel from Britain and the USA to the USSR. PQ-17 sailed in June-July 1942 and suffered the heaviest losses of any Russia-bound (PQ) convoy, with 25 vessels out of 36 lost to enemy action. ... Combatants Nazi Germany United Kingdom Commanders Erich Bey† Bruce Fraser Strength 1 battlecruiser 5 destroyers 1 battleship 1 heavy cruiser 3 light cruisers 9 destroyers Casualties 1 battlecruiser sunk 1 battleship lightly damaged 1 heavy cruiser lightly damaged 1 light cruiser lightly damaged 1 destroyer lightly damaged In the World... December 31 is the 365th day of the year (366th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1942 (MCMXLII) was a common year starting on Thursday (the link is to a full 1942 calendar). ... A convoy is a group of vehicles traveling together for mutual support. ... The Arctic convoys of World War II travelled from the United Kingdom and the United States to the northern ports of the Soviet Union - Archangel and Murmansk. ... Location of Kola south of the Barents Sea. ... Location of the Barents Sea. ... North Cape is the name of several capes: North Cape is a cape in Prince Edward Island, Canada North Cape is a cape in northern New Zealand North Cape is a cape in northern Norway, also known as Nordkapp The North Cape was a barge which ran aground in Rhode...

Approach

Convoy JW 51B comprised fourteen merchant ships carrying war materials to the USSR - some 202 tanks, 2,046 other vehicles, 87 fighters, 33 bombers, 11,500 tons of fuel, 12,650 of aviation fuel and just over 54,000 tons of other supplies. They were protected by the destroyers HMS Achates, Orwell, Oribi, Onslow, Obedient, and Obdurate; the Flower class corvettes Rhododendron and Hyderabad; the minesweeper HMS Bramble; and two trawlers Vizalma and Northern Gem. The overall commander was Robert St. Vincent Sherbrooke, in Onslow. The convoy sailed in the dead of winter to preclude attacks by German aircraft that had decimated an earlier Arctic convoy, PQ-17. The Arctic convoys of World War II travelled from the United Kingdom and the United States to the northern ports of the Soviet Union - Archangel and Murmansk. ... HMCS Algonquin, a Canadian Iroquois-class destroyer In naval terminology, a destroyer is a fast and maneuverable yet long-endurance warship intended to escort larger vessels in a fleet or battle group and defend them against smaller, short-range but powerful attackers (originally torpedo boats, later submarines and aircraft). ... HMS Achates (Lt. ... HMS Orwell was an O-class destroyer of the Royal Navy that entered service in 1942. ... One ship named as HMS Oribi: See HMS Oribi (G66) ... At least two ships of the Royal Navy have been named HMS Onslow: HMS Onslow (1916), an M class destroyer launched in 1916 and scrapped in 1921. ... Two destroyers of the British Royal Navy have been named HMS Obedient. ... The Flower class corvettes were a class of 267 corvettes developed by the Royal Navy and Royal Canadian Navy specifically for the protection of shipping convoys during the Battle of the Atlantic (1939-1945) in World War II. They were a stop-gap measure in the war against the German... USS Pivot (AM 276) World War II United States Admirable Class Minesweeper shown in the Gulf of Mexico on sea trials 12 July 1944 Image:Hameln Class. ... A modern Icelandic trawler A trawler is a fishing vessel designed for the purpose of operating a trawl, a type of fishing net that is dragged along the bottom of the sea (or sometimes above the bottom at a specified depth). ... Robert St. ... PQ-17 was a World War II convoy carrying war materiel from Britain and the USA to the USSR. PQ-17 sailed in June-July 1942 and suffered the heaviest losses of any Russia-bound (PQ) convoy, with 25 vessels out of 36 lost to enemy action. ...

In addition to the convoy escort, two cruisers, Sheffield and Jamaica, were independently stationed in the Barents Sea to provide distant cover for the convoy. These two ships, known as "Force R", were under the command of Rear-admiral Robert L. Burnett, in Sheffield. The USS Port Royal (CG-73), a Ticonderoga class cruiser. ... HMS Sheffield (24) was a Southampton class cruiser in the Royal Navy during the Second World War. ... Location of the Barents Sea. ...

The German forces included the heavy cruiser Admiral Hipper; pocket battleship Lützow; and destroyers Friedrich Eckholdt, Richard Beitzen, Theodor Riedel, Z 29, Z 30, and Z 31. These ships were based at Altafjord in northern Norway, and were under the overall command of Vice-admiral Oskar Kummetz in Hipper. The term heavy cruiser is used to refer to large cruisers, a form of warship. ... The German heavy cruiser Admiral Hipper fought as part of the German Kriegsmarine during World War II. She was named after Admiral Ritter von Hipper, commander of the German battlecruiser squadron during the Battle of Jutland in 1916 and later commander-in-chief of the German High Seas Fleet. ... Pocket battleship is an English language term for a class of warships built by German Reichsmarine in accordance with restrictions imposed by the Treaty of Versailles. ... ... HMCS Algonquin, a Canadian Iroquois-class destroyer In naval terminology, a destroyer is a fast and maneuverable yet long-endurance warship intended to escort larger vessels in a fleet or battle group and defend them against smaller, short-range but powerful attackers (originally torpedo boats, later submarines and aircraft). ... County Finnmark District Municipality NO-2012 Administrative centre Alta Mayor (2003) Geir Ove Bakken (Ap) Official language form BokmÃ¥l Area  - Total  - Land  - Percentage Ranked 7 3,849 km² 3,651 km² 1. ...

Convoy JW 51B sailed from Scapa Flow on December 22, 1942 and met its escort off Iceland on December 25. From there the ships sailed northeast, meeting heavy gales on December 28 and 29 December that caused the ships of the convoy to lose station. When the weather moderated, five merchantmen, the Oribi, and the Vizalma were missing, and Bramble was detached to search for them. Three of the straggling merchantmen rejoined the following day; the other ships proceeded independently towards Kola Inlet. Aerial Photo of Scapa Flow Scapa Flow is a body of water in the Orkney Islands, Scotland, United Kingdom, sheltered by the islands of Mainland, Graemsay, Burray, South Ronaldsay and Hoy. ... December 22 is the 356th day of the year (357th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1942 (MCMXLII) was a common year starting on Thursday (the link is to a full 1942 calendar). ... December 25 is the 359th day of the year (360th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar, with 6 days remaining in the year. ... December 28 is the 362nd day of the year (363rd in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 3 days remaining. ... December 29 is the 363rd day of the year (364th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar, with 2 days remaining. ...

Meanwhile, on 30 December, the convoy was sighted by the German submarine U 354. When the report was received by the German Naval Staff, Kummetz was ordered to sail immediately with his force to intercept the convoy. Kummetz divided his force into two divisions led by Hipper and Lützow, respectively. is the 364th day of the year (365th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Alvin in 1978, a year after first exploring hydrothermal vents. ...

The battle

Because the battle took place in the middle of the polar night and both the German and British forces were scattered and unsure of the positions of the rest of their own forces, much less the enemy's, the entire battle was a rather confused affair. During the battle it was not clear who was firing on whom or even how many ships were engaged. The polar night is the night lasting more than 24 hours, usually inside the polar circles. ...

At 0820 on December 31, the Obdurate, stationed south of the convoy, spotted three of the German destroyers to the rear (west) of the convoy. Then Onslow spotted Admiral Hipper, also to the rear of the convoy, and steered to intercept with Orwell, Obedient, and Obdurate, while Achates was ordered to stay with the convoy and make smoke. After some firing, the British ships turned in a feigned torpedo attack. Heavily outgunned, Sherbrooke knew that his torpedoes were his most formidable threat and once launched, that threat would be gone. The ruse worked: Hipper temporarily retired as Kummetz had been ordered not to risk his ships. The Admiral Hipper returned to make a second attack, hitting Onslow and causing heavy damage although Onslow would ultimately survive the action. Sherbrooke was badly injured by a splinter and command passed to Obedient. December 31 is the 365th day of the year (366th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... The torpedo, historically called a locomotive torpedo, is a self-propelled explosive projectile weapon, launched above or below the water surface, propelled underwater toward a target, and designed to detonate on contact or in proximity to a target. ...

Hipper then pulled north of the convoy, bumbled into Bramble, and opened fire. Destroyer Eckholdt was ordered to finish Bramble off, while Admiral Hipper shifted targets to Obedient and Achates to the south. Achates was badly damaged, but continued to lay smoke until it eventually sank; many of the crew would be rescued by the trawler Northern Gem. Ironically, the Germans would report sinking a destroyer, but this was on the basis of sinking the minesweeper Bramble which they mistook for a destroyer; they never realized Achates had been hit.

This firing attracted the attention of Force R, still further to the north. Sheffield and Jamaica approached unseen and opened fire on Admiral Hipper at 1130, causing some damage. Kummetz initially thought the attack of the two cruisers was coming from another destroyer, but realizing his mistake, he ordered the ships in his division to retreat to the west. In another case of mistaken identity, Eckholdt mistook Sheffield for Admiral Hipper, and was quickly sunk.

Meanwhile, Lützow approached from the east, and fired ineffectively at the convoy (which was still being hidden by smoke from the doomed Achates). Heading northwest to join Admiral Hipper, Lützow also found Sheffield and Jamaica, which opened fire. Coincidentally, both sides decided to break off the action at the same time, each side fearing imminent torpedo attack on their capital ships from the other's remaining destroyers. This was shortly after noon. Burnett with Force R continued to shadow the German ships at a distance until it was evident that they were retiring back to their base, while the ships of the convoy re-formed and continued towards Kola Inlet. The torpedo, historically called a locomotive torpedo, is a self-propelled explosive projectile weapon, launched above or below the water surface, propelled underwater toward a target, and designed to detonate on contact or in proximity to a target. ...

Aftermath

Despite this German attack on convoy JW 51B, all fourteen of its merchant ships reached their destinations in the USSR.

Even more critically for the outcome of the war, Adolf Hitler was infuriated at what he perceived as the uselessness of the surface raiders, seeing that two heavy cruisers were driven off by mere destroyers. There were serious implications: this failure nearly made Hitler to enforce a decision to scrap the surface fleet, and for the German Navy to concentrate on U-boat warfare. Admiral Raeder, supreme commander of the Kriegsmarine, offered his resignation which Hitler reluctantly accepted. Raeder was replaced by Admiral Dönitz. Hitler redirects here. ... Erich Raeder. ... Karl Dönitz (IPA pronunciation:  ); September 16, 1891–December 24, 1980) was a German naval leader, who was in command of the Kriegsmarine during World War II and was President of Germany for 23 days after Adolf Hitlers suicide. ...

On the British side, Captain Robert St. Vincent Sherbrooke was awarded the Victoria Cross. He freely acknowledged that it had been awarded in honour of the whole crew of the Onslow. Robert St. ... The Victoria Cross (VC) is a military decoration awarded for valour in the face of the enemy to members of armed forces of some Commonwealth countries and previous British Empire territories. ... Onslow can represent: Stuart Onslow George Onslow, the composer. ...

External links

• Battle of the Barents Sea - comprehensive article by Irwin J. Kappes