Operation Source

Tirpitz under way, probably in 1941

Date	20–22 September 1943
Location	Altafjord, Norway
Result	Allied success

Belligerents

United Kingdom

Norway

Australia

Nazi Germany

Commanders and leaders

Henty Henty-Creer †

Hans Meyer

Strength

6 midget submarines,
6 conventional submarines

2 battleships, 1 heavy cruiser

Casualties and losses

9 killed, 6 prisoner

1 battleship damaged

Operation Source was a series of attacks to neutralise the heavy German warships – Tirpitz, Scharnhorst and Lützow – based in northern Norway, using X-class midget submarines.

The attacks took place in September 1943 and succeeded in keeping Tirpitz out of action for at least six months.

The attack was masterminded and directed from HMS Varbel, located in Port Bannatyne on the Isle of Bute. Varbel (named after Commanders Varley and Bell, designers of the X-Craft prototype) was the on-shore headquarters for the 12th Submarine Flotilla (midget submarines). It had been a luxury 88-bedroom hotel (the Kyles Hydropathic Hotel) requisitioned by the Admiralty to serve as the Flotilla’s headquarters. All X-craft training, and preparation for X-craft attacks (including that on Tirpitz), was co-ordinated from Varbel.

Intelligence contributing to the attack on Tirpitz was collected and sent to the RN by the Norwegian resistance, especially brothers Torbjørn Johansen and Einar Johansen.

Six X-craft were used. X5, X6 and X7 were allocated the battleship Tirpitz, in Kåfjord. X9 and X10 were to attack the battleship Scharnhorst, also in Kåfjord. X8 was to attack the heavy cruiser Lützow in Langfjord.

The craft were towed to the area by conventional submarines (HMS Truculent (X6)Syrtis (X9),Sea Nymph (X8),Thrasher (X5),Stubborn (X7), and Sceptre (X10)) and manned by passage crews on the way. Close to the target, the operation crews would take over. X9, while commanded by S-Lt E Kearon of the passage crew and probably trimmed heavily by the bow in the heavy sea for the tow, was lost with all hands on the passage when her tow parted and she suffered an abrupt plunge due to her bow-down trim.X8 (passage crew commanded by Lt. Jack Smart) developed serious leaks in her side-mounted demolition charges, which had to be jettisoned; these exploded, leaving her so damaged she had to be scuttled. The remaining X-craft began their run in on 20 September and the attacks took place on 22 September 1943.

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Wikipedia