Operation Wikinger

Operation (German: Viking) was a sortie into the North Sea by German World War II destroyers (1st Destroyer Flotilla) of the Kriegsmarine, in February 1940. During this operation, poor inter-service communication and cooperation between the Kriegsmarine and the Luftwaffe and inexperience resulted in the loss of two German ships through friendly fire bombing and German or British mines. No Allied forces were involved.

On February 1940, the Kriegsmarine had grown suspicious of the activities of British fishing vessels around the Dogger Bank. Luftwaffe reconnaissance flights reported the presence of submarines, so it was decided to intercept the British vessels with the six destroyers of the 1st Destroyer Flotilla: Friedrich Eckoldt (flotilla leader), Richard Beitzen, Erich Koellner, Theodor Riedel, Max Schultz and Leberecht Maass, escorted by Luftwaffe fighters.

At about the same time, X. Fliegerkorps of the Luftwaffe planned to execute a postponed anti-shipping operation over the North Sea, using two squadrons of Heinkel 111 bombers.

The Kriegsmarine had been denied its own air wing ("Marineflieger") and was dependent upon the Luftwaffe for air support, which remained under direct Luftwaffe control. Exchanges of information and plans and requests for support had to traverse a lengthy command chain.

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