Warburton-Lee in the Ofotfjord — 10 April
On 9 April 1940 at 04:15, 10 German destroyers under Kommodore land 2,000 mountain troops of General at Narvik, a Norwegian port key to Swedish iron ore. The conquest is swift: 2 Norwegian coastguard vessels sunk, 350 Norwegian sailors taken prisoner, the Norwegian alpine garrison scattered.
On the morning of 10 April 1940 at 04:30, Captain , 45, commanding the British (5 H-class destroyers: HMS Hardy, Hostile, Havock, Hotspur, Hunter), receives orders from the Admiralty to force the Ofotfjord — the 30 km approach fjord to Narvik — to attack the German naval forces. Available intelligence: Bonte officially has 10 destroyers in the port, a 2:1 numerical superiority over Warburton-Lee.
Conditions: thick fog, snow, strong currents. No precise knowledge of the German positions in the fjord. Warburton-Lee has a few hours to decide on his manoeuvre.
How should Warburton-Lee manoeuvre in the narrow fjord?
Warburton-Lee applies A. At 05:30 on 10 April, his 5 destroyers enter the port of Narvik at full speed under cover of the fog. Torpedoes fired at 200 metres: the German destroyer Anton Schmitt is sunk (43 dead), the Wilhelm Heidkamp (Bonte's flagship) is sunk and Bonte dies on the bridge, the Hermann Künne is severely damaged. 3 other German destroyers are hit. But the British destroyers are then encircled by the 5 remaining German destroyers emerging from the fog from the Herjangsfjord and Rombaksfjord. Close-range combat in the port. HMS Hardy, Warburton-Lee's flagship, is struck by 5 shells and runs aground; Warburton-Lee dies at 06:00 from shell splinters. HMS Hunter is sunk (107 dead), HMS Hotspur damaged. Balance: 2 British destroyers lost, 2 damaged; 2 German destroyers sunk, 6 damaged. Warburton-Lee receives the Victoria Cross posthumously — the second VC in 48 hours (after Roope). The battle shows that the Royal Navy can force Narvik and sets the stage for the second battle on 13 April. Warburton-Lee leaves 7 young children; he is buried at sea the following day.
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