Operation 'Source' - The X-Craft Attack on the Tirpitz

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Operation 'Source' - The X-Craft Attack on the Tirpitz

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Operation "Source" 11th - 22nd September 1943 (Part 1)

Prologue
In 1943, a German battle group consisting of the battleship Tirpitz, the battlecruiser Scharnhorst and the heavy cruiser Lutzow was assembled and based in Kaafjord – a southern extension to Altenfjord in Northern Norway, between Tromso and the North Cape at latitude 71 degrees north.

Location of Altenfjord
Altenfjord location.jpg

This was one of the largest Kriegsmarine bases outside of Germany. From this position, it threatened the Allied convoys to Russia and would provide a powerful defence to any attempted British invasion of Norway, which Hitler considered probable.

Operation "Source" was planned to disable or sink these three heavy units of the Kriegsmarine at their base using X-craft midget submarines to lay mines under the target ships.

[Note: The correct name is Altafjord, but as Altenfjord is invariably used in contemporary reports, it is used here to avoid confusion]

X class submarines (X-craft)
X-craft midget submarines were specially designed for attacking enemy capital ships in their heavily protected, inaccessible anchorages. They were about 51 feet long, 5.5 feet in maximum diameter, displacing 27 tons surfaced and 30 tons submerged. Propulsion was by a diesel engine giving a surface speed of 6.5 knots and a range of 500 miles, and an electric motor giving a submerged speed of 5.5 knots and a range of about 80 miles. They carried a crew of four.

Armament was a pair of 2 ton side charges/mines of Amatex (a mixture of Amatol and Torpex) which were attached either side of the hull. The charges were released from inside the hull by turning a hand wheel. The idea was for the X-craft to manoeuvre as close as possible to its target, release the charges and withdraw before they detonated.

X-24 in Submarine Museum Gosport
X-craft.jpg

The Plan
The outline plan was for the X-craft to be towed by submarines for 1,200 miles North Eastwards across the Norwegian Sea to the North of Norway. At a point, west of Soroy Sound, the operational crews would take over from the transit crews. They were then to cross the declared minefield, proceed undetected through Stjern Sound, then along Altenfjord to Kaafjord (a journey of about 60 miles), penetrate the anti-submarine boom, cut through the double torpedo nets surrounding their targets, position their charges and return through the nets, the A/S boom, the minefield and rendezvous with their towing submarines.

Altenfjord
Schematic 1.jpg

It was predicted that the weather, sea conditions and moonlight in northern Norway would be most favourable between 20th and 25th September, making the 19th September the last day to detach the X-craft from the towing submarines and to change the crews. For this to be achieved, departure from Loch Cairnbawn in Scotland was set for the 11th September, 1943.

Six X-craft (X-5 to X-10) of the 12th Submarine Flotilla were to be used.
X-5, X-6 and X-7 were to attack the Tirpitz; X-8 the Lutzow; X-9 and X-10 the Scharnhorst.

The six towing submarines were: Thrasher (X-5), Truculent (X-6), Stubborn (X-7), Seanymph (X-8), Syrtis (X-9), and Sceptre (X-10). The X-craft would be manned by a 3-man transit crew until they were close to the target and then replaced by the operational crew.

Communications between the X-craft and towing submarine was achieved through a telephone cable woven into the manila towline. Unfortunately, manila lines were prone to parting when wet for long periods, so nylon lines were introduced late in the workups. There was not enough time to fit each X-craft with one; only X-5, X-6 and X-10 had the new nylon lines, while X-7, X-8, and X-9 retained the manila towlines.

The Crews
The three-man transit crewfor each X-craft comprised an officer and, typically, a Stoker and a Leading Seaman.
The four-man operational crew consisted of a Commander, two officers and an Engine Room Artificer (ERA).

X-5
Transit crew: Lt. J.V.Terry-Lloyd; L.S. Element; Stoker Garrity.
Operational crew: Lt. H. Henty-Creer RNVR (Commander); Sub-Lt. J.J. Nelson; Sub-Lt. A.D. Malcolm; ERA R. Mortiboys.

X-6
Transit crew: Lt. A. Wilson; L.S. McGregor; Stoker Oxley.
Operational crew: Lt. D. Cameron RN (Commander); Sub-Lt. R.H. Kendal; Sub-Lt. J.T. Lorimer; ERA E. Goddard;

X-7
Transit crew: Lt. P.H. Philip; L.S. J.J. Magennis; Stoker Luck.
Operational crew: Lt. Basil C. G. Place RN (Commander); Sub-Lt. R. Aitken; Lt. L.B. Whittam; ERA W.M. Whitley.

X-8
Transit crew: Lt. J.E. Smart; L.S. Pomeroy and one other unnamed.
Operational crew: Lt. B.M. McFarlane RAN (Commander); Lt. W.J. Marsden; an unamed officer; ERA J. Murray.

X-9
Transit crew:
Sub-Lt. E. Kearon; A.B. Harte; Stoker Hollet.
Operational crew: Lt. Martin RN (Commander); Lt. M.H. Shean; Sub-Lt. J. Brooks; ERA V. Coles;

X-10
Transit crew: Sub-Lt. E.V. Page and two unnamed others.
Operational crew: Lt. Hudspeth RANVR (Commander); Sub-Lt. G. Harding; Sub-Lt. B. Enzer; ERA Tilley;

Photo Reconnaissance
Altenfjord was beyond the range of the PR aircraft based in Britain, so a PR Unit was sent to Murmansk, North Russia. Three PR Spitfires, based at Vaenga would fly the PR sorties, returning to Vaenga from where the photograps were initially studied and full details were signalled home. A Catalina would fly the actual photographs back to Britain.

The first PR flight from Russia was flown on the 7th September. From this it was discovered that the Lutzow had moved its berth from Kaafjord to Langfjord. Full details of the latest positions of the enemy units and net defences were signalled from Russia and given to all personnel before they departed on the operation.

PR photo of Kaafjord with Tirpitz in her berth
PR photograph of Tirpitz.jpg

The Transit Passage
The submarines departed Loch Caimbawn in northwest Scotland at intervals between 16.00 on the 11th and 13.00 on the 12th September. The passage for the first 4 days was uneventful with an average speed of 8 to 10 knots. The X-craft were towed, dived, surfacing every 6 hours for 15 minutes to ventilate the craft. The next few days were to be very eventful for 3 of the X-craft.

On the 15th at 15.50, the tow between X-7 and Stubborn parted but they managed to stay in contact and an auxiliary tow was passed. The tow was resumed at 17.00.

The tow between X-8 and Seanymph also parted at 04.05, and wasn’t noticed by Seanymph until she routinely surfaced at 06.00, whereupon she turned back on her track to search for X-8. At 16.30, X-8 had sighted and closed Stubborn, keeping company with her and X-7 until 23.59 when contact was lost. At dawn (03.15) on the 16th, Stubborn sighted Seanymph and updated her regarding X-8. It wasn’t until 20.05 that Seanymph finally found her and took her in tow again.

X-9 was lost when her tow rope parted. This wasn’t noticed by Syrtis until she surfaced at 09.10. Retracing her course, all that Syrtis found was an oil slick along their track. The passage crew of Sub-Lt. Kearon, A.B. Harte and Stoker Hollet were all lost.

On the 17th, X-8 developed serious leaks in her side-mounted charges causing her to list and made maintaining trim difficult. The charges were set to detonate 2 hours after release and jettisoned. When these detonated, even though the submarines were over 3 miles away, the explosion damaged X-8 so badly she had to be scuttled the next day.

By dawn on 20 September 1943, the remaining four submarines with their X-craft were in their respective slipping zones 60 miles west of Stjern Sound, where the operational crews took over from the transit crews.

At 01.05 on the 20th, after the crews of X-7 had been exchanged but before detaching from Stubborn, a loose floating mine was caught in their towline and slid down it towards X-7, where Lt. Place was able to kick it clear.

The Approach
Photo reconnaissance on the 15th confirmed the presence of Tirpitz and Scharnhorst in Kaafjord, and Lutzow in Langfjord, the positions of which, and their A/S and A/T net defences were signalled to the submarines.

Between 18.45 and 20.00 on the evening of the 20th, X-5, X-6, X-7 and X-10 slipped from their towing submarines and began to make their way on the surface. The intentions were, after passing across the mined area off Soroy on the surface during the night 20th/21st, to proceed dived along Stjernsund during daylight on the 21st in order to reach Altenfjord by dusk: then to proceed southward to charge batteries in the vicinity of the Brattholm islands, about 5 miles from the entrance to Kaafjord and 8 miles from the Tirpitz.

Their first obstacle was the minefield protecting the entrance to Soroy Sound which was safely traversed by all four X-craft on the surface.

X-5 (Lt. Henty-Creer) This was the last time that X-5 was seen. Its fate is unknown, and neither the boat nor any of the crew of four has ever been found.

X-6 (Lt. Cameron) made Brattholm Island by 18.45 of the 21st and took the opportunity to temporarily repair the periscope which was prone to flooding. Without it the attack would have to be conducted by gyro-compass alone.

X-7 (Lt. Place) sighted the Scharnhorst leaving Altenfjord at 16.30, but proceeded as ordered to Brattholm Island where time was spent making repairs and charging batteries.

X-10 (Lt. Hudspeth) was suffering technical problems, which they spent all day of the 21st September making repairs with little success, but at 17.50 set off for Kaafjord. At 02.15 they bottomed for the day to try and repair the defects, hoping to be able to attack their target, Scharnhorst, during the night of 22-23 September. But unbeknown to Lt. Hudspeth, Scharnhorst had already departed for an exercise (seen leaving by X-7) and was absent from her usual mooring.

Into Kaafjord
The X-craft’s first obstacle was getting into Kaafjord undetected. The entrance of which, where it joins Altenfjord, was protected with an anti-submarine net.

Kaafjord
Schematic 2.jpg

X-6 departed Brattholm Island at 01.45 on 22 September, submerged and started its 8 mile journey to the Tirpitz. The entrance to Kaafjord was reached by 04.00 where it was planned, if necessary, for a diver to exit the X-craft and cut an opening in the net. While preparing the diver, propellers of a ship overhead were heard. Lt. Cameron he ordered the X-craft to the surface and proceeded “full ahead on the diesel”. X-6 passed undetected right through the parted net in the wake of a small coaster at 05.05.

Once through the anti-submarine net, it was only three miles to the Tirpitz. X-6 slowed to two knots and maintained a depth of seventy feet for about one hour. A final check with the barely usable periscope showed a tanker refueling two destroyers and beyond them the Tirpitz. Lt Cameron took a bearing on the Tirpitz and dived to thirty feet to begin the final approach.

X-7 departed Brattholm Island at 00.45, reaching the entrance to Kaafjord at 03.40 and slipped through the anti-submarine net by following a trawler, submerged in its wake. She went deep when a M/L passed overhead. While avoiding detection, it became severely entangled in A/T nets protecting a berth in the middle of the fjord previously used by the Lutzow. An hour was spent on executing a series of pumping and blowing maneuvers before X-7 finally broke free at about 06.00 and headed toward the anti-torpedo net protecting the Tirpitz.

Unfortunately, the actions had damaged the gyro-compass and trim pump, which meant that X-7 could not be navigated underwater (except at periscope depth) and had little control when diving and surfacing.

(continued...)
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Re: Operation 'Source' - The X-Craft Attack on the Tirpitz

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Operation "Source" 11th - 22nd September 1943 (Part 2)

The Attack
The intention was for all X-craft to set their mines to detonate about 08.00 on 22nd September and be well away by this time. Ideally, this meant laying the mines no later than 07.00.

One unforeseen difficulty was that the anti-torpedo nets surrounding the Tirpitz, instead of reaching down 60 feet from the surface as expected, reached all the way to the bottom, leaving no gap to get though underneath.

Tirpitz in her protected berth
Tirpitz 2.jpg

X-6 reached the northern end of the anti-torpedo net, luckily finding a small boat gate open and slipped through the narrow entrance, keeping just shallow enough to see the surface through the glass scuttles in the pressure hull. Once through the gate, the X-craft was within a hundred yards of the now unprotected Tirpitz. But with both the periscope and gyro-compass u/s, X-6 was running blind and ran aground on the western shore and broke surface at 07.07. Turning about, X-6 again broke surface at 07.12 about 80 yards abeam of Tirpitz, where she was spotted.

Lt. Cameron turned towards the Tirpitz and manoeuvred X-6 underneath the hull but became entangled in wires dangling from the port side, and had to blow his way out. As X-6 shot to the surface, the craft was engaged by small arms and hand grenades from the now alerted crew of the Tirpitz.

On board Tirpitz and in Kaafiord the alarm had now been properly raised, and it is clear from the entries in the battleship's log that complete surprise had been achieved.

X-6 quickly submerged and went underneath the Tirpitz’s hull in the vicinity of B turret and released both side charges. As it was now clear that escape was impossible, Lt. Cameron surfaced for the last time, opened the sea cocks to scuttle X-6, and ordered the crew to abandon ship. The crew were captured and taken aboard the Tirpitz

At almost the same moment that X-6 was releasing her charges by "B" turret, X-7 was doing likewise just a little further astern.

X-7, intending to go under the anti-torpedo net, approached it at a depth of 75 feet, believing the net only extended to 60 feet, and became entangled in it at 07.10. She worked herself free but broke surface unnoticed and dived again immediately, only to become enmeshed yet again at 95 feet.

Some erratic manoeuvres enabled her to break free, but the gyro-compass was now completely useless. X-7 slowly came to the surface so that Lt. Place could see where he was. By good fortune X-7 had broken clear and was now inside the A/T nets only 30 yards from the Tirpitz.

At a depth of 40 feet, X-7 went full ahead until it struck the port side obliquely and slid underneath the keel. The starboard charge was released under the bridge area. Going astern, the port charge was released about 200 feet aft under the after turrets at about 07.20.

After releasing both side charges, Lt. Place guessed at the course back to the A/T net where they had come through only to become entangled in it again.

At 07.40 X-7 broke surface and came under small arms fire, but cleared the net by riding over it between two buoys on the surface, and dived. The still blind X-7 again ran into another net and, for about half an hour Lt. Place tried to clear her, but each time he freed her it was to become enmeshed again.

At 08.12, when the charges under the Tirpitz detonated, X-7 was shaken free and surfaced, then taken to the bottom at 120 feet to survey the damage. But the explosion had damaged the boat so much she was impossible to control. Lt. Place brought her to the surface close to a practice target some 500 yards off Tirpitz’s starboard bow, and climbed out on to the casing under a hail of fire, waving his white sweater in surrender.

He had just time to step on the target before X-7 sank beneath him at 08.35. Lt. Place was taken prisoner and nearly 3 hours later, at 11.15 Sub-Lieutenant Aitken made a successful escape from the craft, but Sub-Lieutenant Whittam and ERA Whiteley were not so fortunate and lost their lives.

Tirpitz attack tracks
Schematic 3.jpg

The Return Passage
X-10, the only surviving X-craft, spent all the daylight hours of 22 September dived, trying to make good her defects. By sunset X-10's defects were still not solved. Hudspeth (having heard the explosions) decided that any attempt to attack an alerted enemy in his defective craft would be virtual suicide. So, at 18.00 on 22 September, X-10 surfaced and began her homeward journey.

She reached the rendezvous position at about 23.00 on 23 September. For a day and a half Hudspeth manoeuvred in the area, dived and surfaced, trying to contact a towing submarine, but without success and at 04.30 on 25th September he set course for Sandøy Fjord, arriving there at dusk.

At dawn on 27 September X-10 again set off, this time for 0fjord 32 kilometres (20 miles) to the west, where a submarine was due to rendezvous that night. On 27 September HMS Stubborn found X-10 in 0fjord and took her in tow. On 3 October at 18.07 a signal was received warning them of an imminent gale and instructed them to scuttle X-10.

The Seanymph and Sceptre remained in their rendezvous areas until 4th October in the hope that some of the X-craft would return. They returned to Lerwick, on 7 October, and Operation Source was officially ended.

-----“-----

Aboard the Tirpitz
When X-6 surfaced at 07:07 after running aground, the disturbance on the surface of the water inside the torpedo nets was spotted but it was dismissed as a surfacing porpoise. At 07:12, X-6 was identified as an enemy submarine when she surfaced again for a few moments. The alarm was sounded to close all watertight doors and hatches and a boat was launched.

As X-6 was so close to the battleship, only small arms could be used against her and could not be prevented from submerging again. A few minutes later, X-6 surfaced again and the German boat came alongside and arrested the crew but could not prevent them from scuttling the X-6.

As the Germans were unaware that X-6 had set her charges, the order was given to make steam instead of casting off immediately – but it would take an hour before she could be under way.

The first knowledge on board Tirpitz that more than one submarine was involved in the attack came at 07.40, when X-7 was seen just outside the A/T nets, having made her escape after dropping her charges. Hand grenades were thrown, fire opened from the 2 cm. and 3.7 cm. AA armament, and aircraft made ready to take off and carry out a search.

As other enemy craft could be outside the nets in unknown numbers, it was decided not to take Tirpitz out of the enclosure, so the gate was shut, and the ship moved as far away from the position in which X.6 had sunk by heaving in on the starboard cable and veering port. This brought the bows away from both of X.6's charges and the first of X-7's, but left X-7's second charge still under the hull; those on board Tirpitz being unaware that a second attack had already been carried out.

Tirpitz's log records at 0812 "two heavy consecutive detonations to port at 1/10 sec. interval. Ship vibrates strongly in vertical direction and sways slightly between the anchors." The first explosion abreast Section VII ("X" turret) about 6 to 8 yards away from the ship, the other 56-60 yards off the port bow in the position where X.6 sank.

It seems likely, therefore, that all four charges detonated completely and that only the action to move the bows of the ship bodily to starboard on her cables saved her from worse damage or even from destruction.

At about 08.30, X-7 was seen to surface 500 yards away next to a practice target and was engaged with AA guns and small arms fire from the Tirpitz, and Lt. Place was taken prisoner.

At 08.43 another submarine was sighted (believed to be the X-5) on Tirpitz's starboard bow. Both heavy and light AA guns opened fire and several hits were seen as the craft went under water, probably damaged. Two minutes later a destroyer dropped a pattern of five depth-charges over the spot.

The Damage
The damage to the Tirpitz was severe but not fatal.

There were splits in the bottom of the hull and buckling and distortion underneath. No. 2 generator room was flooded and all the other electrical generators shocked so that no power was available in the ship for two hours, which effectively prevented the starting of boilers and the ship putting to sea.

Much of the machinery was shocked on its mountings and put out of action: the propeller shafts could not be turned and "A" and "X" turrets jumped off their roller paths and temporarily made unserviceable. P III twin AA mounting was jammed, range-finders and fire control equipment were severely damaged and W/T and radar equipment rendered useless. 2 aircraft were severely damaged and the port rudder was put out of action.

The Tirpitz’s casualties were slight, with one dead and 40 wounded.

It was decided that the repair of Tirpitz should be carried out in a northern port. It was, however, considered that the ship might never regain complete operational efficiency. Repair ships, equipment and a large staff of dockyard workmen were transferred to Alten Fjord, and the services of a 100 ton crane were requested. Much time, personnel and work were expended on improving the defences of Kaafiord.

On 22nd November, 2 months after the attack, it was reported to the German Naval War Staff that "as a result of the successful midget submarine attack on heavy units of the Battle Group, the battle cruiser Tirpitz had been put out of action for months".

The British estimated that temporary repairs would take about 6 months and be completed by March 1944. Though the ship was probably not 100 per cent fit for operations, it constituted a potential threat to the North Russian Convoys. Before she could move out for her first sea trials, she was attacked by the Fleet Air Arm on 3rd April 1944 in Operation ‘Tungsten’ and put out of action again. Repairs took over two months, and it was not until 22 June 1944 that Tirpitz could recommence trials.

Postscript
Thus ended the first attack by British midget submarines and the first successful attempt to destroy or damage Tirpitz. Of the six X-craft which set out none returned home but their casualties were comparatively light with the loss of 9 men killed and six men captured.

X-7 was raised by the Kriegsmarine, minus her bows, by 1st October 1943, and Lt. Place was told by German interrogators, that the bodies of Sub-Lt. Whittam and ERA Whiteley had been recovered and buried with full military honours.

The surviving crews of X-6 and X-7 were imprisoned in German POW camps (Marlag O) and eventually repatriated after the war.

Lt. Donald Cameron (Commander of X-6) was awarded the Victoria Cross, Sub Lt. Lorimer and Sub-Lt. Kendall the Distinguished Service Order and ERA Goddard a Conspicuous Gallantry Medal.

Lt. Basil Place (Commander of X-7) was also awarded the Victoria Cross, Sub-Lt. Aitken the Distinguished Service Order, while Lt. Philip (Commander during the passage) was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire.

Photo of award recipients
Award Ceremony.jpg


The fate of X-5 remains a question to this day. Lt. Cameron said he saw the Germans sink X-5 with their heavy guns, but a postwar search of the fjord found only the remains of X-6 and X-7. In 2004, a saddle charge identical to those used by the X-craft was found on the bottom of Kaafjord, a short distance from the site of the attack. Although it has not been positively identified, it is believed to be from the X-5, but later research suggests it may be one from X-6 which failed to detonate.

A monument, dedicated to the men of X-5, X-7, and X-9 who lost their lives was erected at the Kaafjord churchyard.

Kaafjord Memorial
Kaafjord Memorial.jpg



The inscription reads:

Twelfth Submarine Flotilla

This Cairn is erected to the memory of the men of the
12th Submarine Flotilla, Royal Navy, who gave their lives
for us during the successful and daring attack on the
German Battleship 'Tirpitz' in X-Craft (Midget Submarines) in

OPERATION SOURCE. SEPTEMBER 1943

HMS/M X5
Lieutenant H Henty-Creer RNVR
Sub Lieut AD Malcolm RNVR
Sub Lieut TJ Nelson RNVR
Engine Room Artificer RJ Mortiboys

HMS/M X7
Lieutenant LBC Whittam RNVR
(Buried in Tromso)
Engine Room Artificer M Whitely
(Buried in Alta)

HMS/M X9
Sub Lieut EA Kearon RNVR
Ordinary Seaman AH Harte
Stoker GH Hollet


C.B. Barry Rear-Admiral (Submarines) remarked,
I cannot fully express my admiration for the three commanding officers … and the crews of X-5, X-6, and X-7 who pressed home their attack and who failed to return. In the full knowledge of the hazards they were to encounter, these gallant crews penetrated into heavily defended fleet anchorages. There, with cool courage and determination and in spite of all the modern devices that ingenuity could devise for their detection and destruction, they pressed home their attack to the full … It is clear that courage and enterprise of the very highest order in the close presence of the enemy was shown by these very gallant gentlemen, whose daring attack will surely go down to history as one of the most courageous acts of all time.”

-----“-----
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Re: Operation 'Source' - The X-Craft Attack on the Tirpitz

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Operation Source - Crew Photographs

X-5 Crew Photo
X5.jpg

Back row (L-R): Lt. J.V.Terry-Lloyd; Sub-Lt. A.D. Malcolm; Lt. H. Henty Creer; Sub-Lt. J.J. Nelson.
Front row (L-R): L.S. Element; Stoker Garrity; ERA R. Mortiboys.

X-6 Crew Photo
X6.jpg

Back row (L-R): Lt. A. Wilson; Lt. D. Cameron; Sub-Lt. J.T. Lorimer.
Front row (L-R): Sub-Lt. R.H. Kendal; ERA E. Goddard; L.S. McGregor; Stoker Oxley.

X-7 Crew Photo
X7.jpg

Back row (L-R): Lt. B.C.G. Place; Lt. P.H. Philip; Sub-Lt. R. Aitken; Lt. L.B. Whittam.
Front row (L-R): L.S. J.J. Magennis; Stoker Luck; ERA W.M. Whitley.
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Re: Operation 'Source' - The X-Craft Attack on the Tirpitz

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Operation Source - Crew Photographs

X-8 Crew Photo
X8.jpg

Back row (L-R): Unamed; Lt. B.M. McFarlane; Lt. J.E. Smart; Lt. W.J. Marsden.
Front row (L-R): ERA J. Murray; Unnamed; Leading Seaman H.A. Pomeroy.

X-9 Crew Photo
X9.jpg

Back row (L-R): Lt. T.L. Martin; Lt. M.H. Shean; Sub-Lt. J. Brooks; Sub-Lt. E. Kearon.
Front row (L-R): A.B. Harte; ERA V. Coles; Stoker Hollet.

X-10 Crew Photo
X10.jpg

Back row (L-R): Sub-Lt. G. Harding; Lt. K.R. Hudspeth; Sub-Lt. B. Enzer; Sub-Lt. E.V. Page.
Front row (L-R): ERA Tilley; Unnamed; Unnamed.
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Re: Operation 'Source' - The X-Craft Attack on the Tirpitz

Unread post by jbryce1437 »

Many thanks for this great insight into the attack on Tirpitz.
I recently viewed the account about the raid on Tirpitz in 4 episodes:

Episolde 1

Episode 2

Episode 3

Episode 4


JIm
HMS Raleigh 1963 , HMS Collingwood 1963 & 67 , HMS Ark Royal 1964-7, HMS Undaunted 1968-71, HMS Victory (Fleet Maintenance Group) 1971-72, HMS Exmouth 1972-74
JEM, EM, OEM, LOEM, POOEL
Then 28 years in the Fire Brigade
Retired since 2002
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Re: Operation 'Source' - The X-Craft Attack on the Tirpitz

Unread post by emason »

jbryce1437 wrote: Wed Dec 16, 2020 6:19 pm Many thanks for this great insight into the attack on Tirpitz.
I recently viewed the account about the raid on Tirpitz in 4 episodes:
JIm
Thanks for those links Jim. Timewatch programmes were always interesting and watchable. I hadn't seen this one before and its general accuracy made it a pleasurable watch.
Best wishes
Bill
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