Battle of Narvik April 10th, 1940
First Battle of Narvik WW2
In the First Battle of Narvik on April 10th, 1940, five
Royal Navy destroyers entered the harbour of Narvik where
five destroyers of the Kriegsmarine were seriously
damaged, thereof two sunk. Six other German ships were
also sunk. And also two British destroyers sank. Both the
German Commander, Commodore Bonte, and the British
Commander, Captain Warburton-Lee, were killed in the
battle.
Warburton-Lee was later awarded the Victoria Cross, the
UK's highest award for gallantry in the face of enemy
action.]
Second Battle of Narvik
The Second Battle of Narvik occurred three days after the
First Battle of Narvik on 13 April 1940.
Vice Admiral William Whitworth and his forces arrived at
the fjord to finish off the eight remaining German
destroyers and two U-boats that were virtually stranded
in a trap due to lack of fuel, a result of the First
Battle of Narvik. The British forces consisted of the HMS
Warspite (probably the best known 20th century Royal Navy
battleship) and nine destroyers and planes from the
carrier "Furious".
During the battle, a Fairey Swordfish catapult aircraft
launched from the HMS Warspite sank the submarine
"U-64", making it the first U-boat to be sunk
by an airplane in World War II.
The Royal Navy easily wiped out the remaining eight
German destroyers.
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