Vaagsö

[Diagram by types of ship]

Start: Saturday December 27, 1941

After the successful operation in the Lofoten Islands, the commandos tried something more difficult by attacking the Vaagsö and Malloy Islands (between Bergen and Trondheim). In contrast to the previous operation, the objectives was well defended by a garrison and coastal batteries, while German planes were available in the area.
Despite a fierce resistance, the operation was successful for the British. Besides the direct damages inflicted on the Germans, the action reinforced Hitler's view that the defense of Norway was crucial. No less than 30 000 men were moved from other region to Scandinavia. The operation also gave the British invaluable experience with mounting a major commando operation.

Place: Norway

Type: Commando

	Allies	Axis
Forces	Burrough: 1 light cruiser, 4 destroyers, 2 transports, 1 submarine. 576 commandos.	300 hommes.
Losses	3 bombers lost. 19 deads, 57 wounded.	9 merchant ships, 4 bombers lost. 150 deads, 98 prisonners. (merchent ships represented 15 000 tons).

Additional information on the web : [BritishForces]



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