The high Allied aircraft losses during this fjord attack prompted RAF Coastal Command to reprioritize targets and increase fighter escort cover near Norway.
Key Facts
- Beaufighters lost to FlaK
- 7
- Beaufighters lost to Fw 190s
- 2
- Mustangs lost to Fw 190s
- 1
- German Fw 190s shot down
- 4 or 5
- German ships attacked
- Z33 and escorting vessels
- Date of operation
- 9 February 1945
By the Numbers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
The British Admiralty instructed RAF Coastal Command to prioritize attacking the German destroyer Z33 and its escorts over a nearby group of merchant ships. The German vessels had taken shelter in Førde Fjord, Sogn og Fjordane, Norway, a location that offered strong natural cover and concentrated anti-aircraft defenses, making any aerial assault extremely hazardous.
On 9 February 1945, Allied Bristol Beaufighters escorted by 65 Squadron RAF Mustang Mk IIIs attacked Z33 and its escorts in Førde Fjord. The aircraft faced intense FlaK and were intercepted by twelve Focke-Wulf Fw 190s of Jagdgeschwader 5. Seven Beaufighters were downed by anti-aircraft fire, two more and one Mustang by the Fw 190s, while Allied aircraft shot down four or five German fighters, including ace Rudi Linz.
The severe losses during the operation—dubbed 'Black Friday' by survivors—caused RAF Coastal Command to shift targeting priorities, making merchant ships more important than destroyers and small warships. Additionally, a further squadron of P-51 Mustangs was assigned to protect Allied aircraft operating in Norwegian waters against Luftwaffe interception.
Belligerents & Mobilization Analysis
Side A
1 belligerent
Side B
1 belligerent