Operation Zarin

Operation Zarin (Unternehmen Zarin German: Tsarina) was a minelaying operation off the north-western coast of the islands of Novaya Zemlya in the Arctic Ocean, conducted between 24 September and 28 September 1942 by the German heavy cruiser Admiral Hipper and the destroyers Z23, Z28, Z29, and Z30. The mines laid during the operation had little effect.

Unternehmen Zarin (Operation Tsarina)
Part of Arctic naval operations of the Second World War

Admiral Hipper, Norway, 1942
Date24–28 September 1942
Location
Arctic Ocean
68°58′N 33°05′E

Background
Minelayer Ulm, 1942

During Convoy PQ 17 the Germans had noticed that freighters were going so far as possible north in the Arctic and were using the coasts of Novaya Zemlya as cover to go to Murmansk or Arkhangelsk. Operation Zar (Tsar) began when on 24 August the minelayer Ulm was sent to Cape Zhelania, the northern point of Novaya Zemlya, to lay a minefield. The minefield would force Allied ships to steer more to the south and bring them into range of the German bomber aircraft stationed in Norway. The sortie of Ulm was detected by Ultra and the British ordered the US heavy cruiser USS Tuscaloosa to direct its three destroyer escorts to intercept her.[1] The cruiser and the destroyers were returning from the Soviet Union after delivering the ground crews and equipment for Operation Orator.[2] The British destroyers HMS Martin, Marne and Onslaught found Ulm south-east of Bear Island on 25 August and sank her, before she could lay mines.[3] The loss of Ulm greatly diminished the German ability to lay mines and forced them to use the heavy cruiser Admiral Hipper.[4]

Sortie
Map of the Barents Sea

A new operation was needed and after a false start on 23 September, Admiral Hipper (Konteradmiral [Rear-Admiral] Wilhelm Meisel) left the base in the Altafjord the next day with 96 naval mines on deck. Command was given to Vice Admiral Oskar Kummetz. Z23, Z28, Z29 and Z30 escorted Admiral Hipper until the morning of 26 September. In the evening the minefield was laid on the northwest coast of Novaya Zemlya.[5] Admiral Hipper picked up radio traffic from ships nearby and Meisel wanted to investigate but Kummetz was more prudent and returned to the destroyers. The ships arrived back at Kaafjord on 28 September.[6]

Aftermath

No ships are known to have run into the minefield. Enigma had not given forewarning of the sortie and an agent report from Stockholm, that Admiral Hipper had sailed on 24 September, was not received by the Admiralty until 27 September.[4]

Footnotes
  1. Hinsley et al. 1981, p. 223.
  2. Roskill 1956, pp. 279–280.
  3. Rohwer & Hummelchen 1992, p. 156; Kemp 1993, p. 100.
  4. Hinsley et al. 1981, p. 224.
  5. Rohwer & Hummelchen 1992, p. 165.
  6. Brennecke 2003, pp. 216–219.

References
  • Brennecke, Jochen (2003). Eismeer Atlantik Ostsee. Die Einsätze des Schweren Kreuzers Admiral Hipper [Arctic, Atlantic, Baltic: The Operations of the Heavy Cruiser Admiral Hipper] (in German). Munchen: Heyne. ISBN 3-453-87084-0.
  • Hinsley, F. H.; Thomas, E. E.; Ransom, C. F. G.; Knight, R. C. (1981). British Intelligence in the Second World War: Its influence on Strategy and Operations. Vol. II. London: HMSO. ISBN 0-521-24290-8.
  • Kemp, Paul (1993). Convoy!. Casell. ISBN 0-304-35451-1.
  • Rohwer, J.; Hummelchen, G. (1992). Chronology of the War at Sea 1939–1945. Naval Institute Press. ISBN 1-55750-105-X.
  • Roskill, S. W. (1956). The Period of Balance. History of the Second World War United Kingdom Military Series: The War at Sea 1939–1945. Vol. II. London: HMSO. OCLC 174453986 – via Hyperwar Foundation.
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