April 25th, 1940 (THURSDAY)
UNITED KINGDOM:
RAF Bomber Command: 4 Group. Bombing - Kjeller, Fornebu and Aalborg airfields77 Sqn. Six aircraft. One returned U/S, two attacked shipping without result, three attacked airfields.
102 Sqn. Two aircraft to Aalborg. Intense opposition. One FTR.
Destroyer HMS Obdurate laid down.
ÉIRE: Dublin: An IRA landmine kills 6 people.
NORWEGIAN CAMPAIGN:
Six Blenheims searched Hardanger and neighbouring fjords. and bombed harbour works and a railway station in Granvins Fjord and shipping at Ulvik; a medium sized transport was sunk. Two German flying boats were also encountered, one was sunk and the other seriously damaged. One Blenheim FTR.
RAF Coastal Command: Blenheims shoot down a He-111 and Hudsons make reconnaissance's of the Norwegian coast.
25 April was expected to be a big day, as the arrival of the two
additional carriers, this time carrying fighters, was expected to
greatly assist the Army and Navy units operating in Northern Norway.
The big effort was to occur in and around Trondheim (where the Germans
were), and Åndalsnes to the South and Namsos to the North (the British
landing sites). At 0300, the two carriers were in position 65.12 N,
8.24 E in an overcast sky a force 2 wind out of the NW and 35 foot swells. The strike planes
went in several
waves:
Wave 1: At 0310 HMS Ark Royal commenced launching 14 Swordfish, each
armed with 4x250 lb GP and 8x20 lb Cooper bombs. At 0330 the attackers
took their departure, OC Lt-Cdr. Guy Beauchamp Hodgkinson, RN, leading six of 820
Squadron's Swordfish heading for the German airfield at Vaernes, while
Capt. Nigel Robert Mackie Skene, RM, leading seven of 810 Squadron's Swordfish (the
other, 2K:L2768 crashed on takeoff, thankfully the crew, Lieutenant N. R.
Corbet-Milward, RN (P) and Petty Officer J. Black, RN (AG), were rescued by the
plane guard destroyer. )
was heading for Jonsvatnet Lake outside of Trondheim, where many German
Transport aircraft had been observed the prior evening. They had orders
to switch to Vaernes if no enemy aircraft were found. At the same time,
HMS Glorious dispatched Lt. W. P. Lucy, RN leading five Skuas of 803
Squadron's Blue and Red sections, to attack shipping and seaplanes
believed to be in Trondheim harbour. From there they were to shift to
the Lake and cover the slower Swordfish during their attack
Wave 2: Between 0415 and 0430, Ark Royal dispatched nine Skuas (seven
from 801, two from 800) under 801 Squadron's OC, Lt-Cdr. H. P. Bramwell,
RN, while Glorious added the remaining six Skuas of 803 Squadron's Green
and Yellows sections . Each aircraft was armed with a single 250 lb. GP
bomb and 8 x 20 lb. Cooper bombs, and the lot had orders to proceed
independently to the various fjords surrounding Trondheim harbour and
attack any enemy shipping.
Meanwhile, at 0445 and continuing throughout the day, the Sea Gladiator's of 802 and 804 Squadron's continue their two-hour standing section patrols over the fleet.
Lucy's Skuas, being faster than Ark Royal's Swordfish, arrived over
Trondheimfjord at 0440 and commenced their attack on nine twin engine
aircraft and six ships sighted in the harbour. They used the 250 lb
bombs on the ships and the Cooper bombs on the aircraft. They then
linked up with 810 Squadron proceeding to the lake at 0455.
.
At 0450 820 Squadron commenced its diving attack on Vaernes from 5,000 feet and in the face of intense AA fire, and the aircraft plaster
several facilities. Meanwhile, having discovered no aircraft on the
lake, 810 Squadron diverted to Vaernes, and at 0525 they gave the
airfield its second plastering in an hour. At the same time, 803
Squadron strafed the aircraft in the harbour. One Skua, 8G, was hit by
return fire and force-landed in Sorfjord in shallow water near a
village. The crew Lieutenant A. B. Fraser-Harris, RN (P) and Leading
Airman G. S. Russell (AG), RN, ultimately made the 69 mile trip to friendly
lines and reached HMS
Calcutta. Their escape in detail
AA fire also ultimately accounted for three Swordfish as
well, 810 Squadron's 2R:K8879 force-landed near HMS MAORI, which quickly picked
up the crew, Captain W. H. N. Martin, RM (P), Lieutenant J. A. Crawford, RN (O),
and Leading Airman H. G. Edwards, RN (AG) and 820 Squadron's 4A force-landed near
another destroyer which saved Captain A. C. Newson, RM (P), Lieutenant-Commander
G. B. Hodgkinson, RN (O), and Leading Airman R. H. McColl, RN (AG), but the crew of
2G:L2790, which went in a
considerable way off, could not be found, although HMS ARK ROYAL received a
signal from the crew about their predicament and an aerial search was sent off
to lead a destroyer to them; Lt. Arthur Anthony Pardoe, RN
(P) and Petty Officer Airman Leslie Melville Lloyd, RN (AG) being lost.
While the lot was retiring, the Skuas of the second wave arrived. Ark
Royal's contingent again worked over the six ships in port, claiming one
hit and many near misses, while two Skuas spotted a Ju-88 and a wrecked
He-111 on a frozen lake and shot them up for sport. 803 Squadron's lot piled in right after the Ark Royal's lot, hitting two oilers. Green
section ran into an impenetrable weather front while returning to the
ship, and ultimately all three returned to the area of Namsos and made
successful force landings. Skua 8A:L2903 (Lieutenant H. E. R. Torin, RN (P) and
Midshipman(A) T. A. McKee, RN (O)) came down on shore near Roan, SW of Namsos.
8B:L3048 (Lieutenant G. R. Callingham, RN (P) and Naval Airman first class D. A.
Prime, RN (AG)) came down on a beach in front of Namsos, while 8C
(Sub-Lieutenant I. Easton, RN (P) and Naval Airman first class A. J. Hayman, RN
(AG)) came down at Osen. Fortunately, all three crews quickly linked up with
Allied forces, though it would be some time before they got home. The rest returned safely by 0730.
Meanwhile, at 0455 and again at 0555, Ark Royal launched three plane
sections from 800 Squadron to provide fighter patrols cover the Allied
landing site at Namsos. The first, Red section (Lieutenant G. E. D.
Finch-Noyes, RN) ran off an He-111 and a Junkers 89
before returning at 0850, while the other returned at 1015 having made
no contact. By that point the weather had closed in and further flying
was suspended.
Meanwhile, at 1600, after fuelling in Bygden Fjord and delaying her departure to bring aboard a recovered German torpedo, HMS Furious got underway for the Clyde in company with the destroyers HMS Isis, HMS Ilex, HMS Imogen. At 2230 her screen was reinforced by the destroyers HMS Delight, HMS Diana, and HMS Imperial. (Mark E. Horan)
ASW trawlers HMS Bradman, Hammond and Larwood sunk by German aircraft off Norway.
NORWAY: The British 15th Brigade and Norwegian units forces give fierce resistance in the Gudbrondsdal but fall back.
As Pellengahr sets out for Åndalsnes , he meets a new British force, the 15th Brigade, whose 3,800 men had been hurriedly shipped to the aid of Sickleforce. The brigade’s three battalions were regular army. One of them had served in Palestine until 1939 and was experienced in small-unit hill fighting. In fact, the 15th Brigade was trained and fit to fight anywhere - except in the deep snow of Norway.
Maj. Gen. Sir Bernard G. T. Paget commanded and General Ruge had assigned a few Norwegian ski detachments and some trucks for transport, the 15th Brigade moved forward through Dombas, setting up supply dumps in railroad tunnels as it moved. The going was rough; German air attacks on road and rail movements went on through the increasingly long hours of daylight, taking a toll in casualties and frazzled nerves.
Pellangahr’s spearhead made contact with 15 Brigade at Kvam, 35 miles south of Dombas. The brigade’s five French 25mm Hotchkiss antitank guns stopped the first German rush, knocking out two tanks, but the Germans began working around the British left flank. The British held though and at night they reorganize their lines, abandoning two anti-tank guns in the process.
U.S.A.: Aircraft carrier USS Wasp commissioned.
The pilot had major problems with their engine and was ditching in the Soerfjorden (Southfiord), near Trondheim. ("The water was bloody cold" as the pilot said 50 years later) Their mission ended up 50 meters from shore and they had to swim. 3 of the local people had seen the a/c and stood onshore and was throwing stones at them. The gunner shouted in cockney to them and they finally understood that they were not German airmen. They did not understand English and therefore they had to use their fingers to be understood. Finally a man, Andreas Aune arrived and he could talk to them since he earlier had been 16 years in the USA. He had seen the a/c from his small farm and understood that they needed help. He had a small rowing boat and set down in this and had to row 2 kilometres before he saw them, there they was standing with the water coming out of their clothes. In the nearest house 2 old ladies wanted to make hot coffee for them, but Andreas spoke to them and they agreed in that he could take them to his farm. They walked trough a forest to get to the farm. Where they got dry warm clothes and a small breakfast and then to bed. The 2 airmen slept for many hours while his wife was preparing a huge dinner meal for the "refugees". When they were sleeping the plans were made how to get them to a safe area. Andreas found the phone lines in the area and cut them, so the news about the airmen would not get around. It was only 20 kilometres to the nearest German fortress. Since there was some snow left in the area, they had to learn how to ski. When they had finished their dinner, Skiing practice could start with help from the son on the farm, Anders (16). It was a lot of laughing when they was falling again and again and again. They had a jolly good time. Poor George had almost ended his escape to freedom as he got his feet on each side of a tree! But at last it was ok. (Here am I not sure if they was one or 2 night on the farm) Andreas had found 2 men (Meier Roedsjoe and Oscar Odinsen) who could help them over the mountain and through the Namsos area. The discussion was if they should get them to Sweden or to the allied forces. Odinsen and Roedsjoe had just arrived back from a journey to Sweden with other refugees. But this time they should try to get them to the British and French forces, since the airmen wanted to get back so they could continue fighting against the German forces. Their uniforms had been changed with ordinary clothes and they paid one Pound as a thank you for the meal and shelter before they left the farm. After midnight their journey started and the first kilometres was with horse and sled. Karsten Moholt was the "driver". But it was not a nice romantic trip in the forest as you see in the movies, the waters in the area they were travelling over was not safe at this time of the year and sitting on the sled was an awful experience for them. The sled was built hauling wood. Finally they arrived at the Oeyan farm in Roedsjoe. Then they travelled to the Skaugdalen (a valley) where Olav Hullvang gave them breakfast. At Fines in Verran the police sergeant was waiting for them. He had obtained a small open fishing boat for them. Then they sailed to Follafoss. On their journey they passed some German destroyers, but they did not take any notice of them. At Follafoss they left Odinsen and got into a "modern" Taxi, (as Fraser-Harris recalls). Between Malm and Namsos they finally found British forces, who were firing at them! In the beginning, they did not believe they were allied airmen, but when they found their uniform caps in their backpacker, hey was convinced. On 2 May the allied forces left the Namso area and Fraser-Harris and Russell were with them. When they got back, a message was sent over Radio Canada to the men who had helped them. Some of the local people had heard this message and mentioned it to the men. But Fraser-Harris was worried the local people would have major problems after they had been helping "the enemy". In France they had shot local people for doing the same. It seems the Germans did not know about the incident before it was too late. Not until 1944 when Andreas arrested by the Germans and was confronted about the incident. After the war the Aune family tried to get in contact with Fraser-Harris, but he could not be found. They did not remember he was from Canada. In 1986 another pilot, PT Partifge was in the Trondheim area. He had also been shot down, but this was in the Stjoernfiord, which leads to the area where Fraser-Harris did his emergency landing. He mentioned to Fraser-Harris, that some of his rescue team was still alive. In June 1990 Fraser-Harris visited the area and could talk to some of the men who had helped him. The young boy on the farm, Anders got a nice silver cup from him. He had still the one Pound they had got in 1940. Now this rests in the silver cup. Only Anders is alive in 2004. He will never forget Fraser-Harris and the incident.