April 26th, 1940 (FRIDAY)
NORWAY:
RAF Wellingtons bomb Stavanger aerodrome and fjord, while six Whitleys search Oslo Fjord attacking oil tanks and a refinery at Vallo and Grisebu. A ship of 5,000 tons is hit.
Allied units in northern Norway begin retreating.
Pellengahr again attacks 15 Brigade, enveloping both flanks of the new
British position and driving hard at its centre with artillery and air support. Mortar
shells set the woods on fire, eventually forcing the British to retreat three miles to a
position at Kjorem.
(Mark Horan adds):
Throughout the day, HMS Furious, in company with the destroyers HMS Isis, HMS Ilex, HMS Imogen, HMS Delight, HMS Diana, and HMS Imperial, continued her journey home, flying single plane A/S patrols and searches well ahead of her course.
Off Trondheim Vice-Admiral Wells again had a big day planned for his carrier air groups, but the weather is not cooperating. After the prior days activity, the two carriers have the following aircraft (serviceable):
800: 8 x Skua, 2 x Roc - the later reserved for fleet defence, the former for
fighter patrols
801: 8 x Skua, 3 x Roc - the later for fleet defence, the former for fighter
patrols
810: 9 x Swordfish - ASW and strike capability
820: 8 x Swordfish - ASW and strike capability
802: 8 x Sea Gladiator - for fleet defence
803 7 (6) x Skua - fighter patrols
804: 9 x Sea Gladiator - for fleet defence
The mornings activity sees a three plane search by 810 Squadron looking for Royal Navy destroyers scheduled to join the Task Force. Admiral Well's intention for the day was to maintain a standing patrol over the landing area until nightfall, but the weather did not clear sufficiently to send off fighter patrols off until 1000, when the carriers are in position 65.08 N, 5.28 E.
Lt.Cdr. H. P. Bramwell, RN led of the first patrol with two sections of 801Squadron (six Skuas). They engaged three He-111s of 5/KG 4 in the area of Åndalsnes and Gladiator Lake (Leskasjog), claiming one destroyed and one damaged.
HMS Glorious contributed the next patrol at 1158, when Lt. W. P. Lucy, RN leads 803 Squadron's Blue section to Aalesund. At 1308 they engaged three He-111s of I/KG 26, forcing one out of formation as they fled, but Skua 8Q:L2991 goes down on fire. Blinded by spraying petrol and with his cockpit full of smoke he force-landed in a Fjord near Aalesund. The pilot (Lieutenant Cecil Howard Filmer, RN, known as "Fairy") survives his forced-landing, but observer Petty Officer Airman Kenneth George Baldwin, RN is killed by the enemy fire. At 1350, the remaining pair intercept three more He-111, this time from 9/LG 1, shooting down one, then return home with empty guns.
Ark Royal sends off the next patrol, three Skuas of 800 Squadron lead by Captain R. T. Partridge, RM. They attack one of two He-111 bombing HMS Flamingo, damaging it, but Skua 6C is hit by return fire, shattering the non-armoured windscreen, wounding the pilot, Petty Officer Airman J. Hadley, RN. All three are able to return to the ship safely.
Glorious next sends off 803 Squadrons Yellow section (three Skuas, S-Lt.(A) G. W. Brokensha, RN) which return to Aalesund. These are later joined by two consolidated sections from Ark Royal's 800 and 801 Squadrons, led by Lt. G. E. D. Finch-Noyes, RN and Lt. W. C. A. Church, RN. Only Finch-Noyes Red section sees action, engaging an He-115 in a running battle, damaging it. The lot returns safely the carriers after nightfall.
Glorious managed to get off only a few standing patrols by 802 Squadron during the day, although throughout the day sections were maintained in readiness ranged on deck. During the day the carriers managed to fly 21 offensive fighter patrols over the Allied troops and seven A/S sorties over the fleet.
GERMANY: Berlin: Improving news from Norway boosts Hitler. At 3.30 in the morning during an all-night session with his military advisers, he tells them he intends to start ‘Yellow’ between May 1 and 7. ‘Yellow’ is the code name for the attack on Holland and Belgium.