April 28th, 1940 (SUNDAY)
UNITED KINGDOM:
London: The government has to face the fact that the Trondheim campaign is a failure. Neither Sickleforce nor Mauriceforce had made a single gain. Between them they had suffered 1,559 casualties and they were in danger of losing the remaining men. High Command concludes that they must be brought home.Off Greenock, Scotland: The 2,400 ton French destroyer Maillé Brézé, is a victim of its own weaponry when one of its own torpedoes accidentally fired and slithered along the main deck exploding under the bridge structure and completely wrecking the forepart of the ship. The British destroyer HMS Firedrake, rushed to the scene and rescued fifteen men who had slid down the hawse pipe. Other mangled bodies were recovered but those on the mess deck were doomed as the ship slowly sank taking with her 38 of her crew still trapped below. (Denis Peck)
The government decide to occupy Iceland. (Dave Hornford)
NORWAY: Major-General Bernard Paget, the commander of British land forces at
Ĺndalsnes , stages an unsuccessful attempt to break out of Trondheim.
A detachment of French mountain troops arrives at Harstad, Norway.
Mark Horan adds:
HMS Furious, in company with HMS Isis, HMS Ilex, and HMS Imogen continues towards the Clyde. HMS Glorious, immersed in a weather front with zero visibility and 10/10ths cloud cover down to 200 feet was unable to operate aircraft as she proceeded towards Scapa Flow in company with the destroyers HMS Fury, HMS Fortune, HMS Escort, HMS Grenade, HMS Hasty, and HMS Encounter, arrive at Scapa at 1800 and commence refuelling.
Meanwhile, HMS Ark Royal, in position 64.58 N, 08.07 E, was preparing to again strike at the centre of German air power in Northern Norway, Vaernes aerodrome as well as any shipping in the fjords around Trondheim harbour. For a change, the weather was ideal, with mild swells, a light South-westerly breeze, and blue skies. The first range, consists of 12 Swordfish armed with 4 x 250 lb. GP, 6 x 20 lb. Cooper, and 2 x 25 lb. incendiary bombs each. The "Stringbags", evenly split between 820 Squadron, led by Lieutenant R. N. Everett, RN, and 810 Squadron, led by Captain N. R. M. Skene, RM, began taking off at 0305 and took their departure at 0317, intent on hitting the airfield. Meanwhile, a second range of six Skuas, each armed with one 250 lb. SAP and 8 x 20 lb. Cooper bombs, was brought up. At 0400, Lieutenant. K. V. V. Spurway, RN led off his section of 800 Squadron, followed by Lieutenant R. L. Strange, RN leading his section from 801 Squadron. The faster Skuas were to attack any shipping targets in Trondheim harbour, then head for the airfield and act as shepherds for the vulnerable TSRs as they made their withdrawal.
Approaching Trondheim from 13,000' the Skuas found three merchants ships and 18 large floatplanes in the harbour. After making a high-speed approach glide, the crews pushed over from 8,000', each releasing the 250s and two Cooper bombs on the ships, one hit being claimed. Extending their dives, they then released the remaining six Cooper bombs on the float planes, scoring one direct hit and spraying several others with fragments. Only five of the Skuas made the rendezvous and then headed over to Vaernes to ensure the TSRs were not meeting any aerial opposition, after which they returned to the ship, landing at 0630.
The missing 800 Squadron Skua, flown by Midshipman(A) L. H. Gallagher, RN and Naval Airman G. W. Halifax, RN, after missing the rendezvous and failing in an attempt to find the ship alone, returned to the Ĺndalsnes area and landed safely at the soon the be evacuated Setnesmoen landing ground. As Gallagher did not know were Ark was, he refuelled from the soon to destroyed RAF petrol dump, intending to fly direct to RNAS Hatston. The crew was stymied in their attempt when the only available Coffmann starter cartridge failed to catch the engine. Determined to save his aircraft, we will hear more about Gallagher's efforts later.
Meanwhile, at 0432, in the face of heavy Flak, Lieutenant Everett led the six Swordfish of 810 Squadron into their attack dives from 6,000', targeting the barracks complex. Eight minutes later, Captain Skene led the six "Stringbags" of 810 Squadron down on the hanger area. Results were considered excellent, with several buildings receiving direct hits. All 12 aircraft returned to home safely around 0610.
Following on the heels of the big air strike, the ship dispatched a single Swordfish on an armed reconnaissance mission to photograph the forts at the head of the Trondheim Leeds. After doing so, the plane spotted a German submarine on the surface and attacked it with four 100 lb. A/S bombs, but no damage was done. While maintaining a single Swordfish on A/S patrol over the fleet, Ark dispatched 803's Blue section trio led by Lieutenant W. P. Lucy, RN to Molde to cover the evacuation. The patrol would prove most eventful. Between 1218 and 1320 the section had four separate combats with Ju-88s and He-111">He-111s, managing to down three of the later and damage another, all from KG 26.
Meanwhile, at 1140, Lieutenant G. E. D. Finch-Noyes, RN temporary OC of 800 Squadron, departed with three Skuas of Red section to cover evacuation Convoy TM 1. They tangled with several German bombers, mostly Ju-88s of KG-30, and though they none were brought down, they successfully broke up their attacks. Both sections returned safely to Ark Royal by 1540.
While all this was going on, things appeared to be getting a bit dicey around the carriers when a snooper was picked up at 1215. In response, Lieutenant R. C. Hay, RM led off 803's ready Roc section to run the enemy down. However, before the Rocs got to altitude, the enemy was seen to be damaged by AA fire and retired. After returning aboard, the same trio was again sent aloft at 1430 in response to another snooper, but again the foe had departed before they got up high enough to intercept. While uneventful, these patrols are historical as they are the only Rocs to actually operate from a Royal Navy carrier during the war.
Although Ark Royal was now withdrawing deeper into the Norwegian Sea to rest and reorganize her air group before the expected bombardment of the Trondheim Leeds by the Home Fleet, the escape of the two German reconnaissance aircraft led to high expectations of an aerial assault on the task force. Although several sections of fighters were placed in readiness, no German attack materialized and the days activity ended, at which point Vice-Admiral Wells hauls off to rendezvous with HMS Valiant and additional destroyers in preparation for covering the intended bombardment of the approaches to Trondheim, scheduled for 1 May.
ATLANTIC OCEAN: At 0129, the Scottish American
was hit by one torpedo from U-13
and caught fire. The U-boat had fired the last torpedo and left the tanker down
by the bows, but the ship was salvaged and returned to service after being
repaired.