Operation Ostfront facts for kids
Operation Ostfront (which means "Eastern Front" in German) was a special mission by the German battleship Scharnhorst during World War II. The ship sailed into the cold Arctic Ocean to attack Allied convoys. This mission ended with the sinking of the Scharnhorst.
Why This Mission Happened
Soon after Germany invaded the Soviet Union (this was called Operation Barbarossa), the Western Allies started sending important supplies to the Soviet Union. These supplies traveled by ship in groups called Arctic Convoys. They sailed through the icy Arctic waters.
In May 1941, a big German warship called the German battleship Bismarck was sunk. After this, Adolf Hitler, Germany's leader, ordered that no other large German warships should go into dangerous waters where they might be attacked.
By December 1943, things were not going well for Germany in the war. Germany was losing the Battle of the Atlantic, which meant many supplies were reaching the United Kingdom and the Soviet Union. In September 1943, another powerful German battleship, the German battleship Tirpitz, was damaged by the British during Operation Source. This left the Scharnhorst and the Prinz Eugen as the only big warships still able to fight for the German navy, known as the Kriegsmarine.
The Mission Begins
In November 1943, the Arctic Convoys started sailing again. On December 19, 1943, Grand Admiral Karl Dönitz, a top German naval commander, asked Hitler for permission to let the Scharnhorst attack the next convoy. This convoy would be sailing through the Barents Sea.
On December 25, 1943, Admiral Dönitz gave the order for "Operation Ostfront" to begin. The Scharnhorst set sail to attack a British convoy called Convoy JW 55B. The Germans thought this convoy was not well protected.
However, Admiral Fraser, who was in charge of the British Home Fleet, knew the Scharnhorst might attack. He had received information from Norwegian resistance fighters. So, Admiral Fraser set a trap for the German warship.
During the battle that followed, known as the Battle of the North Cape, the Scharnhorst became separated from the smaller ships that were protecting it. The mighty battleship was then sunk.
