Operation Zarin facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Unternehmen Zarin (Operation Tsarina) |
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| Part of Arctic naval operations of the Second World War | |||||||
 Admiral Hipper, Norway, 1942 |
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| Strength | |||||||
| 1 Heavy cruiser 4 Destroyers |
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Operation Zarin (which means Tsarina in English) was a German plan during World War II. It involved laying mines in the Arctic Ocean. This happened off the north-western coast of the Novaya Zemlya islands.
The operation took place between September 24 and 28, 1942. The German heavy cruiser Admiral Hipper led the mission. It was joined by four destroyers: Z23, Z28, Z29, and Z30. The Germans had to use a cruiser because their special minelaying ship, the Ulm, had been sunk. The mines laid during Operation Zarin did not have much impact.
Contents
Why This Operation Happened
Operation Tsar
During Convoy PQ 17 in 1942, supply ships sailed very far north. They used the coast of Novaya Zemlya for cover. This helped them reach Soviet ports like Murmansk or Arkhangelsk.
The Germans planned "Operation Tsar" to stop this. They sent the minelayer Ulm to lay mines. The goal was to place a minefield near Cape Zhelaniya. This is the northern tip of Novaya Zemlya. The mines would force Allied ships to sail further south. This would bring them closer to German bomber planes in Norway.
British code-breakers learned about Ulm's mission on August 25. They used their secret Enigma machine to read German messages. Other German plans, "Operation Peter" and "Operation Paul," also involved U-boats laying mines in the area.
The Sinking of Ulm
On August 24, 1942, the US heavy cruiser USS Tuscaloosa was in the Barents Sea. It was with five destroyer escorts. The British Admiralty ordered three British destroyers to leave Tuscaloosa. These were HMS Onslaught, Marne, and Martin. They were told to search for German warships.
At 9:55 p.m., they spotted a ship. The destroyers sped up to 25 knots (about 46 km/h). The ship, which was Ulm, tried to get away. Six minutes later, Onslaught and Marne began firing. Ulm tried to escape by zigzagging.
The German captain, Ernst Biet, ordered his crew to fire back. Marne and Martin hit Ulm with shells. Ulm also hit Marne, killing one crew member and three survivors from Convoy PQ 17. Five others were wounded.
By 10:16 p.m., the distance between the ships was only 2,500 yards (about 2,286 meters). The destroyers used their anti-aircraft guns to target Ulm's bridge. This caused many casualties among the German crew. Onslaught fired two torpedoes, but missed. Then, at 10:31 p.m., Onslaught hit Ulm near its front mast. There was a huge explosion, and Ulm broke in two. Both halves sank quickly by 10:35 p.m.
Marne rescued 54 survivors. However, 30 to 40 men were left behind and died. This was possibly because German aircraft were thought to be nearby. In total, 132 German sailors were killed. Losing Ulm made it much harder for Germany to lay many mines in the Arctic.
Operation Tsarina
Because Ulm was sunk, the Germans had to change their plans. They decided to use the heavy cruiser Admiral Hipper instead. This ship would lay the minefield off Novaya Zemlya in "Operation Tsarina."
Vice Admiral Oskar Kummetz commanded this operation. It was supposed to start on September 23. Admiral Hipper, commanded by Rear-Admiral Wilhelm Meisel, carried 96 naval mines. It was to sail from Altafjord with four destroyer escorts: Z23, Z28, Z29, and Z30.
The Mission
On September 24, Admiral Hipper and its four destroyers set sail. The destroyers stayed with the cruiser until the morning of September 26. In the evening, the minefield was laid off the north-west coast of Novaya Zemlya.
Admiral Hipper picked up radio signals from other ships nearby. Meisel wanted to investigate these signals. But Admiral Kummetz was more careful. He decided to return to the destroyers instead. The group of ships arrived back at Kaafjord on September 28.
What Happened After
British intelligence, including a Swedish agent and decoded Enigma messages, warned the Admiralty. They believed Germany was preparing another attack on Arctic convoys using U-boats, ships, and planes.
The British thought this threat was serious until the end of September. However, the Enigma messages did not warn the British about Hipper's mission. A report about Admiral Hipper sailing on September 24 did not reach the Admiralty until September 27. No Allied ships are known to have hit the minefield laid during Operation Tsarina.
