×
Home Intro People Events Equipment Places Maps Books Photos Videos Other Reference FAQ About
     

World War II Database

Operation Cerberus file photo [272]

Operation Cerberus

11 Feb 1942 - 13 Feb 1942

Contributor:

ww2dbaseA small German fleet was stationed at Brest, France, which had increasingly come under Allied aerial attacks by early 1942. Meanwhile, Norway, rich with iron ore and strategically placed to provide Germany with a northern flank, lacked adequate naval resources. For those reasons, the German Navy decided to relocate the Brest force to Norway to join battleship Tirpitz. Because the Allies were active in the North Atlantic, it was decided that the ships from Brest would make the trip through the English Channel. The German code name for the move was Unternehmen Zerberus (Operation Cerberus), while the British nickname for it was "Channel Dash". The operation, personally demanded by Adolf Hitler, was deemed so risky an operation that Grand Admiral Erich Raeder refused to take responsibility for the operation.

ww2dbaseOn the other side of the English Channel, British intelligence detected a heightened state of activity on the French coast, and correctly suspected that the German fleet might be planning to move. As a response, the British Navy laid more mines in the English Channel. By now, there were more than 1,000 mines in the narrow body of water.

ww2dbaseOn 11 Feb 1942, battlecruisers Scharnhorst and Gneisenau along with heavy cruiser Prinz Eugen left the port of Brest escorted by six destroyers. The detection of the German fleet finally reached British high command after 13 hours. The shore batteries near Dover fired on the approximate location of the German fleet, but all shells missed their targets. After a few motor torpedo boats failed to hit the German ships with their torpedoes, six Swordfish aircraft were launched immediately to intercept the German fleet, though the Swordfish were all lost without inflicting any significant damage. Because of the bad weather, Bomber Command was not able to dispatch any heavy aircraft to engage the German ships; when they finally decided to launch bombers, only a small number were able to drop their payloads because they were not able to reach the ideal altitude due to the thick clouds. The final act of the series of British failures involved in some British aircraft mistakenly attacking British destroyers that were sent out to make contact with the German fleet.

ww2dbaseThe German fleet sailed through the English Channel, to the embarrassment of the British, without being challenged again. The ships reached their destination at dawn 13 Feb. Scharnhorst did receive damage from a mine, however. 17 German land-based aircraft had also been lost while covering the operation.

ww2dbaseBy moving the ships away from the French coast, the Germans actually gave the Allies a small breathing space in terms of naval operations off the coast of Western Europe. As Raeder, who disagreed with this operation, said, Germany had won "a tactical victory (but) had suffered a strategic defeat."

ww2dbaseSources:
History Learning Site
Wikipedia

Last Major Update: Feb 2006

Photographs

Gneisenau and Scharnhorst trailing Prinz Eugen during the Channel Dash, Feb 1942, photo 1 of 3Gneisenau and Scharnhorst trailing Prinz Eugen during the Channel Dash, Feb 1942, photo 2 of 3
See all 3 photographs of Operation Cerberus

Operation Cerberus Timeline

11 Feb 1942 German warships Scharnhorst, Gneisenau, and Prinz Eugen, accompanied by 6 destroyers, departed Brest, France at 2330 hours and began their dash through the English Channel.
12 Feb 1942 2 RAF Spitfire fighters on patrol unexpectedly spotted a large German fleet escorted by torpedo boats sailing through the English Channel at 1042 hours. British coastal guns at South Foreland, England, United Kingdom fired 33 rounds at the fleet, all of which missed. A number of aircraft were launched to attack, which failed to destroy the fleet, while 37 aircraft were shot down in the process, killing 23 airmen. The only damage sustained by the Germans were by mines; Scharnhorst struck two and Gneisenau struck one.
12 Feb 1942 Torpedo boats Jaguar and Seeadler made rendezvous with battleship Scharnhorst, battleship Gneisenau, and heavy cruiser Prinz Eugen off Cap Gris-Nez, Nord-Pas-de-Calais, France.
13 Feb 1942 German Navy Admiral Ciliax sent a signal to Admiral Saalwächter in Paris, France in mid-morning: "It is my duty to inform you that Operation Cerberus has been successfully completed."




Did you enjoy this article or find this article helpful? If so, please consider supporting us on Patreon. Even $1 per month will go a long way! Thank you.

Share this article with your friends:

 Facebook
 Reddit
 Twitter

Stay updated with WW2DB:

 RSS Feeds




Visitor Submitted Comments

1. Anonymous says:
27 Jan 2020 09:18:13 AM

this was not factual and unreal

All visitor submitted comments are opinions of those making the submissions and do not reflect views of WW2DB.

Posting Your Comments on this Topic

Your Name
Your Email
 Your email will not be published
Comment Type
Your Comments
 

Notes:

1. We hope that visitor conversations at WW2DB will be constructive and thought-provoking. Please refrain from using strong language. HTML tags are not allowed. Your IP address will be tracked even if you remain anonymous. WW2DB site administrators reserve the right to moderate, censor, and/or remove any comment. All comment submissions will become the property of WW2DB.

2. For inquiries about military records for members of the World War II armed forces, please see our FAQ.

Change View
Desktop View

Search WW2DB
More on Operation Cerberus
Location:
» Atlantic Ocean

Ship Participants:
» Gneisenau
» Jaguar
» Prinz Eugen
» Scharnhorst
» Seeadler

Operation Cerberus Photo Gallery
Gneisenau and Scharnhorst trailing Prinz Eugen during the Channel Dash, Feb 1942, photo 1 of 3Gneisenau and Scharnhorst trailing Prinz Eugen during the Channel Dash, Feb 1942, photo 2 of 3
See all 3 photographs of Operation Cerberus


Famous WW2 Quote
"Goddam it, you'll never get the Purple Heart hiding in a foxhole! Follow me!"

Captain Henry P. Jim Crowe, Guadalcanal, 13 Jan 1943


Support Us

Please consider supporting us on Patreon. Even $1 a month will go a long way. Thank you!

Or, please support us by purchasing some WW2DB merchandise at TeeSpring, Thank you!