View source for Operation Mascot

{{short description|1944 British carrier air raid against the German battleship Tirpitz}}
{{featured article}}
{{EngvarB|date=January 2014}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2014}}
{{infobox military conflict
| conflict = Operation Mascot
| partof = [[World War II]]
| image = [[File:Corsair fighters and Fairey Barracuda torpedo bombers ranged on the flight deck of HMS FORMIDABLE off Norway in July 1944.jpg|300px|alt=Black and white photo of a large number of single-engined monoplane aircraft on the deck of an aircraft carrier at sea. Another ship is visible in the background.|[[Vought F4U Corsair|Corsair]] fighters and [[Fairey Barracuda|Barracuda]] bombers ranged on the flight deck of HMS ''Formidable'' during operations off Norway in July 1944]]
| caption = [[Vought F4U Corsair|Corsair]] fighters and [[Fairey Barracuda|Barracuda]] bombers ranged on the flight deck of {{HMS|Formidable|67|6}} during operations off Norway in July 1944
| date = 17 July 1944
| place = [[Kåfjorden (Alta)|Kåfjord]], Norway
| coordinates =
| map_type =
| map_size =
| map_caption =
| map_label =
| territory =
| result = German victory
| status =
| combatant1 = {{flag|United Kingdom}}
| combatant2 = {{flagcountry|Nazi Germany|1935}}
| combatant3 =
| commander1 = {{flagicon|United Kingdom}} [[Henry Ruthven Moore|Henry Moore]]
| commander2 = {{flagicon|Nazi Germany|1935}} [[Wolf Junge]]
| commander3 =
| units1 =
| units2 =
| units3 =
| strength1 = 44 dive bombers<br>40 fighters
| strength2 = One battleship<br>Anti-aircraft batteries and ships
| strength3 =
| casualties1 = Three aircraft
| casualties2 = One patrol craft<br>2 U-boats sunk
| casualties3 =
| notes =
}}
{{Campaignbox Norwegian Campaigns (1941 - 1945)}}
{{Campaignbox Arctic Naval Operations of WWII}}
'''Operation Mascot''' was an unsuccessful British carrier air raid conducted against the [[German battleship Tirpitz|German battleship ''Tirpitz'']] at her anchorage in [[Kåfjorden (Alta)|Kaafjord]], Norway, on 17 July 1944. The attack was one of a [[List of Allied attacks on the German battleship Tirpitz|series of strikes]] against the battleship launched from aircraft carriers between April and August 1944, and was initiated after Allied intelligence determined that the damage inflicted during the [[Operation Tungsten]] raid on 3 April had been repaired.

A force of 44 British [[dive bomber]]s and 40 [[Fighter aircraft|fighters]] took off from three aircraft carriers in the early hours of 17 July. German [[radar]] stations detected these aircraft while they were en route to Kaafjord, and ''Tirpitz'' was protected by a [[smoke screen]] by the time the strike force arrived. Few of the British airmen were able to spot the battleship, and their attacks did not  inflict any significant damage. German losses were limited to a patrol craft, and three British aircraft were destroyed or damaged beyond repair by Kaafjord's defenders. A group of German [[U-boat|submarine]]s attempted to intercept the carrier force as it returned to base, without success. Two U-boats were sunk near the carriers by British patrol aircraft and several others were damaged.

In August 1944, the [[Royal Navy]] conducted [[Operation Goodwood (naval)|Operation Goodwood]], four more carrier raids against ''Tirpitz'' which also failed and the task of sinking the battleship was transferred to the [[Royal Air Force]].

==Background==
{{see also|List of Allied attacks on the German battleship Tirpitz}}
From early 1942 ''Tirpitz'' posed a significant threat to the [[Arctic convoys of World War II|Allied convoys]] transporting supplies through the [[Norwegian Sea]] to the Soviet Union. Operating from [[fjord]]s on the Norwegian coast, the battleship was capable of overwhelming the close-escort forces assigned to the Arctic convoys or breaking out into the North Atlantic.<ref>Ellis (1999), pp. 294–295</ref> To counter this threat, the Allies were forced to keep a powerful force of warships with the British [[Home Fleet]], and capital ships accompanied most convoys part of the way to the Soviet Union.<ref name="Bennett_9">Bennett (2012), p. 9</ref><ref name="Faulkner_109">Faulkner and Wilkinson (2012), p. 109</ref>
[[File:The Royal Navy during the Second World War A22634.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.2|alt=Black and white photograph of a World War II-era warship in a small bay with a steep and snow-covered shoreline. Clouds of smoke are being blown from the shoreline towards the ship.|A British aerial reconnaissance photograph of ''Tirpitz'' moored at Kaafjord. The artificial smoke generators on the shores of the fjord have not yet obscured her.]]

Several air and naval attacks were launched against ''Tirpitz'' in 1942 and 1943. On 6 March 1942, [[torpedo bomber]]s flying from the aircraft carrier {{HMS|Victorious|R38|6}} attacked the battleship while she was attempting to intercept [[Convoy PQ 12]] but did not achieve any hits.<ref name="Bennett_11">Bennett (2012), p. 11</ref><ref>Bishop (2012), pp. 78–83</ref> Land-based bombers from the Royal Air Force (RAF) and [[Soviet Air Forces]] also attempted to strike ''Tirpitz'' in her anchorages on several occasions in 1942 and 1943, but did not inflict any damage.<ref name=Bennett_11 /> On 23 September 1943, two British [[X-class submarine|X-class]] midget submarines penetrated defences around the battleship at her main anchorage at Kaafjord in northern Norway during [[Operation Source]], and placed explosive charges in the water beneath her. This attack caused extensive damage to ''Tirpitz'', putting her out of service for six months.<ref>Woodman (2004), p. 340</ref>

As ''Tirpitz'' was still considered a major threat to Allied shipping, the British military sought to damage or destroy the battleship before she could re-enter service. Another midget submarine attack was considered impractical due to improvements to Kaafjord's defences, and the commander of the RAF's [[Bomber Command RAF|Bomber Command]] refused to attempt [[heavy bomber]] raids against the battleship as he believed that such operations were unlikely to be successful and would result in heavy casualties.<ref>Zetterling and Tamelander (2009), p. 265</ref><ref>Bishop (2012), p. 294</ref> As a result, the Home Fleet's aircraft carriers were considered the best means of attacking Kaafjord, and the [[British Admiralty|Admiralty]] directed the fleet to begin planning such a raid in late 1943.<ref>Zetterling and Tamelander (2009), pp. 265–267</ref> Following several months of preparations the Home Fleet's first attack on Kaafjord, which was designated [[Operation Tungsten]], was conducted on 3 April 1944 and involved five aircraft carriers. The two strike forces of 20 [[Fairey Barracuda]] dive bombers escorted by 40 fighters were not detected during their flights to Kaafjord, and the battleship was hit by 15 bombs. ''Tirpitz''{{'}}s crew suffered heavy casualties, but the ship was not badly damaged.<ref>Bennett (2012), pp. 14–17</ref> Nevertheless, the damage inflicted on ''Tirpitz''{{'}}s superstructure, armament and engines was sufficient to put her out of service for several months while repairs were completed. The commander of [[Nazi Germany]]'s ''[[Kriegsmarine]]'', Grand Admiral [[Karl Dönitz]], placed a priority on returning the battleship to service so that she could continue to tie down Allied naval resources. He and other senior German officers recognised at this time that the threat of further air attacks meant that ''Tirpitz'' could no longer operate against Allied convoys.<ref name="Garzke_267">Garzke and Dulin (1985), p. 267</ref>

British intelligence assessed that ''Tirpitz'' could be repaired within six months, and the Admiralty ordered further carrier-borne strikes against the battleship. First Sea Lord [[Andrew Cunningham, 1st Viscount Cunningham of Hyndhope|Andrew Cunningham]] did not believe that Barracudas could carry weapons capable of sinking ''Tirpitz'', but he hoped that further attacks would increase the period the battleship was out of service and harm her crew's morale.<ref name="Roskill_278">Roskill (1960), p. 278</ref><ref name="Zetterling_280">Zetterling and Tamelander (2009), p. 280</ref> The commander of the Home Fleet, Vice Admiral [[Bruce Fraser, 1st Baron Fraser of North Cape|Bruce Fraser]], initially resisted this order on the grounds that further carrier raids on Kaafjord were unlikely to be successful as ''Tirpitz''{{'}}s defences would have been reinforced and weather conditions were likely to be worse than those encountered during Operation Tungsten. Following an argument with Cunningham, Fraser eventually agreed to attack Kaafjord again.<ref name=Zetterling_280 /> Despite the decision to make further attacks on Kaafjord, many of the Home Fleet's airmen were posted to other units following Operation Tungsten. This hindered subsequent operations against German forces in Norway as the new aircrew were less experienced than the men they replaced.<ref name="Zetterling_283">Zetterling and Tamelander (2009), p. 283</ref>

Three raids against ''Tirpitz'' were cancelled after launch due to unfavourable weather during April and May 1944. The first of these attacks, Operation Planet, began when the Home Fleet sailed from its base at [[Scapa Flow]] in the Orkney Islands on 21 April. This operation involved the same aircraft carriers as had taken part in Operation Tungsten, aside from the substitution of the escort carrier {{HMS|Fencer|D64|6}} with her sister ship {{HMS|Striker|D12|2}}. The fleet reached the position where its aircraft were to be flown off three days later, but the raid was cancelled when Allied agents near Kaafjord reported bad weather over the target area.<ref name=Zetterling_280 /><ref name="Sweetman_72">Sweetman (2000), p. 72</ref> The fleet then sailed south, and attacked a German convoy near [[Bodø]], sinking three merchant ships for the loss of six aircraft.<ref name=Sweetman_72 /> The Home Fleet put to sea to attack ''Tirpitz'' again in mid-May in what was designated Operation Brawn.<ref name=Zetterling_280 /><ref name="Bishop_310">Bishop (2012), p. 310</ref> A strike force of 27 Barracudas escorted by [[Vought F4U Corsair]] and [[Supermarine Seafire]] fighters took off from the carriers {{HMS|Furious|47|6}} and ''Victorious'' on the afternoon of 15 May, but encountered heavy cloud over Kaafjord and returned without attacking.<ref name="Brown_36">Brown (1977), p. 36</ref><ref name="Sweetman_73">Sweetman (2000), p. 73</ref> The next raid, Operation Tiger Claw, was launched in late May. The planned attack on Kaafjord—which would have also involved aircraft flying from ''Furious'' and ''Victorious''—had to be cancelled due to bad weather on 28 May.<ref name=Brown_36 /> Instead, the carriers sailed south in search of German convoys. In a raid conducted on 1 June, the carriers' aircraft sank four merchant vessels near [[Ålesund]].<ref name=Sweetman_73 /> No further attacks were attempted during June as the ships of the Home Fleet were needed to support the [[Normandy landings]] that month.<ref name="Levy_147">Levy (2003), p. 147</ref>

==Preparations==
{{location map|Finnmark| lat = 69.9353| long = 23.0454| caption =The location of Kaafjord in northern Norway| label = Kaafjord| float = right}}
Despite the lack of success, the Admiralty and Admiral [[Henry Ruthven Moore|Sir Henry Moore]], who had assumed command of the Home Fleet on 14 June 1944, remained committed to attempting further carrier raids against ''Tirpitz''.<ref name="Roskill_155">Roskill (1961), p. 155</ref> During June, the Admiralty received a series of intelligence reports indicating that repairs to ''Tirpitz'' were generally progressing well and the battleship would soon be ready to put to sea. Late that month Allied spies spotted ''Tirpitz'' conducting steaming trials in Kaafjord, and reported that she was capable of sailing at up to {{convert|20|kn|km/h}} and could rotate her main gun turrets. As a result, in late June the Admiralty directed that another aircraft carrier raid be conducted against Kaafjord during mid-July.<ref>Sweetman (2000), pp. 73–75</ref> It was intended that this attack would take place before the resumption of the Arctic convoys, which had been suspended since April 1944 to free up ships for the invasion of France.<ref name="Tarrant_129">Tarrant (1994), p. 129</ref>

As detected by the British, repairs to ''Tirpitz'' following Operation Tungsten progressed quickly. Work on repairing the battleship began in late April, and 157 shipyard workers and special equipment were transported from [[Kiel]] in Germany to Kaafjord to accelerate the project.<ref name="Zetterling_281">Zetterling and Tamelander (2009), p. 281</ref> Assisted by the long hours of daylight at Kaafjord's latitude during summer, three shifts of personnel worked on ''Tirpitz'' each day.<ref name=Garzke_267 /> The battleship was capable of moving under her own power by 2 June, and ready to begin gunnery exercises at the end of that month. The repair works concluded in mid-July, though the battleship's starboard propeller shaft could only be used to drive her forwards.<ref name=Garzke_267 /> Captain Wolf Junge assumed command of the battleship in May 1944, replacing Captain Hans Meyer who had been wounded during Operation Tungsten.<ref>Williamson (2003), p. 40</ref>

==Opposing forces==
{{see also|Allied order of battle for Operation Mascot}}
As ''Victorious'' had been redeployed to the Indian Ocean in June, the carriers selected for Operation Mascot were the recently commissioned {{HMS|Indefatigable|R10|6}} as well as the veterans {{HMS|Formidable|67|2}} and ''Furious''. The carriers were escorted by the battleship {{HMS|Duke of York|17|6}}, four [[cruiser]]s and twelve [[destroyer]]s. Admiral Moore commanded the force from ''Duke of York'', and the carrier group was led by Rear Admiral [[Rhoderick McGrigor]] on board ''Indefatigable''.<ref name=Sweetman_75 /><ref name="Roskill_156">Roskill (1961), p. 156</ref>

The composition of the striking force was broadly similar to that used in the earlier operations targeting ''Tirpitz''. ''Formidable'' embarked No. 8 Torpedo Bomber Reconnaissance Wing, whose [[827 Naval Air Squadron|827]] and [[830 Naval Air Squadron]]s each operated 12 Barracudas, as well as [[1841 Naval Air Squadron]], which was equipped with 18 Corsairs. ''Indefatigable'' carried No. 9 Torpedo Bomber Reconnaissance Wing, which was also equipped with 24 Barracudas split between [[820 Naval Air Squadron|820]] and [[826 Naval Air Squadron]]s, as well as the Seafire-equipped [[894 Naval Air Squadron]] and [[1770 Naval Air Squadron|1770 Naval Air Squadron's]] 12 [[Fairey Firefly]] fighters. In a change from her role in the previous attacks, ''Furious'' did not embark any Barracudas during Operation Mascot, and instead operated 20 [[Grumman F6F Hellcat]] fighters from [[1840 Naval Air Squadron]], three Seafires assigned to [[880 Naval Air Squadron]] and three 842 Flight [[Fairey Swordfish]] anti-submarine aircraft.<ref name="Brown2009_24">Brown (2009), p. 24</ref>

The defences of Kaafjord were improved following Operation Tungsten. Prior to this raid they had comprised eleven batteries of anti-aircraft guns, several anti-aircraft warships and a system of [[Smoke screen#Smoke generators|smoke generators]] capable of hiding ''Tirpitz'' from aircraft.<ref>Tactical, Torpedo and Staff Duties Division (Historical Section) (2012), pp. 135, 151</ref> After the attack, additional radar stations and observation posts were established and the number of smoke generators located around the battleship was increased.<ref name="Brown_37">Brown (1977), p. 37</ref> The improved defences in place by the time of Operation Mascot included a cliff-top observation post near Kaafjord, which was capable of directing the battleship's anti-aircraft guns if necessary.<ref name="Sweetman_74">Sweetman (2000), p. 74</ref> ''Tirpitz''{{'}}s air defences were also strengthened during the period she was under repair by fitting additional {{convert|20|mm|in|adj=on}} cannons, modifying the 150&nbsp;mm guns so they could be used to attack aircraft, and supplying anti-aircraft shells for her {{convert|380|mm|in|adj=on}} main guns.<ref name=Garzke_267 />

As well as the German forces located near Kaafjord, a patrol line of twelve submarines designated Group Trutz was also established around the island of [[Jan Mayen]] and assigned the task of intercepting any British carrier forces that ventured into the Norwegian Sea. The submarines assigned to this force at the time of Operation Mascot were {{GS|U-347||2}}, {{GS|U-361||2}}, {{GS|U-365||2}}, {{GS|U-387||2}}, {{GS|U-636||2}}, {{GS|U-716||2}}, {{GS|U-742||2}}, {{GS|U-921||2}}, {{GS|U-956||2}}, {{GS|U-965||2}}, {{GS|U-992||2}}, and {{GS|U-995||2}}.<ref name=Tarrant_129 /> The German ''[[Luftwaffe]]'' (air force) had few fighters stationed at bases near Kaafjord, and their operations were constrained by a lack of fuel.<ref>Bennett (2012), p. 14</ref><ref>Tactical, Torpedo and Staff Duties Division (Historical Section) (2012), p. 135</ref>

==Attack==
Rear Admiral McGrigor issued an operational memo to the air units selected for Operation Mascot on 4 July, outlining how the attack would be conducted and providing further orders for the raid eight days later. In accordance with these instructions, the flying squadrons assigned to the three carriers undertook training exercises from their ships and shore bases from 4 July onwards.<ref name="Sweetman_75">Sweetman (2000), p. 75</ref> Intelligence gained from decrypting German radio messages during early July, and photos taken by a RAF aircraft on 12 July, provided further evidence that the battleship was once again fully operational and possibly preparing to put to sea.<ref name="Hinsley_276">Hinsley et al. (1988), p. 276</ref><ref name="Zetterling_282">Zetterling and Tamelander (2009), p. 282</ref> The airmen were informed on 13 July that they would attack Kaafjord in four days time.<ref name=Sweetman_75 />

The British fleet left Scapa Flow as a single group on 14 July. During the voyage north, the airmen received detailed briefings on the attack plans and terrain around Kaafjord and were also issued with escape kits to use if they were shot down over Norway. Maintenance personnel also worked to ensure that as many aircraft as possible would be ready.<ref name=Sweetman_75 /> The twelve German submarines in the Norwegian Sea did not make contact with the British force as it sailed north.<ref name=Tarrant_129 /> The weather for much of the voyage was foggy, but the skies were clear when the fleet reached its flying off position to the north of Kaafjord in the evening of 16 July.<ref name=Sweetman_75 />

[[File:830 Squadron Barracuda taking off from HMS Furious at the start of Operation Mascot.jpg|left|thumb|alt=Black-and-white photograph of a single-engined monoplane running along the deck of an aircraft carrier|An 830 Naval Air Squadron Barracuda taking off from the temporary [[Ski-jump (aviation)|ski jump]] on ''Furious'' at the start of Operation Mascot<ref name="Brown2009_25">Brown (2009), p. 25</ref>]]

The carriers began launching their aircraft shortly after midnight on 17 July.<ref>Sweetman (2000), pp. 75–76</ref> The main striking force comprised 44 Barracudas, with the plan for the raid specifying that No. 8 Torpedo Bomber Reconnaissance Wing's aircraft would attack before those of No. 9 Torpedo Bomber Reconnaissance Wing. All but two of the dive bombers were armed with powerful {{convert|1600|lb|kg|adj=on}} armour-piercing bombs; the other aircraft each carried three {{convert|500|lb|kg|adj=on}} bombs.<ref name=Zetterling_282 /><ref name="Brown_36-37">Brown (1977), pp. 36–37</ref> 1841 Naval Air Squadron's 18 Corsairs were assigned to provide protection against German fighters, and the 20 Hellcats and 12 Fireflies operated by 1840 and 1770 Naval Air Squadrons respectively were given the task of suppressing anti-aircraft guns.<ref name=Brown_36-37 />

After forming up, the bombers and fighters began their flight to Kaafjord at 01:35. The aircraft flew {{convert|50|ft|m}} above the sea to evade German radar until they reached a point ten minutes flying time from the Norwegian coast, at which time the Barracudas climbed to {{convert|9000|ft|m}} and the fighters to higher altitudes. The weather was fine throughout the flight, but clouds were sighted as the aircraft neared the target area.<ref name="Sweetman_76">Sweetman (2000), p. 76</ref>

The British strike force was detected by German radar stations when it reached a point {{convert|43|mi|km}} from Kaafjord at 02:00. It took four minutes to pass a warning to ''Tirpitz''; her protective smoke generators were in action by 02:13 and quickly covered the vessel in an artificial cloud. The battleship and anti-aircraft batteries located on the shore began firing a barrage towards the British aircraft at 02:19.<ref name=Brown_37 /> German forces also began [[Radio jamming|jamming]] the British aircraft's radios once they came within {{convert|10|mi|km}} of the Norwegian coastline.<ref name=Sweetman_76 /> The smokescreen frustrated the British attack, as the crews of only two of the Barracudas and a pair of fighters managed to spot ''Tirpitz'' during the raid.<ref name=Brown_37 />

The Hellcats and Fireflies were first to attack, and [[Strafing|strafed]] anti-aircraft positions as well as the destroyer [[German destroyer Z33|''Z33'']] and small patrol craft ''Vp 6307''. The patrol craft was forced aground and later declared a total loss.<ref name=Brown_37 /><ref name="Brown2009_28">Brown (2009), p. 28</ref> Due to the thick smoke, the fighter pilots were only able to locate targets by aiming at the sources of [[Tracer ammunition|tracer gunfire]].<ref name=Sweetman_76 />

The Barracudas were targeted by heavy, but inaccurate, anti-aircraft gunfire as they arrived over Kaafjord.<ref name=Sweetman_76 /> Aside from the two aircraft whose pilots sighted ''Tirpitz'', the 35 other dive bombers attempting to attack the ship were forced to aim at her gun flashes. These bombing attacks took 25 minutes to complete; seven near misses were achieved but no damage was inflicted on ''Tirpitz''. One of the other Barracudas attacked an anti-aircraft battery, another attempted to bomb a destroyer and a third scored a near miss on the tanker [[Nordmark (ship)|''Nordmark'']]. Three of the remaining four Barracudas did not find any targets and jettisoned their bombs into the sea; the fourth was unable to drop its bombs due to a faulty release mechanism.<ref name=Brown_37 /><ref>Sweetman (2000), pp. 76–77</ref>

Although German gunners fired a heavy anti-aircraft barrage throughout the attack, they achieved little success. Only one British aircraft, a Corsair, was shot down near Kaafjord; its pilot survived and was taken prisoner. A damaged Barracuda was also forced to [[Water landing|ditch]] near ''Indefatigable'' and its crew were rescued by the destroyer {{HMS|Verulam|R28|6}}. Several other Barracudas and five Hellcats were damaged during the raid and returned to their carriers.<ref name=Brown_37 /><ref name=Sweetman_77 /><ref>McCart (2000), p. 150</ref> One of the damaged Hellcats was later written off after being judged beyond repair.<ref name=Sweetman_77 />

A second British raid, which had been scheduled to take off from 08:00 on 17 July, was cancelled two minutes before the aircraft were to begin launching when fog began to build up near the carriers,<ref name=Brown_37 /><ref name="Sweetman_77">Sweetman (2000), p. 77</ref> and the British fleet turned south to return to Scapa Flow.<ref name=Zetterling_282 /> Swordfish and Seafire aircraft flew protective patrols over the Home Fleet throughout the morning's operations.<ref name=Sweetman_77 />

==Submarine actions==

While Kaafjord was under attack, the commander of the German submarines in the Norwegian sea ordered Group Trutz to take up new positions to the south-east of Jan Mayen and intercept the British ships as they returned to Scapa Flow. The Admiralty had anticipated this redeployment, and maritime patrol aircraft from [[No. 18 Group RAF]] were directed to sweep the Home Fleet's route back to its base.<ref name="Tarrant_131">Tarrant (1994), p. 131</ref>

The British patrol aircraft prevented Group Trutz from attacking the Home Fleet. At 21:48 on 17 July, a [[Consolidated B-24 Liberator]] assigned to [[No. 86 Squadron RAF|No. 86 Squadron]] detected and sank ''U-361''; none of the submarine's crew were rescued. Eight minutes later a [[Consolidated PBY Catalina|Consolidated Catalina]] flying boat of [[No. 210 Squadron RAF|No. 210 Squadron]] piloted by Flying Officer [[John Cruickshank]] spotted ''U-347'' on the surface. The submarine's anti-aircraft guns damaged the Catalina, killing the navigator and wounding Cruickshank as well as three other crewmen, but the pilot continued his attack and sank ''U-347'' with depth charges. The Catalina managed to return to base, and Cruickshank was awarded the [[Victoria Cross]] for this action.<ref name="Tarrant_132">Tarrant (1994), p. 132</ref> That night the Home Fleet sailed through the gap in the German patrol line that had been opened by the sinking of the two submarines.<ref name=Tarrant_132 />

Attacks on the German submarines continued for the next six days. On the morning of 18 July a German reconnaissance aircraft spotted the Home Fleet, but German Naval Command Norway assessed that it was heading north-east to launch another attack. Accordingly, Group Trutz was ordered to sail north, and four more submarines sortied from [[Narvik]] to guard the approaches to Alten and [[Vestfjorden|Vest fjords]]. In the evening {{GS|U-968||2}}, one of the four boats that had sailed from Narvik, was attacked twice by Liberators; she shot down the first attacker but was damaged by the second and had to return to port.<ref name=Tarrant_132 /> ''U-716'' also suffered severe damage from a Liberator attack at 19:15 on 18 July but managed to return to [[Hammerfest]]. At about 23:00 that day ''U-716'' was seriously damaged by a [[Short Sunderland]] but also survived. Three other submarines were attacked on 20 July but only one suffered any damage. Following these actions the commander of submarines in the Norway area decided to dissolve Group Trutz as it was too vulnerable to air attack; all but four of the surviving submarines returned to port and the remaining boats were ordered to sail north so that they were out of range of the British aircraft. The final attack on the submarines of the former Group Trutz was made on 23 July when a [[No. 330 Squadron RAF|No. 330 Squadron]] Sunderland damaged ''U-992'' near Vestfjord.<ref name="Tarrant_133">Tarrant (1994), p. 133</ref>

==Aftermath==
[[File:Grumman Hellcats of 1840 Squadron returning to HMS Furious after the strike against the TIRPITZ and other enemy shipping during Operation Mascot on 17 July 1944 IWM A24771.jpg|thumb|alt=Black and white photograph of a single-engined monoplane on the wooden deck of an aircraft carrier with four men walking along the deck towards the aircraft. Another aircraft is flying above the sea in the background to the photo.|Hellcats returning to HMS ''Furious'' following Operation Mascot]]
Following the attack on 17 July, the British learned from intercepted German radio transmissions and reports provided by [[Secret Intelligence Service]] agents that ''Tirpitz'' had not suffered any significant damage.<ref name=Hinsley_276 /> Admiral Moore blamed the failure of Operation Mascot on the inexperience of the aircrew involved in the attack, and criticised the strike leader for not selecting alternative targets after it became clear that ''Tirpitz'' could not be accurately bombed.<ref name=Sweetman_77 /> Moore also judged that further attacks on Kaafjord using Barracudas would be futile, as the dive bombers' slow speed gave the Germans enough time to cover ''Tirpitz'' with smoke between the time raids were detected and their arrival over the target area. The Admiralty was hopeful that a strategy of repeatedly striking Kaafjord over a 48-hour period would wear down the defences, and Moore agreed to attempt another attack. Consideration was also given to flying fast and long-ranged [[de Havilland Mosquito]] bombers off the carriers in an attempt to achieve surprise, but none of these land-based aircraft could be spared from supporting the Allied bombing of Germany.<ref name=Roskill_156 />

The next attack on Kaafjord took place in late August. During [[Operation Goodwood (naval)|Operation Goodwood]], aircraft flying from three [[fleet carrier]]s and two [[escort carrier]]s conducted four raids between 22 and 29 August. The attackers found ''Tirpitz'' covered in smoke on each occasion, and only managed to inflict light damage on the battleship. These unsuccessful attacks cost the British 17 aircraft and 40 airmen killed.<ref>Zetterling and Tamelander (2009), pp. 282–283</ref><ref>Bishop (2012), pp. 311–313</ref> The frigate {{HMS|Bickerton|K466|6}} was torpedoed and sunk by the submarine {{GS|U-354||2}} during the operation; the same submarine also inflicted heavy damage on the escort carrier {{HMS|Nabob|D77|2}} before being destroyed by a British aircraft.<ref name=Brown2009_28 /><ref>Sweetman (2000), p. 80</ref>

The Admiralty accepted that Barracudas were too slow to be effective against the Kaafjord area following the failure of Operation Goodwood. As a result, the task of attacking the battleship was transferred to RAF Bomber Command.<ref>Roskill (1961), pp. 161–162</ref> The first heavy bomber raid against Kaafjord ([[Operation Paravane]]) was conducted on 15 September 1944, with the bombers flying from staging bases in northern Russia. This attack inflicted irreparable damage on ''Tirpitz'', and she was transferred south to the [[Tromsø]] area to be used as an immobile coastal defence battery. The battleship was [[Operation Catechism|sunk there with heavy loss of life]] by another Bomber Command raid on 12 November.<ref>Bennett (2012), pp. 19–21</ref>

==References==

===Citations===
{{reflist|colwidth=30em}}

===Bibliography===
{{commons category|Operation Mascot}}
*{{cite book |last=Bennett |first=G.H. |title=Hunting Tirpitz: Naval Operations Against Bismarck's Sister Ship |year=2012 |publisher=University of Plymouth Press |location=Plymouth, United Kingdom |isbn=978-1-84102-310-6 |editor=Bennett, G.H. |chapter=Introduction |pages=7–25}}
*{{cite book |last=Bishop |first=Patrick |title=Target Tirpitz |year=2012 |publisher=Harper Press |location=London |isbn=978-0-00-743119-9}}
*{{cite book |last=Brown |first=David |title=Tirpitz: The Floating Fortress |year=1977 |publisher=Arms and Armour Press |location=London |isbn=0-85368-341-7}}
*{{cite book |last=Brown |first=David |title=Carrier Operations in World War II |year=2009 |publisher=Frontline |location=Barnsley, Yorkshire |isbn=978-1-84832-042-0 |editor=Hobbs, David}}
*{{cite book |last=Ellis |first=John |title=One Day in a Very Long War: Wednesday 25th October 1944 |year=1999 |publisher=Pimlico |location=London |isbn=0-7126-7465-9 |edition=Pimlico}}
*{{cite book |last=Faulkner |first=Marcus |title=War at Sea: A Naval Atlas, 1939–1945 |year=2012 |publisher=Naval Institute Press |location=Annapolis, Maryland |isbn=978-1-59114-560-8 |author2=Wilkinson, Peter}}
* {{cite book |last1=Garzke |first1=William H. |last2=Dulin |first2=Robert O. |title=Battleships: Axis and Neutral Battleships in World War II |year=1985 |publisher=Naval Institute Press |location=Annapolis, Maryland |isbn=978-0-87021-101-0}}
*{{cite book |last=Hinsley |first=F.H. |title=British Intelligence in the Second World War: Its Influence on Strategy and Operations. Volume Three, Part I |year=1984 |publisher=Her Majesty's Stationery Office |location=London |isbn=0-11-630935-0 |author-link=Harry Hinsley |display-authors=etal}}
*{{cite book |last=Levy |first=James P. |author-link=James P. Levy |title=The Royal Navy's Home Fleet in World War II |year=2003 |publisher=Palgrave Macmillan |location=Houndmills, United Kingdom |isbn=1-4039-1773-6}}
*{{cite book |last=McCart |first=Neil |title=The Illustrious & Implacable Classes of Aircraft Carrier 1940–1969 |publisher=Fan Publications |location=Cheltenham, Gloucestershire |year=2000 |isbn=1-901225-04-6}}
*{{cite book |last=Roskill |first=S.W. |author-link=Stephen Roskill |title=The War at Sea 1939–1945. Volume III: The Offensive Part I |year=1960 |publisher=Her Majesty's Stationery Office |location=London |oclc=58588186}}
*{{cite book|last=Roskill|first=S.W.|title=The War at Sea 1939–1945. Volume III: The Offensive Part II|year=1961|publisher=Her Majesty's Stationery Office|location=London|oclc=59005418}}
*{{cite book |last1=Sweetman |first1=John |title=Tirpitz: Hunting the Beast: Air Attacks on the German Battleship, 1940–44 |date=2000 |publisher=Naval Institute Press |location=Annapolis, Maryland |isbn=1-55750-822-4}}
*{{cite book |last=Tactical, Torpedo and Staff Duties Division (Historical Section) |title=Hunting Tirpitz: Naval Operations Against Bismarck's Sister Ship |year=2012 |publisher=University of Plymouth Press |location=Plymouth, United Kingdom |isbn=978-1-84102-310-6 |editor=Bennett, G.H. |chapter=Naval Aircraft Attack on the Tirpitz (Operation 'Tungsten') 3 April 1944 |orig-year=1944 |pages=133–177}}
*{{cite book |last=Tarrant |first=V.E. |title=The Last Year of the Kriegsmarine: May 1944 – May 1945 |year=1994 |publisher=Arms and Armour |location=London |isbn=1-85409-176-X}}
*{{cite book |last=Williamson |first=Gordon |title=German Battleships 1939–45 |date=2003 |publisher=Osprey Publishing |location=Botley, Oxfordshire |isbn=1-84176-498-1}}
*{{cite book |last=Woodman |first=Richard |title=The Arctic Convoys: 1941–1945 |year=2004 |publisher=John Murray |location=London |isbn=0-7195-6617-7 |edition=Paperback}}
*{{cite book |last=Zetterling |first=Niklas |author2=Tamelander, Michael |title=Tirpitz: The Life and Death of Germany's Last Super Battleship |year=2009 |publisher=Casemate |location=Philadelphia |isbn=978-1-935149-18-7}}

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Mascot}}
[[Category:World War II aerial operations and battles of the Western European Theatre]]
[[Category:Arctic naval operations of World War II]]
[[Category:Military operations of World War II involving Germany]]
[[Category:Aerial operations and battles of World War II involving the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:1944 in Norway]]
[[Category:Alta, Norway]]
[[Category:Conflicts in 1944]]