British, Canadian and Norwegian Forces

  • Vice Admiral (Acting Admiral) Sir Bruce Fraser, KCB, KBE, RN
    Position: C-in-C Home Fleet

JW55A

Westbound convoy, returning from Murmansk to Loch Ewe

JW55A departed Murmansk, 22nd December 1943.

Through Close Escort

Minesweeper
  • HMS Seagull
    Commanding officer: Lt. Cdr. R.W. Ellis, DSC
Corvettes
  • HMNorS Acanthus
  • HMS Dianella
    Commanding officer: Temp. Lt. L.J.F. Tognola, RNR
  • HMS Poppy
    Commanding officer: Temp. Lt. D.R.C. Onslow, RNR

Fighting Destroyer Escort

  • Captain I.M.R. Campbell, DSO
    Position: Captain (D.3), Senior Escort Commander, JW55A
  • HMS Milne
    Commanding officer: Captain I.M.R. Campbell, DSO
  • HMS Ashanti
    Commanding officer: Lt.Cdr J.R. Barnes
  • HMCS Athabaskan
    Commanding officer: Cdr. J.H. Stubbs, DSO RCN
  • HMS Beagle
    Commanding officer: Lt. Cdr. N.R. Murch
  • HMS Meteor
    Commanding officer: Lt. Cdr. D.J.P. Jewitt
  • HMS Westcott
    Commanding officer: Cdr. H. Lampton

Force 2

10th Cruiser Squadron. From Murmansk

Force 2 departed Murmansk 23rd December 1943.

  • Vice Admiral R.B. Burnett, CB, DSO, OBE
  • HMS Belfast (flagship)(flagship)
    Commanding officer: Captain F.R. Parham
  • HMS Norfolk
    Commanding officer: Captain D.K. Bain
  • HMS Sheffield
    Commanding officer: Captain C.T. Adis

JW55B

Eastbound convoy, Loch Ewe to Murmansk

JW55B departed Loch Ewe 1700 20th December 1943.

  • Rear Admiral Boucher
  • 19 merchant ships

Through Close Escort

  • Lt. Cdr. F.J.S. Hewitt, DSC
Minesweeper
  • HMS Gleaner
    Commanding officer: Lt. Cdr. Hewitt
Escort destroyers
  • HMS Whitehall
    Commanding officer: Lt. Cdr. P.J. Cowell, DSC
  • KMS Wrestler
    Commanding officer: Lt. R.W.B. Lacon, DSC
Corvettes
  • HMS Honeysuckle
    Commanding officer: Lt. H.H.D. MacKilligan, DSC, RNR
  • HMS Oxlip
    Commanding officer: Lt.Cdr. C.W. Leadbetter, RNR

Fighting Destroyer Escort

  • Captain J.A. McCoy, DSO
    Position: Captain (D.17), Senior Escort Commander, JW 55B
  • HMS Onslow
    Commanding officer: Captain J.A. McCoy, DSO
  • HMCS Haida
    Commanding officer: Cdr. G.de Wowlf, RCN
  • HMCS Huron
    Commanding officer: Lt. Cdr. H.S. Rayner, DSC, RCN
  • HMS Impulsive
    Commanding officer: Lt. Cdr. P. Bekken
  • HMCS Iroquois
    Commanding officer: Cdr. J.C. Hibberd, DSC, RCN
  • HMS Onslaught
    Commanding officer: Cdr. W.H. Selby, DSC
  • HMS Orwell
    Commanding officer: Lt. Cdr. J.A. Hodges, DSO
  • HMS Scourge
    Commanding officer: Lt. Cmdr G.L.N. Balfour

Force 1

From Scapa to Kola Inlet to Hvalfjord
  • Vice Admiral Fraser
  • HMS Duke of York
    Commanding officer: Captain The Hon. G.H.E. Russell, CBE
  • HMS Jamaica
    Commanding officer: Captain J. Hughes-Hallett, DSO

36th Destroyer Division

From Home Fleet. To JW55B and Force 1.
  • Cdr. R.L. Fisher, DSO, OBE

71st Subdivision

  • HMS Musketeer
    Commanding officer: Cdr. Fisher
  • HMS Matchless
    Commanding officer: Lt. W.D. Shaw

72nd Subdivision

  • HMS Opportune
    Commanding officer: Cdr. J. Lee-Barber, DSO
  • HMS Virago
    Commanding officer: Lt. Cdr. A.J.R. White

1st Subdivision

  • HMS Savage
    Commanding officer: Cdr. M.D.C. Meyrick
  • HMS Saurmarez
    Commanding officer: Lt. Cdr. E.W. Walmsley, DSC

2nd Subdivision

  • HMS Scorpion
    Commanding officer: Lt. Cdr. W.S. Clouston
  • HMNorS Stord
    Commanding officer: Lt. Cdr. Skule Storheil, RNorN

German Forces

Operation OSTFRONT

Northern Battle Group

  • Kontradmiral Erich Bey †(killed)
  • KM Scharnhorst (flagship)(flagship) (sunk)(sunk)
    Commanding officer: Kapitän zur See Fritz Julius Hintze †(killed)

4th Destroyer Flotilla

  • Kapitän zur See Rolf Johannesson
  • Z.29 (flagship)(flagship)
    Commanding officer: Korv. Kapitän Theodore von Mutius
  • Z.30
    Commanding officer: Korv. Kapitän Karl Heinrich Lampe
  • Z.33
    Commanding officer: Kapitän zur See Erich Holtorf
  • Z.34
    Commanding officer: Korv. Kapitän Karl Hetz
  • Z.38—Korv. Kapitän Gerfried Brutzner

Minesweeping Launches

Lange Fjord
  • R.56
    Commanding officer: Kap. Lt. Wilhelm Macht
  • R.58
    Commanding officer: Ober Lt.z See Werner Haus
  • R.121

U-boat Group "Eisenbart"

  • U.277
    Commanding officer: Kap Lt. Lubsen
  • U.314
    Commanding officer: Korv. Kap. Basse
  • U.354
    Commanding officer: Korv. Kap. Herbschleb
  • U.387
    Commanding officer: Korv. Kap. Buchler
  • U.601
    Commanding officer: Kap. Lt. Hansen
  • U.716
    Commanding officer: Ober Lt. z See Dunkelberg
  • U. 957
    Commanding officer: Ober Lt. z See Schaar

Luftwaffe support

  • Fw 200's
  • Bv.1238's

Sources

  • The Death of the Scharnhorst by John Winton