Events for Friday 31st December 2021
On This Day in History
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Battle of the Barents Sea
31st December 1942Convoy JW51B sailed in December 1942 with a small close escort of five destroyers, plus a reserve of two light cruisers, which shadowed the main convoy at a distance of seventy miles. The convoy was attacked on the 31st December by a powerful German force that included the heavy cruiser Admiral Hipper, the pocket battleship Ltzow and six destroyers. The ensuing engagement proved the worth of the British destroyers and the bravery of the men who sailed in them. It was a naval engagement that had far-reaching consequences and resulted in many capital ships of the Kriegsmarine being decommissioned for the rest of World War II.
Further Reading
Red Sky in the Morning(Paperback - 256 pages)
by Michael Pearson
The Arctic convoys that sailed through the cold malevolent waters of the Barents Sea ran the gauntlet of German air and sea attacks as they struggled to transport vital supplies to Britain's Russian allies.
Convoy JW51B sailed in December 1942 with a small close escort of five destroyers, plus… Read more...