Operation Cartoon

Operation Cartoon
Part of World War II
Stord island's location in the North Sea.
Date 23–24 January 1943 Location Stord Island, Norway, North Sea Result Allied victory
Belligerents
United Kingdom  Norway	Nazi Germany
Strength
Land: 63 commandos Sea: 7 motor torpedo boats	unknown
Casualties and losses
1 killed, 10 wounded	3 captured
One German steamer was sunk during the operation.

Operation Cartoon was a British Commando raid on the island of Stord near Leirvik in Hordaland, Norway over the night of the 23rd and 24 January 1943. The operation was carried out by fifty-three men of No. 12 Commando supported by ten men from the Norwegian 10 (IA) Commando under the command of Captain Harald Risnes (1914-1967).^[1]

Operation

The raiders were transported to Stord by seven Royal Norwegian Navy motor torpedo boats of the 30th MTB Flotila. Their objective was the destruction of the Pyrite mine on the island of Stord. On arrival at Stord, half the commandos were landed at Sagvåg quay and engaged the defending German positions there while the remainder were landed on the other side of the bay. The commandos carrying 50 pounds (23 kg) of explosives reached the Pyrite mine which was 2 miles (3.2 km) away after twenty-five minutes. Exploding their explosive charges put the mine out of action for a year. On their extraction from the island, the torpedo boats attacked a German steamer which they left sinking. The commandos also captured three German prisoners as well as a quantity of papers and equipment, This was achieved for the loss of one commando killed, two commandos and eight sailors injured.^[2][3]

References

1. Harald Risnes (NRK Sogn og Fjordane)
2. 30th MTB Flotilla (Royal Navy Coastal Forces)
3. Operation Cartoon (Commando Operations in Norway)

Other Sources

• Mann, Chris (2012) British Policy and Strategy towards Norway, 1941-45 (Palgrave Macmillan) ISBN 9781137284341
• Dear, Ian (2010) Ten Commando (Pen and Sword Books Limited) ISBN 9781848844001