Notes about mine laying in the Baltic
Title
Notes about mine laying in the Baltic
Description
Two pages of handwritten notes, with sketch map discussing the reasons for 'Gardening' in the Baltic.
Spatial Coverage
Language
Type
Format
Two handwritten sheets
Publisher
Rights
This content is available under a CC BY-NC 4.0 International license (Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0). It has been published ‘as is’ and may contain inaccuracies or culturally inappropriate references that do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the University of Lincoln or the International Bomber Command Centre. For more information, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ and https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/legal.
Contributor
Identifier
SHookKG195765v10029
Transcription
[underlined] MINE LAYING IN THE BALTIC = “GARDENING” [/underlined]
These operations were carried out by Bomber Command regularly, say, about every fourteen days. (two or three aircraft were employed.) The area was very heavily defended with “flak” Generally, they returned . However on odd occasions one or two were missing.
Information as to the “dropping zone” for the mines would have to be known in advance so that raids could be implemented.
Out of interest - look at the position geographically of SWEDEN and the sea around its shores. IT WAS NEUTRAL
At the beginning of the war S. Sweden was pro German + remained so all the time. However, there is evidence that elsewhere in the country support was provided for Britain. Any activity of this nature would have been ILLEGAL!! There would have been boats about FISHING
[page break]
[diagram]
Why then was mine laying carried out? Of course it poses a number of questions that will [underlined] never [/underlined] be known… However, let us look again at the area, + ponder awhile… Repairs to the U Boats were always carried out in the Baltic - the facilities were there. When they were completed they would leave, + return to duty. Such information would have been invaluable - could this have been the answer? It was certainly cloaked in secrecy of a highly sensitive nature never ever to be revealed. Never, ever & to remain fathoms deep!
These operations were carried out by Bomber Command regularly, say, about every fourteen days. (two or three aircraft were employed.) The area was very heavily defended with “flak” Generally, they returned . However on odd occasions one or two were missing.
Information as to the “dropping zone” for the mines would have to be known in advance so that raids could be implemented.
Out of interest - look at the position geographically of SWEDEN and the sea around its shores. IT WAS NEUTRAL
At the beginning of the war S. Sweden was pro German + remained so all the time. However, there is evidence that elsewhere in the country support was provided for Britain. Any activity of this nature would have been ILLEGAL!! There would have been boats about FISHING
[page break]
[diagram]
Why then was mine laying carried out? Of course it poses a number of questions that will [underlined] never [/underlined] be known… However, let us look again at the area, + ponder awhile… Repairs to the U Boats were always carried out in the Baltic - the facilities were there. When they were completed they would leave, + return to duty. Such information would have been invaluable - could this have been the answer? It was certainly cloaked in secrecy of a highly sensitive nature never ever to be revealed. Never, ever & to remain fathoms deep!
Collection
Citation
“Notes about mine laying in the Baltic,” IBCC Digital Archive, accessed May 10, 2024, https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/collections/document/28380.
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