Order of Battle - Operation Safari

Order of Battle
Operation Safari
29 August 1943
Contributed by Søren Nørby

Time Line

9 Apr 1940: Germany attacks Denmark and begins occupation. The old and laid up torpedo boat Støren is taken by the Germans.

In February 1941 the Germans requested that the Danish government surrender twelve Danish torpedoboats to the German Navy. The Danish government gave in to these demands, but in the end the Germans took only the six fairly-new torpedoboats Dragen, Hvalen, Laxen, Glenten, Høgen and Ørnen, which were handed over - unarmed - to the Germans in April 1941. As payment for these boats, the Germans agreed to supply the Royal Dockyard in Copenhagen with materials for the construction of six new torpedoboats, but since the Danish Navy suspected that the Germans would take over the new boats when completed, the construction progressed very slowly, and was halted after 29 Aug 1943.

29 Aug 1943: Operation Safari—German forces move to disarm the Danish Army and seize the Danish Navy. At 0400, the Germans attack the Danish Naval Base at the Royal Dockyard (Holmen) in Copenhagen. It proved impossible for the Danish ships to leave the harbor since German canons placed around the harbor controlled the only way out, and the signal to scuttle was signaled to the entire fleet. This signal also reached some of the few vessels stationed outside Copenhagen. Due to luck on the Danish side and bad planning on the German side, the Danish were able to scuttle most of their ships, and a few units at sea made it to Sweden.

Of the fifty-two vessels in the Danish Navy on the 29 Aug 1940, two were at Greenland, thirty-two were scuttled, four reached Sweden, and fourteen were taken undamaged by the Germans. The Germans were later able to raise most of the ships scuttled at Copenhagen, and fifteen of these were put into some kind of service by the German Navy.

The Fate of the Danish Naval Vessels:
(*indicates ships not in active service)

Two Costal Defense ships:
Niels Juel—scuttled in Isefjord by its own crew when damaged by German air attacks while trying to escape to Sweden.
Peder Skram(*)—scuttled at the Royal Dockyard.

Nine old torpedoboats:
Hvalrossen, Makrellen, Sælen, Søhunden(*), Nordkaperen—all scuttled at the Royal Dockyard.
Haien—taken by the Germans at Korsør.
Havkatten (in the Sound)—escaped to Sweden.
Havørnen—beached at “Stammenakke” and blown up by its crew.
Narhvalen (*) (in overhaul at the Royal Dockyard)—taken by the Germans.

Two new torpedoboats
Najaden(*) and Nymfen(*)—under construction at the Royal Dockyard, taken by the Germans but not completed until after the war.

Six Mineships:
Lindormen, Lossen(*), Lougen, Laaland, Sixtus(*) and Kvintus(*)—all scuttled at the Royal Dockyard.

Nine Submarines:
Rota, Bellona(*), Flora(*),Daphne, Dryaden(*), Havmanden, Havfruen(*), Havkalen, and Havhesten—all scuttled at the Royal Dockyard.
Also, old subs Ran, Triton and Galathea (all laid up)—taken but not used by the Germans.

Two Repair Ships:
Henrik Gerner—torched and scuttled at the Royal Dockyard.
Grønsund—floating workshop, taken by the Germans.

Five Ocean Patrol Vessels:
Ingolf—taken at sea in “Store Bælt” (Great Belt) by the Germans.
Beskytteren (*) and Islands Falk (*)—taken by the Germans at the Royal Dockyard.
Hvidbjørnen—scuttled in “Store Bælt.”
Maagen—at Greenland.

Thirteen Minesweepers:
Søhunden(*), MS 10, MS 8, Søbjørnen, and MS 4—scuttled at the Royal Dockyard.
MS 1, MS 7, and MS 9 (Sorte Sara)—escaped to Sweden.
Søløven, Søridderen and Springeren—taken by the Germans at Korsør.
Søhesten—taken by the Germans at Kalundborg.
Skagerak(*)—taken by the Germans at the Royal Dockyard.

Three Survey Ships:
Hejmdal(*)—partly destroyed at the Royal Dockyard.
Freja(*)—taken by the Germans at the Royal Dockyard.
Ternen—at Greenland.

Other Vessels.
Sleipner—torpedo transport ship, taken by the Germans.
Dampbåd A—scuttled at Lunkebugten near Taasinge.
Dannebrog—Royal Yacht, property of the King, not violated by the Germans.
Hekla—stationed vessel, taken by the Germans.

Of fifty-nine patrol cutters, only nine made it to Sweden. The rest were taken by the Germans.

Sources:
”Flådens oprør” af Per Wessel Tolvig (red.)
”Flaadens skibe den 29. august 1943, og deres senere skæbne”. Af R. Steen Steensen. (Artikel i Tidsskrift for Søvæsenet, 1953)
Flaadens skibe 1950, by R. Steen Steensen