Flak defending Tirpitz at Tromsø

When the Tirpitz was moved down to Tromsø from Kåfjord some at least of the land based flak units followed her. All or some batteries from Marine Flak Abteilung 710 i believe. From what i can tell they were then moved on to the fleet anchorage of Bogen after her sinking.

My question is, can anyone confirm that it was M.Fla.Abt.710 present in Tromsø oct\nov 44 and if so which batteries if not all of them? Even better would be exactly where the batteries were placed, for example, which battery was on the top of Håkøya? it can clearly be seen firing in the well known film footage taken on the 12th Nov. by the RAF.

Hello!
I have copied all sections containing someting on MFLA 710.
Sadly, no batteries are mentioned.

Might look messy, but interesting anyway:

Marine-Flak-Abteilung 710 (M.Flak.A.710)
Die ab Januar 1942 in Narvik liegende Abteilung - sie war im Oktober 1941 in Gotenhafen aufgestellt worden - wurde 1943 in den Altafjord in den Bereich des Seekommandanten Hammerfest, im Oktober 1944 in die Bogenbucht in den Bereich des Seekommandanten Tromsö verlegt. (Zeitweilig zählte die Abteilung zum 30.Marine-Flak-Regiment). Stellenbesetzung siehe unter dem Seekommandanten Tromsö.

Marine-Flak-Abteilung 710 (M.Flak.A.710)
Im April 1943 wurde die M.Flak.A. 710 in den Altafjord verlegt, wo sie taktisch dem Kommandanten im Altafjord unterstand. Disziplinar wurde sie ab April 1944 dem Seekommandanten Hammerfest nachgeordnet. Im Oktober 1944 verlegte sie in die Bogenbucht und unterstand damit dem Seekommandanten Tromsö.


30. Marine-Flak-Regiment (30.M.Flak.R.)
Im Mai 1942 wurde in Narvik das Regiment aufgestellt, bestehend aus den Marineflakabteilungen 706 und 709. Später trat noch die M.Flak.A. 710 hinzu.
Im März 1944 wurde das Regiment aufgelöst. Die Marineflakabteilungen 706 und 709 traten zum 30.Marineartillerie-Regiment, die M.Flak.A. 710 disziplinar unter den Seekommandanten Hammerfest, einsatzmäßig unter den Kommandant Altafjord.

Kommandant Altafjord
Die Dienststelle bestand nur von März 1944 bis Oktober 1944. Der Kommandant Altafjord hatte seinen Gefechtsstand in Bossekop. Er unterstand dem Kommandierenden Admiral unmittelbar. Die disziplinar dem
Seekommandanten Hammerfest unterstehende M.Flak.A. 710 und die Marinenebelkompanie im Altafjord (Schutz der "Tirpitz") waren dem Kommandanten Altafjord taktisch unterstellt.


Marine-Flak-Abteilung 740 (M.Flak.A.710)
Die ursprünglich in Narvik liegende Abteilung wurde im April 1943 an den Altafjord verlegt, gehörte aber weiterhin zum 30.M.Flak-Regiment. Im April 1944, das 30.M.Flak-Regiment war im März 1944 aufgelöst worden, wurde die Abteilung dem Seekommandanten Hammerfest disziplinar unterstellt, taktisch dem Kommandanten Altafjord, der seinerseits dem Kommandierenden Admiral Polarküste unmittelbar nachgeordnet war.Zur Abteilung zählten zeitweilig die schwimmenden Flak-Batterien "Nymphe" ex "Tordenskjold" und "Thetis" ex "Harald Haarfagre".Im Oktober 1944 verlegte die M.Flak.A.710 von Alta (Kaafjord) an die Bogenbucht, wo sie dem Seekommandanten Tromsö unterstellt wurde.

B.

Hi Bjørn

This is the same information that's to be found in Lohmann and Hildebrand's 'Die Deutsche Kriegsmarine 1939-1945' but it gives a possible clue to Tromsø when it mentions the abteilung moving from Alta to Bogen in Oct 44 and being placed under the command of the Seekommandant Tromsø. This makes no sense as Bogen was within the territory of Seekommandant Narvik, with Seekommandant Harstad again in between there and Tromsø. However, if the authors noted the abteilung moving from Alta to the command of Seekommandant Tromsø, then in other sources the abteilung turns up in the Bogen area it would explain things. A short stay in the Tromsø area in oct\nov 44 would be easy to miss and we know the Tirpitz was guarded by flak around Håkøya including the flak cruisers Nymphe and Thetis.

Hi Simon,
yes - forgot to write the source which is the mentioned book.
The organisation and movements in Norway, especially 1944-45 have already given me a grey beard and hair.
It is a nightmare to understand properly, I am not sure that the Germans themselves did so.

But, a short stay for a Flak-Abteilung would take quite some efforts at that time, even now. Of course it is possible, and would make sense if it did happen.

I will see if I can find my papers, which should be around here somewhere...

B.

On the microfilm T1022-3764 and 3765 you will find these two "akten"

Admiral Norwegen - Artillerieangelegheiten
No 46942 Schwerpunktbildung Polarküste nov 1943 - mar 1944 Regarding protection of Tirpitz
No 46946 Verteidigung Tromsö feb - mar 1944 Data on naval batteries arctic front

I dont have these films, but they seems interesting

Olve

Thanks Olve, i'll have a look through them, i think Uitø library has them.

This is the reason for my asking. An EKII award document i recently picked up to a Marineartillerie Obermaat, awarded 4th Nov.44 by Heinz Nordmann, admiral of the Norwegian Polar coast. In the top right corner you can make out a pencilled notation 4./710 which can only refer to 4 batterie, Marine Flak Abteilung 710. This noting in pencil of a recipients unit or sometime stammroll nummer is something i've seen before on documents coming from the admiral's headquarters.

I believe there can only be two alternatives for which action this award was made, the 29th Oct. attack against Tirpitz at Tromsø where 1 Lancaster was damaged and had to force land in Sweden or an attack by FAA aircraft operating from HMS Implacable against Lødingen on the 28th Oct. I don't believe however that the Lødingen attack is likely but i need to be able to pin down where the 4 batterie was during october and early november 1944.