AM 059 SOE/SIS Operation CHAFFINCH II / CENTAUR / AQUILA

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Særmelding BBC : " "
Code : Signal bakke: Signal fly: ?

CON PAK M HD CRS SPD LAND . MERKNAD
0/9 1/0 800 130 05:15

Squad: RAF 138
1. F/O KUZMICKI Halifax III LK627 NF-P

Out: 21:00 Drop: C

1. Captains report.
Tempsford 19/20/4-1943 21:00 Halifax aircraft P627 took off on operation CENTAUR/CHAFFINCH 2 captained by F/O KUZMICKI. Target Norway. Operation completed. Landed Base 05:15 hr

1 agent, AQUILA - Oluf Reed Olsen

AIR-27-956-1_1 p 137

Operasjonen i RAF138 loggbok har fått to operasjoner:
Centaur og Chaffinch 2.

I tillegg hadde de med Oluf Reeed Olsen, som hoppet på Eikerskogen i SIS AQUILA, men han er ikke nevnt i ORB eller MR. Men han var på Tempsford samtidig som Evensen som ble droppet på ALGOL og som omkom fordi skjermen ikke virket.

Ian Herrington skriver i Special operations:

CENTAUR:

"SOE. assisted by the Norwegian military authorities, was involved in and contributed to three COHQ coup de main operations between the summer of 1942 and the end of the winter of 1943 against economic targets in Norway. The first in September 1942. Operation Musketoon. referred to as 'Knottgrass-Unicorn' in SOE files, was against the Glomfjord power station, which supplied energy to the aluminium smelting factory at Haugvik in northwest Norway. SOE provided Norwegian guides from NIC (1), training, intelligence and specialist equipment. Two officers and eight other ranks from No. 2 Commando undertook this operation, which initially was called 'Centaur'. The two Norwegians were Sergeant Magnus Erling Djupdræt and Corporal Sverre Granland. Seven of the Britains and Djupdrædt were captured, while four men escaped to Sweden." The operation was successfully carried out and made a small but valuable contribution to the failure of Germany's ambitious plans for aluminium production in Norway."

"Centaur/Aquila
F/O Kuzmicki and his crew flew the sole 138 Squadron sortie this night, likewise to Norway coded CENTAUR & CHAFFINCH 2. They crossed the coast at Jomfruland flying at 2000 feet! thence to Hollen and to the target. Here they parachuted one passenger blind at an estimated dropping point, 'slightly north of pinpoint'. This was undoubtedly Oluf Reed-0lsen's second attempt as described in his book Two Eggs On My Plate. The despatcher comments "Jumped OK" but did not realise that Olsen was unconscious having struck the tailwheel and was swinging violently on the end of his static line, his parachute having failed to release. Olsen says in his book he regained consciousness looking up at the rear turret and then realised that his parachute had partially opened and he was dropping to the ground much too fast. He landed heavily, a tree breaking his fall, the canopy of his parachueet spread in its uppper branches. He had dislocated his right knee.
The ORB says he was dropped from 800 feet above ground at an airspeed of 130 mph. Kuzmicki then flew to a reception 18 minutes away and dropped 9 containers. "

Agents by the Moonlight page 155/156.

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