Warsailors Forums

Hi

According to a book I've been reading about the Tirpitz, in 1944-45, the Germans pursued a scorched earth policy.

This included the sinking of more than three hundred ships in Finnmark.

I assume these were small craft as I've not been able to find details online.

Thanks

Keith

Germans burns villages and taken people with them, when retreating. So it's looks logically to them to take also ships and cutters, and to destroy vessels which cannot to be taken. I have read many german Heer and Kriegsmarine documents and never see any precise digits. I think sunk was very small fishing cutters 10-20 brt, and only small amount damaged bigger ships (couple of MFP, for example)

Thanks for that

Keith

Hi,
Igorr is right, and the majority of the fishing vessels were very small boats (mostly rowing boats around 20' size).
Ships / boats being possible to evacuate, were taken away. The majority of lost boats had been put ashore by their owners for the winter, and was burned together with the owners buildings. In some few occations cutters up to 50 tons were sunk at their moorings, but this is mainly in the east (due to lack of time?). Boats unable to sail, or being towed away, were doomed for destruction.
A high number of boats were sunk by their owners to prevent a total loss too, in loacations where they were easy to raise (and they were raised in high numbers).
I don't think there excist a total list. The best list is the warrisk insuranse documents for the boats with a fishery register number when the owners put in claims for their loss, but ownes with nazi sympathies or boats not in the fishery register are not listed.

Best regards,
Erling