On 9 February 1945, aircraft of RAF Coastal Command’s Banff Strike Wing carried out a major anti-shipping strike against German naval forces in Førde Fjord, Norway. The operation, intended to attack the German destroyer Z33 and accompanying escort vessels, resulted in one of the most costly single actions for the wing. Heavy anti-aircraft fire from German ships and shore positions caused severe losses among the attacking aircraft. By the end of the engagement, nine Bristol Beaufighters and one North American Mustang had been shot down, with fourteen Allied aircrew killed and four taken prisoner.
The scale of the losses led the day to become known among those involved as “Black Friday”, a stark reminder of the dangers faced by strike aircraft operating along the heavily defended Norwegian coast during the final months of the Second World War.
Coastal Command and the Norwegian Campaign
Throughout the war, RAF Coastal Command had been responsible for protecting Allied shipping and attacking German naval forces operating in northern waters. The rugged coastline of Norway, with its deep fjords and sheltered anchorages, provided the German Navy with a number of bases from which warships and smaller vessels could threaten Allied convoys and coastal traffic.
By 1945, Allied forces sought to disrupt German maritime movements along this coastline. One of the key units involved in these operations was the Banff Strike Wing, based in Scotland. The wing specialised in aggressive low-level attacks against shipping using heavily armed strike aircraft.
Its primary weapon was the Bristol Beaufighter, a twin-engine aircraft capable of carrying rockets, cannon, and machine guns. These aircraft were supported by escort fighters such as the North American Mustang, which provided protection against German fighter aircraft.
The Target: German Destroyer Z33
The operation on 9 February was launched after intelligence reports indicated the presence of the German destroyer Z33 in Førde Fjord. The destroyer was accompanied by escort vessels and protected by defensive positions along the fjord.
Attacking ships in such confined waters presented particular challenges. Fjords were narrow, steep-sided waterways that limited the manoeuvring space available to attacking aircraft. At the same time, German ships positioned within them were often supported by anti-aircraft batteries placed along the surrounding cliffs and shoreline.
Despite these dangers, Coastal Command continued to carry out such strikes in order to prevent German naval units from operating freely along the Norwegian coast.
The Attack on Førde Fjord
On 9 February 1945, aircraft of the Banff Strike Wing set out to attack the German vessels in the fjord. The strike force consisted primarily of Bristol Beaufighters, supported by Mustang fighters providing escort.
As the aircraft approached the fjord and began their attack runs against the destroyer and escort ships, they encountered intense anti-aircraft fire. German warships were heavily armed with defensive guns, and additional fire came from shore batteries positioned along the fjord.
The geography of the fjord made matters worse for the attacking aircraft. Flying at low altitude in narrow spaces limited the ability of pilots to evade incoming fire. Once committed to their attack runs, aircraft were exposed to concentrated defensive fire from multiple directions.
During the engagement, nine Beaufighters and one Mustang were shot down. The losses represented a severe blow to the attacking force.
Heavy Losses for the Banff Strike Wing
The destruction of ten aircraft resulted in the deaths of fourteen Allied aircrew, while four others were captured after surviving the loss of their aircraft.
For the Banff Strike Wing, the events of 9 February 1945 represented the highest loss of life suffered in a single operation during its wartime service. Although the wing had previously conducted numerous successful attacks against German shipping, the operation at Førde Fjord demonstrated the formidable dangers posed by well-defended naval targets.
The term “Black Friday” soon became associated with the operation among the personnel involved.
The Wider Context of Coastal Command Operations
Despite the heavy losses suffered during the attack, Coastal Command continued to carry out operations against German shipping along the Norwegian coast during the final months of the war. These missions played an important role in limiting the ability of German naval forces to interfere with Allied maritime traffic.
Aircraft such as the Beaufighter proved particularly effective in these operations because of their heavy armament and ability to conduct low-level strikes. However, attacks against warships in confined fjords remained among the most hazardous missions flown by Coastal Command crews.
The experience of “Black Friday” underscored the vulnerability of strike aircraft when operating in environments where enemy ships and shore batteries could concentrate their firepower.
Remembering “Black Friday”
The events of 9 February 1945 remain one of the most sobering episodes in the history of RAF Coastal Command. The heavy losses suffered by the Banff Strike Wing reflected the risks taken by aircrews tasked with attacking heavily defended targets in difficult terrain.
Although the war in Europe would end only a few months later, operations such as the strike at Førde Fjord demonstrated that the dangers of combat remained very real until the final stages of the conflict.
Today, “Black Friday” stands as a reminder of the courage of the aircrews who flew these hazardous missions and of the high price often paid during the campaign to control the seas and coastal waters of northern Europe during the Second World War.