Ship Busters | Coastal Command raids Norway (1945)

This dramatised 1945 Royal Air Force propaganda film details the story of Coastal Command's raids against German coastal shipping and how the effects of these raids forced changes in tactics.
"Ship-Busters" tells the story of a Free-Norwegian DeHaviland Mosquito reconnaissance crew, tasked with finding hidden ships in the fjords at dawn, and the follow-up strikes by squadrons of Mosquitos and Beaufort Beaufighters.

[@guaporeturns9472]

All those beautiful Mosquitoes and Beaufighters😊

[@soppdrake]

Absolutely amazing aircraft!

[@guaporeturns9472]

@@soppdrake so cool

[@rovercoupe7104]

Just what I was thinking. M.

[@spikespa5208]

Mosquito, elegant....deadly. Beaufighter, business like....deadly.

[@marknelson5929]

I've three photo albums of an Australian who flew with No.455 Squadron initially on Hampdens with Bomber Command, before it was transferred to Coastal Command, still on Hampdens using torpedoes on shipping strikes - before taking on Beaufighters and continuing in the anti-shipping role off Norway etc. These albums were found in a dumpster outside the vets house after he died. His family came up and cleared the house out, throwing out all his belongings, including his uniform, which was saved by a good friend of his (it was he who also rescued the albums) after which the albums were passed to me. The albums are a real window into his service, departure from Sydney by ship, training in Canada, arrival in UK etc, forming up with aircraft etc.

[@ArmouredCarriers]

Amazing stuff. Thanks for preserving it. It is the nature of children to think there's nothing special about their parents. By the time the grandkids come along, it's often too late to recover their stories ...

[@todocomidas882]

Pをしてのじゃうっｑっゆｊ😊😊😊😊😊😊

[@samrodian919]

God Bess him and RIP . His family should be bloody ashamed with themselves for treating his former clearly highly prized possessions like that.

[@robert-trading-as-Bob69]

That's like throwing away a life! We don't know what the personal life of that vet was like with his family, but to be discarded in that manner was insulting. I visited a friend of a friends house in Howick, South Africa, and saw photos of their grandfather in a Swordfish. They didn't know anything about him and his service but kept the photos up anyway. I explained how brave those Fairey Swordfish crews were in their lumbering, outdated crates they called 'Stringbags', and how many had perished in their attacks. The fact that their grandfather survived the war was a miracle. I left them with a better appreciation of their grandfather, so hopefully, his effects won't be discarded so rudely. If they could be donated to a museum for posterity would be the safest course.

[@elwrongo]

be great to see those if you can scan them and post them up somewhere

[@davidkgreen]

Friends dad flew Mosquitoes with Coastal Command from Banff.Some of these photos I have seen 50 years ago in High School,he had a box full of strike photos and notes.These probably still exist.

[@rogerpattube]

A good deal of this combat footage was filmed by Wing Commander Richard Atkinson DSO, DFC Bar of 235sq RAF in November 1944. Dick was killed (shot down by AA) 13 December 1944 on a mission near Askvoll, Norway. The family has the original footage which includes from his wedding earlier in that year.

[@jgonzalez101]

Thank you so much for sharing!

[@AlGreenLightThroughGlass]

Stunning vision

[@LukeBunyip]

7:11 Kiwis spotted! G'day from the neighbours

[@VincentComet-l8e]

Ground attack was a very hazardous undertaking - especially against ships that are bristling with AA defences. Being shot down into those icy seas or snows doesn’t even bear thinking about. These are very brave men...

[@bigblue6917]

Two of my uncles sailed in those waters in the arctic convoys. Fortunately they never got to swim in those waters.

[@SanderAnderon]

outstanding, just a remarkable film with the best/most-absorbing audio quality I've heard in archival footage in a long time. Bravo!

[@Slaktrax]

A good bit of filming. Though many aircraft in what was known as the Banff Wing lost quite a few aircraft. I read somewhere that it took a few attempts to get the action on camera as the designated aircraft with the camera man onboard kept getting shot down. Low level attack whether it's ground targets or ships was probably the most hazardous of all air ops. Not for the feint hearted.

[@dragon-shepherd]

Hard to say if you people will see this... My uncle flew with the 407 Demon Squadron. They patrolled off the Dutch coast. He went down in a Hudson while his flight was sinking a German cruiser and its escort. You may want to have a look into the 407 Squadron - it was the Germans that named them The Demons.

[@ArmouredCarriers]

We colonials tended to adopt Nazi propaganda insults with pride ... AKA "Tobruk Rats" and "Scrap Iron Flotilla"

[@denegillespie5767]

The Bristol Beaufighter is my favourite WW II aircraft. I used to work in the hangar they were made

[@tomtompkins7546]

I'd like to think that the reason so many of those rockets missed their target was because of the interference of the gravitational pull of the gigantic steel balls of these pilots.

[@torarildhenriksen371]

On the 27th of November 1944 divebombers took of from HMS Implacable and attacked MS Rigel next to the island of Tjøtta, more than 2500 people died, most of them pow's from eastern europe. Only 267 survived. It is considered as one of the greatest catastrophies in the history of Norway

[@seanmccann8368]

This video really shows the abysmal accuracy and ballistic characteristics of the 5" Aircraft Rocket.

[@davidrees1279]

The R.A.F. used 3inch Rockets.

[@tristanhore8519]

Bear in mind that a textbook volley of rockets was supposed to fall short of the target. The rockets tend to flatten out and continue underwater for some distance. if the rockets fall short by 150m they are likely to cause underwater damage and sink the target ship rather than just chewing it up a bit.

[@seanmccann8368]

@@davidrees1279 Thank you, I stand corrected

[@seanmccann8368]

@@tristanhore8519 That is an excellent tactic for targets afloat. Did they use the same rockets to attack land targets like tanks, trains, infrastructure?

[@davidrees1279]

@@seanmccann8368 , No worries. 👍

[@tango6nf477]

One of the many aspects of the war that fascinate me is that having spent a few years flying aircraft in action like this most were demobbed soon after the end of the war, returned to civvie life and never flew again. How did they adjust back to normality, did they miss the action or were they just grateful to have survived? After doing this I cant imagine returning to say a mundane office job!

[@jerribee1]

I've often thought the same thing.

[@nicholasbell9017]

At this stage of World war 2, these crews were probably the most highly trained in the R.A.F., well, that's what I've heard. Looking at the kind of sorties they undertook, I can believe it. Rockets , you aimed at a point a bit back from a ship, so they pierced below the waterline. Must have taken some skill to pull that off. Norwegians flying recce, Kiwis, Brits, Canadians, all freezing their bollox off in bloody Banff and Dallachy. Just flying in all kinds of shitty weather to set the wirld free. Salute these people.

[@benwilson6145]

I am willing to bet when the war ceased many of the sunken vessels were refloated and refitted and used for another 25 years. I recall in the mid nineties offshore Norway looking up the standby vessel and finding she was launched in 1926. She was very similar to the the whale catcher seen sunk at the films end.

[@memonk11]

Those sure are some beautiful airplanes!

[@jp18449]

Thank you so much for this, I live in far NE Scotland (used to live at the point where the Beaus and Mossies from Banff and Dallachy would meet up with their Mustang escorts from Peterhead), and love to take in as much about this forgotten part of WW2. Never seen this film before, and its another brilliant one, the use of German propaganda against them is always interesting to see.

[@bikenavbm1229]

Challenging and dangerous job and theatre that gets little recognition thank you for posting

[@nigelparker5886]

Brave people who would have felt excitement and fear in similar measures I imagine! I can feel that just watching this video, but unlike so many of them, I’m not about to die! Thank you all posthumously! Cheers to all who appreciate their efforts!

[@joeschenk8400]

Excellent film of the Beaufighters and Mosquitos. Thanks for the post.

[@typhoonhawker6548]

1:10 & 1:30 Mosquito FB.VI of No.333Sqn,R.Norwegian AF coded "KK". 7:43 Mosquito FB.VI of No.248Sqn coded "DM". 7:48 Beaufighter TF.X of No.144Sqn coded "PL".

[@RetiredSailor60]

I visited Trondheim and Stavanger in 1995 on USS Whidbey Island LSD 41. Gorgeous scenery and awesome people...

[@christoffermonikander2200]

While the Mosquitoes and Beaufighters looks impressive in this film, it's worth remembering that for most of the war these sort of attacks were done by outdated Hudsons, Beauford and Blenheim bombers. Costal Command was truly the Cinderella service, always last to get what it needed, and even then only the cast offs from the other commands.

[@nigelsmith7366]

That's not really correct mate

[@None-zc5vg]

The vulnerable, outdated Blenheims were used on anti-shipping work on which they had little chance of outrunning German fighter-patrols. There are some 1941 colour images of them on the net, taken by the American, Robert Capa (q.v.)

[@thegreatdominion949]

I really doubt Blenheims or Hudsons were used for anything like this after 1942. Beauforts might have continued a bit longer, but they were completely replaced by torpedo-dropping Beaufighters (initially Mark VIs and later Xs) in Coastal Command by mid 1943.

[@welshpete12]

Believe it or not but some Mosquitos FB.VI's where fitted with a 6-pounder gun . Which is remarkable in an all wooden aircraft . Later known as the FB.XVIII, and called the ‘Tsetse’ . I have seen some film of it being used against shipping . Which I took to be in Norway.

[@FrankFischer-td4og]

There are folks today that have no real understanding of what it meant to be in global war, or appreciation of what it took for those that fought it. Videos like this at least give a hint at the risks involved. Preserving the history of the war, and of those that had to fight it is, indeed priceless.

[@SimonWallwork]

That boy shooting at THREE ships on ONE attack run is impressive.

[@dobiem1]

After 3 or 4 hours of travel, you better believe the single pass was made to count. Boredom kills. :)

[@glennledrew8347]

What a marvelously clear and sharp reproduction!

[@MartinMcAvoy]

It was very sporting of the Jerries to cooperate with the making of this documentary and have their own destruction recorded for posterity.

[@battlefield_hackers_exposed]

😂

[@philhawley1219]

They don't like it up 'em Mr Mainwaring.

[@wolframschulz844]

Etwas nicht verstanden? Der Krieg ist lange vorbei...

[@Ian-mj4pt]

Two of my favourite aircraft the mosquito and the beaufighter ❤❤both had a huge punch . Sadly the beaufighter didn't get the huge publicity the mosquito got .

[@Sokol10]

12:12 - One aircraft cross the line of fire from the camera plane.

[@richardthomas9416]

Apparently they used to store beaufighters in the satellite airfield in St. Brides, father can remember them stopping the traffic to taxi across the road

[@martyn6792]

I have a film by DE Haviland on the development of the Mosquito that shows a shipping strike, this looks very familiar

[@Bread_GT123]

I can’t believe it’s a video about the war where I live

[@user-dh6bj2me5p]

The only fjord raids I'm aware of were at Tirpitz so this is enlightening. I knew Norway was a rich supply of raw materials and to see how is new to me.

[@br5380]

The iron ore came from Sweden via the railway into Narvik in the winter months. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swedish_iron-ore_industry_during_World_War_II

[@toda304]

excellent film record

[@frankeimer3906]

Thankyou for posting these films.

[@Paladin1873]

Shades of 633 Squadron.

[@johncrispin2118]

Shame we have no more Beaufighter and mosquitos of our own. These brave pilots flying into flack walls were highly instrumental in the great effort and sacrifice, That was ww2 . We Need to have thier memorial in flying aircraft as with BBMF. Surely someone has engines for the Beau’ at Duxford ?? They flew these until the 1960’s ? Interesting was the ground crew turning the Hercs over with the prop to expel the oil which builds up in Radials .

[@ArmouredCarriers]

There are a few surviving Beaufighters. Two complete examples can be found in Australia, with another two in various stages of reconstruction. RAF Museum Hendon (UK) has one on display. As does the USAF Museum in Dayton, Ohio. The IWM at Duxford has one under restoration, as does a Scottish museum. Canada has one under restoration. The main holdup appears to be availability of Bristol Hercules engine parts.

[@tacfoley4443]

@@ArmouredCarriers - With many other aircraft having spares re-manufactured. it is surely not beyond the wit of man to made Hercules components. Talking to a fitter at Duxford a number of years back, he told me that ALL the component drawings still existed.

[@straybullitt]

Definitely not beyond the wit of man! Possibly beyond his pocketbook, though! While I am a big fan of the Bristol sleeve valve engine, sadly, it is no longer practical to operate one in airworthy condition without the support of the manufacturer providing certified replacement parts. The last Bristol sleeve valve powered warbird crashed in 2021 due to an engine failure. It just isn't worth the risk to cobble together these very precise engines anymore. 🤷‍♂️

[@johncrispin2118]

@@straybullitt sadly evidently you are right . But certification from manufacturers ( Bristol) ? Does that apply to refurbed Merlin’s from ? I know the saga of the Centaurus sea furies has been distressing but I reckon it is the fear of them being some mystical creature is what stops . The late Hercs had a huge service interval they were well proven back along when there was not this can’t do culture of fear with the sleeve valve (Of course many more trained service technicians then). The recently rebuilt Tempest 2 got its motor fitted I assume late last year. That surely was encouraging . The other sleeve valver the Sabre is due for fitment to airframes soon. This was blighted by troubles which the manufacturers sorted while in service, far from ideal for obvious reasons but Bea Beaumont in one of his books mentioned incorrect servicing procedures were blamed for a significant number of failures in hindsight and once corrected was employed in the Tempest 5 making it a saviour against the V1.

[@dalek3086]

no mention of Beauforts or Hudsons. Beauforts killed more of their own planes and men than the germans did . Defective . Replaced by Beaufighters. 42 squadron at Leuchars in Scotland suffered many casualties. Lockheed Hudsons were a converted passenger plane converted into a bomber, done very quickly. Beauforts were still being introduced. Vickers Vildebeests were obsolete biplanes, 42 Squadron Coastal Command started the war with them. Not the range to hit Norway.

[@whiterooster9359]

12:20. Buddy almost shot down his squadron mate.

[@JGCR59]

Ok the ship at 14:19 is a ex italian destroyer/torpedo boat so it's from the med

[@mantatrip9319]

War propaganda, it doesn't matter.

[@RemusKingOfRome]

I didn't know t his , excellent, thank you.

[@angusclark8330]

Never mind brown shirts, the Germans needed extra supplies of brown trousers.

[@stephencroft6481]

Thanks for the video and a part of the war i was unaware of

[@crusader5989]

Quality channel. Keep it up.

[@fuzzfacelogic789]

I noticed that cannon in the nose of the Beaufighter which looked like it had been freshly puttied in place. Wonder if the Orange Colonel watches any of this stuff?

[@robert-trading-as-Bob69]

Coastal Command got the short end of the stick compared to Fighter and Bomber Command, so this movie wasn't so much propaganda as setting the record straight. Can you imagine flying over your home country and your people for those long years knowing they were undergoing hardships you couldn't even imagine...

[@richardbaxter2057]

Back in ‘92 I used to run a Pub. We had a pair of brothers who were patrons of ours and their father had flown these Ops in Mozzies.....he had also taken a personal cine Camera with him and filmed it all....and in colour! 😱 Like so many folks though, there was little understanding about the deterioration of film stock and by the time he decided to tell his sons about it, it was too late and the film stock was beyond saving. Ironically, this is so typical of veterans behaviour, years spent hiding those difficult memories away and then, when they decide to open up and speak out about it, its too late..... .....great film though...I had my own personal copy of this, via “After the Battle”....but gave it away to someone who would use it for educational purposes.....love the BBC accents.....😂😂❤️

[@tomarmstrong1281]

All of the effort, men, machines, resources, both sides, to end in death destruction, what waste. The only explanation is human madness.

[@rogerpattube]

Not the only explanation

[@tomarmstrong1281]

@@rogerpattube What other explanation is there? At some time, someplace, some individual, or a group of individuals, decide to start a war. Humans against humans. Not four-legged creatures or aliens. Usually men, men like you or me Roger. They started their lives as helpless babies, just like you or me, but something along the line made it possible for them to inspire others to take up arms and kill. It is there in our nature. Why else would every nation have armies and navies and killing machines?

[@timothyfalkowski6007]

the rockets fired from under the wings, is an up-grade from dive bombing. a stay back and shoot your bombs forward and not waiting until after you have gone past the target.

[@velocitymg]

They packed a bigger punch then bombs but were inaccurate and unreliable

[@mybluebelly]

Nice video, very nice indeed.

[@nigelsmith7366]

I have the very rare book... The Shipbusters

[@lancescott2174]

So do I. Got it at Old Warden bookshop a few years ago. Had a copy ages ago, but lost it. Glad to find it again in print.

[@stewartelder7576]

Most of the rockets missed?

[@iatsd]

Yup. In Normandy the hit rate for rockets for Tempests was 1 in 70, and a hit was defined as "Within 10 yards" of the target. There is a reason pilots were encouraged to save them for larger targets like trains or buildings.

[@tristanhore8519]

The aim point for a rocket attack on ships is short of the target. The theory being the rockets hit the water, flatten out their trajectory and hit the target below the waterline. Hitting the ship directly above the water was apparently less effective at sinking them.

[@krimke881]

Yep. Water is denser than air. So more force banging to the hull of the ships

[@benwilson6145]

Thank you

[@offshoretomorrow3346]

Exciting stuff - but those rockets are awesomely inaccurate.

[@Kidraver555]

Very tragic environmental nightmare for the norwegian coast, these kinds of documentaries really bring the awful reality of war home.

[@EllieMaes-Grandad]

At 12:** it looks like another aircraft coming into a field of 'friendly' fire, but the shooting doesn't stop . . . . I wonder what transpired . . .

[@ArmouredCarriers]

Fields of vision ... the gun camera had a much better view than the pilot. And that mosquito came up from below.

[@EllieMaes-Grandad]

Thank you. What happened, please? @@ArmouredCarriers

[@ArmouredCarriers]

Sorry, I don't know. I was just detailing how the incident happened. There's lots of gun-camera footage from fighters over Europe showing exactly the same scenario - ground attack with aircraft at different heights, with one zooming up in front of the guns of another from in front and below ...@@EllieMaes-Grandad

[@EllieMaes-Grandad]

Thanks again - I'd like to think the lower one got home . . . @@ArmouredCarriers

[@ArmouredCarriers]

I'm inclined to think so. This - after all - was a propaganda video. I doubt anything with the taint of tragedy would have been allowed on the screen!@@EllieMaes-Grandad

[@philipinchina]

In such an attack what % of the ordnance actually hits the target?

[@woodpeckerdrums6254]

RESPECT

[@hisdadjames4876]

Wonder why the Royal Navy wasn’t the principal arm tasked to interdict those convoys? Luftwaffe cover, I suppose, though there was no sign of it against Coastal Command. Defences must have improved subsequent to the early battles of Narvik, when the Royal Navy patrolled the coast with impunity. 🤔

[@ArmouredCarriers]

The war had also expanded to the Mediterranean, Indian Ocean and Pacific. So suitable ships were stretched a bit thin. And if a target is within range of an aircraft, aircraft can respond much faster than a warship. Which is how carriers made battleships obsolete.

[@gordonhall9871]

friendly fire 12:15

[@johnhannigan8265]

We’re these Beufighters or Beauforts?

[@Lassisvulgaris]

These are Beaufighters. Main difference is that the aereas for the rear gunner and bomb aimer were removed, leaving the pilot in a fighter type of cockpit. The name is an abrevation of Beaufort and fighter. Easy to see the difference on photos.

[@dontall71]

The Germans must have thought that the Mosquito was aptly named.

[@philippelafenetre2519]

Mosquito and Beaufighter...coastal command Banff and Dallachy!

[@user-hi1ov8sd4s]

６３３ SQUADRON model？。

[@MarsFKA]

12:49 That gun looks almost like a Vickers. Can't be, though...

[@chuckhaggard1584]

It certainly could be.

[@MarsFKA]

@@chuckhaggard1584 Yes, but used by Germans?

[@chuckhaggard1584]

@@MarsFKA they used a LOT of captured equipment. Like literally everything useful they could grab. Many of the panzers used to invade France were Czech built, as an example.

[@chuckhaggard1584]

@@MarsFKA if you are interested in a good quick video, search one by historian Mark Felton on "WW2 Allied firearms in German service"

[@MarsFKA]

@@chuckhaggard1584 That Vickers would have been useful to them only as long as the .303 ammunition lasted. Equipment swapping happened a lot in North Africa, too and, when in Italy, my father - a tank commander in the New Zealand Division - used an Italian sub-machine gun that he picked up one day as his personal weapon.

[@keithfarrell3370]

Wonderful Mozzies and Beau's. The music is very full on, isn't it?

[@guaporeturns9472]

Sure seems like those rockets miss a lot.

[@steriskyline4470]

Yeah they must have been incredibly hard to aim, especially while you're being shot at! I don't even know weather id rather be on the ship or in the air

[@guaporeturns9472]

@@steriskyline4470 Yeah that’s a tough call… I don’t know either… probably a ship but I’m not sure.

[@neiloflongbeck5705]

IIRC they put the rockets into the water along side the target ship as the rockets would curve upwards into the hull below the waterline with the expected results.

[@nigelsmith7366]

You try aiming rockets while flying at high speed in vert turbulent air and under fire from lots of AAA.... What a dumb comment to make

[@Kevin-mx1vi]

I would expect that when flying in fjords with almost vertical sides, updraughts, downdraughts, and probably a lot of turbulence, simply _not crashing_ took a lot of skill, let alone doing it while being shot at and trying to launch unguided rockets ! Frankly, I admire their guts just for being there.

[@kevin-parratt-artist]

The music is tedious

[@i-a-g-r-e-e-----f-----jo--b]

Jah by jiminy, we got some German trawlers down there by golly. Norwegian scout

[@jerribee1]

I think you may have been thinking of the actor John Qualen (born Johan Mandt Kvalen) when you wrote that.

[@paulsmodels]

Cool.

[@derek6579]

It was strike command by 1945!

[@janlindtner305]

👍👍👍

[@aldosam5317]

Compare the way real pilots talk with Hollywood crap

[@curiousuranus810]

The CGI was a bit poor.

[@MarsFKA]

They wanted Stanley Kubrick to make the film, but he was already working on the Moon landings.

[@caloricphlogistonandthelum4008]

He's dead!@@MarsFKA

[@Tiberiotertio]

Another "heroic allies and dopey enemy who couldn´t hit a barn door at 10cm distance" going by these clips must have been a walk in the park.....

[@californiadreamin8423]

That’s one way to look at it…..but the airmen involved knew exactly the risk they were taking , and they were considerable …..and they didn’t have any say in “propaganda “ films and their content.

[@mikesaunders4694]

It was propaganda from a nation at war in a simpler time…..get over it…..it doesn’t cancel out the bravery of the guys involved in an endeavour that took a lot of courage.

[@ferney2936]

I didn't really get that sense from the film. It looked to me like the flak was formidable & was everywhere while the air launched rockets were just not finding their mark. Clearly the planes had to dive steeply off the mountains into the fjord through a blizzard of flak & it looks like they had only a few seconds to press home their attack before climbing steeply once more to clear the other mountain. Another comment says the rockets weren't accurate & it must have been miserable to accept that they'd come all that way & would likely die just to pepper some ships with 303 bullets. That's what I took from the film. It was clearly a propaganda film in the style of its day which we all recognise but don't now identify with as you say. I remember as a young boy seeing films like these on 'All our yesterdays' on the BBC ( in 1966 I think) & I thought then that the triumphalist narration & music in the clips contrasted strangely with the sad & dour voice of the presenter explaining the historical context. Later, as an adult I realised that the title of the series was itself a sad & sardonic quote from Shakespeare

[@californiadreamin8423]

@@ferney2936 There is footage of the Typhoon rocket attacks in Normandy. A particular one shows a typhoon in a diving turn at either a curved road or curved railway line….and the accuracy is very good.

[@chuckhaggard1584]

@@ferney2936 Even without the rockets those planes had four 20mm cannon firing, not just .303s, you can see the 20mm cannon rounds hitting the ships in several of those scenes.

[@organicpaul]

Splendid!

[@user-jy2qp8gp2l]

Fajny film