This section gives a concrete view of how the Royal Navy moved X-craft from Loch Cairnbawn toward Norwegian targets. The miniature submarines depended on full-sized submarines for towing and had to surface several times each day for short ventilation periods. Spitfire photographs sent from Russia then supplied updated intelligence about defensive nets and the positions of the German ships. The resulting plan allocated X5, X6, and X7 to Tirpitz, X9 and X10 to Scharnhorst, and X8 to Lutzow, showing how reconnaissance and logistics shaped the raid before any craft reached a target.
Notable Point · 3:03-4:09
X-craft passage planning for the Tirpitz attack
A read-aloud passage follows the miniature submarines from Loch Cairnbawn toward Norway and shows how reconnaissance shaped target assignments.