Ian Fleming planned underwater sabotage missions in WWII?

Number24

Photos from the Måløy raid (Operation Archery)

Today I visited a museum dedicated to the Måløy raid (Operation Archery), Kompani Linge and the Shetland Gang (the two Norwegian Special Operations Executive units during WWII. For more info see the SOE thread). The museum was opened today by the crown prince and princess. Three former SOE agents were also there, but I didn't get there in time. The crowd would have prevented me from getting more than a glimpse anyway.
It's worth mentioning that the commandoes managed to captured documents and maps of all the German coastal fortifications in Europe and a Kriegsmarine Enigma machine during the Måløy raid on the 27th December 1941. One of the Commando units were tasked with capturing useful information. Even though Operation Archery pre-dates 30 Assault Unit this is straight up Ian Fleming's alley.

What should interest to many of you is that Ian Fleming featured in the exhibition. The museum claims he was he one of the planners of Operation Archery, and he also helped plan two SOE operations called Salamander.


Operation Salamander II
This was a British operation by the Special Operations Executive using a four-man party (F. Kayser, S. Synnes, A. Trønnes and K. Karlsen) to attack U-boats, depot ships and other vessels in the Måløy area of German-occupied Norway using four ‘Sleeping Beauty’ motorised submersible canoes to approach the targets and attach limpet mines (9/18 September 1944).
The party and its equipment were landed by submarine chaser on 9 September but returned on 18 September without achieving any success.

(Fredrik Kayser had earlier taken part in the Heavy Water sabotage in Vemork)




This is all very James Bond :007)





There was of course a "Operation Salamander I" too.

Operation Salamander I
This was a British unrealised operation by the Special Operations Executive to use a four-man party, led by R. Ulstein, to attack shipping in the Nordgulen and Florø area of German-occupied Norway using four ‘Sleeping Beauty’ motorised submersible canoes (September 1944).
The operation was cancelled as a result of objections by the Special Intelligence Service that it would threaten the security of its station near Florø.

Ragnar Ulstein is still alive and took part in the opening of the Måløy Raid museum. He is essentially the official historian of the Norwegian Branch of SOE and he has written many books on the subject.

Other than the info in the Måløy museum I haven't been able to tie Ian Fleming, but the idea of the creator of James Bond planning real underwater sabotage missions is exiting.

Number24

Can anyone help me find more sources that tie Ian Fleming to Operation Archery and Salamander I & II?

7289

Fascinating!!!!

Number24

I like the small, personal stories in the middle of a battle. During the Måløy raid a commando sniper set up his position in a house. His fingers got so cold he had problems shooting straight. Then he discovered a pair of knitted gloves on a table. Christmas Eve was only three days ago (we open the gifts on the 24th) and this was someones present. He put them on and continued shooting Germans. The knitted gloves followed the sniper back to Britain and through the war. In 2005 he came back to Måløy for for some sort of anniversary. He met the woman who he stole the gloves from. He thanked her for the loan and gave them back

Number24

Operation Salamander is the model for the finishing "exam" for Norwegian Navy special forces (MJK). Just like army SF model their finishing exam excersise on the Vemork sabotage mission, the MJK model their "exam" in a modernized version of Operation Salamander. Yesterday's regional newspaper's headline was about SOE agent (and "Salamander" veteran) Ragnar Ulstein talking to this year's MJK recruits about his experiences. All the MJK soldiers had their faces pixelated of course.