Operation Fretsaw

'Fretsaw' was a British naval operation against German shipping along the coast of German-occupied Norway (20/23 December 1944).

The objective of this undertaking, which was carried out under the command of Vice Admiral F. H. G. Dalrymple-Hamilton, second in command of the Home Fleet, was the destruction of German shipping around Stadlandet, and the British forces involved were the escort carrier Trumpeter, the heavy cruiser Norfolk, the light cruiser Mauritius, the light anti-aircraft cruiser Diadem, and the destroyers Myngs, Obedient, Orwell, Savage, Scorpion, Serapis, Zealous and Canadian Sioux.

No German shipping was encountered and a demonstration of force was therefore made in that area to create alarm and to dislocate German convoy arrangements before the operation had to be brought to a premature end by the arrival of adverse weather.