Operation Holder

'Holder' was a British naval operation to deliver personnel, stores and mail from Scapa Flow to Murmansk at the base of the Kola inlet in the northern USSR (1/11 October 1943).

The operation was undertaken by the destroyers Onslaught and Canadian Huron and Iroquois, supported by the heavy cruiser London and the destroyer Impulsive, and after departing the Skålefjord in the Færoe islands group on 2 October made an uneventful passage to deliver supplies for the Allied escort vessels that had remained through the summer in the northern USSR to avoid passage during the months of long daylight hours.

Cover was provided by the heavy cruisers London and US Augusta, together with the destroyer Impulsive, which sortied from the Hvalfjörður in south-western Iceland on the same day to provide support from a position to the south-east of Bjørnøya from 5 October.

The detachment of three destroyers reached the Kola Inlet early on 6 October, unloaded and departed once again during the afternoon of the same day, reaching the Skålefjord to refuel on 10 October and Scapa Flow on the following day to disembark their passengers. The cruiser force left its covering position on 7 October and returned to the Hvalfjörður on 10 October.