'Osprey' was a British operation by the Special Operations Executive for a party to work in the Stavanger area of German-occupied Norway, establish radio contact, prepare local resistance groups, organise groups to sabotage or if necessary protect lines of communication, receive weapons, and prepare a plan for the neutralisation of Sola airfield, which was used by warplanes attacking Arctic convoys plying to and from ports on the northern USSR (10 December 1943/autumn 1944).

The four-man party, comprising A. Espedal, K. Hetland, J. Weltzien and K. Kiærland, was parachuted into the country on 10 December and began organisational work in the area but did not receive a delivery of weapons until May 1944. Contact was quickly made with the district leader of the Milorg military resistance organisation in Norway, who from February was in contact with the central leadership of the Milorg in Oslo. From July 1944, the group began to instruct local Milorg groups. In autumn 1944 the area was hit by a series of arrests among the operatives of the Special Intelligence Service (MI.6) organisation and the 'Osprey' party went into hiding. At the end of the year the 'Avocet' team arrived to aid the 'Osprey' party.