Operation RV-6

'RV-6' was a Soviet combined air and sea operation against the German convoy routes round the extreme north of German-occupied Norway (9/28 July 1944).

From 13 July S-14, S-56, Shch-402 and M-200 had been awaiting developments in the designated operational area, and a motor torpedo boat force was put on alert. On 10 and 13 July groups of Soviet torpedo bombers and ground-attack aircraft sortied and inflicted light damage on a number of German vessels. On 13 July a Soviet reconnaissance aeroplane reported the movement of a German convoy to the east in Mageroy Sound, and S-14 attacked a convoy off Makkaur, although without obtaining hits.

During the evening of 14 July a convoy was reported in the Porsangerfjord, and early on 15 July S-56 and M-200, with an hour’s interval between them, made unsuccessful attacks near Cape Harbaken. Eight motor torpedo boats initially missed the convoy, but were then led to the scene in the area to the south of the Busse Sound by two Yakovlev Yak-9 reconnaissance aircraft. The German escort force beat off the attacks, and UJ 1211 sank TKA-239, which on 15 July had sunk the drifter Hugin. An sortie by ground-attack aircraft and fighter-bombers of the 14th Composite Air Division against the incoming ships off the Bokfjord led to the infliction of only light damage.

On 16 July the submarine L-15 laid a minefield off Rolfsøy and undertook a reconnaissance.

In further heavy fighter-bomber attacks in the area of Kirkenes and Vardd on 17, 21, 22 and 28 July, the Soviet forces inflicted light damage on the ships, and only V 63071 was sunk. The submarines L-20 and L 15 laid new minefields on 8 August off Makkaur and on 16 August off Rolfsøy.