Operation Dervish (1941)

Operation Dervish
Part of Arctic naval operations of the Second World War
The minesweeper HMS Salamander was part of the escort for the convoy as it reached its destination
Date 21–31 August 1941 Location Arctic Ocean 75°N 40°E / 75°N 40°E / 75; 40 (Barents Sea) Result Allied victory
Belligerents
United Kingdom  Soviet Union	Germany
Commanders and leaders
Rear Admiral Robert Burnett	Admiral Rolf Carls
Strength
6 merchantmen 1 fleet oiler 14 escorts in relays

Operation Dervish (21–31 August 1941) was the first of the Arctic Convoys of the Second World War by which the Western Allies supplied material to the Soviet Union against Nazi Germany. Included in the convoy was the personnel and equipment of an RAF Wing, for the air defence of the Russian ports, several civilians and diplomatic missions.

The convoy sailed from Liverpool on 12 August 1941 and arrived at Archangelsk on 31 August 1941. There were no attempts by the Luftwaffe or the Kriegsmarine to intercept the convoy and neither side suffered casualties.

Co-incident with the Dervish convoy, civilians in the Svalbard archipelago were evacuated in Operation Gauntlet (25 August – 3 September 1941) and Dervish was followed by Operation Strength (30 August – 14 September 1941) to transport aircraft for No. 151 Wing RAF at Archangelsk; both operations succeeded.