Operation Nordseetour

Operation Nordseetour
Part of the Battle of the Atlantic, World War II
Admiral Hipper in 1939
Date 30 November – 27 December 1940 Location Atlantic Ocean
Belligerents
Germany	United Kingdom
Commanders and leaders
Wilhelm Meisel
Strength
1 heavy cruiser	1 heavy cruiser 2 light cruisers
Casualties and losses
None	1 heavy cruiser damaged 1 merchant ship sunk 2 transport ships damaged

Operation Nordseetour (German: North Sea Tour) was a raid conducted between 30 November and 27 December 1940 by the German heavy cruiser Admiral Hipper. It was part of the Battle of the Atlantic of World War II, with the ship seeking to attack Allied convoys in the North Atlantic. Admiral Hipper left Germany on 30 November 1940 and entered the Atlantic after evading British patrols. She had difficulty locating any convoys and was plagued by engine problems and bad weather. While returning to Brest in German-occupied France, Admiral Hipper encountered Convoy WS 5A on the night of 24 December. A torpedo attack that night did not inflict any damage and Admiral Hipper was driven off by the convoy's escorts when she attacked on the next morning. Two British transports and a heavy cruiser were damaged. The German cruiser sank a merchant ship later on 25 December, and arrived in Brest on 27 December.

The German navy was disappointed with the results of the raid. It indicated that the Admiral Hipper-class of heavy cruisers were not well suited to attacking shipping in the Atlantic, due to their short range and unreliable engines. The Royal Navy strengthened convoy escort forces in response to the attack on Convoy WS 5A. This frustrated two attacks that were attempted by German battleships in early 1941.