Naval man's story brings to life horrors of WWII

The Shropshire Star has linked up with Ron Cope, of Horsehay, to bring you extracts from the dramatic first-hand account of his late father Cyril of the Battle of Narvik, which took place 70 years ago.

Cyril had a grandstand view as a torpedoman on the destroyer HMS Hardy. In this, the first in a three-part series, we begin his story as HMS Hardy enters the Norwegian fjord, knowing that German invading forces are already there.

"All of the machinery had been stopped. We could not move about to keep warm, and we could only speak in whispers. We in Hardy had no light to follow but relied solely on our navigating officer, Lt Commander Smith, to guide us and our four other ships up the fjord to Narvik harbour, a feat hard enough in daylight, but in complete darkness it seemed impossible.

"We kept to the port side of the fjord, which was fortunate because a submerged U-boat was on the starboard side. It had reported seeing us head out to sea earlier in the day but was unaware that we had returned. Luck was with us.

"At 0345 we arrived at the entrance of Narvik harbour. It was still snowing and dawn was about to break. The German sailors except for the sentries on watch would be asleep.

"Our Captain detailed two destroyers to check another fjord close by. The other two stayed outside of the harbour on guard as we alone went in.

"On our port side was a large British iron ore ship, the Blythmoor, which had been captured. Two German sailors on guard scampered down a hatch without giving any alarm.

"Away on our starboard side and not very far away I could see through the swirling snow and mist several ships, mostly transport or iron ore ships.

"But there were also five German destroyers, two of which were tied up to an 'oiler' (oil tanker). At that time the Germans, except for those two sentries, had no idea we were in the harbour.

"They soon found out because the order to fire torpedoes came from the bridge. Because our tubes were already trained on the starboard side, the four torpedoes from them were the first shots fired in the First Battle of Narvik.

"The first hit and sank the Wilhelm Heidkamp.

"The second and third torpedoes hit the Anton Schmitt in the magazine. When this ship blew up the explosion severely damaged Herman Kunne. The fourth torpedo hit a large transport."

* In our next instalment, Cyril tells of the unfolding battle.