My interest in the U-boats surrendered to Loch Eriboll in May 1945 brought to my attention Operation Caesar, and I have carried out a good deal of research into the exercise as several of the Eriboll boats were (or were suggested to have been) involved.

"Three Type VIIC boats from 13 Flotille based at Trondheim undertook Operation Caesar, commencing on 5 January 1945, leaving from the naval base at Harstadt. Some sources quote U-295/Wieboldt, U-318/Will and U-716/Thimme as being involved, whereas others refer to U-295/Wieboldt, U-716/Dunkelberg and U-992/Falke. U-739/Mangold has also been mentioned, and it has further been suggested that U-992 could have participated, but with Will as commander.

"All very confusing, but that is the nature of clandestine operations. Having checked all of the suggestions and possibilities from all of the sources (including the U-Boat Archive in Cuxhaven) I am satisfied that the three transport U-boats were U-295/Wieboldt, U-318/Will and U-716/Dunkelberg.

"The three U-boats were ordered to initiate an attack on the Soviet battleship ARCHANGELSK (the former HMS ROYAL SOVEREIGN which had been transferred to the Russians) in Vaenga Bay, Kola Inlet, in the Russian Arctic. The operation involved the deployment of six one-man 'Biber' midget submersibles from the K-Verband 265 Flotille based at Andes Fjord, near Harstadt, northern Norway. Two'Bibers' were mounted on the outer casing of each of the three U-boats involved, the voyage to the target being made surfaced.

"The operation was a complete failure and was abandoned. The principal adverse effect was due to vibrations from the transporting U-boat engines shaking loose the connections in the fuel lines of the 'Bibers'. Although the damage was succesfully repaired at sea by U-boat engineering personnel the problem recurred, and further leaks developed allowing sea water to penetrate the engine rooms of several of the 'Bibers'. The mini-submersibles were designed with little submersion capability, and therefore their transporting U-boats could dive to no more than persiscope depth without inflicting pressure damage on their charges.

"The three U-boats and six 'Bibers' returned to base on 8 January 1945 without having attacked the intended target".

Each of the three U-boats involved in Operation Caesar survived the war; they surrendered in Norway, were escorted to Loch Eriboll and were processed there before eventually being destroyed in Operation Deadlight.