The Royal Navy's Operation Deadlight, which was the executive action which led to the sinking of 116 German U-Boats off Northern Ireland between 27 November 1945 and 12 February 1946, was the culmination of the long-held determination of the British Government to ensure the total elimination of the German Navy's submarine fleet after the end of WW2.
UK Planning for German Naval Disarmament
UK planning for the end of the war assumed that Britain would occupy the north west zone of Germany, and that the Royal Navy would be responsible for the main German naval bases. Thus, at the cessation of hostilities, all German U-Boats would immediately be moved to the UK prior to Allied agreement about their destruction.
The Royal Navy therefore pressed ahead in the first half of 1944 with the detailed planning for the post-war transfer of all remaining German U-Boats to British ports. It was intended that the U-Boats would be moved to the naval port at Lisahally in Northern Ireland, and to the naval anchorage in Loch Ryan in south-west Scotland. The proposed transfer arrangements were code-named Operation Pledge.
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