On 9 February 1945, a force of Allied
Bristol Beaufighter aircraft suffered heavy casualties during an unsuccessful attack on the German destroyer
Z33 and its escorting vessels; the operation was labelled "
Black Friday" by the surviving Allied aircrew. The German ships were sheltering in a strong defensive position in
Førde Fjord,
Norway, forcing the Allied aircraft to attack through heavy
anti-aircraft fire. The Beaufighters and their escort of Mustang IIIs (
North American P-51 Mustang) fighters from the RAF's No. 65 Squadron were also intercepted by twelve German
Focke-Wulf Fw 190 fighters of the
Luftwaffe fighter wing
Jagdgeschwader 5. In the resulting attack, the Allies damaged at least two of the German ships for the loss of seven Beaufighters shot down by
flak guns. Another two Beaufighters and one Mustang were shot down by the Fw 190s. Four or five German fighters were shot down by the Allied aircraft, including one flown by German Ace
Rudi Linz.