▁Don ner ke il ▁for ▁the ▁protection ▁of ▁the ▁three ▁German ▁capital ▁ships . ▁II ./ N J G   1 ▁was ▁brief ed ▁of ▁these ▁plans ▁on ▁the ▁early ▁morning ▁on ▁ 1 2 ▁February . ▁The ▁plan ▁called ▁for ▁protection ▁of ▁the ▁German ▁ships ▁at ▁all ▁costs . ▁The ▁cre ws ▁were ▁told ▁that ▁if ▁they ▁ran ▁out ▁of ▁am mun ition ▁they ▁must ▁ram ▁the ▁enemy ▁aircraft . ▁To ▁the ▁relief ▁of ▁the ▁night ▁f igh ters ▁they ▁were ▁assigned ▁to ▁the ▁first - line ▁res erves . ▁The ▁operation , ▁which ▁took ▁the ▁British ▁by ▁surprise , ▁was ▁successful ▁and ▁the ▁night ▁f igh ters ▁were ▁kept ▁in ▁their ▁reserve ▁role . ▁On ▁the ▁evening ▁of ▁ 1 2 ▁February , ▁II ./ N J G   1 ▁was ▁re located ▁to ▁Amsterdam ▁Airport ▁Sch i ph ol . ▁On ▁the ▁afternoon ▁of ▁ 1 3 ▁February , ▁Sch n au fer ▁fle w ▁a ▁reconna issance ▁mission ▁over ▁the ▁I J ss el me er ▁and ▁the ▁North ▁Sea ▁and ▁then ▁re located ▁to ▁West er land ▁on ▁the ▁island ▁of ▁Sy lt . ▁They ▁then ▁re located ▁again ▁to ▁A al borg - West ▁in ▁Den mark ▁from ▁where ▁they ▁made ▁a ▁low - level ▁flight ▁in ▁close ▁formation ▁over ▁the ▁Sk agger ak , ▁landing ▁at ▁St av anger - S ola . ▁Over ▁the ▁following ▁days ▁they ▁operated ▁from ▁the ▁air field ▁at ▁For us , ▁making ▁a ▁short - term ▁landing ▁at ▁Ber gen