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Location (Codename)
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Notes
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Mers-el-Kebir
(Catapult)
04/07/40 |
Operation Catapult aimed to secure the
immobilisation of a squadron of the French Naval Fleet to prevent it falling into German hands. Although not a Combined Operation this
naval action is included in this website because it provides useful background to British concerns about Vichy French military resources and foreign held
territories. These concerns subsequently resulted in
actions involving Combined Operations such as those in North Africa (Torch) and the Litani River. |
|
Lofoten
Islands (Claymore)
03-04/03/41 |
Operation Claymore was the 1st Lofoten
Islands raid off the Norwegian coast just north of the Arctic Circle.
It achieved a good measure of destruction of German ships and fish
factory oil and it gave free passage to the UK to over 300 Norwegian
volunteers and a few Germans and Quislings. It was, however, most notable
for giving a great boost to flagging morale within the ranks of the
Commandos and later the country as news of the raid was made public. Land
forces - 3 & 4 Commandos. Sea Forces - HMS Queen Emma,
Princess Beatrix & 5 Destroyers. |
|
Bardia,
North Africa
20-21/04/41 |
The Bardia Raid. This
land/naval raid took place at a time of rapid changes in the fortunes of war
- usually in favour of the Axis forces. The objective was to disrupt enemy
lines of communication and to inflict as much damage as possible to their
installations and equipment. Land Forces - A
Battalion (ex No 7 Commando). Sea Forces - HMS Glengyle,
a RN submarine and supporting gun ships. |
|
Litani River,
Palestine
09-10/06/41 |
[Land] C Battalion (ex 11 Commando).
[Sea] HMS
Glengyle. |
|
Rommel's HQ,
N
Africa (Flipper)
14/11/41 |
[Land] Middle East Commando. L detachment, No 11 Commando
& G(R) Branch |
|
Lofoten Islands
2nd Raid (Anklet)
26-27/12/41 |
[Land} 12 Commando. [Sea] HMS Arethusa & 8
destroyers in support. |
|
Vaagso, Norway
(Archery)
27/12/41 |
[Land] 2
& 3 Commandos [Sea] HMS Prince Leopold & Prince Charles + HMS Kenya & 4 Destroyers. [Air] Bomber
Command & Coastal Command. |
|
Bruneval, France. (Biting)
27/02/42 |
[Air] 1 Whitley Squadron. [Sea] Landing Craft &
Escorts. |
|
St
Nazaire, France (Chariot)
28/03/42 |
[Land] Nos.1,2,3,4,5,9 & 10 Commandos. [Sea]
HMS Campbelltown. |
|
Madagascar (Ironclad)
05-07/05/42 |
This brief account of Operation Ironclad, the invasion of
Madagascar, is taken from the viewpoint of a member of No 5 Commando.
Combined Operations Command was not the principal player in this operation
against the Vichy French regime - more of an assistant. The total campaign
lasted 6 months but the bulk of the special work of Combined Operations and
the Commandos was concentrated into a few days in early May 1942. [Land] No
5 Commando. |
|
Dieppe,
France (Jubilee)
19/08/42 |
[Land]
Nos 3 & 4 Commando with 50 US Rangers, the Canadian 2nd Division. [Sea] 230 ships with 3000 men. [Air] 65 RAF Squadrons
(fighters, fighter/bombers and bombers). |
|
'Sword' Beach
(Aquatint)
12-13/09/42 |
[Land] 12 Commandos of the Small Scale Raiding
Force (SSRF). [Sea] MTB 344 the Little Pisser under the command of Freddie
Bourne. |
|
Glomfjord,
Norway (Musketoon)
15-22/09/42 |
[Land] 2 Captains, 8 other ranks from No 2 Commando & 2 Corporals from
Norwegian Forces attached to SOE. [Sea] Free French Submarine Juno. |
|
North
Africa (Torch)
08 -12/11/42 |
Full listing of all services on
page |
|
River
Gironde, France (Frankton)
07/12/42 |
[Land] 10 Royal Marines - "The Cockleshell
Heroes." [Sea] Sub. HMS Tuna. |
|
Pantelleria
(Corkscrew)
11/06/43 |
[Land] Infantry [Sea] ? [Air] ? |
|
Sicily (Husky)
10/07/43 |
[Land]
US 7th Army British 8th Army [Sea] 2760 ships of the RN and US Navy [Air] ? |
|
Salerno,
Italy (Avalanche)
09/09/43 |
A brief account of the
advance from Sicily to Rome. More detailed accounts of the individual landings listed below will be added in due course. |
|
Normandy,
France (Neptune & Overlord)
06/06/44 |
170,000 assault
troops, 5000 ships and 820 aircraft mainly from Canada, UK and the USA. |
Elba, Italy
(Brassard)
17/06/44 |
In this account of this French led invasion of Elba the emphasis is on the
role of the RN Commandos (Beach Commandos). |
|
Walcheren
(Infatuate)
1-8/11/44 |
Infatuate 1[Land] 155th Infantry Brigade - 4th & 5th
Bn. KOSB, 7th/9th Bn The Royal Scots. Infatuate 2 4 Special Services Brigade - 41, 47 & 48 RM Commando with attached No 10
(Inter Allied) |
|
To be written |
|
|
Spitzbergen (Gauntlet)
1941 |
|
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Reggio,
Italy
03/09/43 |
|
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Taranto, Italy
11/09/43 |
|
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Anzio, Italy (Shingle)
22/01/44 |
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Anvil, France
15/08/44 |
|
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Southern France
(Dragoon)
19/08/44 |
|
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Akyab, Arakan
Peninsula
03/01/45 |
|
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River
Myebon,
Arakon Peninsula
12/01/45 |
|
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Ramree, Arakan
Peninsula
21/01/45 |
|
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Kangaw, Arakan
Peninsula
22/01/45 |
|
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Cheduba, Arakan
Peninsula
26/01/45 |
|
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Ruywa, Arakan
Peninsula
16/02/45 |
|
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Comacchio,
Italy
Apr 45 |
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Rangoon. Burma
02/05/45 |
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Malay Coast (Op Zipper)
Sep 1945 |
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