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Raiders

Page 24

by Ross Kemp


  Operation Judgement: The Swordfish biplane, considered obsolete, sunk more enemy ships (by tonnage) than any other aircraft in the war.

  Operation Judgement: A Swordfish drops its 1,500lb torpedo. At Taranto, the bi-planes dived almost vertically before pulling up at the last moment.

  Operation Judgement: A Swordfish bi-plane on the deck of HMS Illustrious. The attack on the Italian Fleet by two squadrons of Swordfish swung the balance of power in the Mediterranean.

  Operation Judgement: Luftwaffe dive bomber pilots were amazed to learn that HMS Illustrious survived their savage attack to avenge the Taranto raid.

  Operation Archery: A wounded Commando is helped back to a landing craft in the Norwegian fishing town of Vaagso.

  Operation Archery: The Combined Operations’ dawn raid at Vaagso caused widespread devastation.

  Operation Archery: A British Bren gunner takes aim during bitter fighting.

  Operation Biting: The Paras arrive at Portsmouth Harbour the morning after the Bruneval raid. Major John Frost, the C.O. of the assault force, is on the bridge, second from left.

  Operation Biting: An aerial picture of the Würzburg radar the Paras were tasked with commandeering. Frost’s men landed undetected in the snow to the right of the picture.

  Operation Gunnerside: Jens Anton Poulsson, leader of the advance party that became severely weak and malnourished as they waited for the assault team.

  Operation Gunnerside: The Vemork Power station today. The raiders scaled the cliffs out of picture, to the left.

  Operation Gunnerside: The winter conditions on Norway’s Hardangervidda mountain plateau are amongst the harshest on the planet. The advance raiding party, all expert outdoorsmen and skiers, were pushed to the limit of endurance for four months leading up to the assault.

  Operation Gunnerside: Joachim Rønneberg led the attack on the night. The escape on skis to Sweden proved to be an even greater challenge.

  Operation Chariot: HMS Campbeltown wedged into the outer lock gate. The German troops on deck were unaware of the giant explosive charge below their feet.

  Operation Chariot: A German soldier passes the body of a dead Commando in the morning after the remarkably bold raid on St. Nazaire dockyard.

  Operation Deadstick: Royal Marine Commandos move through Colleville-sur-Orne on their way to relieve forces at Pegasus Bridge.

  Operation Deadstick: Three of the six Horsa gliders that brought Howard’s force in the first hours of D-Day to capture the bridge over the Caen Canal at Bénouville, subsequently known as ‘Pegasus Bridge’.

  Operation Deadstick: Pegasus Bridge, safely under British control, thanks to the efforts of Howard and his small force. The gliders can be seen in the distance.

  Author Acknowledgements

  Firstly I would like to thank Niall Edworthy, whose passion and enthusiasm has driven this book forward from the start. There are several people I must also thank for helping me transform Raiders from a mere idea to the book you are holding in your hands now. A great deal of research has been done, mainly at The National Archives in Kew and for that I am very grateful to Roger E Nixon (Military & Historical Search) and Daniel Starza Smith for digging out the relevant files and sifting through reams of documents to locate the relevant material. On their behalf, I should also thank the ever-helpful staff at Kew as well as the archivists at the Fleet Air Arm Museum at Yeovilton.

  Also to Ben Dunn at Random House. And of course, as ever, Lord Waheed Ali, for all his support.

  Picture Acknowledgements

  © Imperial War Museums (H 17365); © Imperial War Museums (D 12870); © Imperial War Museums (B 5288); © Imperial War Museums (B 5067); © Imperial War Museums (B 7033); © WoodyStock/Alamy; © Norimages/Alamy; © Trinity Mirror/Mirrorpix/Alamy; © Bettmann/CORBIS; © Hulton-Deutsch Collection/CORBIS; © Norway’s Resistance Museum; © Poperfoto/Getty Images; © Poperfoto/Getty Images; © Poperfoto/Getty Images; © Poperfoto/Getty Images; © Hulton Archive/Getty Images; © Underwood archives/Getty Images

  The author and publisher have made all reasonable efforts to contact copyright holders for permission and apologise for any omissions or errors in the form of credits given. Corrections may be made to future printings.

  Sources & Further Reading

  Operation ARCHERY

  The National Archives, Kew

  Supplement to the London Gazette, 2 July 1948 (Dispatch to Admiralty by Admiral Sir John Tovey)

  The Vaagso Raid, Joseph H. Devins

  The Commandos, Charles Messenger

  Operation Archery, Ken Ford

  Storm from the Sea, Lt Col Peter Young

  Commando, Brigadier John Durnford-Slater

  The Green Beret: The Story of the Commandos 1940–45, Hilary St George Saunders

  Operation BITING

  The National Archives, Kew

  By Air to Battle: The Official Account of the British Airborne Divisions

  Most Secret War, R. V. Jones

  The Red Beret: The Story of the Parachute Regiment at War 1940–45, Hilary St George Saunders

  A Drop Too Many, Major General John Frost

  The Bruneval Raid: Stealing Hitler’s Radar, George Millar

  Operation JUDGEMENT

  Fleet Air Arm Museum & Archives, RNAS Yeovilton

  War in a Stringbag, Charles Lamb

  With Naval Wings, John Wellham

  Swordfish: The Story of the Taranto Raid, David Wragg

  Taranto 1940, A. J. Smithers

  A Sailor’s Odyssey: The Autobiography of Admiral of the Fleet Viscount Cunningham of Hyndhope, Andrew Browne Cunningham

  Operation CHARIOT

  The National Archives, Kew

  Storming St Nazaire, James Dorrian

  The Attack on St Nazaire, Robert Ryder

  The Greatest Raid of All, C. E. Lucas-Phillips

  List the Bugle: Reminiscences of an Irish Soldier, Major General Corran Purdon

  Saint-Nazaire: Operation Chariot – 1942 (Battleground series), James Dorrian

  The Green Beret: The Story of the Commandos 1940–45, Hilary St George Saunders

  Turned towards the Sun, Michael Burn

  www.stnazairesociety.org

  Supplement to the London Gazette, 30 Sept 1947

  Operation GUNNERSIDE

  The National Archives, Kew

  The Real Heroes of Telemark, Ray Mears

  Skis Against the Atom, Knut Haukelid

  Assault in Norway: Sabotaging the Nazi Nuclear Program, Thomas Gallagher

  Operation Freshman, Richard Wiggan

  Operation DEADSTICK

  The National Archives, Kew

  The Pegasus Diaries, John Howard & Penny Bates

  Pegasus Bridge, Stephen Ambrose

  The Devil’s Own Luck, Dennis Edwards

  The Pegasus and Orne Bridges: Their Capture, Defence and Relief on D-Day, Neil Barber

  Pegasus Bridge, Will Fowler

  Panzer Commander, Hans von Luck

  With the 6th Airborne Division in Normandy, Richard Gale

  Pure Poett: The Memoirs of General Sir Nigel Poett

  March Past: A Memoir, Lord Lovat

  The Red Beret: The Story of the Parachute Regiment at War 1940–45, Hilary St George Saunders

  By Air to Battle: The Official Account of the British Airborne Divisions, ed. Bob Carruthers

  Index

  The page references in this index correspond to the printed edition from which this ebook was created. To find a specific word or phrase from the index, please use the search feature of your ebook reader.

  Ainsworth, Staff Sgt John 257, 259, 261

  Alexander, Lord 126

  Alexandria:

  Axis spies in 15

  Royal Navy adopts 3

  Amundsen, Roald 141–2

  Andrea Doria 26

  Anita L. M. Russ 79

  Armstrong, Capt. 78

  Atlee, Clement 126

  atomic bomb 132–3, 168

  see also Operation Gunnersi
de; Operation Swallow; Vemork

  Balkans, Italian invasion of 45

  Barkway, Staff Sgt 259–60, 261

  Bayley, Lt 32, 36, 40

  BBC Norwegian Service, coded message on 138

  Beart, Lt 220

  Beattie, Lt Cdr Stephen (‘Sam’) 187, 190, 203, 215–16, 221, 229, 238

  honours for 240

  Bénouville 242, 254, 266, 268–9, 270

  intelligence source in 250, 271

  scale model of 246

  Birney, Capt. 225–6

  Bismarck 193

  Bletchley Park 59

  Boer War 57

  Boland, Staff Sgt 259

  Bomba Bay 29

  Bomber Command:

  Archery plans cancelled by 77

  diversion raids of 112

  huge percentage losses of 101–2

  bombs, shoddy design of 35

  Boulogne 58

  Boyd, Capt. 30, 35, 36, 45, 52, 53

  Boyle, Staff Sgt 259–60, 261

  Brett, Lt 223–4

  Bridge Too Far, A 128

  Britain:

  Air Ministry of, Intelligence Section in 102

  antiquated ships of 2

  and Blitz 44

  Luftwaffe’s bombing of viii, 44

  poor Mediterranean air assets of 5

  Telecommunications Research Establishment of 107

  British Army:

  Commandos, see Commandos

  D Coy, Ox and Bucks, see Operation Deadstick

  Medical Corps (RAMC) 62, 75

  Parachute Regiment 129

  paratroopers from, in Biting, see Operation Biting

  paratroopers from, in Deadstick, see Operation Deadstick

  Royal Engineers 62, 104, 144–5, 198

  Royal Fusiliers 123

  South Wales Borderers 123

  Special Service Brigade 57, 273

  see also individual operations by name

  Brooke, Gen. Sir Alan 126

  Brotheridge, Lt Den 257–8, 260

  Browning, Maj. Gen. ‘Boy’ 100, 107

  Bruneval:

  eve of raid on 110

  Freya traced to 103

  German troops stationed in and around 111

  Navy’s lateness in arriving at 122–3

  paratroopers drop over 115–16

  proposed raid to capture Würzburg at 103–4

  raid on 116–24

  today 129–30

  see also Operation Biting

  Burn, Capt. Micky 199, 218

  Burrough, R/Adm. Harold 55, 67, 69

  line-of-fire order given by 70

  post-operation dispatch of 75–6, 90–1

  takes charge of Archery naval forces 61–2

  Tovey praises 96

  Burt, Lt 219, 227

  Burtinshaw, Lt 223–4

  Buscall, Sub-Lt 22

  Caen Ship Canal, British assault on bridge of, see Operation Deadstick

  Caio Duilio 33, 40, 41, 42, 44–5

  Carr, Sgt 224

  Cephalonia 18, 28

  Chamberlain, Sgt 222

  Chant, Lt 222–3

  Charteris, Lt Euen 112–13, 114, 116–17, 121–2

  honours for 127

  Chauvenau, Charles 110–11

  Churchill, Maj. John (‘Mad Jack’) 72–3, 83

  Churchill, Winston:

  and atomic threat 132

  in Boer War 57

  Commons addressed by, after Judgement 42–3

  Frost praised by 126

  Gunnerside monitored by 132

  heavy-water mission closely followed by 184

  ideas demanded by vii–viii

  Illustrious praised by 52

  Mountbatten appointed by 59–60

  ‘reign of terror’ requested by viii, 56–7

  Roosevelt meets 134

  on Tirpitz’s destruction 193

  Ciano, Count 44

  Clifford, Lt 17, 30, 34–5

  Collier, Lt 226, 227

  Combined Operations:

  Archery a coup for 96

  boosted status of 129

  equipment for Biting made available by 105

  establishment of ix

  most hazardous raid undertaken by 191

  see also individual operations

  Commandos:

  formation of 57–8

  intensive training of 64

  in Operation Archery, see Operation Archery

  and Operation Chariot, see Operation Chariot

  in Operation Claymore 58–9

  in Operation Gunnerside, see Operation Gunnerside

  silent boots of 207

  trailblazers of potent form of warfare 94

  weaponry carried by 64

  Conte di Cavour 25, 26, 40, 41–2, 44–5

  Cook, Cdr F. N. 109

  Copenhagen, Battle of 6

  Copland Maj. Bill 197, 200, 221

  Cork, Sgt 82

  Cox, Flt Sgt Charles 107–8, 112, 113–14, 118–19

  honours for 127

  Crete 14

  Cunningham, Admiral Sir Andrew 45–6

  attempts to coax Italians into battle 4

  danger understood by 4

  George VI’s letter to 44

  good-luck message of 18

  and Illustrious bombing 47

  lukewarm congratulations from 38–9, 52–3

  praise from 39

  Taranto air-attack planning of 10–11

  D-Day, see Normandy landings

  Dönitz, Adm. Karl 213–14

  Donner 85

  Dowling, Tpr 82

  Dumont, Roger 110, 127

  Dunkirk:

  difficulty rebuilding army after 105

  evacuation of vii, 2, 56, 66, 198

  Duplex pistol 14

  Durnford-Slater, Lt Col. John 62, 71, 74, 83–4, 86–7, 90, 91, 92

  men addressed by 94

  Durrant Sgt Tom 236, 237

  honours for 240

  Dutch royal family 57

  Eden, Anthony 126

  Edwards, Pte Denis 276–7

  Egypt 3

  see also Alexandria

  Einstein, Albert 132

  Enigma 59

  Etches, Lt 223

  Fairey, Charles 7–8

  Fairey Swordfish 7–9

  engine failures in 17

  manoeuvrability of 49–50

  Falkenhorst, Gen. von 166, 168

  Fenton, Lt 218–19

  fish oil:

  factories, destruction of 95

  importance of, to Germany 58

  see also Operation Archery; Vaagso

  Fiume 33

  Fleet Air Arm 7, 15, 18–19

  and Swordfish 9

  Fohn 73, 77–8

  Forbes, Adm. Sir Charles 200, 208

  Forde, Sub-Lt 28

  Forrester, Capt. Algy 79, 81

  Fox, Lt Dennis 244, 261, 268–9

  France:

  ‘defensive habit of mind’ of 56

  Fall of 82

  French Resistance 110–11

  Freya radar system, British baffled by 102–3

  Frost, Maj. John 100–1, 104, 108, 109, 117–18, 119, 120, 122–3, 124, 127–8

  in Biting, first to jump 115

  honours for 127

  summoned to London 125–6

  Fulmine 39

  Fyljesdal 145

  Gale, Maj. Gen. Richard 242–3, 248–9, 274–5, 276

  Geneva Convention 264

  George VI 44

  Germany:

  and atomic weapons 132–4

  Biting men praised by 129

  elite Panzer regiment of, in Caen 252, 267–8, 275

  fish oil important to 58

  formidable Vaagso defence of 75

  and heavy-water facility, sabotage on, see Operation Gunnerside; Operation Swallow; Vemork

  and heavy-water facility, transfer of 180–4

  night-time detection system of, see Freya radar system

  North Africa campaign of 45


  and Vemork defence, see Operation Gunnerside; Vemork

  Gestapo 107, 116, 146

  Gibraltar 3

  Giles, Bruce 81

  Giles, Capt. John 74–5, 80–1

  gliders:

  advantages and disadvantages of 253–4

  landing in 258–9

  nausea-inducing motion of 255

  in Normandy landings 253

  in Operation Deadstick, see Operation Deadstick

  Going, Lt 17, 30, 34–5

  Gondrée, Georges 250, 271

  Gondrée, Thérèse 250, 271

  Goodwin (airman) 27

  Gorizia 32

  Greece, Italian invasion of 14–15, 45

  Green, Lt Bill 213

  Green, Sub-Lt 30–1

  Greenhalgh, L/Cpl 260

  Grieve (airman) 28–9

  Grigg, Sir James 126

  Groves, Maj. Leslie 178

  Guernsey 58

  Haines, Trp Sgt Maj. 225

  Hale, Lt Cdr ‘Ginger’ 29, 32, 41

  Hall, Lt 81

  Hamilton, Lt 31

  Hampton, Col. Charles 148

  Hansen, Knut Leir 182–3

  Hardanger Vidda 131, 134, 137, 141–2, 147, 149–57

  ferocious storm on 154

  German troops scour 150

  Haugland, Knut 137–44, 150–4, 157

  honours for 184

  return of, after sabotage 168–70

  see also Operation Gunnerside; Operation Swallow; Vemork

  Haukelid, Knut 148–50, 156, 160–5 passim, 167

  ferry sabotage by 181–4

  honours for 184

  return of, after sabotage 168–71

  see also Operation Gunnerside; Vemork

  Haydon, Brig. Joseph 57–8, 62, 64, 68

  post-operation dispatch of 75–6, 90–1

 

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