Operation Agreement

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Operation Agreement

Part of World War II, Western Desert Campaign

Date	September, 1942
Location	North Africa
Result	Allied operation failed

Combatants

United Kingdom

Rhodesia
New Zealand

Nazi Germany

Fascist Italy

Strength

~1000

Casualties

746 men
9 vessels

62 KIA
119 WIA
30 aircraft

Western Desert Campaign
Compass – Sonnenblume – Tobruk – Brevity – Battleaxe – Crusader – Gazala – Bir Hakeim – 1st Alamein – Alam Halfa – Agreement – 2nd Alamein

During World War II, Operation Agreement consisted of ground and amphibious attacks by British, Rhodesian and New Zealand forces and SIG on German and Italian-held Tobruk (Operation Daffodil), Benghazi (Operation Snowdrop), Jalo oasis (Operation Tulip) and Barce (Operation Hyacinth) launched on 13 September 1942. The assault on Tobruk failed badly; the British lost three ships and several hundred soldiers and Marines.

1 Objectives
2 Execution
3 External links
4 Further reading

[edit] Objectives

The objectives were to undermine Axis efforts by destroying airfield and harbour installations and large oil stores and to recapture Jalo oasis.

[edit] Execution

New Zealanders of the LRDG successfully attacked Barce and its airfield, destroying 30 aircraft.

The SAS, led by Lt. Col. David Stirling attempted a large-scale raid on Benghazi, but were driven off by heavy Italian gunfire and suffered heavy losses.

The main attack on Tobruk suffered from poor planning and coordination. The expected garrison had been strengthened and British warships bringing in the seaborne troops were ambushed by harbour defences. Another seaborne landing partially failed to reach its beach.

Allied strength for Operation Daffodil (the only one with amphibious landings) was about 400 Royal Marines, 180 Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders, engineers from the sea and about 150 SAS from the desert. Losses were about 300 Royal Marines, 166 Army, 280 Royal Navy, one cruiser (HMS Coventry), two destroyers (HMS Sikh and Zulu), two MLs and four MTBs.

German losses were 62 killed and 119 wounded.

[edit] External links

The Allied Special Forces Association - LIONS OF JUDAH - The raid on Tobruk

Operation Agreement also involved a platoon of the Royal Northumberland Fusiliers under the command of Lt. (later Major) Ernest James Bowen Raymond MC. They were machine gunners trained for the mission at the Mustapha Barracks, Ras El Tin, Alexandria. Some of the RNF, notably Sgt. 'Dusty' Miller, incredibly made it onshore. Though there could have been problems with planning and coordination, the major issue was security; everyone in Cairo seemed to be aware of the 'secret' operation.

[edit] Further reading

Smith, Peter Charles (1987). Massacre at Tobruk: The Story of Operation Agreement. London: Kimber. ISBN 0-7183-0664-3.
Landsborough, Gordon (1989). Tobruk Commando: The Raid to Destroy Rommel's Base. London: Presidio Press. ISBN 1-85367-025-1.