Operation Rimau

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Operation Rimau
Part of World War II, Japanese occupation of Singapore
Date October 10, 1944 - October 16, 1944
Location Singapore Harbour
Result Japanese Pyrrhic Victory
Belligerents
Flag of Japan Empire of Japan Z Force
Commanders
Various Ivan Lyon †
Strength
N/A 23
Casualties and losses
3 Japanese ships sunk
+60 infantry killed or wounded		 13 killed
10 captured (later beheaded)

Operation Rimau was an attack on Japanese shipping at Singapore Harbour, carried out by the Allied commando unit Z Force, during World War II. It was a follow-up to the successful Operation Jaywick, which had taken place in 1943.

Rimau (Malay for tiger) was led by the man behind Operation Jaywick, Lt Col Ivan Lyon of the Gordon Highlanders. The goal of Rimau (originally named Operation Hornbill) was to sink Japanese shipping by placing limpet mines on ships. Motorised semi-submersible canoes, known as Sleeping Beauties, would be used to gain access to the harbour.

Lyon led a Z Force contingent of 21 men. They left their base in Australia aboard the British submarine HMS Porpoise on September 11, 1944. When they reached the island of Merapas, which was to be their forward base, it was discovered to be inhabited. To ensure that their stores would remain undiscovered by the natives, one of the officers from the Porpoise, Lt Walter Carey, remained on Merapas as a guard.

The force commandeered a Malay junk named the Mustika. Taking the Malay crew aboard the submarine, Z Force transferred their equipment to the junk and the Porpoise departed.

Lyon decided to drop off four more men with Carey: Corporal Colin Craft, Warrant Officer Alf Warren and either Lance Corporal Hugo Pace or Sergeant Colin Cameron (accounts differ on the identity of the fourth man).

Meanwhile, the Mustika neared its target. On the day of the planned attack, October 10, 1944, disaster struck. A patrol boat challenged the Mustika and someone on board opened fire. Their cover blown, Lyon had no option but to abort the mission. After blowing up the junk and the Sleeping Beauties, he ordered his men back to Merapas. However, Lyon led a small force of six other men — Lt Commander Donald "Davo" Davision, Lt Bobby Ross, Able Seaman Andrew "Happy" Huston, Corporal Clair Stewart, Corporal Archie Campbell and Private Douglas Warne — into Singapore Harbour, where they are believed to have sunk three ships.

While the main party made it safely back to Merapas, the raiding party did not fare so well. The Japanese caught up with Lyon and his party on Soreh Island. A gun battle ensued and Davidson and Campbell were severely wounded. Lyon, Ross and Stewart stayed on Soreh to hold off the Japanese in order for the wounded duo to escape. After an epic battle, Lyon and Ross were killed by a hand grenade on October 16, 1944 and Stewart was captured. Davidson and Campbell made it to Tapai Island where they died on October 18, either from their wounds or by swallowing their cyanide capsules. The two remaining members of the raiding party, Huston and Warne, made it back to Merapas.

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