Operation Agreement

Operation Agreement Part of the Western Desert Campaign of the Second World War Members of the LRDG/SAS Trucks halted at the massive rock outcrop of Gilf Kebir during Operation Agreement. Date 13–14 September 1942 Location near Tobruk 32°05′42″N 23°55′55″E / 32.095°N 23.932°E / 32.095; 23.932Coordinates: 32°05′42″N 23°55′55″E / 32.095°N 23.932°E / 32.095; 23.932 Result Axis victory Belligerents  United Kingdom  Southern Rhodesia  New Zealand  Germany  Italy Strength ~2,000 150 Italian 20 German troops Casualties and losses 800 killed and 576 captured 1 cruiser 2 destroyers 4 MTBs 2 MLs Several makeshift craft 15 Italians and 1 German killed[1] 43 Italians and 7 Germans wounded[1] 30 aircraft

Battle of the Mediterranean Malta Club Run¹ Malta Convoys¹ Espero ¹² Mers-el-Kébir Calabria¹² Cape Spada Hurry ¹ Cape Passero¹ MB8 ¹ Taranto Strait of Otranto² White ¹ Cape Spartivento¹ Excess ¹ Genoa Abstention Souda Bay Matapan Tarigo ² Crete ² Substance ¹ Halberd ¹ U-boat Campaign Duisburg ² Bon² 1st Sirte¹² Alexandria raid 2nd Sirte¹ Calendar ¹ "Bowery" ¹ Albumen Harpoon ¹ Vigorous ¹ Pedestal ¹ Agreement Torch Stone Age ¹ Toulon Portcullis ¹ Skerki² Olterra's campaign¹ Algiers¹ Zuwarah ² Cigno ² Campobasso ² Sicily Gela Sinking of Roma Dodecanese Campaign Symi Cape Bougaroun¹ Port Cros La Ciotat Ligurian Sea ¹ ¹ — Involved an Allied convoy ² — Involved an Axis convoy Western Desert Campaign Invasion of Egypt Compass Fort Capuzzo Sidi Barrani 1st Bardia Beda Fomm Kufra Giarabub Sonnenblume Tobruk 2nd Bardia Twin Pimples Skorpion Brevity Battleaxe Crusader Flipper Gazala Bir Hakeim 1st Alamein Alam Halfa Agreement Caravan Camouflage Bertram Braganza 2nd Alamein Outpost Snipe El Agheila Associated articles Frontier Wire Maletti Group Babini Group Baggush Box Point 175

Operation Agreement comprised a series of ground and amphibious operations carried out by British, Rhodesian and New Zealand forces on German and Italian-held Tobruk from 13–14 September 1942, during the Second World War. The 3rd Battalion of the San Marco Regiment (Italian marines), which became known as the "Tobruk battalion" after this battle, was the main defender of the harbour. A Special Interrogation Group party, fluent in German, took part in missions behind enemy lines. Supporting attacks extended to Benghazi (Operation Bigamy a.k.a. Snowdrop), Jalo oasis (Operation Nicety a.k.a. Tulip) and Barce (Operation Caravan a.k.a. Hyacinth).^[2] (Daffodil, Snowdrop, Tulip and Hyacinth were fictitious code names, made up by the author of a book published in 1945, when the official names of the operations were still secret, and which then came into general use.)^[3] Attacking without air cover, the Tobruk raid was a disaster. The British force lost several hundred killed and captured, three warships, seven motor torpedo boats and dozens of small amphibious craft.

Targets

The objective of Operation Agreement was to undermine the Axis war effort in North Africa by destroying airfields, harbour facilities, ships, vehicles and large oil stores.^[4] The Allies also intended to capture Jalo oasis, which was to be used as a gathering point for the retreating ground forces involved in the other operations.^[5]

Mission

Beginning

G1 and T1 patrols of the Long Range Desert Group (LRDG) successfully assaulted Barce and its airfield, destroying 16 aircraft and damaging seven more.^[6] The main barracks there were also attacked.^[7]

The SAS—led by Lieutenant Colonel David Stirling and supported by S1 and S2 patrols of the LRDG—were to attempt a large-scale raid on Benghazi. However, after running behind the planned timetable, their presence was discovered after a clash at a roadblock as dawn broke. With the element of surprise lost and the protection of darkness receding, Stirling decided not to go ahead with the attack and ordered a withdrawal.^[2]

The assault to take Jalo oasis was carried out by the Sudan Defence Force along with S1 and S2 patrols of the LRDG. The first attack on the night of 15/16 September, was easily repelled by the defenders who had been alerted to the operation and had been strengthened. The attackers withdrew on 19 September, as an Italian reinforcing column approached the oasis.^[7]

Main attack

British commandos during a training exercise

The main attack on Tobruk suffered from poor planning and coordination. First, British Commandos from the submarine HMS Taku failed to set up beacons on the shore to guide the main British force due to bad sea conditions. The expected garrison had been strengthened and British destroyers bringing in the seaborne troops landed their troops on a beach far to the west of the intended one.^[8] Another seaborne landing—comprising motor launches and boats—partially failed to reach the planned landing point. Only two Motor Torpedo Boats (MTB)s entered a small cove to land members of the Royal Northumberland Fusiliers, but one of them was hit and became stranded in the shallow water.^[9]

Allied strength for Operation Agreement involved an amphibious seaborne force of about 400 Royal Marines, 180 Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders, Army Engineers and about 150 SAS coming from the desert. Losses amounted to about 300 Royal Marines, 160 Army, 280 Royal Navy,^[2] one light cruiser (HMS Coventry), two destroyers (HMS Sikh and Zulu), two Motor Launches, four MTBs and several small craft. MTB 314, a boat which was damaged and ran aground during the battle, was captured by the German harbour minesweeper R-10 at dawn with 117 seamen and soldiers on board.^[10] Dozens of British seamen and marines were rescued from the sea by the Italian torpedo boat Castore, a flotilla of German harbour minesweepers and several Italian motor barges, which also seized a couple of makeshift amphibious craft attempting to reach Alexandria at very low speed.^[11] About 300 British were killed. The Royal Marines suffered 81 killed,^[12] and Royal Navy destroyers Sikh and Zulu and cruiser Coventry, report the loss of another 217 of their men. Axis losses were 15 Italians and 1 German killed and 43 Italians and 7 Germans wounded.^[2] About 576 British survivors were captured.^[13]

The British destroyer Sikh, according to the surivors, had been hit by Italian 155 mm (6 inch) shore batteries^[14] while taking on troops. Zulu had gone to rescue the ship and crew but was unable to pull Sikh clear. Sikh finally sank. One-hundred-and-fifteen of her crew were reported killed and the survivors were taken prisoner. On the afternoon of 14 September while returning to Alexandria Coventry was badly damaged by German divebombers from Crete leading to her being scuttled by Zulu. Sixty-three of her crew had been lost in the raid. Zulu was herself hit by Italian fighter-bombers a little later that day and needed assistance. While under tow and 100 miles from Alexandria Zulu sank.^[15][16][17] Thirty-nine of her crew had perished.

See also

• North African Campaign timeline
• Battle of the Mediterranean
• List of World War II Battles
• British Commandos

Notes

Footnotes

Citations

References

External links

• In depth article about Operation Agreement - Comando Supremo

British Commando raids of the Second World War A Abstention Agreement Ambassador Anklet Archery Aquatint Aflame Anglo Amherst Archway Abercrombie Acid Drop Albumen Astrakan B Baobab Basalt Biting Bigamy Batman Begonia Bulbasket Brandy Barricade Bardia raid Battle of Hill 170 Bristle Branford Battle of the Litani River C Candytuft Chestnut Clawhammer Claymore Cold Comfort Collar Colossus Cartoon Chariot Canuck Crackers Chess Checkmate Chopper D Driftwood Dryad Defoe Dunhill Deep Cut Devon E Exporter F Flipper Frankton Freshman Fahrenheit Forfar Farrier Foxrock G Gaff Gauntlet H Hardtack Huckaback Hawthorn Houndsworth I Infatuate J Jaywick Jubilee J V K Kitbag Keystone L Loyton M Maple Menacle Musketoon Myrmidon N Narcissus Nelson Newton Nicety Noah O Opossum P Postmaster Partridge Pistol R Rimau Roast Roundabout Rumford S Saxifrage Savanna Sunstar Speedwell T Tarbrush Thistledown Tombola Twin Pimples raid British Commandos List of Commando raids on the Atlantic Wall