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Operation Flipper

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Operation Flipper
Part of Western Desert Campaign
Date10-18 November, 1941
Location
Libya
Result British objectives not achieved,
operational failure
Belligerents
 United Kingdom  Nazi Germany
Commanders and leaders
Robert Laycock
Geoffrey Keyes †		 Erwin Rommel
Casualties and losses
30 killed or captured
2 escaped		 4 killed

Operation Flipper was a British commando raid, during the Second World War, that included among its objectives an attack on the headquarters of Erwin Rommel, the commander of the Axis forces in North Africa. It was timed to strike on the night of 17/18 November 1941, just before the start of Operation Crusader, a major British offensive. The mission was a total failure. Rommel had left the targeted house two weeks earlier, and all but two of the commandos who managed to get ashore were killed or captured.

Planning

In October and November 1941, a plan was formulated at Eighth Army headquarters to attack a number of objectives behind enemy lines:[1]

  • Rommel's headquarters near Beda Littoria, some miles inland from Apollonia, Libya
  • Italian headquarters at Cyrene
  • an intelligence centre at Apollonia
  • various communications facilities

One of the main goals was to kill Rommel himself. This was intended to disrupt enemy organisation before the start of Crusader.

The overall operation was led by Lieutenant Colonel Robert Laycock. Lieutenant Colonel Geoffrey Keyes, who had been present throughout the planning stage, selected the most hazardous task for himself: the assault on Rommel's headquarters.

The raid

On 10 November, two submarines left Alexandria. HMS Torbay carried Keyes, Captain Campbell, Lieutenant Cook, and 25 men, while HMS Talisman transported Laycock, Captain Glennie, Lieutenant Sutherland, and 25 men. On the night of 14/15 November, 1941, Keyes' detachment landed on the beach of Hamama (in some sources Hamma), some 250 miles behind enemy lines. There, they made contact with Captain Haselden, Lieutenant Ingles, and Corporal Severn, inserted earlier by the Long Range Desert Group for reconnaissance.[2] The weather deteriorated and Laycock's group had a much more difficult time getting ashore. Only Laycock and seven men made it;[2] the rest were stranded on Talisman. Thus, with only 36 of the 59 men available,[2] a change of plan was required. Instead of four detachments attacking separate targets, there would only be two. Laycock remained at the rendezvous point with some of his men in the hope that the rest would be able to debark. Keyes led his group for the attack on Rommel's headquarters, while Lieutenant Cook took six men to destroy communications facilities.

Shortly before first light, Keyes' men moved to a wadi, where they sheltered during daylight. After dark on the second night, the detachment moved off, but their Arab guide refused to accompany the party in the deteriorating weather. Keyes then led his men up a 1,800 foot climb followed by an approach march of 18 miles in pitch darkness and torrential rain. Hiding during daylight, the detachment advanced to within a few hundred yards of the objective by 10 pm on the third night.

At 11:59 pm, Keyes led his party past sentries and other defences up to the house. Unable to find an open window or door, Keyes took advantage of Campbell's excellent German by having him pound on the front door and demand entrance. The soldier who opened the door was set upon by Keyes and Campbell, but Campbell had to shoot him. The noise alerted the other German occupants to their presence, fighting broke out, and Keyes was shot. He was taken outside and attended to, but quickly died. Captain Campbell was then shot in the leg by one of his own men when he foolishly ventured around a corner, having previously given his private orders to shoot on sight. With no other option, he passed command to Terry and remained behind. Terry gathered the raiding team together and retreated.

Terry and 17 men rejoined Laycock at the beach. Cook's detachment did not return. It proved impossible to re-embark on the submarines, so they waited for the weather to improve. However, they were discovered and the enemy began gathering and firing on them. Aware that they could not hope to stand off the large force that was surely being organized, Laycock ordered his men to scatter in small groups. However, only Laycock and Terry made it to safety after 37 days in the desert. The rest were either killed or captured.

Keyes received a burial with full military honours in a local Catholic cemetery on Rommel's orders. For his actions, Keyes was posthumously awarded the Victoria Cross.

References

  1. ^ Jones, Tim (2006). SAS Zero Hour: the Secret Origins of the Special Air Service. London: Greenhill Books. p. 197. ISBN 1853676691. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  2. ^ a b c Jones, Tim (2006). SAS Zero Hour: the Secret Origins of the Special Air Service. London: Greenhill Books. p. 198. ISBN 1853676691. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)

Bibliography

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