Operation Boatswain

Discussion in 'Special Forces' started by Warlord, Jan 12, 2010.

  1. Warlord

    Warlord Veteran wannabe

    While surfing around, I stumbled upon Operation Boatswain, a joint SOE / Palmach raid to destroy Vichy oil storage tanks in Tripoli, Lebanon, in 1941, involving 24 commandos (1 British officer and 23 Hebrew enlisted) which embarked in Haifa on the submarine Sea Lion, but never made it to the target area.

    Does anyone have information about what happened?
     
  2. phylo_roadking

    phylo_roadking Very Senior Member

    Warlod - WHEN in 1941???

    The Sealion's operational history in 1941 is quite well recorded, and I can't see ANY of it inside the Med! From HMS Sealion (N 72) - Submarine of the S class - Allied Warships of WWII - uboat.net

    5 Feb 1941
    HMS Sealion (Cdr. B. Bryant, DSC, RN) sinks the (German controlled) Norwegian Ryfylke (1151 GRT, offsite link) off Honningsvåg, Norway.
    30 May 1941
    HMS Sealion (Cdr. B. Bryant, DSC, RN) fires 6 torpedoes against the German submarine U-74 in the Bay of Biscay about 45 nautical miles south-west of Belle-Ile Island, France in position 46º58'N, 04º12'W. All six torpedoes missed their target. (see map)
    7 Jul 1941
    HMS Sealion (Cdr. B. Bryant, DSC, RN) sinks the French fishing vessels Gustav Eugene (120 GRT) and Gustav Jeanne (39 GRT) with gunfire off Ushant.
    8 Jul 1941
    HMS Sealion (Cdr. B. Bryant, DSC, RN) sinks the French fishing vessel Christus Regnat (28 GRT) with gunfire off Ushant.
    9 Jul 1941
    HMS Sealion (Cdr. B. Bryant, DSC, RN) sinks the French fishing vessel St Pierre d'Alcantara (329 GRT) with gunfire off Ushant.
    18 Nov 1941
    HMS Sealion (Lt. G.R. Colvin, RN) sinks the Norwegian tanker Vesco (331 GRT, offsite link) off the Laksefjord, Norway in position 70º57'N, 26º50'E. (see map)
    5 Dec 1941
    HMS Sealion (Lt. G.R. Colvin, RN) torpedoes and sinks the Norwegian merchant Island (638 GRT, offsite link) north of Mehavn, Norway in position 71º07'N, 27º54'E. (see map)
     
  3. wtid45

    wtid45 Very Senior Member

    Warlord go to www.specialforcesroh.com and in the right hand column click on Palestine and it should tell you most of what you want to know
     
  4. Warlord

    Warlord Veteran wannabe

    Warlord go to www.specialforcesroh.com and in the right hand column click on Palestine and it should tell you most of what you want to know

    It was in that site that all this began, with a too short two-line reference to an incomplete operation, and the commandos listed as Missing at Sea.

    Thanks, mate.

    Warlod - WHEN in 1941???

    The Sealion's operational history in 1941 is quite well recorded, and I can't see ANY of it inside the Med! From HMS Sealion (N 72) - Submarine of the S class - Allied Warships of WWII - uboat.net

    Around May, mate.

    Having a closer look at my only reference so far, the site mentioned by wtid45, the Sealion is referred to as a "Commando boat", so it's likely it wasn´t a submarine after all :blush:.
     

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