Evening star., 1942-03-01
'Chutists
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.'Chutists
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large force operated with strong
r. A. F. and Royal Navy support
under a combined operation head
quarters. completely destroyed a
vital radio location center near LIE
Havre, and returned with the only
survivors of a German garrison as
their prisoners.
'Chutists Play Major Role.
Sailors, airmen, soldiers all were
heroes of this daringly executed,
touch-and-go invasion, but the lead
ing part was played by the para
chutists, who resembled phantom,
Martian invaders with their faces
blackened, even to their teeth.
And so stealthily did they carry
out their task that they were almost
upon the surprised Germans before
a shot was fired. They had gotten
in their deadly and destructive
work before they ran into serious
opposition on their way back to
their embarkation craft.
Not a single plane was lost in the
operation, though large numbers Of
oombers were used to ferry the para
chutists and many fighters were
used to put an umbrella over the
expedition both ways across the
Channel, q combined army and
navy communique said.
Casualties Every Light"
Likewise the naval forces which
aided in the landing operations
returned safely, and casualties were
"very light" the communique added.
Dropping out of a moonlight sky
into the light mists which shrouded
their movement, the parachutists
quickly formed to attack their OBJ
jective, the radio location center at
. Bruneval, along the coast about II
! miles north Of La Havre.
( Low-flying fighters swooped down
ahead of the parachutist laden
bombers commanded by Wing
, Comdr. P. c. Pickard, hero Of the
documentary British war film, Tar
get for Tonight" creating a diver
sion for main attack at the mouth
of the river which leads directly to
Paris.
5 Although strong resistance was
encountered, the communique said,
the radio location apparatus used to
warn of the approach Of raiding
British planes on the Brittany
Peninsula was completely destroyed
and heavy casualties inflicted by our
parachutists.
Beach Defenses Overrun>
Meanwhile, operating with split
minute precision, British fleet units,
approaching the Bruneval beach,
began shelling the area and put out
assault boats with infantry which
overran the beach defenses, in CO.
operation with the parachutists at
tacking from the rear.
To this cleared beach the para
chutists then escaped with their
prisoners, the remnants of the radio
center garrison, and were taken
aboard by the light naval forces
offshore.
THE embarkation was completed
IN good order and all our naval craft
returned safely to base. escorted by
aircraft of the fighter command" !"
the conlmunique said.
From this small scale but Sue
cessful combined operation all our
aircraft have returned. Our casu-
alties were very light"
Although spokesmen earlier had
indicated that German bombers
during the 100-mile voyage back
across the English Channel attacked
the expedition, it was apparent that
the Germans were so caught of base
that they were unable to put up
an effective counterblow inasmuch
as no British fighter planes were
lost in the entire, expedition.
Forces Not Small.
The same spokesmen said it could
be assumed that the parachute
forces, part of an entire division
which has been trained in the air
tactics developed by the Germans
In their invasion of the Netherlands
two years ago, and the infantry
forces were not small, although the
admiralty and navy later spoke Of
the operation as comparatively small
scale.
The oommunique disclosed for the
Arst time the formation of a car
yying force OF r. A. F. bombers"
commanded by Capt. Sir Nigel Nor
han, presumably troop-ferry COM
Inand.
The commander Of the parachute