Operation Hardtack (commando raid)

Operation Hardtack

Part of North West Europe Campaign
(Part of World War II)

Date	December 1943
Location	Channel islands and Northern France

Belligerents

United Kingdom

France

Nazi Germany

Operation Hardtack was the name of a series of British Commando raids during the Second World War. The operation was conducted by No. 10 (Inter-Allied) Commando, No. 12 Commando and the Special Boat Service, and took place on the Channel islands and the northern coast of France in December 1943. Most of the raids consisted of ten men of various ranks, carried by Motor Torpedo Boats and dories, except for one operation, which was an airborne landing. The raids were ended by order of Major General Robert Laycock because they caused the enemy to bring reinforcements, which could have been detrimental to the Allies' strategy.^[1]^[2]

Raids

Codename	Date	Force	Target	Objective	Outcome
Hardtack 4^[3]	26/27 December 1943	No. 12 Commando No. 8 French Troop, No. 10 Commando	Biville actually Criel-sur-Mer	Reconnaissance and capture prisoners	The Commandos were forced to withdraw by German patrol activity having actually landed near Creil-Sur-Mer. Two soldiers climbed the cliffs and encountered a patrol of approx 15 Germans. The leader, Cpl (later Sgt) Douglas Nash was awarded to the Military Medal for covering the withdrawal. DJ Nash citiation.
Hardtack 5	26/27 December 1943	No. 10 (Inter-Allied) Commando	Onival	Reconnaissance and capture prisoners	One Commando was injured by an anti-personnel mine on landing; the rest spent four and a half hours ashore but did not see any Germans, just unoccupied strong points.^[4]
Hardtack 7^[3]	25/26 & 27/28 December 1943^[5]	No. 12 Commando No. 8 French Troop, No. 10 Commando	Sark	Reconnaissance and capture prisoners	On the first attempt the Commandos had to return to England when they were unable to scale the cliffs, the second attempt was abandoned when the Commandos entered a minefield losing two men.^[5]
Hardtack 11^[3]	24/25 & 26/27 December 1943	No. 1 & No. 8 French troops, No. 10 Commando	Gravelines
Hardtack 13^[3]	26/27 December 1943	No. 1 French Troop, No. 10 Commando SBS	Bénouville-Etretat, Seine-Maritime
Hardtack 21^[3]	26/27 December 1943	No. 1 French Troop, No. 10 Commando	Quineville	Reconnaissance and capture prisoners	The raid gathered information on the defensive obstacles on what would become Utah Beach.
Hardtack 22^[6]	January 1944 (Cancelled)	No. 10 Commando, later 2nd US Rangers	Herm	Reconnaissance and capture prisoners	Raid was cancelled at the planning stage.
Hardtack 23^[3]	27/28 December 1943	No. 1 French Troop, No. 10 Commando	Ostend	Reconnaissance and capture prisoners	The raid was called off after their Motor Torpedo Boat transport ran aground.
Hardtack 28^[3]	25/26 December 1943	No. 8 French Troop, No. 10 Commando No. 12 Commando	Jersey
Hardtack 36^[3]	24/25 December 1943	No. 8 French Troop, No. 10 Commando	Wassenaar	Reconnaissance and capture prisoners	All the Commandos involved were killed after landing.

References

^ (Anderson 2000)
^ "Modern Day Commando". Retrieved December 21, 2012.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h (van der Bijl 2006, pp. 22–24)
^ (Messenger 1985, p. 254)
^ ^a ^b (Cruickshank 1975, pp. 243–244)
^ (Cruickshank 1975, p. 245)

Bibliography

Cruickshank, Charles (1975). The German Occupation of the Channel Islands. The Guernsey Press Co. Ltd.

Messenger, Charles (1985). The Commandos: 1940–1946. London: Kimber.

Anderson, Duncan (2000). The Fall of the Reich: D-Day to the Fall of Berlin. Zenith Press.

van der Bijl, Nick (2006). No. 10 Inter-Allied Commando 1942-45. Osprey Publishing.

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	Musketoon Myrmidon Menacle

N	Narcissus Nelson Nicety Newton Noah

O	Opossum

P	Postmaster Partridge Pistol

R	Rimau Roast Roundabout Rumford

S	Saxifrage Savanna Sunstar Speedwell

T	Tombola Tarbrush Twin Pimples raid

British Commandos List of Commando raids on the Atlantic Wall

Categories

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Operation Hardtack (commando raid)