Operation Hyacinth
- Thread starter Alexb83
- Start date
The battle for Barce?
The Polish Communist Police crack down on homosexuality?
or the Russian police cracking down on illegal flower smugglers?
Operation Hyacinth; The attack on Barce
In early September 1942 two LRDG patrols under the command of Major J. R. Easonsmith left their Egyptian base at Faiyum with orders to "Cause the maximum amount of damage and disturbance to the enemy". The destination was Barce, approximately 80 km north-east of Benghazi on the main coast road. This was a major administrative centre of the Italian colonial government of Libya and there was a large airfield on the north-eastern side of the town. G1 patrol, commanded by Captain J. A. L. Timpson, and T1 patrol, led by Captain N. P. Wilder, between them had a total of 47 men in 12 Chevrolet 1533X2 trucks and five jeeps. They were accompanied by Major Vladimir Peniakoff and two Libyan Arabs.
Opposing them in Barce were a company of the Polizia dell'Africa Italiana (Italian-African Police) with Autoblinda AB.41 armoured cars, a company of Carabinieri Reali (Royal Carabiniers), 8ª sezione Camicie Nere (8th Blackshirts section), XVII Battaglione Mitlaglieri (17th Machine-gun Battalion), 10ª compagnia Carri L (10th Light Tank Company) with L3/35 tankettes and a battery of 12.7 cm guns (captured British 60 pounder guns) of 51° Gruppo Artiglieria (51st Artillery Group). On the Barce airfield were the 35° Stormo Bombardamento' (35th Bombing Wing), less a Squadriglia (squadron/flight), equipped with Cant Z.1007bis triple-engined bombers, and 131ª Squadriglia of 66° Gruppo Osservazione Aerea (131st Squadron of the 66th Air Observation Group) equipped with Caproni Ca.311 twin-engined observation aircraft.
Several other units of cavalry, Carabiniers and irregular Libyan manned units were in the area.
On the outward journey misfortune struck the Guards Patrol when Captain Timpson's jeep had rushed up a razor-back sand-dune and capsized over the top, forcing the evacuation by a Lockheed Hudson of Timpson and his driver, Guardsman Thomas Wann.
The LRDG reached Benia, about 24 km to the south of Barce, on 13 September and set up camp on a hill in a belt of trees. One truck had been concealed at a rear rendezvous point, later called "G5" along with small supplies of rations and water. The trip of 1,858 km had taken 11 days.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Long_Range_Desert_Group
THE BARCE RAID
http://www.nzetc.org/tm/scholarly/tei-WH2-1Epi-c2-WH2-1Epi-l.html
Edit:
An Order of Battle for another game...
http://balagan.org.uk/war/crossfire/scenarios/rapid_fire.htm
Scroll down...
The Polish Communist Police crack down on homosexuality?
or the Russian police cracking down on illegal flower smugglers?
Operation Hyacinth; The attack on Barce
In early September 1942 two LRDG patrols under the command of Major J. R. Easonsmith left their Egyptian base at Faiyum with orders to "Cause the maximum amount of damage and disturbance to the enemy". The destination was Barce, approximately 80 km north-east of Benghazi on the main coast road. This was a major administrative centre of the Italian colonial government of Libya and there was a large airfield on the north-eastern side of the town. G1 patrol, commanded by Captain J. A. L. Timpson, and T1 patrol, led by Captain N. P. Wilder, between them had a total of 47 men in 12 Chevrolet 1533X2 trucks and five jeeps. They were accompanied by Major Vladimir Peniakoff and two Libyan Arabs.
Opposing them in Barce were a company of the Polizia dell'Africa Italiana (Italian-African Police) with Autoblinda AB.41 armoured cars, a company of Carabinieri Reali (Royal Carabiniers), 8ª sezione Camicie Nere (8th Blackshirts section), XVII Battaglione Mitlaglieri (17th Machine-gun Battalion), 10ª compagnia Carri L (10th Light Tank Company) with L3/35 tankettes and a battery of 12.7 cm guns (captured British 60 pounder guns) of 51° Gruppo Artiglieria (51st Artillery Group). On the Barce airfield were the 35° Stormo Bombardamento' (35th Bombing Wing), less a Squadriglia (squadron/flight), equipped with Cant Z.1007bis triple-engined bombers, and 131ª Squadriglia of 66° Gruppo Osservazione Aerea (131st Squadron of the 66th Air Observation Group) equipped with Caproni Ca.311 twin-engined observation aircraft.
Several other units of cavalry, Carabiniers and irregular Libyan manned units were in the area.
On the outward journey misfortune struck the Guards Patrol when Captain Timpson's jeep had rushed up a razor-back sand-dune and capsized over the top, forcing the evacuation by a Lockheed Hudson of Timpson and his driver, Guardsman Thomas Wann.
The LRDG reached Benia, about 24 km to the south of Barce, on 13 September and set up camp on a hill in a belt of trees. One truck had been concealed at a rear rendezvous point, later called "G5" along with small supplies of rations and water. The trip of 1,858 km had taken 11 days.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Long_Range_Desert_Group
THE BARCE RAID
http://www.nzetc.org/tm/scholarly/tei-WH2-1Epi-c2-WH2-1Epi-l.html
Edit:
An Order of Battle for another game...
http://balagan.org.uk/war/crossfire/scenarios/rapid_fire.htm
Scroll down...
Rick
Mongoose
May I also recommend the excellent book by Osprey, "Battle Orders 23, the Desert Raiders, Axis and Allied Special Forces" not so much for the information on the LRDG/SAS raids (Barce raid gets about 1 line), but for the very well detailed organisations of the raiders on both sides. Lots of very good info. there!
