1 Commando Raid near Bizerte

Discussion in 'North Africa & the Med' started by Instructor6, Dec 3, 2022.

  1. Instructor6

    Instructor6 Member

    On the night of the 30th of November 1942 1 Commando under the command of Lt Colonel Tom Trevor embarked on 9 LCMs and 4 Assault Landing craft from the port of Tabarka. The small flotilla then sailed un-escorted some 60 miles east to a beach about 30 miles east of the Axis held port of Bizerte. The beach was at
    Dar Sidi El Moujid. The plan was for 1 Commando to interdict German road communications running west out to Sedjenane and then link up with 36 Infantry Brigade as it advanced east. 36 Brigade was of course held up at Green Hill and Bald Hill sadly 1 Commando could not be told as a rear link radio was not carried since it would been too heavy.

    One of the unusual aspects of this operation was that 1 Commando at this time was composed of 6 British and 4 American Troops. The American troops had been recruited from 168th Regimental Combat Team of the 34th Division.

    Apart from some problems with donkeys the landing was successful, and the Commando split into 2 parts to move to two separate road junctions located south of the landing location on the main road west of Bizerte. Over the next 2 days the Commandos set up roadblocks and waited to ambush retreating German convoys that never came. The Germans were dug in at Green Hill and having quickly identified the presence of the Commandos they diverted their road traffic southwest via Mateur.

    Eventually 2 troops moving towards Sidi Ahmed airport were ambushed it appears local Arabs alerted the Germans and one of the troop commanders was killed. Soon afterwards the whole Commando was engaged by German armoured cars and infantry and forced to withdraw. Over the next 4 days the Commandos worked their way as troops and small groups towards Cap Serrat where they eventually linked up with Allied Units.

    The interesting bit is that in his post action report Tom Trevor declared this operation a success though the report mentions hardly any German casualties and stopped only one motorcycle.

    The costs to the Commando were significant some 6 officers and 128 ranks became killed wounded or captured. An examination of CWGC records linked to another source indicates that 25 British officers and men serving with 1 Commando were killed from 1 -6 December. Identifying US losses proved impossible.

    The raid has all but been forgotten but we should not forget the lives lost. In a fascinating coincidence Tom Trevor became an adviser on cliff assaults to Lt Colonel Rudder of the US Rangers and landed with them at Pointe Du Hoc.
     
    Last edited: Jan 2, 2023
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  2. Andreas

    Andreas Working on two books

    I'd say he was fibbing, unless the measure of success was that not everyone was killed or captured.

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    All the best

    Andreas
     
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  3. Takrouna

    Takrouna Active Member

    There's an intriguing bit from the War Diary (6 December, last page, first paragraph). In German "Na 1e Uhr fand eine Besprechung bein Kommandierenden General statt; Breitstellung von Arbeits- kräften der männlichen Zivilbevölkerung der besetzten Ortschaften, ausser Tunis und Hannan Lif, und Hernaziehung der jüdischen Bevöl- kerung zum Ausbau der Hauptkampflinien mit entsprechender Tiefen- zone. Be nahnen teil; SS-Obersturmbannführer Rauff und der Gesandte Rahn" which Google has translated as "At 1:00 a.m. there was a meeting with the commanding general; Provision of manpower from the male civilian population of the occupied towns, with the exception of Tunis and Hamman Lif, and drawing the Jewish population closer to expanding the main battle lines with the corresponding depth zone. be taken part; SS-Obersturmbannfuhrer Rauff and the Ambassador Rahn". This was the meeting to conscript labour to make anti-tank ditches etc. I know they forcibly conscripted Jewish labour. But what is meant by "and drawing the Jewish population closer" is the translation correct????
     
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  4. Andreas

    Andreas Working on two books

    The best translation is probably 'conscripting' - it's a widely used military term from the period, also used with e.g. reinforcements, where the English translation would be 'bringing up'.

    All the best

    Andreas
     
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