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Operation Kipling
Operation Kipling was a British special forces operation that took place during the Second World War in German-occupied France between 13 August and 26 September 1944. Originally supposed to be part of a larger airborne operation (Transfigure), 'C' Squadron, 1st Special Air Service commanded by Major Tony Marsh, was air dropped in an area near Orléans to disrupt German communications and troop movements. The operation was a success with minimum casualties and was the last SAS mission to be carried out as part of Operation Overlord.
In early 1944 the 1st Special Air Service Brigade was formed, headed by Roderick McLeod using specially converted American made Jeeps armed with a number of Vickers K guns. In May the Supreme Headquarters Allied Expeditionary Force (SHAEF) had issued an order for the SAS Brigade to carry out operations in France once the Normandy beachheads had been established.
On 20 June during the Battle of Normandy, SHAEF proposed Operation Transfigure, which was to be undertaken by the newly formed First Allied Airborne Army who were to be dropped within the Orléans gap (between Orléans and Paris) in the Loiret and Yonne regions to block the retreat of and disrupt any reinforcements of German forces. The 1st SAS Regiment commanded by Paddy Mayne would conduct operations Haggard and Kipling; the objectives being to reconnoitre and destroy as much of the Germans forces west of the Rhine and then link up with the advancing Allied armies.
Haggard (Major Eric Lepine) composed of B Squadron SAS was dropped west of the Loire and established a base between the towns of Bourges and Nevers. Kipling was to be undertaken by 107 men and 46 Jeeps led by Major Tony Marsh of C Squadron. They were to be dropped in the area to the west of Auxerre in central France.
An advance party of Kipling consisting of five men under Captain Derrick Harrison was dropped on the night of 13 August, at Les Placeaux in the Foret de Merry-Vaux. More men and Jeeps were delivered by C-47s by parachute during the evenings of the following days. The party established a base and was to lay low and make contacts with the local resistance forces.
During this time operation Transfigure was cancelled - following the breakout from Normandy the situation in the area at the time was constantly changing: the US Third Army was driving toward Reims, while other Allied forces were advancing from the south following the landings of Operation Dragoon. The SAS troopers instead were to undertake patrolling and set up ambushes instead, and link with the armies. The SAS thus encountered American troops in towns and villages they were in the process of or were about to liberate. Very few German troops had been encountered.
On 23 August, Lieutenant Stewart Richardson in his Jeep accompanied by two troopers were looking to repair their Vickers K gun mounts at a Maquis base at Aillant. Captain Derrick Harrison with his driver Lance Corporal James 'Curly' Hall, accompanied them as support. On their way they heard gunfire, and then saw smoke rising above the village of Les Ormes. A woman suddenly appeared around the corner of a road on a bicycle shouting that there were Germans attacking the village, and was looking to get the Maquis to help. Harrison said to the French woman that he would attack the village with his two Jeeps.
The two raced into the town and on seeing the Germans vehicles parked up Richardson proceeded to shoot them up, them setting a number on fire. Harrison drove into the town square where he came across a large group of surprised Germans, who were men of a Waffen-SS unit. He immediately opened fire on them causing many losses, but soon they began to rally and fire back at his Jeep, and a desperate battle ensued. There were also 22 French civilians who were about to be executed in the town square, which was interrupted by the attack. Richardson in his jeep came in to assist Harrison, who he saw was in trouble. The latter had been wounded in the hand, his Jeep was badly shot up and the guns were jamming or overheating. His driver Jimmy Hall was killed with a bullet to the head during the exchange of fire. With Richardson's assistance and added firepower they began to pin the Germans down. Some twenty Germans making their way through an orchard into the square were scattered by Vickers fire. Richardson in his Jeep then picked up Harrison and on seeing the damage they had caused, they quickly withdrew.
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Operation Kipling
Operation Kipling was a British special forces operation that took place during the Second World War in German-occupied France between 13 August and 26 September 1944. Originally supposed to be part of a larger airborne operation (Transfigure), 'C' Squadron, 1st Special Air Service commanded by Major Tony Marsh, was air dropped in an area near Orléans to disrupt German communications and troop movements. The operation was a success with minimum casualties and was the last SAS mission to be carried out as part of Operation Overlord.
In early 1944 the 1st Special Air Service Brigade was formed, headed by Roderick McLeod using specially converted American made Jeeps armed with a number of Vickers K guns. In May the Supreme Headquarters Allied Expeditionary Force (SHAEF) had issued an order for the SAS Brigade to carry out operations in France once the Normandy beachheads had been established.
On 20 June during the Battle of Normandy, SHAEF proposed Operation Transfigure, which was to be undertaken by the newly formed First Allied Airborne Army who were to be dropped within the Orléans gap (between Orléans and Paris) in the Loiret and Yonne regions to block the retreat of and disrupt any reinforcements of German forces. The 1st SAS Regiment commanded by Paddy Mayne would conduct operations Haggard and Kipling; the objectives being to reconnoitre and destroy as much of the Germans forces west of the Rhine and then link up with the advancing Allied armies.
Haggard (Major Eric Lepine) composed of B Squadron SAS was dropped west of the Loire and established a base between the towns of Bourges and Nevers. Kipling was to be undertaken by 107 men and 46 Jeeps led by Major Tony Marsh of C Squadron. They were to be dropped in the area to the west of Auxerre in central France.
An advance party of Kipling consisting of five men under Captain Derrick Harrison was dropped on the night of 13 August, at Les Placeaux in the Foret de Merry-Vaux. More men and Jeeps were delivered by C-47s by parachute during the evenings of the following days. The party established a base and was to lay low and make contacts with the local resistance forces.
During this time operation Transfigure was cancelled - following the breakout from Normandy the situation in the area at the time was constantly changing: the US Third Army was driving toward Reims, while other Allied forces were advancing from the south following the landings of Operation Dragoon. The SAS troopers instead were to undertake patrolling and set up ambushes instead, and link with the armies. The SAS thus encountered American troops in towns and villages they were in the process of or were about to liberate. Very few German troops had been encountered.
On 23 August, Lieutenant Stewart Richardson in his Jeep accompanied by two troopers were looking to repair their Vickers K gun mounts at a Maquis base at Aillant. Captain Derrick Harrison with his driver Lance Corporal James 'Curly' Hall, accompanied them as support. On their way they heard gunfire, and then saw smoke rising above the village of Les Ormes. A woman suddenly appeared around the corner of a road on a bicycle shouting that there were Germans attacking the village, and was looking to get the Maquis to help. Harrison said to the French woman that he would attack the village with his two Jeeps.
The two raced into the town and on seeing the Germans vehicles parked up Richardson proceeded to shoot them up, them setting a number on fire. Harrison drove into the town square where he came across a large group of surprised Germans, who were men of a Waffen-SS unit. He immediately opened fire on them causing many losses, but soon they began to rally and fire back at his Jeep, and a desperate battle ensued. There were also 22 French civilians who were about to be executed in the town square, which was interrupted by the attack. Richardson in his jeep came in to assist Harrison, who he saw was in trouble. The latter had been wounded in the hand, his Jeep was badly shot up and the guns were jamming or overheating. His driver Jimmy Hall was killed with a bullet to the head during the exchange of fire. With Richardson's assistance and added firepower they began to pin the Germans down. Some twenty Germans making their way through an orchard into the square were scattered by Vickers fire. Richardson in his Jeep then picked up Harrison and on seeing the damage they had caused, they quickly withdrew.