594:. Bond was killed along with his driver Trooper Lewis – several of his men were pinned under heavy fire outside the village from a series of farm buildings. The leading patrols were thus held up, but after hearing the reports on the radio, Mayne arrived and took over a jeep, while another officer Lieutenant John Scott volunteered as rear gunner. Another trooper Billy Hull managed to find a way into one of the farm buildings opening up distracting fire which revealed the ambushers positions. Mayne meanwhile drove flat out down the road, with Scott firing the Browning and Vickers machine gun from the jeep suppressing the attackers. Mayne turned around and repeated the attack on the way back, turning again to collect the wounded from the dyke and brought them to safety. German fire began to wane so Mayne and Hull then went from house to house clearing away any opposition. By this time the Germans had withdrawn leaving the wood and farm buildings in SAS hands.
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614:. It was heavily defended and the outskirts aggressively patrolled – several hundred paratroopers from Battalion Raabe and anti-tank guns defended the town. On the outskirts the SAS were ambushed by mortar bombs – two Jeeps were destroyed, while an eight-man patrol that had decided to go forward on foot were captured after being surrounded. The SAS meanwhile managed to wait for the 4th Canadian armoured to come up and relieve them and the Germans retreated. The Canadians then battled for Friesoythe
632:, just West of Oldenburg. A radio message tip off that a motorised German troop convoy was approaching near to C Squadron's position near Oldenburg. The SAS set up an ambush and on observation it was more of a convoy consisting of horse drawn carts. The Vickers and Browning machine guns caused huge destruction. When the SAS returned to the site the next day the damage they had inflicted was immense – the area was covered in German corpses as well as several burnt out half tracks.
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The forty Jeeps with 180 men in total travelled in two columns, and entered German held territory. The terrain was far from ideal as it was crisscrossed by dykes and waterways. Nevertheless the SAS troopers advanced 37 miles (60 km) in three days, sometimes going too far ahead of the supporting
625:, and that his unit was not being used to the best advantage. On 12 April Mayne decided to merge the two squadrons into one under the command of Tony Marsh. It soon became apparent that the SAS had to change tactics. Hiding in the woods an old SAS favourite turned out to be a disadvantage.
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The
Canadian armour which was supposed to be following on the squadrons had not caught up. Mayne decided to withdraw back to Canadian lines so that the casualties could get urgent medical attention. Three miles from the battle Mayne buried Bond and Lewis at the side of a farmhouse.
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Casualties for Howard were moderate, out of 180 men, 35 were either killed, wounded, captured or missing, approximately twenty percent of the entire force. Of the eight that had been captured on 11 April – two of them
Troopers Davidson and Youngsman managed a daring escape from
508:
As they would no longer be behind German lines, their role had changed as they would accompany the leading reconnaissance forces, in fast moving jeep columns. They were to probe and breakthrough the forward German Units to enable a rapid advance for the main party of the Army.
675:
The
Canadians had reported that the SAS handed over to them around 400 prisoners, 100 of them paratroopers. German losses were heavy – some 200 plus killed or wounded. In addition the SAS had destroyed much equipment, and captured a Parachute company's payroll.
610:. They then had to move into flooded woodland which proved to difficult to work in. In addition the roads were heavily mined so the Jeeps had to go through fields which were also waterlogged. In the afternoon C squadron were heading towards the town of
635:
Between 3 and 4 May the city of
Oldenburg was captured by the Canadians supported by the SAS. Mayne's two units went north of the city – a trooper was killed by a mine and in that time the SAS were being extra vigilant given the inevitable
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in north-western
Germany. The operation was hampered by German ambushes and boggy ground which the Jeeps found hard going. The operation succeeded in its objective but suffered a number of casualties.
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505:. Following these operations both of the Special Air Service regiments were recalled to the United Kingdom. They were to regroup and refit, for the final push into Germany the following year.
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539:'s Canadian 4th Armoured Division in its advance toward Oldenburg in north-western Germany. Under the command of Lieutenant Colonel
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Canadian armour. The SAS troopers soon discovered that their Jeeps had to deal with German ambush parties, armed with
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Following the surrender Mayne was ordered to withdraw from the front and rendezvous with the other SAS squadrons at
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commander of the SAS was at 4th
Canadian Division's headquarters to meet with Mayne and discuss the operation.
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B Squadron led by Major Dick Bond was caught in an ambush in woodland as it approached the village of
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The operation was notable for an action where many felt that Paddy Mayne should have won the
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The following day, 11 April, Mayne's force pushed on and battled past near the village of
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had achieved considerable success with their behind the lines raiding during and after
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Another operation was planned for the SAS to provide reconnaissance for Major
General
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that took place from 6 to 29 April 1945. It was to provide reconnaissance for the
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two weeks later. Six Jeeps were destroyed and several others were badly damaged.
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Within a few weeks the SAS were redeployed again under the command of Mayne to
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686:, commander of 21st Army Group, was issued recommending Mayne for the
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Mayne had voiced concerns to
Calvert that the SAS might be misused by
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With the SAS: Across the Rhine Into the Heart of Hitler's Third Reich
657:
653:
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which were in positions facing the 4th
Canadian armoured division.
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713:
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1092:
British
Special Forces The Story of Britain's Undercover Soldiers
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190:
959:"Paddy Mayne: The bravehearted Irish Lion who joined the SAS"
997:
Rogue Warrior of the S.A.S.: Lt.Col.Paddy Blair Mayne, D.S.O
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915:
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888:
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694:, but being denied a VC has been a source of controversy.
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Land battles of World War II involving the United Kingdom
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On To Victory: The Canadian Liberation of the Netherlands
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690:. Mayne instead received an exceptional third bar to his
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652:, on the Franco-Belgian border. The SAS then celebrated
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Paddy Mayne: Lt Col Blair 'Paddy' Mayne, 1 SAS Regiment
524:. Three days later the SAS also crossed the river with
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732:
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728:
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On 29 April the SAS moved to the area in the area of
1035:Daggers Drawn The Real Heroes of the SAS & SBS
528:supporting the airborne element of the crossing,
555:in the Netherlands the following day. Brigadier
20:
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618:later – the town was controversially razed.
638:German surrender which took place on 5 May
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660:to England with considerable war booty.
543:, B and C Squadrons, 1st SAS with their
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656:in Brussels before their departure for
1160:Codenames - Operations of World War II
995:Bradford, Roy; Dillon, Martin (1987).
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7:
906:
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585:
450:operation by B and C Squadrons, 1st
1196:World War II British Commando raids
574:. Their opponents were elements of
220:Western Allied invasion of Germany
14:
1113:. Pen & Sword Books Limited.
123:
111:
92:
81:
961:. The Irish Times. 2 June 2017
460:Canadian 4th Armoured Division
1:
547:-mounted party departed from
701:, the liberation of Norway.
586:Mayne's rescue of B Squadron
1201:April 1945 events in Europe
692:Distinguished Service Order
1222:
999:. John Murray Publishers.
980:Bradford & Dillon 1987
856:Bradford & Dillon 1987
720:Bradford & Dillon 1987
520:penetrate into Germany by
1206:May 1945 events in Europe
1090:Seymour, William (2005).
1018:. Penguin Books Limited.
512:On the night of 23 March
228:
164:
135:
104:
74:
33:
25:
1052:Mortimer, Gavin (2015).
679:A citation, approved by
1054:The SAS in World War II
1014:Macintyre, Ben (2016).
551:on 6 April and reached
541:Robert 'Paddy' B. Mayne
518:British 21st Army Group
462:in its advance towards
179:200 + killed or wounded
1128:Zuehlke, Mark (2010).
1109:Wellsted, Ian (2020).
580:7th Parachute Division
174:11 captured or missing
159:7th Parachute Division
105:Commanders and leaders
1075:. Sutton Publishing.
1071:Ross, Hamish (2011).
1033:Morgan, Mike (2011).
616:capturing it two days
495:Operation Houndsworth
165:Casualties and losses
1154:Chant, Christopher.
1186:Special Air Service
1132:. Greystone Books.
846:, pp. 299–300.
491:Operation Bulbasket
483:Special Air Service
452:Special Air Service
144:Special Air Service
1156:"Operation Howard"
819:, pp. 179–80.
780:, pp. 210–11.
768:, pp. 144–46.
722:, pp. 248–54.
699:Operation Doomsday
684:Bernard Montgomery
522:crossing the Rhine
487:Operation Overlord
1139:978-1-55365-430-8
1037:. History Press.
537:Christopher Vokes
530:Operation Varsity
526:Operation Archway
514:Operation Plunder
503:Operation Wallace
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41:6 – 29 April 1945
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576:Wolfgang Erdmann
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481:The 1st and 2nd
444:Operation Howard
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157:Elements of the
130:Wolfgang Erdmann
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1148:External links
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1094:. Leo Cooper.
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1056:. Bloomsbury.
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1006:978-0719544309
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882:, p. 299.
880:Macintyre 2016
872:
870:, p. 305.
860:
858:, p. 174.
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844:Macintyre 2016
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834:, p. 224.
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754:Macintyre 2016
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688:Victoria Cross
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1163:. Retrieved
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989:Bibliography
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963:. Retrieved
953:
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902:
875:
868:Zuehlke 2010
863:
851:
839:
812:
805:Zuehlke 2010
790:Seymour 2005
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678:
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662:
647:
634:
630:Westerscheps
627:
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605:
596:
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572:Panzerfausts
568:
563:
557:Mike Calvert
534:
511:
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480:
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443:
442:
418:
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413:Itter Castle
371:
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181:400 captured
176:6 jeeps lost
141:
75:Belligerents
965:14 November
934:Morgan 2011
456:Paddy Mayne
260:Blockbuster
118:Paddy Mayne
1180:Categories
705:References
670:Sandbostel
666:Stalag X-B
650:Poperinghe
612:Friesoythe
608:Esterwegen
489:– notably
477:Background
398:Düsseldorf
383:Friesoythe
297:Lumberjack
274:Flashpoint
172:19 wounded
1165:6 October
907:Ross 2011
817:Ross 2011
739:Ross 2011
644:Aftermath
464:Oldenburg
419:Logistics
403:Stuttgart
388:Nuremberg
366:Heilbronn
351:Paderborn
341:Frankfurt
323:Undertone
246:Veritable
240:Rhineland
234:Blackcock
52:Oldenburg
553:Nijmegen
516:saw the
425:American
378:Dortmund
356:Würzburg
170:5 killed
136:Strength
46:Location
26:Part of
549:Tilbury
454:led by
430:British
408:Hamburg
393:Lippach
335:TF Baum
308:Cologne
303:Remagen
288:Archway
281:Varsity
267:Plunder
253:Grenade
99:Germany
1136:
1117:
1098:
1079:
1060:
1041:
1022:
1003:
658:Ostend
654:VE Day
592:Börger
564:Howard
372:Howard
361:Kassel
316:Gisela
86:
63:Result
668:near
623:SHAEF
151:Jeeps
50:near
1167:2023
1134:ISBN
1115:ISBN
1096:ISBN
1077:ISBN
1058:ISBN
1039:ISBN
1020:ISBN
1001:ISBN
967:2022
545:Jeep
501:and
346:Ruhr
142:1st
38:Date
578:'s
1182::
1158:.
914:^
887:^
824:^
797:^
746:^
727:^
712:^
640:.
532:.
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54:,
1169:.
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1009:.
969:.
210:e
203:t
196:v
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
