Operation Hydra (Yugoslavia)
Encyclopedia
Operation Hydra was a failed British attempt during World War II at the Yugoslav Front to develop contact with Yugoslav partisans in the Podgorica
area, led by Josip Broz Tito
. In February, 1942, two British Special Operations Executive
agents and an officer of the former Yugoslavian
royal air force were put ashore at Perazića Do, just north of Petrovac (now in Montenegro
).
On February 4, the three agents went ashore from the British submarine HMS Thorn
. They were Major Terence Atherton (a former journalist and agent in Belgrade
), Lieutenant Radoje Nedeljković of the Yugoslav Royal Air Force
and Sergeant Patrick O'Donovan, wireless operator.
The operation failed completely. The presence of the Yugoslav officer implied links to the royalist Chetniks
and it is suggested that this caused Tito to suspect the British of being spies. Nothing beneficial arose, therefore, and the British agents left Tito. They vanished soon thereafter, as did the large amount of gold and Italian money that they carried.
Podgorica
Podgorica , is the capital and largest city of Montenegro.Podgorica's favourable position at the confluence of the Ribnica and Morača rivers and the meeting point of the fertile Zeta Plain and Bjelopavlići Valley has encouraged settlement...
area, led by Josip Broz Tito
Josip Broz Tito
Marshal Josip Broz Tito – 4 May 1980) was a Yugoslav revolutionary and statesman. While his presidency has been criticized as authoritarian, Tito was a popular public figure both in Yugoslavia and abroad, viewed as a unifying symbol for the nations of the Yugoslav federation...
. In February, 1942, two British Special Operations Executive
Special Operations Executive
The Special Operations Executive was a World War II organisation of the United Kingdom. It was officially formed by Prime Minister Winston Churchill and Minister of Economic Warfare Hugh Dalton on 22 July 1940, to conduct guerrilla warfare against the Axis powers and to instruct and aid local...
agents and an officer of the former Yugoslavian
Kingdom of Yugoslavia
The Kingdom of Yugoslavia was a state stretching from the Western Balkans to Central Europe which existed during the often-tumultuous interwar era of 1918–1941...
royal air force were put ashore at Perazića Do, just north of Petrovac (now in Montenegro
Montenegro
Montenegro Montenegrin: Crna Gora Црна Гора , meaning "Black Mountain") is a country located in Southeastern Europe. It has a coast on the Adriatic Sea to the south-west and is bordered by Croatia to the west, Bosnia and Herzegovina to the northwest, Serbia to the northeast and Albania to the...
).
On February 4, the three agents went ashore from the British submarine HMS Thorn
HMS Thorn (N11)
HMS Thorn was a T-class submarine of the Royal Navy. She was laid down by Cammell Laird & Co Limited, Birkenhead and launched in March 1941.-Career:Thorn had a short-lived career, serving in the Mediterranean....
. They were Major Terence Atherton (a former journalist and agent in Belgrade
Belgrade
Belgrade is the capital and largest city of Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers, where the Pannonian Plain meets the Balkans. According to official results of Census 2011, the city has a population of 1,639,121. It is one of the 15 largest cities in Europe...
), Lieutenant Radoje Nedeljković of the Yugoslav Royal Air Force
Yugoslav Royal Air Force
The Yugoslav Royal Air Force was formed in 1918 in the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes and existed until Yugoslavia's surrender to the Axis powers in 1941 following the Invasion of Yugoslavia during World War II....
and Sergeant Patrick O'Donovan, wireless operator.
The operation failed completely. The presence of the Yugoslav officer implied links to the royalist Chetniks
Chetniks
Chetniks, or the Chetnik movement , were Serbian nationalist and royalist paramilitary organizations from the first half of the 20th century. The Chetniks were formed as a Serbian resistance against the Ottoman Empire in 1904, and participated in the Balkan Wars, World War I, and World War II...
and it is suggested that this caused Tito to suspect the British of being spies. Nothing beneficial arose, therefore, and the British agents left Tito. They vanished soon thereafter, as did the large amount of gold and Italian money that they carried.