Operation Myrmidon
Encyclopedia
Operation Myrmidon was the planned raid during the Second World War by No. 1 Commando
and No. 6 Commando
in April 1942. This operation was an abortive raid on the Ardour Estuary in southern France
. The plan was to disrupt road and rail transport between France and Spain
by landing approximately 3,000 troops, consisting of two commandos, No. 1
and No. 6, who would be followed up by one and a half Royal Marine battalions along with an armoured regiment and a motor battalion. After embarking on the transport ships and , the force spent a month sailing off the French coast disguised as Spanish merchant ships. On 5 April the ships approached the mouth of the estuary in order to carry out the landing, however, amidst bad weather they encountered a sandbar that they had not expected and unable to pass it, the raid was called off and the ships returned to the United Kingdom.
No. 1 Commando
The No. 1 Commando was a unit of British Commandos and part of the British Army during the Second World War. It was raised in 1940 from the ranks of the existing independent companies. Operationally they carried out a series of small scale cross channel raids and spearheaded the Operation Torch...
and No. 6 Commando
No. 6 Commando
No. 6 Commando was a battalion-sized British Army commando unit of the Second World War. Although it was raised to conduct small-scale raids and harass garrisons along the coast of German-occupied France, it was mainly employed as a highly-trained infantry assault unit.Formed in July 1940, No...
in April 1942. This operation was an abortive raid on the Ardour Estuary in southern France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. The plan was to disrupt road and rail transport between France and Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
by landing approximately 3,000 troops, consisting of two commandos, No. 1
No. 1 Commando
The No. 1 Commando was a unit of British Commandos and part of the British Army during the Second World War. It was raised in 1940 from the ranks of the existing independent companies. Operationally they carried out a series of small scale cross channel raids and spearheaded the Operation Torch...
and No. 6, who would be followed up by one and a half Royal Marine battalions along with an armoured regiment and a motor battalion. After embarking on the transport ships and , the force spent a month sailing off the French coast disguised as Spanish merchant ships. On 5 April the ships approached the mouth of the estuary in order to carry out the landing, however, amidst bad weather they encountered a sandbar that they had not expected and unable to pass it, the raid was called off and the ships returned to the United Kingdom.