Operation Sunstar was a Second World War raid on Houlgate

Houlgate

Houlgate is a small tourist resort in northwestern France along the English Channel with a beach and a casino. It is a commune in the Drochon Valley, in the Calvados department in the Basse-Normandie region.-Pre-19th century:...

 in Normandy

Normandy

Normandy is a geographical region corresponding to the former Duchy of Normandy. It is in France.The continental territory covers 30,627 km² and forms the preponderant part of Normandy and roughly 5% of the territory of France. It is divided for administrative purposes into two régions:...

, 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...

 over the night of 22/23 November 1941.

British Commandos

British Commandos

The British Commandos were formed during the Second World War in June 1940, following a request from the British Prime Minister, Winston Churchill, for a force that could carry out raids against German-occupied Europe...

 of No. 9 Commando

No. 9 Commando

No. 9 Commando was a battalion-sized commando raised by the British Army during the Second World War. They took art in raids across the English Channel and in the Mediterranean ending the was in Italy as part of the 2nd Special Service Brigade...

 took part in the raid their objective was the Batterie de Tournebride on the Butte de Houlgate.Marcel Miocque et Huguette Vernochet (2006). Houlgate regards sur le passé. p182 Ninety men of No.9 Commando travelled across the English Channel

English Channel

The English Channel , often referred to simply as the Channel, is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that separates southern England from northern France, and joins the North Sea to the Atlantic. It is about long and varies in width from at its widest to in the Strait of Dover...

 on the HMS Prince Leopold and landed at the bottom of the Vaches Noires. The ship also transported four Assault Landing Craft which were used for the landing, four Motor Gun Boat

Motor Gun Boat

Motor Gun Boat was a Royal Navy term for a small military vessel of the Second World War. They were physically similar to the Motor Torpedo Boats but equipped with a mix of guns instead of torpedoes. Their small size and high speed made them difficult targets for E-boats or torpedo bombers, but...

s were used to provide cover.

The operation encountered difficulties and did not succeed in destroying the battery or taking any prisoners but they did obtain documents and other information.Marthe Rambaud et Jean-Claude Bosquain (1995). Gonneville-sur-Mer 1939-1945.