Operation Tombola
Encyclopedia
During World War II
, Operation Tombola was a major Special Air Service
raid on German rear areas in Italy
.
Fifty men parachuted on Cusna Mountain area (Reggio Emilia
) between 4th and 24th March 1945, under command of Major Roy Farran
. A number of air drops provided weapons for the rag-tag force which armed local resistance fighters and linked up with seventy escaped Russia
ns.
They were able to attack German LI Corps headquarters, based at two villas in Botteghe d'Albinea in the hills above Reggio Emilia; in that attack the night of 27th March 1945 Germans had 60 casualties (killed and wounded), SAS and Partisans 3 killed in actions and about 7 wounded. The attack was done on the sound of a bagpipe.
Operation Tombola continued and the raid included cut roads and shell a number of installations. Just as important as the 300 or so Germans killed and 200 captured was the number of defenders taken from other duties to secure the rear area. A number of allied airmen, who were being hidden by civilians in the area, were also returned to friendly lines.
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, Operation Tombola was a major Special Air Service
Special Air Service
Special Air Service or SAS is a corps of the British Army constituted on 31 May 1950. They are part of the United Kingdom Special Forces and have served as a model for the special forces of many other countries all over the world...
raid on German rear areas in Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
.
Fifty men parachuted on Cusna Mountain area (Reggio Emilia
Reggio Emilia
Reggio Emilia is an affluent city in northern Italy, in the Emilia-Romagna region. It has about 170,000 inhabitants and is the main comune of the Province of Reggio Emilia....
) between 4th and 24th March 1945, under command of Major Roy Farran
Roy Farran
Major Roy Alexander Farran DSO, MC & Two Bars was a British-Canadian soldier, politician, farmer, author and journalist...
. A number of air drops provided weapons for the rag-tag force which armed local resistance fighters and linked up with seventy escaped Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
ns.
They were able to attack German LI Corps headquarters, based at two villas in Botteghe d'Albinea in the hills above Reggio Emilia; in that attack the night of 27th March 1945 Germans had 60 casualties (killed and wounded), SAS and Partisans 3 killed in actions and about 7 wounded. The attack was done on the sound of a bagpipe.
Operation Tombola continued and the raid included cut roads and shell a number of installations. Just as important as the 300 or so Germans killed and 200 captured was the number of defenders taken from other duties to secure the rear area. A number of allied airmen, who were being hidden by civilians in the area, were also returned to friendly lines.