Operation Bajadere
Encyclopedia
Operation Bajadere was a special forces
operation launched in January 1942 by a hundred strong paratroop force of the Indische Legion (Indian Legion).
The forces were tasked to infiltrate into India
through Baluchistan
and commence sabotage
operations against the British assets in preparation for an anticipated national revolt in India
against the Raj
.
The Abwehr
had actively sought out Hindu
and Muslim
recruits for a planned strike through the Caucasus
into Iran
, India and Afghanistan
. The defeat at Stalingrad
meant that no major offensive towards India would take place. However, the 100 man unit, derived from what came to be known as the Free Indian Legion, was still to be put to use. In January 1942, in Operation Bajadere, the unit was parachuted into Persia and infiltrated India. They engaged in sabotage, attempted to create dissent and worked towards a popular revolt against British rule. Oberleutnant Witzel, the Abwehr attaché at Kabul
, reported several months later that the operations had been successful.
Special forces
Special forces, or special operations forces are terms used to describe elite military tactical teams trained to perform high-risk dangerous missions that conventional units cannot perform...
operation launched in January 1942 by a hundred strong paratroop force of the Indische Legion (Indian Legion).
The forces were tasked to infiltrate into India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
through Baluchistan
Baluchistan (Chief Commissioners Province)
The Chief Commissioner's Province of Baluchistan was a province of British India located in the northern parts of the modern Balochistan province.- History :...
and commence sabotage
Sabotage
Sabotage is a deliberate action aimed at weakening another entity through subversion, obstruction, disruption, or destruction. In a workplace setting, sabotage is the conscious withdrawal of efficiency generally directed at causing some change in workplace conditions. One who engages in sabotage is...
operations against the British assets in preparation for an anticipated national revolt in India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
against the Raj
British Raj
British Raj was the British rule in the Indian subcontinent between 1858 and 1947; The term can also refer to the period of dominion...
.
The Abwehr
Abwehr
The Abwehr was a German military intelligence organisation from 1921 to 1944. The term Abwehr was used as a concession to Allied demands that Germany's post-World War I intelligence activities be for "defensive" purposes only...
had actively sought out Hindu
Hindu
Hindu refers to an identity associated with the philosophical, religious and cultural systems that are indigenous to the Indian subcontinent. As used in the Constitution of India, the word "Hindu" is also attributed to all persons professing any Indian religion...
and Muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
recruits for a planned strike through the Caucasus
Caucasus
The Caucasus, also Caucas or Caucasia , is a geopolitical region at the border of Europe and Asia, and situated between the Black and the Caspian sea...
into Iran
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
, India and Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
. The defeat at Stalingrad
Battle of Stalingrad
The Battle of Stalingrad was a major battle of World War II in which Nazi Germany and its allies fought the Soviet Union for control of the city of Stalingrad in southwestern Russia. The battle took place between 23 August 1942 and 2 February 1943...
meant that no major offensive towards India would take place. However, the 100 man unit, derived from what came to be known as the Free Indian Legion, was still to be put to use. In January 1942, in Operation Bajadere, the unit was parachuted into Persia and infiltrated India. They engaged in sabotage, attempted to create dissent and worked towards a popular revolt against British rule. Oberleutnant Witzel, the Abwehr attaché at Kabul
Kabul
Kabul , spelt Caubul in some classic literatures, is the capital and largest city of Afghanistan. It is also the capital of the Kabul Province, located in the eastern section of Afghanistan...
, reported several months later that the operations had been successful.