Operation Houndsworth
Encyclopedia
Operation Houndsworth was the codename for a British Special Air Service
operation during the Second World War. The operation carried out by 'A' Squadron, 1st Special Air Service between 6 June and 6 September 1944, was centred around Dijon
in the Burgundy region of France. Their objective was to disrupt German lines of communication, coordinate the activities of the French Resistance
and prevent German reinforcements moving to the Normandy beachheads especially the 2nd SS Panzer Division Das Reich.
(SAS) was a unit of the British Army during the Second World War, formed in July 1941 by David Stirling
and originally called "L" Detachment, Special Air Service Brigade"L" being an attempt at deception implying the existence of numerous such units. It was conceived as a commando
type force to operate behind enemy lines in the North African Campaign
In 1944 the Special Air Service Brigade was formed and consisted of the British 1st and 2nd Special Air Service, the French 3rd and 4th Special Air Service and the Belgian 5th Special Air Service
. They were to undertake parachute operations behind the German lines in France, and then carry out operations supporting the Allied advance through Belgium, the Netherlands, and eventually into Germany.
In May 1944 the Supreme Headquarters Allied Expeditionary Force
(SHAEF) had issued order for the Special Air Service Brigade to carry out two operations in France. The two operations were Operation Houndsworth in the area of Dijon
given 'A' Squadron 1st Special Air Service and Operation Bulbasket
in the area of Poitiers
given to 'B' Squadron 1st Special Air Service.
The focus of both operations would be the disruption of German reinforcements from the south of France to the Normandy beachheads. To carry out the operation they would destroy supply dumps, block the two railway lines between Paris–Lyons
–Chalon-sur-Saône
and Paris–Le Creusot
–Nevers
. One unit they especially wanted to delay was the 2nd SS Panzer Division Das Reich which was based in the area around Toulouse
in the south of France. The intelligence experts at SHAEF responsible for planning the Normandy landings, had estimated it would take three days for the panzer division
to reach Normandy
.
Bill Fraser over the night of 10/11 June 1944. A number of Jeeps
armed with Vickers K machine gun
s were also parachuted in. The squadron was established in a patrol base in the mountainous wooded countryside south west of Dijon
in the Monts du Morvan in the Nièvre
department.
The Squadron then proceeded with operations during which the Lyon to Paris rail lines was blown up 22 times. After one occasion a member of the French resistance
approached the workmen repairing the lines and asked how long the repairs would take. Becoming aware of his loyalties they suggested that if the line had been cut further up more damage could have been caused. They then proceeded to draw him a diagram suggesting exactly where to do it next time. The squadron also captured 132 prisoners of war and killed or wounded 220 Germans. They identified 30 targets for the Royal Air Force
to interdict
. The operation was not without loss to the SAS, during the operation they lost eight men wounded and 10 men killed. The success of the operation, resulted in the Germans retaliating against the local villages. The residents of Dun-les-Places
, Montsauche-les-Settons
and Planchez
all suffered and a number of residents were murdered during German reprisals.
The Germans eventually became aware of the location of the SAS camp and started what they thought, would be a surprise attack 20 August 1944, unknown to them, members of the French resistance knew about the attack and Corporal David Danger of the SAS managed to get through the cordon the Germans had put around the camp and warn the squadron. Pre-warned the SAS managed to fight off the Germans. The operation eventually came to an end in September 1944. Danger was awarded the Military Medal
on 29 March 1945 for his part in foiling the attack, and his skill in maintaining radio communication from behind enemy lines for four months.
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...
operation during the Second World War. The operation carried out by 'A' Squadron, 1st Special Air Service between 6 June and 6 September 1944, was centred around Dijon
Dijon
Dijon is a city in eastern France, the capital of the Côte-d'Or département and of the Burgundy region.Dijon is the historical capital of the region of Burgundy. Population : 151,576 within the city limits; 250,516 for the greater Dijon area....
in the Burgundy region of France. Their objective was to disrupt German lines of communication, coordinate the activities of the French Resistance
French Resistance
The French Resistance is the name used to denote the collection of French resistance movements that fought against the Nazi German occupation of France and against the collaborationist Vichy régime during World War II...
and prevent German reinforcements moving to the Normandy beachheads especially the 2nd SS Panzer Division Das Reich.
Background
The men involved in Operation Houndsworth were part of the Special Air Service Brigade. The Special Air ServiceSpecial 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...
(SAS) was a unit of the British Army during the Second World War, formed in July 1941 by David Stirling
David Stirling
Colonel Sir Archibald David Stirling, DSO, DFC, OBE was a Scottish laird, mountaineer, World War II British Army officer, and the founder of the Special Air Service.-Life before the war:...
and originally called "L" Detachment, Special Air Service Brigade"L" being an attempt at deception implying the existence of numerous such units. It was conceived as a commando
Commando
In English, the term commando means a specific kind of individual soldier or military unit. In contemporary usage, commando usually means elite light infantry and/or special operations forces units, specializing in amphibious landings, parachuting, rappelling and similar techniques, to conduct and...
type force to operate behind enemy lines in the North African Campaign
North African campaign
During the Second World War, the North African Campaign took place in North Africa from 10 June 1940 to 13 May 1943. It included campaigns fought in the Libyan and Egyptian deserts and in Morocco and Algeria and Tunisia .The campaign was fought between the Allies and Axis powers, many of whom had...
In 1944 the Special Air Service Brigade was formed and consisted of the British 1st and 2nd Special Air Service, the French 3rd and 4th Special Air Service and the Belgian 5th Special Air Service
5 SAS
The 5th Special Air Service or 5th SAS was an elite airborne unit during World War II, consisting entirely of Belgian volunteers. It saw action as part of the SAS Brigade in Normandy, Northern France, Belgium, the Netherlands and Germany. Initially trained in sabotage and intelligence gathering,...
. They were to undertake parachute operations behind the German lines in France, and then carry out operations supporting the Allied advance through Belgium, the Netherlands, and eventually into Germany.
In May 1944 the Supreme Headquarters Allied Expeditionary Force
Supreme Headquarters Allied Expeditionary Force
Supreme Headquarters Allied Expeditionary Force , was the headquarters of the Commander of Allied forces in north west Europe, from late 1943 until the end of World War II. U.S. General Dwight D. Eisenhower was in command of SHAEF throughout its existence...
(SHAEF) had issued order for the Special Air Service Brigade to carry out two operations in France. The two operations were Operation Houndsworth in the area of Dijon
Dijon
Dijon is a city in eastern France, the capital of the Côte-d'Or département and of the Burgundy region.Dijon is the historical capital of the region of Burgundy. Population : 151,576 within the city limits; 250,516 for the greater Dijon area....
given 'A' Squadron 1st Special Air Service and Operation Bulbasket
Operation Bulbasket
Operation Bulbasket was an ill-fated operation by 'B' Squadron, 1st Special Air Service, behind German lines in German occupied France, between June and August 1944...
in the area of Poitiers
Poitiers
Poitiers is a city on the Clain river in west central France. It is a commune and the capital of the Vienne department and of the Poitou-Charentes region. The centre is picturesque and its streets are interesting for predominant remains of historical architecture, especially from the Romanesque...
given to 'B' Squadron 1st Special Air Service.
The focus of both operations would be the disruption of German reinforcements from the south of France to the Normandy beachheads. To carry out the operation they would destroy supply dumps, block the two railway lines between Paris–Lyons
Lyon
Lyon , is a city in east-central France in the Rhône-Alpes region, situated between Paris and Marseille. Lyon is located at from Paris, from Marseille, from Geneva, from Turin, and from Barcelona. The residents of the city are called Lyonnais....
–Chalon-sur-Saône
Chalon-sur-Saône
Chalon-sur-Saône is a commune in the Saône-et-Loire department in the region of Bourgogne in eastern France.It is a sub-prefecture of the department. It is the largest city in the department; however, the department capital is the smaller city of Mâcon....
and Paris–Le Creusot
Le Creusot
Le Creusot is a commune in the Saône-et-Loire department in the region of Bourgogne in eastern France.The inhabitants are known as Creusotins. Formerly a mining town, its economy is now dominated by metallurgical companies such as ArcelorMittal, Schneider Electric, and Alstom.Since the 1990s, the...
–Nevers
Nevers
Nevers is a commune in – and the administrative capital of – the Nièvre department in the Bourgogne region in central France...
. One unit they especially wanted to delay was the 2nd SS Panzer Division Das Reich which was based in the area around Toulouse
Toulouse
Toulouse is a city in the Haute-Garonne department in southwestern FranceIt lies on the banks of the River Garonne, 590 km away from Paris and half-way between the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea...
in the south of France. The intelligence experts at SHAEF responsible for planning the Normandy landings, had estimated it would take three days for the panzer division
Panzer Division
A panzer division was an armored division in the army and air force branches of the Wehrmacht as well as the Waffen-SS of Nazi Germany during World War II....
to reach 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:...
.
Mission
Operation Houndsworth consisted of 18 officers and 126 men of 'A' Squadron, 1st Special Air Service (SAS). The SAS reconnaissance party landed in the area on 6 June 1944. They were followed by the rest of the squadron under the command of MajorMajor
Major is a rank of commissioned officer, with corresponding ranks existing in almost every military in the world.When used unhyphenated, in conjunction with no other indicator of rank, the term refers to the rank just senior to that of an Army captain and just below the rank of lieutenant colonel. ...
Bill Fraser over the night of 10/11 June 1944. A number of Jeeps
Willys MB
The Willys MB US Army Jeep and the Ford GPW, were manufactured from 1941 to 1945. These small four-wheel drive utility vehicles are considered the iconic World War II Jeep, and inspired many similar light utility vehicles. Over the years, the World War II Jeep later evolved into the "CJ" civilian...
armed with Vickers K machine gun
Vickers K machine gun
Not to be confused with the Vickers light machine gunThe Vickers K machine gun, known as the Vickers Gas Operated in British service, was a rapid-firing machine gun developed and manufactured for use in aircraft by Vickers-Armstrongs...
s were also parachuted in. The squadron was established in a patrol base in the mountainous wooded countryside south west of Dijon
Dijon
Dijon is a city in eastern France, the capital of the Côte-d'Or département and of the Burgundy region.Dijon is the historical capital of the region of Burgundy. Population : 151,576 within the city limits; 250,516 for the greater Dijon area....
in the Monts du Morvan in the Nièvre
Nièvre
Nièvre is a department in the centre of France named after the Nièvre River.-History:Nièvre is one of the original 83 departments created during the French Revolution on March 4, 1790...
department.
The Squadron then proceeded with operations during which the Lyon to Paris rail lines was blown up 22 times. After one occasion a member of the French resistance
French Resistance
The French Resistance is the name used to denote the collection of French resistance movements that fought against the Nazi German occupation of France and against the collaborationist Vichy régime during World War II...
approached the workmen repairing the lines and asked how long the repairs would take. Becoming aware of his loyalties they suggested that if the line had been cut further up more damage could have been caused. They then proceeded to draw him a diagram suggesting exactly where to do it next time. The squadron also captured 132 prisoners of war and killed or wounded 220 Germans. They identified 30 targets for the Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
to interdict
Air interdiction
Air interdiction is the use of aircraft to attack tactical ground targets that are not in close proximity to friendly ground forces. It differs from close air support because it does not directly support ground operations and is not closely coordinated with ground units...
. The operation was not without loss to the SAS, during the operation they lost eight men wounded and 10 men killed. The success of the operation, resulted in the Germans retaliating against the local villages. The residents of Dun-les-Places
Dun-les-Places
Dun-les-Places is a commune in the Nièvre department in central France.-Demographics:At the 1999 census, the population was 417. On 1 January 2006, the estimate was 353.-References:*...
, Montsauche-les-Settons
Montsauche-les-Settons
Montsauche-les-Settons is a commune in the Nièvre department in central France.-References:*...
and Planchez
Planchez
Planchez is a commune in the Nièvre department in central France.-Demographics:At the 1999 census, the population was 326. On 1 January 2004, the estimate was 358.-References:*...
all suffered and a number of residents were murdered during German reprisals.
The Germans eventually became aware of the location of the SAS camp and started what they thought, would be a surprise attack 20 August 1944, unknown to them, members of the French resistance knew about the attack and Corporal David Danger of the SAS managed to get through the cordon the Germans had put around the camp and warn the squadron. Pre-warned the SAS managed to fight off the Germans. The operation eventually came to an end in September 1944. Danger was awarded the Military Medal
Military Medal
The Military Medal was a military decoration awarded to personnel of the British Army and other services, and formerly also to personnel of other Commonwealth countries, below commissioned rank, for bravery in battle on land....
on 29 March 1945 for his part in foiling the attack, and his skill in maintaining radio communication from behind enemy lines for four months.