Operation Tarbrush
Encyclopedia
Operation Tarbrush was the name given to a series of British Commando raids during the Second World War in 1944. the raids were carried out by members of No. 10 (Inter-Allied) Commando
. It was for the purpose of for the purpose of bringing back photographs and examples of mines and obstacles that had been laid.
Three of the missions were commanded by George Lane
, whose mission was to examine mines on the French coast near Ault
. During the lead-up to D-Day
, an RAF fighter had strafed a pillbox
on the French coast. The aircraft carried a camera, and the scientists who examined the film were puzzled that the plane's rockets, which fell short, appeared to have set off underwater explosions. The Allies wanted to know if the Germans were using a new kind of mine on the beaches. Lane led a hazardous reconnaissance mission that required a two-mile approach to a heavily defended coastline. Lane's reconnaissance expedition discovered that the Germans had attached Teller mine
s to stakes in the water. These would be submerged when the tide was high and would explode on impact with a landing craft. However, the mines had no waterproofing and had corroded. They had only exploded when the rockets from the RAF fighter had hit nearby. Lane concluded that the Teller mines were only a crude improvisation, not an advanced type of mine.
No. 10 (Inter-Allied) Commando
No. 10 Commando was a commando unit of the British Army during the Second World War. The first No. 10 Commando was proposed in August 1940, using volunteers from Northern Command, however there was such a poor response that No...
. It was for the purpose of for the purpose of bringing back photographs and examples of mines and obstacles that had been laid.
- Tarbrush 3 was a raid over the night of 16/17 May at Bray Dunes near the French Belgian border.
- Tarbrush 5 was a raid over the night of 15/16 May at Dunkirk.
- Tarbrush 8 was a raid over the night of 15/16 May at QuendQuendQuend is a commune in the Somme department in Picardy in northern France. The inhabitants are known as Quennois.-Geography:Quend is situated between the estuaries of the Somme and the Authie, with the D940 connecting to the A16 motorway...
. - Tarbrush 10 was a raid over the night of 17/18 May at Onival.
Three of the missions were commanded by George Lane
George Lane (British Army officer)
George Henry Lane MC was a British Army officer in the Commandos during World War II, achieving the rank of Lieutenant. He performed a number of missions behind enemy lines. Captured on one such mission, Lane was spared after he had tea with Erwin Rommel, and later escaped.-Early life:George...
, whose mission was to examine mines on the French coast near Ault
Ault, Somme
Ault is a commune in the Somme department in Picardie in northern France.-Geography:Situated on the English Channel, on the D19 road, west of Abbeville, in the southwest of the department, Ault possesses chalk cliffs overlooking a beach of pebbles . To the south of the town is a large wooded...
. During the lead-up to D-Day
D-Day
D-Day is a term often used in military parlance to denote the day on which a combat attack or operation is to be initiated. "D-Day" often represents a variable, designating the day upon which some significant event will occur or has occurred; see Military designation of days and hours for similar...
, an RAF fighter had strafed a pillbox
Bunker
A military bunker is a hardened shelter, often buried partly or fully underground, designed to protect the inhabitants from falling bombs or other attacks...
on the French coast. The aircraft carried a camera, and the scientists who examined the film were puzzled that the plane's rockets, which fell short, appeared to have set off underwater explosions. The Allies wanted to know if the Germans were using a new kind of mine on the beaches. Lane led a hazardous reconnaissance mission that required a two-mile approach to a heavily defended coastline. Lane's reconnaissance expedition discovered that the Germans had attached Teller mine
Teller mine
The Teller mine was a German-made antitank mine common in World War II. With explosives sealed inside a sheet metal casing and fitted with a pressure-actuated fuze, Teller mines had a built-in carrying handle on the side. As the name suggests the mines were plate-shaped...
s to stakes in the water. These would be submerged when the tide was high and would explode on impact with a landing craft. However, the mines had no waterproofing and had corroded. They had only exploded when the rockets from the RAF fighter had hit nearby. Lane concluded that the Teller mines were only a crude improvisation, not an advanced type of mine.