Operation Appearance facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Operation Appearance |
|||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of The East African Campaign of the Second World War | |||||||||
 Indian soldiers at the Recapture of Berbera, March 1941. |
|||||||||
|
|||||||||
| Belligerents | |||||||||
|
|||||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||||
| Archibald Wavell Ranald Reid |
Prince Amedeo, Duke of Aosta Arturo Bertello |
||||||||
| Units involved | |||||||||
| 1st Punjab Regiment 2nd Punjab Regiment 11th African Division 15th Punjab Regiment Somali commando detachment 1401/1402 (Aden) Companies, Auxiliary Military Pioneer Corps Group |
70th Colonial Infantry Brigade | ||||||||
| Strength | |||||||||
| 2 battalions attached units 2 cruisers 2 destroyers 2 auxiliary cruisers 2 trawlers 2 transports |
Colonial infantry brigade | ||||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||||
| 1 killed 1 wounded |
|||||||||
Operation Appearance was a military mission by the British Empire during World War II. It took place from March 16 to April 8, 1941. The goal was to land troops in British Somaliland and take it back from the Italian Army.
Just seven months before, in August 1940, Italy had taken over British Somaliland. The British forces had pulled back after a tough fight at the Battle of Tug Argan. This retreat, especially after France had been defeated and Italy joined the war, made British leaders very unhappy. Prime Minister Winston Churchill even lost trust in General Archibald Wavell, who was the British commander in the Middle East.
British, Indian, and South African troops in Aden (a British territory) trained for this invasion. The British also used a clever trick called Operation Camilla. They made it seem like their troops were moving to Sudan to invade British Somaliland from there. This was to fool the Italians. The real plan, Operation Canvas, was for the main invasion to come from Kenya in the south.
On March 16, 1941, British forces landed at Berbera, a port in British Somaliland. They quickly captured the port. The Italian soldiers there ran away, and many local troops working for Italy left their posts. Within a few days, Berbera was ready to receive more troops and supplies. This made it much easier for the British to supply their forces fighting in Ethiopia. The British then set up a new government in the area. They brought back the local police and the Somaliland Camel Corps.
Contents
Why the British Returned to Somaliland
The War in East Africa, 1940
When Italy declared war on Britain and France on June 10, 1940, their forces in Italian East Africa became a big threat. These Italian forces could attack British ships sailing along the coast of East Africa, through the Red Sea, and to the Suez Canal. British areas like Anglo-Egyptian Sudan, British Somaliland, and Kenya Colony were in danger.
France's defeat in June 1940 made Britain's position in the Middle East and East Africa much weaker. British ships could no longer easily use the Mediterranean Sea. Supplies had to travel a very long way, about 13,000 miles (21,000 km), around Africa. In July 1940, Italy had about 91,203 Italian soldiers and police, plus 199,973 local African soldiers (called ascari). Britain had about 47,000 men in the region.
Italy Takes Over British Somaliland
On August 3, 1940, Italian troops crossed the border into British Somaliland. They moved in three groups. The main group advanced from Harar in Italian Ethiopia and reached Hargeisa on August 5. The local Somaliland Camel Corps fought against them, but the Italians had more soldiers and tanks.
The northern Italian group captured the port of Zeila and moved slowly along the coast towards Berbera. The main Italian force continued from Hargeisa towards Berbera. British troops tried to slow them down by damaging roads. A major battle, the Battle of Tug Argan, took place from August 11 to 15. The British ran out of ammunition and were outnumbered by Italian artillery.
On August 14, Major-General Alfred Reade Godwin-Austen decided that the situation was too difficult. He was ordered to pull out of British Somaliland. The British soldiers retreated to Berbera and were evacuated by ship to Aden by August 19. Italian forces entered Berbera that evening. The British lost 38 men killed and 222 wounded. The Italians had 2,052 casualties.
Operation Camilla: The Deception Plan
After the British left Somaliland, they set up a secret mission in Aden to cause trouble for the Italians. General Archibald Wavell, the British commander in the Middle East, created Operation Camilla. This was a plan to trick the Italians.
The British wanted the Italians to believe that troops moving to Sudan were preparing to invade British Somaliland in February 1941. Wavell even wrote a fake document saying that he was very upset about losing British Somaliland and wanted to get it back. This document also said that the real invasion plan (Operation Canvas, from Kenya) was just a distraction.
In reality, the main invasion was planned from Kenya. Taking back Berbera was important because it would create a much closer supply route for the southern invasion force. The port was basic, but it could be improved quickly. By February 1941, the Italian commander, the Duke of Aosta, was convinced that a British invasion of the colony was coming soon.
Getting Ready for the Invasion
The British Plan
The British forces in Aden, led by Air Vice-Marshal Ranald Reid, prepared to recapture Berbera. They planned to make it a base big enough to supply 15,000 troops. About 3,000 men from the Aden Striking Force were chosen for the mission. This force included two battalions of the British Indian Army, a Somali commando group, and pioneer companies. They would travel about 140 miles (225 km) across the Gulf of Aden.
The East Indies Fleet provided ships for the operation. This included two cruisers, two destroyers, two auxiliary cruisers, two trawlers, and two troop transports. These ships would carry the troops and tow special barges. These barges were designed to act as floating piers, making it easier to unload vehicles like armored cars.
Preparing for the Landing
Training for the invasion began in January. Ships were changed to carry troops. The Royal Air Force (RAF) flew planes to scout the area. They looked for good landing spots, Italian defenses, and places for their own planes to land. The plan was for the invasion force to land on beaches near Berbera, supported by fire from the cruisers and destroyers. They would create a secure area and then take back the whole protectorate.
The RAF photos were not complete, and the Navy worried about towing the barges across the sea. Finding Berbera in bad weather and landing on an unknown, dark shore was risky. But taking back Berbera was so important for the British attack on Italian Somaliland and Ethiopia that they decided to take the risks. For three nights before the landing, the RAF bombed a large Italian base at Dire Dawa in Ethiopia.
The Journey to Berbera
On March 14, the first group of ships left Aden. But soon after, some of the ropes towing the barges broke. To stay on schedule, the plan changed. The warships went ahead, leaving the cargo ships to tow the barges. The second group of ships sailed an hour later and met up as planned.
At 1:00 a.m. on March 16, the main warships moved towards Berbera Light to find gaps in the coral reefs near the landing beaches. Another group of ships went to the eastern beach. Lights were seen on shore, suggesting Italian vehicles were moving towards Berbera. A Somali fisherman in a canoe approached one of the British ships and told them Italians were still in the town.
Finding the gaps in the reefs was difficult, causing delays. The landing was supposed to happen at 3:30 a.m. but was delayed. At 4:13 a.m., the order to land was given. British ships began firing their guns at the beaches. The Italian artillery fired back, but their shots were not very effective. The British ships silenced the Italian guns.
The Invasion of Berbera
Landing on the Beaches
The Duke of Aosta, the Italian commander, had already agreed to evacuate the area. On March 14, the Italian soldiers began to leave. When the British ships started firing, about 1,500 Somali troops working for Italy, along with their Italian officers, ran away from Berbera towards Hargeisa.
The first wave of British troops, the 15th Punjab Regiment, landed with little resistance. The 2nd Punjab Regiment landed next and advanced towards the town. Other troops moved inland to cut off the coastal road. All the soldiers got ashore before dawn. The town was captured by 9:20 a.m. on March 16. The British and Indian troops had very few injuries, and over 100 Italian prisoners were taken.
A small group of unarmed British pioneers accidentally joined the attack. Their commander, Captain S. J. H. Harrison, wrote that they saw the Italian enemy jumping out of their trenches and speeding away in vehicles, leaving a cloud of dust. A small fight happened to the east of Berbera, where one Somali soldier was killed and a British officer was wounded. A message was sent to London saying, "The British flag flies again over Berbera." However, the invaders had forgotten to bring a flag and had to borrow one from a local resident! RAF fighter planes flew patrols over the area for several days.
Taking Control of Berbera
By the time Berbera fell, the second group of British ships had arrived. Tugs checked the harbor for mines. By 2:00 p.m., Force D was unloading supplies. A special pier made of two modified barges was put together, and vehicles were unloaded. The landing force was well-supplied, and local water was available. Air reconnaissance showed that the area inland was empty.
Some buildings in Berbera were damaged, and the power station and refrigeration plant needed repairs. The water supply was almost destroyed, but British troops stopped it. The airfield had been mined, and the RAF was told. The British sent 43 Italian prisoners of war to Aden.
On March 17, patrols of the 3rd (Nigerian) Brigade reached Jijiga, cutting off the road to Harar. This was the Italian escape route from the protectorate. On March 19, Brigadier Buchanan arrived in Berbera to take command of the 2nd South African Infantry Brigade, which was arriving by sea. On March 20, Nigerian troops reached Tug Wajale. From there, two armored cars drove to Berbera and joined the Aden Striking Force. Many Italian colonial troops began to desert. On March 21, Lieutenant-General Alan Cunningham, the commander of the East African Force, visited Berbera. He congratulated the troops, made plans to improve the port, and announced that a British military government would be set up.
After the Battle
What Happened Next
After the Italian soldiers ran away, a prisoner of war camp was built in Berbera. It was large enough for 5,000 prisoners. Two battalions of the 2nd South African Brigade arrived by sea, and the third battalion arrived two weeks later after marching by road. On April 8, Brigadier Arthur Reginald Chater, who used to lead the Somaliland Camel Corps, was made Military Governor.
The Italians had left Zeila on March 18. A retired Somali police inspector found a hidden British flag, raised it, and started collecting abandoned Italian weapons. On March 23, a British Somaliland police officer landed and called back the local police. The Somaliland Camel Corps had been disbanded after the British left, but by the time the British returned to their headquarters in Burao on April 18, 80 percent of the former members had made their way to Berbera.
Many buildings in Berbera were damaged, and the telephone networks were not working. Army signal units had to carry messages for the civilian government until the systems were fixed. The war had badly hurt the economy of the protectorate. Trade had stopped, and there were no regular shipping services with Aden, only small local boats called dhows. There was little food, but the number of livestock had grown since 1939. When the British captured Addis Ababa, people felt more confident. Trade started again, and by autumn, exports had improved. Berbera became a major trading center, and the demand for workers increased.
See also
- List of British military equipment of World War II
- List of Italian Army equipment in World War II
Images for kids
-
Map showing the Italian invasion of the British Somaliland Protectorate (3–19 August 1940) and nearby areas.
-
A photograph of the Berbera landscape (2012).
-
A Dhow sailing in the Indian Ocean (2009).
_(2).jpg){kind=small}
