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Operation Chestnut facts for kids

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Operation Chestnut
Part of World War War II, Invasion of Sicily
Date 12 July 1943
Location
Sicily
Result British failure
Belligerents
 United Kingdom  Italy
Commanders and leaders
Major Geoffrey Appleyard
Strength
20

Operation Chestnut was a secret mission during World War II. It was a failed attempt by a special British army unit called the Special Air Service (SAS). Their goal was to help the Allies invade Sicily, an island in Italy. This invasion was known as Operation Husky.

What Was Operation Chestnut?

Operation Chestnut happened on the night of July 12, 1943. Two small teams of ten soldiers each were involved. These teams had special code names: 'Pink' and 'Brig'.

Their mission was to parachute into northern Sicily. Once there, they were supposed to cause trouble for the enemy. This included messing up their communication lines and transportation.

Problems from the Start

Right from the parachute jump, things went wrong.

  • All the radios the teams carried broke. This meant they couldn't talk to their base.
  • A lot of their supplies were lost. This included ammunition, explosives, and food.
  • One team landed too close to a town. This immediately alerted the enemy soldiers nearby.

Without working radios, the teams couldn't call for backup planes. These planes were supposed to bring more supplies and soldiers. Because they couldn't be contacted, the planes had to return to their base.

Mission Failure and Retreat

The soldiers found it very hard to complete their mission. They couldn't achieve any of their main goals. Instead, they had to focus on staying hidden from the enemy. They slowly made their way back towards friendly lines.

This mission was the very first parachute raid for the 2nd Special Air Service unit. It was also the mission where Major Geoffrey Appleyard went missing. Major Appleyard was on the plane with the 'Pink' team. He was supervising their jump. After the team jumped, his plane never returned to base.

See also

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