Operation Hasty facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Operation Hasty |
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| Part of Italian Campaign (World War II) | |||||
 The Abruzzo region of Italy |
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| Belligerents | |||||
 United Kingdom |
 Germany |
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| Commanders and leaders | |||||
| Captain L.A. Fitzroy-Smith | |||||
| Units involved | |||||
| Detachment from 2nd Parachute Brigade |
10th Army | ||||
| Strength | |||||
| 60 men | brigade | ||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||
| 33 men | Unknown | ||||
Operation Hasty was a secret mission during World War II. It happened in Italy in June 1944. A small group of 60 British paratroopers went behind German lines. Their goal was to stop German supplies and troop movements. The mission was very tough. Less than half the soldiers returned safely.
Why Operation Hasty Happened
The 1st Airborne Division arrived in Italy in September 1943. Most of them went back to England later that year. But the 2nd Parachute Brigade stayed in Italy. They fought as regular soldiers on the ground. They took part in battles like the Battle of Monte Cassino.
In May 1944, the brigade rested near Salerno. Three officers and 57 men were chosen for Operation Hasty. The mission was planned by Lieutenant-General Oliver Leese. He was the commander of the British Eighth Army.
The main goal was to stop the Germans. They were retreating from Sora to Avezzano. They were destroying bridges and roads as they left. The British wanted to stop this damage.
At first, a whole battalion was planned for the mission. But the brigade commander, Brigadier Pritchard, chose a smaller group. He also decided to drop dummy parachutists. This was to make the Germans think a bigger force had landed. The small group was led by Captain Fitzroy-Smith. They were from the 6th (Royal Welch) Parachute Battalion. Medics and signallers also joined them.
The Mission Begins
The 60 soldiers took off on June 1, 1944. They flew in three Douglas Dakota planes. Eight other planes carried the dummy parachutists. They reached their landing spot near Trasacco by 8:30 PM. The landing went well. Only one soldier was hurt with a broken rib.
By 9:00 PM, the group met up. They made radio contact with the 2nd New Zealand Infantry Division. This division was in charge of the mission. They arranged for supplies to be dropped by parachute. Captain Fitzroy-Smith set up a base. He divided his men into three small patrols. Each patrol had an officer in charge.
The Germans reacted very quickly. Their patrols were in the area within 20 minutes. The British base was found and attacked within 24 hours. The three patrols split up to avoid a big fight. For the next seven days, they caused trouble for German convoys. They also stopped German teams from destroying things.
In response, the Germans sent a whole brigade of troops. Their job was to find the British paratroopers. A German division was also held back. This division was kept in reserve instead of going to the front lines. During the search, the Germans captured the British signallers. The last radio was damaged. So, contact with the New Zealand division was lost.
By June 7, the British decided to pull the soldiers out. But with no radio, they couldn't tell the men. Brigadier Pritchard had an idea. He dropped leaflets around the area. The leaflets said: "Proceed Awdry forthwith." The Germans didn't understand this message. But the British soldiers knew what it meant. Captain Awdry was a liaison officer with the New Zealand division. The detachment then split into smaller groups. They tried to make their way back to Allied lines.
After the Mission
Out of the 60 men who went on Operation Hasty, only two officers and 25 men returned safely. The mission didn't cause much physical damage to the Germans. But it was successful in another way. It forced the Germans to use a brigade to hunt down 60 men. Also, a whole division was kept away from the front line.
The Germans did manage to retreat to the Gothic Line. They held the Allies there until mid-September. This was when the city of Rimini was captured.
Operation Hasty was one of only two British airborne missions in mainland Italy during the war. The 2nd Parachute Brigade later took part in two bigger operations. In August, they were part of Operation Dragoon. This was the invasion of Southern France. In October, they participated in Operation Manna in Greece.
