Operation Lucid facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Operation Lucid
RFA War Nawab
Planned	1940–1941
Planned by	United Kingdom
Objective	Defence of Britain against German invasion
Executed by	Royal Navy
Outcome	Cancelled

Operation Lucid was a secret plan by the British during World War II. The idea was to use special "fire ships" to attack German invasion boats. These boats were gathering in ports along the northern coast of France in 1940. Germany was planning to invade Britain, an operation called Operation Sea Lion. The British tried to launch Operation Lucid several times in September and October 1940. However, the ships were old and the weather was bad, so the plan was called off each time. It was never actually carried out.

Why the Plan Started

After France was defeated by Germany in July 1940, Britain faced a big threat. Germany seemed ready to invade the British Isles. The British government worked very hard to prepare for this invasion. They also looked for ways to attack the Germans before any invasion could begin.

German invasion boats started to gather in French ports along the English Channel. The Royal Air Force (RAF) tried to bomb these boats from the air.

At the same time, a special group called the Petroleum Warfare Department (PWD) experimented with fire. They wanted to burn the invasion boats before they could reach Britain. One early idea was to blow up a ship full of oil. This was tested with a tanker called Suffolk. Another idea was to create a long line of burning oil on the water. But neither of these ideas worked well enough.

The trial with Suffolk led to a bigger plan: burning the invasion boats while they were still in port. This plan was first suggested in the summer of 1940 and became known as Operation Lucid.

The British Prime Minister, Winston Churchill, really liked Operation Lucid. He loved the idea of using fire ships, just like the English had done against the Spanish Armada in 1588. Churchill famously said he wanted to "singe Mr Hitler's moustache," like Sir Francis Drake had "singed the King of Spain's beard" centuries before.

Getting Ready for the Attack

Captain Augustus Agar was chosen to lead Operation Lucid. He was a brave officer from the Royal Navy who had won a special medal called the Victoria Cross in 1918. Captain Agar picked Morgan Morgan-Giles to help him because Morgan-Giles knew a lot about setting explosives.

The operation needed old oil tankers to turn into fire ships. But there weren't many available. They had to use the "oldest crocks" – very old ships that had been sitting in rivers for years. Workers quickly got three of these old ships ready. Captain Agar wished he could tell the workers the real reason for their hard work. He was sure they would have been even more excited if they knew they were helping to stop an invasion. To keep it a secret, a rumor was spread that the ships would be used to block harbors.

Another problem was finding fast, reliable motorboats for the crews to escape in. It was hard to get good boats for these old tankers. In the end, they managed to get some speedboats at the last minute.

The ships chosen were Oakfield (which used to be called War Africain), and two Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA) ships, RFA War Nawab and War Nizam. These ships had been out of service for a long time. They were very slow, moving at less than six knots (about 7 miles per hour), and often broke down.

War Nizam was built in 1918 and War Nawab in 1919. Both ships were about 412 feet (125 meters) long. Oakfield was built in 1918 and was about 401 feet (122 meters) long.

The ships were quickly prepared. Each one was filled with 2,000 to 3,000 long tons of "Agar's Special Mixture." This was a dangerous mix of 50% heavy fuel oil, 25% diesel oil, and 25% petrol. To make it even more powerful, bundles of cordite, gun cotton, and old depth charges were added.

The plan was to sail at night until the fire ships were close to the entrances of the target ports. Most of the crew would then leave the ship. Timers would be set for the explosives, and each ship would be aimed towards a harbor mouth. The last few crew members would escape in a motorboat at the very last moment. When the explosives blew up, the ship's hold would break open. The burning fuel would then flow into the harbor with the rising tide, setting the German invasion boats on fire.

Attempts and Cancellation

On the evening of September 26, 1940, War Nizam and Oakfield sailed from Sheerness towards Calais. At the same time, War Nawab sailed from Portsmouth towards Boulogne. The RAF also bombed Ostend to distract the Germans. Several destroyers, motor torpedo boats, and other ships went along to protect the fire ships. Captain Agar led the operation from the destroyer HMS Campbell.

But things quickly went wrong. A strong, unfavorable wind started to blow. Oakfield soon had to turn back. A little later, War Nizam had engine problems. Only War Nawab was left to continue. Captain Agar did not want to lose the element of surprise. He also had orders from Churchill to call off the plan if it wasn't going well. So, Agar cancelled the operation. The order to turn back reached Nawab when it was just 7 nautical miles (about 8 miles or 13 kilometers) from Boulogne.

Another attempt was made on October 3, but bad weather stopped it. The same happened the next night. On the night of October 7/8, an acoustic mine damaged a destroyer that was escorting the ships, with Captain Agar on board. The convoy scattered, and the damaged destroyer slowly made its way home.

Plans were made for another try in early November. But by then, Adolf Hitler had put off his invasion plan, Operation Sealion. So, the British Admiralty also postponed Operation Lucid. The plan was thought about again in the spring of 1941, but it was never put into action.

War Nawab continued to be used as an oil storage ship until 1958, when it was taken apart for scrap metal. In 1962, the ship's bell was placed on a Sea Cadet unit in Wanganui, New Zealand.

See also

• List of Royal Fleet Auxiliary ship names
• British anti-invasion preparations of World War II
• SS Sansinena