| Special Forces Operations in April 1942 |
| April 11th, 1942 – April 12th, 1942 |
| Operation JV |
| Commandos |
| Captain Gerald Montanaro and Trooper Preece of 101 (Folbot) Troop of No. 6 Commando. Their mission is destroying German Shipping in Boulogne-sur-Mer in France. The men succeed in planting a Limpet mine on a German Tanker and escape without being seen. |
| April 19th, 1942 |
| Operation Abercrombie |
| Commandos, The Carleton and York Regiment. |
| One hundred men from B and C troops of No. 4 Commando and a detachment of fifty men from the Carleton and York Regiment. Their mission is to reconnoitre the beaches off the village of Hardelot, capture German prisoners and destroy a searchlight battery at Neufchâtel-Hardelot area in France. The mission is more or less a practice mission for Operation Jubilee. The convoy of Motor Gun Boats and Landing Craft Assaults sets off on the evening but after two hours, one Landing Craft Assault starts taking on water and sinks. The two crewmen are recovered but two commandos who are manning the Bren guns are lost. The convoy aborts and heads home. |
| April 21st, 1942 – April 22nd, 1942 |
| Operation Abercrombie |
| Commandos, The Carleton and York Regiment |
| One hundred men from B and C troops of No. 4 Commando and a detachment of fifty men from the Carleton and York Regiment. Their mission is to reconnoitre the beaches off the village of Hardelot, capture German prisoners and destroy a searchlight battery at Neufchâtel-Hardelot area in France. The mission is more or less a practice mission for Operation Jubilee. The ships carrying the Canadian Carleton and York Regiment experience navigational problems and become separated from the rest of the Landing Force., Wandering along the shore they attract tracer fire from the shore which is returned by their accompanying Motor Gun Boats. Because of this the Canadian troops fail to disembark. The Commandos land unopposed further to the north than intended. They escape detection until they move into the deep sand dunes and wire entanglements. Support fire from the Landing Craft Supports partially suppressed moderate German tracer fire from the flanks and the commandos can progress. The defences are light and/or abandoned as they advance. They encounter only three Germans who withdrew immediately. A twelve-men patrol sent to destroy the searchlights reaches their objective but retreats before they can attack due to the lack of time remaining as signalled by the re-call rocket. The only Allied casualty was a commando who is shot through the ankles after failing to respond to a beachhead sentry’s challenge quickly enough. Supporting Navy craft encounter and engage enemy vessels, including E Boats, sinking at least one and damaging others. The Navy suffers three casualties. Enemy casualties were unknown. |