Two-hundred men from No. 50 Commando, 24-man detachment of Royal Marines, one company of Sherwood Foresters, the destroyers H.M.S. Decoy and H.M.S. Hereward, the gunboat H.M.S. Ladybird, armed yacht H.M.S. Rosaura, light cruisers H.M.A.S. Perth and H.M.S. Bonaventure, submarine H.M.S. Parthian. Their mission is to establish a motor torpedo-boat base to challenge the Italian naval and air supremacy on the Greek Dodecanese islands.
The Commandos and Royal Marines land unopposed and complete their objectives. The Italians react fast with air and naval support and reinforcements. The British lack these forms of support and are forced to retreat in the following days. |
