| Special Forces Operations in April 1941 |
| April 2nd, 1941- April 5th, 1941 |
| MAS Reconnaissance Mission Corfu |
| Xa Flottiglia MAS |
| MAS 539, MAS 535 and two Motoscafo Turismo Silurante. The mission is commanded by Capitano di Fregata Vittorio Moccagatta. In early April 1941, the Italian Regia Marina organises a combat reconnaissance mission targeting the moorings at Corfu, Sarandë, and Porto Edda. The operation aims to assess the operational capabilities of the newly introduced Motoscafo Turismo Silurante. Departing from Brindisi on April 2nd, 1941, MAS 539 and MAS 535 proceed towards the Albanian coast, reaching the island of Sazan. Each vessel tows an MTS, manned as follows: MTS 2: Capitano di Corvetta Giorgio Giobbe and Sottotenente di Vascello Aldo Massarini MTS 4: Sottotenente di Vascello Renato Iovine and Secondo Capo Enrico Cerruti During the night of April 5th, 1941, the MAS vessels arrive at the designated release point. The Motoscafo Turismo Silurante detach from their tows and proceed along the coastline. However, they are soon detected, illuminated by searchlights, and subjected to coastal gunfire. Forced to abort the mission, MTS 2 successfully returns to the waiting MAS, while MTS 4, having jettisoned its two small torpedoes to increase speed, retreats to Sazan. |
| April 15th, 1941 |
| Operation Addition I |
| Commandos |
| Brigade HQ, together with A Battalion (No. 7 Commando (Lieutenant Colonel Colvin)), C Battalion (No. 11 Commando (Lieutenant Colonel Pedder)), Layforce in the two Glen Landing Ships. Their mission is to disrupt enemy lines of communication and damage installations and equipment in Bardia, Libia. Four Troops of B Battalion (No 8 Commando (Lieutenant Colonel Daly)), Layforce in a destroyer. Submarine H.M.S. Triumph. On arrival in the landing areas the following night, the sea swell is too great to safely allow the folbots to disembark from their submarine and for the Commandos to re-embark from the beaches. The action is, therefore, called off. |
| April 19th, 1941 – April 20th, 1941 |
| Operation Addition II |
| Commandos |
| A Battalion (No. 7 Commando (Lieutenant Colonel Colvin)) Layforce, Landing Ship, Infantry (Large) H.M.S. Glengyle and Submarine H.M.S. Triumph. Their mission is to disrupt enemy lines of communication and damage installations and equipment in Bardia, Lybia. One Armoured Landing Craft cannot be lowered and there are difficulties with the release gear on the other craft. Nonetheless, the approaches to the beaches on the night are smoothly but there is no sign of the expected guiding lights from the shore. The placing of these lights is the responsibility of Layforce’s folbot section, under Roger Courtney. Later it becomes clear that the submarine carrying Courtney and his men, H.M.S. Triumph, is forced to take evasive actions when they come under friendly fire, causing the delay. Despite these setbacks, the detachments are only 15 minutes behind schedule when they land on the beaches. However, without the benefit of the guiding navigational lights, some Armoured Landing Crafts land on the wrong beaches. Fortunately, the landings are unopposed, and the men move inland to locate and destroy their various targets. In some cases, the task proves more difficult than expected, due to inaccurate or incomplete intelligence. Some targets do not exist or are found in unexpected locations. |
| April 1941 – Winter 1942 |
| Operation Clairvoyant |
| Special Operations Executive |
| A set of attacks on hydro-electric power plants at Tyssedal, Rjukan (where a nitrate factory was also to be attacked), Bjølvefoss, Høyanger, Saude and Stangfjord, and the ferry at Tinnsjø. All these facilities could support the manufacture of specialist metals or the German Nuclear Bomb Program. The planners fail to obtain the required aircraft for the operation. It also runs into objections from the Norwegian authorities. After this the plan is scaled down to a projected attack against Høyanger. One sortie was made but fails due of bad weather. After that the members of the party are severely injured in a car crash. The plan was resurrected at times to a period as late as the end of 1942. Eventually it is abandoned. |