Special Raiding Squadron, Raid on Augusta

Allied Forces

• Special Raiding Squadron

Axis Forces

• Panzer-Division Hermann Göring
• Italian Fascist forces

Operation

On July 12^th, 1943, the men receive orders for immediate action in broad daylight, leaving little time for celebration. Their objective is the naval port of Augusta, situated 18 kilometres north of Syracuse. Although the area is defended by the Panzer-Division Hermann Göring and Italian Fascist forces, the mission is described as a simple mopping-up operation. As a result, the men are issued only half the usual ammunition and rations, fostering a sense of overconfidence.

Admiral Leonardi Defence of Augusta

Meanwhile on the Italian side, the Italian Admiral Leonardi makes repeated visits to his headquarters between field operations. On one such return, he learns from a Milmart liaison officer that his battery on Mount Tauro, east of Augusta, could potentially be reactivated. This dual-purpose battery, designed for anti-aircraft and naval defence, commands clear views over Augusta’s waters. Instead of being destroyed, the guns had been disabled by discarding the breech blocks into the battery’s water cistern.

Rather than delegate the task, Leonardi, in typical swashbuckling fashion, personally leads a small team, including his chief of staff and driver, to investigate. Upon arrival, the driver is lowered into the cistern, recovering two breech blocks. The guns are swiftly reassembled, however, the difficulty of targeting the destroyer without a rangefinder, results in missed shots. Leonardi fires several inaccurate shots at a British destroyer approaching Augusta’s harbour, forcing it to retreat. However, the battery’s activity draws the wrath of the Royal Navy, prompting heavy bombardment from two British cruisers. Admiral Leonardi orders Milmart to assemble a crew to restore the battery to limited operation.

The incident gains a comical edge when British ships, carrying senior admirals, repeatedly attempt to enter the harbour only to withdraw under sporadic fire from Leonardi’s revived battery. Amid the chaos, ships collide and scramble to exit the narrow harbour gate, with one captain later thanking his admiral for providing “an amusing break in monotony.”

As evening falls, the H.M.S. Ulster Monarch approaches Augusta, flanked by the Greek Type III Hunt-class destroyer R.H.S. Kanaris, the Tribal-class destroyer H.M.S. Nubian, the Hunt Class destroyer H.M.S. Tetcott. The Fiji-class light cruiser, H.M.S. Mauritius, stationed in the bay, signals the H.M.S. Ulster Monarch: “What the hell are you doing here?” When Lieutenant Commander Thompson replies that he intends to land troops, Captain William Wellclose Davis warns him of the unknown enemy strength. Nevertheless, Thompson insists on proceeding, and Davis agrees to provide support if needed.

Raid on Augusta

Augusta appears tranquil as the H.M.S. Ulster Monarch anchors approximately 300 metres offshore, they face heavy fire from machine guns and batteries on Mount Tauro. Coastal defences bombard the ship with 152 millimetres shells, while machine guns and anti-aircraft weapons still fire from positions around the bay. The H.M.S. Ulster Monarch, anchors just off Izzo Point, directly beneath battery AS 362, the suspected location of Leonardi’s guns. The Greek and British destroyers, cruiser and the H.M.S. Ulster Monarch respond with fierce barrages targeting the bluffs, clearing the way for the landing.

With the entire squadron aboard, the men disembark in two waves via six Landing Craft Assault. As the landing craft lower, they are under heavy enemy fire. When the Landing Craft Assault reach the shore, the doors open, and the men wade ashore, some submerged up to their necks. Lieutenant Wiseman recalls tracer rounds skimming the surface: “I hoped each one would fall just short.” The first wave, led by No. 3 Troop, crosses the bridge from the old town, advancing along the railway line to seize the station. Two medics, Corporal John Bentley and Private George Shaw, are killed during the landings, while eight others sustain injuries.

The Special Raiding Squadron proceeds towards a crossroads approximately 1.5 kilometres away, intending to meet the 17^th Infantry Brigade. The 17^th Infantry Brigade forms part of the 5th Infantry Division, one of three brigades within the division. Alongside the 6^th Battalion, Seaforth Highlanders, the 2^nd Battalion, Royal Scots Fusiliers, and the 2^nd Battalion, Northamptonshire Regiment constitute the remaining core units. During Operation Husky, the role of the 17^th Infantry Brigade is to advance rapidly along the coast and secure two critical ports, Syracuse (codenamed Operation Ladbroke) and Augusta. These ports are vital to the success and survival of the Eighth Army. Their capture ensures that reinforcements and supplies can be brought ashore swiftly, enabling the expansion of the beachhead and fortifying it against potential enemy counterattacks. Without control of these strategic locations, there are serious concerns that the invasion could falter under pressure from Axis forces.

However, the men of the Special Raiding Squadron encounter fierce resistance from German troops supported by artillery, mortars, and three light tanks. The remaining two troops push through Augusta’s narrow streets, engaging in house-to-house combat against entrenched defenders. Grenades clear rooms, and bursts of machine-gun fire sweep through doorways. Few prisoners are taken. Under cover from Muirhead’s mortars, Mayne orders No. 3 Troop to withdraw and consolidates the squadron around the Castello Svevo, the town’s medieval fortress, anticipating a counterattack involving armoured units. Isolated enemy positions resist, but by 04:00 on July 13^th, 1943, the distant rumble of tanks reaches the men. As daylight breaks, forward elements of the 17^th Infantry Brigade arrive, discovering the Germans have withdrawn overnight. Together they secure the city.

Later that morning, the men of the Special Raiding Squadron celebrate. Corporal Kit Kennedy entertains the squadron by donning a top hat and playing a pianola dragged onto the street. Looting abandoned buildings, the men drink local wine. Mayne and Sergeant Bill Deakins crack open a bank safe, only to find a gold ring, a brooch, and six silver spoons, all handed to Deakins.

When officers from the 17^th Infantry Brigade arrive, they are dismayed by the disorder. They seek the officer in charge, only to find Mayne pushing a pram filled with bottles of wine.

Following the operation, the H.M.S. Ulster Monarch returns to the Middle East, while the men of the Special Raiding Squadron take leave at a camp near Augusta, marking the end of a swift but intense campaign.

Aftermath

The raid costs the lives of medics Corporal John Bentley and Private George Shaw, with eight others wounded.

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