Operation Francis

Allied Forces

Axis Forces

Operation

Operation Francis commences in the early hours of July 10^th, 1944, with the designated area of operations set in the Finistère region of Brittany, France.

The team is commanded by 33-year-old Major Colin Ogden-Smith, a former member of the Special Operations Executive’s Small Scale Raiding Force. His team consists of Sergeant Arthur Dallow, a British radio operator, and Lieutenant Guy Le Borgne of the Free French Forces, operating under the nom de guerre ‘Guy Le Zachmeur’.

July 10th, 1944

the three-man Jedburgh team is parachuted into Finistère at 02:10. Despite careful preparation, drop zones always pose a risk. Some members land in wooded areas, and Ogden-Smith becomes separated from his teammates. A reception committee from the local Maquis successfully contacts the other team members, but Ogden-Smith remains missing for four days, during which he skilfully evades numerous German patrols operating in the vicinity. Eventually, he is found by the Maquis and reunited with his team.

A key objective for the team is the town of Brest, where many German occupation forces, largely composed of Russian mercenaries under German command, are stationed. Upon surveying the resistance groups in his operational area, Ogden-Smith quickly assesses that the Maquis are ill-equipped for effective guerrilla operations, lacking adequate small arms and supplies. He signals Special Forces Headquarters in London, urgently requesting a weapons and supply drop.

Despite communications with London being described as “patchy”, sufficient information is relayed to organise a three-aircraft resupply mission.

July 15th, 1944

During the night, a large quantity of arms and munitions is successfully airdropped. However, as the Maquis recover the canisters, they are attacked by a German force comprising approximately 300 Russian mercenaries. In a sharp and bloody engagement, the Maquis manage to recover most of the supplies and evade capture, although 24 resistance fighters and around 50 Russian troops are killed. The suspicious timing of this attack raises strong concerns that the operation has been compromised, likely through the efforts of German counter-intelligence and informants operating within the region.

Continuing their mission, Ogden-Smith’s team distributes the captured weapons among the resistance groups while conducting a thorough needs analysis for future resupply. Meanwhile, the risk of enemy contact remains ever-present.

July 26th, 1944

German forces intensify efforts to locate the Jedburghs and their Maquis allies, prompting a tense period of evasion and concealment while awaiting further orders from London.

August 3rd, 1944

New directives arrive, and the team is joined by Sergeant Maurice Miodon of the French Special Air Service and three local resistance fighters. Together, they seek refuge in a farmstead in the small village of Querrien, Finistère. However, similar to the earlier suspected compromise, the group’s presence is betrayed, and a German reaction force of company strength swiftly surrounds the farm.

In the ensuing firefight, Ogden-Smith sustains a severe abdominal wound, and Miodon suffers devastating injuries from grenade fragments, crippling his arm and leg. Despite his grave wounds, Miodon provides effective suppressive fire, enabling the remainder of the group to escape. Once his ammunition is expended, he surrenders to the Germans and is executed on the spot. Meanwhile, Ogden-Smith, administering morphine to himself, succumbs to his wounds.

In reprisal, German forces execute the farmer, burn the farmstead, ransack the property, and display the bodies before burying them nearby. Nevertheless, the sacrifice of Miodon and Ogden-Smith allows the remaining members of the team and the Maquis fighters to evade capture.

In the wake of this tragic encounter, the now well-armed Maquis forces, supplied through the efforts of Operation Francis, commence active operations from that date on. As a direct result of Ogden-Smith’s leadership and the team’s support, a formidable Maquis force of 700 fighters is fielded. Their mission is to harass and interdict German forces retreating from Lorient.

August 8th, 1944

The Maquis successfully besiege and liberate the town of Quimper,

August 25th, 1944

The Maquis halt their operations in the Quimper region, when their sector is declared secure following the destruction of several German convoys, installations, and equipment.

Aftermath

The impact of Operation Francis proves decisive. The liaison, supply, mobilisation, and tactical support provided by the Jedburgh team enables the Maquis to undertake a wide range of successful operations against German occupation forces, significantly supporting the broader Allied ground campaign. The operation serves as a powerful validation of the Jedburgh and unconventional warfare concept, demonstrating that properly equipped and directed resistance forces can exert substantial influence over enemy lines of communication and rear-area security.

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