BIG ORGANISATION FEAT

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume 77, 11 November 1942, Page 5

BIG ORGANISATION FEAT

REMARKABLE SECRECY

MONTHS OF PREPARATION London, Nov. 10. Operations culminating in the landing of large forces in North Africa represent probably the biggest organisation feat for an overseas expedition which the Royal Navy has ever undertaken. The planning and preparation for landing which required the closest cooperation between the Navy, Army, Air Force and the Ministry of Transport had been in process for some months. The secrecy of the undertaking, having regard to the vastness of the preparations, has been remarkable. The operation involved the conversion of many merchantmen to carry assault and landing craft. Ships also had to be provided with derricks and winches and additional anti-aircraft guns. The work had to be carried out speedily. Merchantmen cannot be kept idle, which meant an added burden on shipyards throughout the country. Stevedores at the ships’ points of assembly loaded thousands of bales of cargo ostensibly ! consigned to British ports which actually were code names of North African I g° rts , to which the ships were destined I Shj P s crews, landing parties and beach parties had all to be specially trained , under realistic conditions and a full dress rehearsal made of the entire operation in darkness before the actual

expedition sailed. No one engaged knew what it was all about. They were simply “exercises.”

Complete co-ordination of communication, which was essential, was a complicated affair, but the fact that the whole operation was completed according to schedule shows how perfectly vital communications worked from the start of the striking force with a smashing blow against Rommel in order to fulfil its strategic intention. The passage of every convoy has to be fitted in with the exactness of a railway timetable. It was a marvellous feat of accurate timing to pass the whole expedition through the Straits of Gibraltar without a casualty until the Mediterranean was reached, when one transport was damaged.

The striking force from the moment it left the shores of Britain had to be provided with air cover and protection from surface and underwater attack.— P.A.