Operation Frankton
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During World War II, Operation Frankton was a British Combined Operations raid on shipping in Bordeaux harbour, France in December, 1942, by 12 men of the Boom Patrol Detachment, Royal Navy, in two-man Cockle MK II kayaks, (*the Cockleshell Heroes).
Led by Major Herbert "Blondie" Hasler, the men launched their six kayaks from the British submarine HMS Tuna on 7 December, some 10 miles from the mouth of the Gironde Estuary. One kayak was damaged being passed out of the submarine, leaving 10 men in five kayaks to attempt a 70 mile paddle up river to their targets.
Of those ten, only four reached their objective. Shortly after launching, one kayak became separated from the others and capsized in the surf. The men made it ashore but were captured and shot in accordance with Hitler’s Commando Order of October that year.
Two men drowned after their canoe capsized and they fell prey to the cold and currents. Two more became separated and days later, shortly before the Bordeaux quays, hit an underwater obstruction and sank. They made their way ashore and south towards Spain and were in a civilian hospital at La Réole when they were betrayed to the Gestapo and eventually taken to Paris.
The four remaining men reached their targets after four days, laying low during daylight and paddling by night. The achievement of the remaining four men in surviving a 70 mile paddle at night and subject to strong tidal currents and cold should not be underestimated.
Though not all limpet mines attached to targets detonated, in all four cargo ships were flooded and a Sperrbrecher (mine-sweeper), was damaged. The raiders now made their way over land 90 miles north east to Ruffec to contact the French Resistance and utilise the ‘pipeline’ for their escape to Gibraltar and Britain. Only Blondie Hasler and kayak partner Bill Sparks made it all the way as the other two were betrayed by locals and captured at Montlieu. They too ended up in Paris with the men captured at La Réole, and all four are believed to have been shot about 23 March 1943.
Additional:
- Corporal Bill Sparks, (1922-2002), was an advisor on the 1955 film ‘The Cockleshell Heroes’ and wrote two books; ‘The Last of the Cockleshell Heroes’, and ‘Cockleshell Commando’ .
- French authorities have named the overland escape route used by Blondie Hasler and Bill Sparks, which included crossing the Pyrenees (the mountain range between France and Spain}, the Frankton Trail which is now a tourist attraction for hikers.