12 Commando

Pyrite mine raids in Norway

The previous page was: "11 Commando Scottish"

12 Commando was formed in the summer of 1940; under the command of Lieutenant-Colonel F.W. Fynn, who was to go on and win the M.C. It was made up from Irish units of the British Army in Northern Ireland.

When they had completed their training at Achnacarry Castle, near Fort William. The unit organised itself into a body of top class soldiers; who were well disciplined and ready for active service anywhere.

During this period of trial for the Commandos to see if they were a viable option; which many had their doubts. The Commandos jobs were to land on enemy territory and bring back materials of war; such as telephone cables, pieces of barbed wire and most important of all a live German soldier etc.

The German uniforms and other items of clothing could give an indication of the type of troops in that area and how many there could be; but the interrogation of the prisoner was of the highest importance.

11 Commando Scottish

Landing on enemy held territory

At midnight on 27th July 1941 Second-Lieutenant Pinckney and sixteen men of No.12 Army Commando were towed across the Channel in assault landing craft by a motor launch.

They were cast off two miles from the River Slack near Ambleteuse.

They remained ashore for one hour; the raid was a partial success, but no prisoners were taken. The Commando suffered no casualties but an engine-room rating was killed.

The objective of the small raids

Seventeen days later two Troops of No.12 Commando on board the infantry landing ship H.M.S. Prince Charles; set out from Scapa Flow on their way to raid the little town of Floss, situated upon a long and tortuous Norwegian fjord. But the raid had to be abandoned because the naval officer in command was unable to find his exact position.

The object of these small raids and many others which were carried out in the next three years; was to obtain Intelligence. Little details seemingly of no importance; gradually enabled a picture to be built up; not only of the enemy's defences along the coast of France, but also his way of thinking.

Even the smallest scrap of information or the experience of logistics or the involvement of a Commando raid was of significance.

On one night the shoulder straps and buttons taken from a German corpse; they showed the dead man belonged to the 183rd Pioneer Battalion. On other occasions dead German bodies were towed back to England; the Commandos didn't miss a trick.

Returning the hand grenade

Each raid improved the Commandos technique in many trifling but very important particulars. The Commandos discovered rope soled boots or shoes would not grip in soft mud; therefore rubber soled boots were substituted and proved to be the answer.

The rating that was killed in the engine-room of the landing craft; from then on a protective plating was installed; but not only from above, also all of the sides were included.

Commandos learned that four second fuses proved to be much more effective than the normal seven second fuses in hand grenades.

When the seven second fuse was used it gave the enemy time to pick up the grenade and to return it where it had come from.

The Commandos discovered that when they primed the grenade and held it for three seconds before throwing it; the hand grenade was much more effective and a lot safer for inexperienced soldiers to use.

At Headquarters in London or out in action, or wherever each Commando was stationed, these and hundreds of other details were studied. Each raid brought a few ounces more grist to the mill.

Northforce formed in early 1943

Two troops of No.12 Army Commando and some Norwegians formed as Northforce at the beginning of 1943 for the purpose of raiding Norway.

The year opened with a small but successful raid against an iron pyrites mine situated at Lillebo in the island of Stord just off the Norwegian coast. Then they set out to attack a second mine accompanied by Major Ian Collins of the Staff of Combined Operations; who had had much to do with the planning.

They landed at the small village of Saagvag; fought their way ashore and reached the mine, two-miles in land, in twenty-five minutes. A very creditable performance seeing that each man was heavily laden with demolition materials.

On their arrival they blew away the hoist gear which fell down the mine shaft; they then set about blowing up the crushing plant, the compressor house, the transformer and the railway shed.

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Protected by motor torpedo boats

They then returned to Saagvag to discover that the naval covering force of motor torpedo boats had, while waiting; sunk an enemy merchant vessel by gun fire, silenced an enemy gun position and generally shelled the habited part of the coast.

There were still some demolition loads left and these were used to blow up a silo at the quayside; together with the conveyor system connecting the ore crusher with the mine.

To round off their achievements the small force shot down a German Junkers 88 bomber on the way home. At the cost of one non-commissioned officer killed and a few men wounded.

The mine providing the enemy with one-hundred and sixty thousand tons of iron pyrites a year was put out of action for more than twelve months.

Before the end of 1943 due to the difficulty of getting replacements No.12 Commando was dispersed among other Army Commando units.

The next Link below will be: "No.3 Army Commando Dieppe"

12 Commando No.3 Army Commando Dieppe

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