No.2 Army Commando

Airborne Commando was suggested

The previous page was: "N0.1 Army Commando"

The man initially selected as the overall commander of the Commando Forces was Admiral Sir Roger Keyes, himself a veteran of the landings at Galipoli and the Zeebrugge raid, in the First World War. Keyes resigned in October 1941, and was replaced by Admiral Louis Mountbatten.

No.2 Army Commando unit was reformed three times during the Second World War. The original No.2 Commando, unlike the other Commando units, was formed from volunteers from across the United Kingdom and was always intended to be a parachute unit.

On the 22nd June 1940, No.2 Commando was turned over to parachute duties, and on 21st November, it was re-designated as the 11th Special Air Service (SAS) Battalion and eventually re-designated 1st Parachute Battalion. After their re-designation as the 11th SAS Battalion, a second No.2 Army Commando was formed.

The first No.2 Commando, under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Jackson, did not carry out any operations before being turned over to parachute duties. After the formation of the 11th SAS Battalion a new No.2 Commando was formed, under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Augustus Charles Newman, from a new batch of volunteers.

No. 1 Army Commando

Transport Into Action

The problem was the Navy did not have any spare landing craft to take the Army Commandos to their destinations. It was suggested that the Commandos should be carried to battle and dropped by parachute; but here, there were two huge problems. The Air Force did not have the planes to deliver the men; and how were the Commandos themselves going to return home?

True the men with a parachute could be dropped behind enemy lines but they would have to fend for themselves; because it was not possible to keep them supplied adequately. They could not be very effective in a large group; but they might be useful in small bands who could evade their enemy.

In truth the parachutist is mainly required by an attacking force; where they can land in advance and secure important objectives for the troops that are coming through; and that is it, once on the ground they are basically an infantry.

The Commando in an amphibious roll was recognised as the solution to raiding enemy positions; because they could return in the transport that carried them to war.

The person in charge of raiding was aware that the Royal Marines had already been doing this type of warfare for hundreds of years, because he was Lieutenant-General Sir Alan Bourne, K.C.B., D.S.O., R.M., Adjutant-General of the Corps.

However, the Commando soldier, was a new Army Conception and they had different ideas to the Navy. The Navy's Royal Marines, at the time, were, Britain's only reserves that was strong enough to defend her shores. And could not be considered for the Commando role until the threat of an invasion was lifted.

The idea of an Airborne Commando had to be abandoned before it got off the ground; the five-hundred volunteers for the Airborne Commando went on to become, in due course, the nucleus of the airborne troops of the 1st Parachute Regiment.

Commandos Prepared To Raid

No.2 Commando recruited some more volunteers and by February 1942, they were established and waiting to go into action; like many of the other Commando Units there was indecision after indecision and they appeared to be going nowhere fast.

The first action that men from No.2 Commando had been involved in, was the sending of two Troops in a supporting role for No.3 Army Commando in the Vaagso raid in December 1941.

The next action involving men of No.2 Commando was Operation Musketoon in September 1942. This was a raid against the Glomfjord hydroelectric power plant in Norway.

The raid, commanded by Captain Graeme Black, M.C. landed by submarine and succeeded in blowing up pipelines, turbines and tunnels, effectively destroying the generating station; the associated aluminium plant was shut down permanently.

One commando was killed in the raid; another seven were captured while trying to escape the area and were taken to Colditz Castle. From there they were taken to Sachsenhausen concentration camp and executed. The three remaining Commandos managed to escape to Sweden and eventually returned to No.2 Commando.

Operation Chariot

Lt-Col Newman was summoned by Brigadier Haydon to attend a conference at Irvine, near Ayr. The Colonel arrived full of hope but a little wary; because his Commando had not been deployed as a fighting unit. The enterprise they were to take part in was on the west coast of France, near where the River Loire joins the sea.

The port of St. Nazaire was a seaport of some fifty-thousand inhabitants; it was two-hundred and fifty miles from the nearest British port; and six miles from the River Loire.

The Germans were constructing fourteen massive concrete submarine pens; of which nine had been completed. The Old Mole was twenty-five feet high and provided an ideal site for two anti-aircraft batteries.

Another strip of land was covered with power stations, pumping house, lock control machinery, and warehouses; it was the oldest part of the city of St. Nazaire. The area is about one square mile in extent and at the time was one of the most heavily defended places in Europe.

The Main Objectives

The raid had two main objectives; the first to put out of action the huge dry dock by the destruction of the great steel gates that gave access to it. The second was to do as much damage as possible to the U-boat bunkers and the other docks.

Eighty men in every Commando unit was trained in the technique of demolitions with high explosives; the demolition teams would be drawn from these men. A covering force to protect the demolition teams of about one-hundred men would be from No.2 Commando.

The fighting force consisted of No.2 Commando; because they were trained to move at night and overcome all manner of obstacles at speed. They were also experts in night firing, wall scaling and route memorization.

An examination of the latest aerial photographs showed that four more heavy coastal defence positions had been installed in the centre of the dock area. These with their garrison of at least sixty men would have to be overcome; this problem was solved by adding an additional thirty Commandos to the fighting force.

New Aerial Photographs

Just before sailing the latest air photographs showed that four German torpedo boats had berthed alongside the very spot which Newman had chosen to use as his headquarters. He remained unexcited or upset, he decided to use his reserves; numbering twelve men to deal with them.

In the afternoon of 26th March, the force set sail; the weather looked promising. The expedition steered on through a calm hazy moonlight night. Contrary to expectations the voyage was uneventful save for a German submarine on the surface; that was dealt with by "H.M.S. Tynedale".

The force hove to at 20:00 hours; pleased and surprised at being undetected. The organisation of forming into battle order were carried out with the headquarters staff being transferred to Motor Gun Boat 314.

They began their final stage of the voyage; Newman's gun boat leading with "H.M.S. Campbeltown" immediately behind. Bringing up the rear were motor launches carrying the Commando soldiers numbering two-hundred and sixty-five all ranks.

At 01:22 searchlights were switched on from both banks; the force were flying German Colours and the funnels had been adapted; all perfectly permissible in the rules of war.

The Signaller dressed in German uniform managed to delay the Germans fire for five minutes; just long enough for the force to get past the big shore batteries.

Germans Realised Something Was Up

When the Germans opened up in earnest the "Campbeltown" lowered the German Colours and hoisted the Royal Navy's White Ensign. The old destroyer had now increased speed to nineteen knots; only four minutes before the estimated time before she struck the big steel gates with a mighty crash; so far phase 1, was a complete success.

The number of demolitions that needed to be carried out under constant fire from a resolute enemy; was to prove difficult but not impossible to the Commandos. They had one and a half hours to complete their task whilst under unpleasant and continued fire from snipers and heavy and light machine-guns.

On landing the fighting force attacked the enemy gun positions and broke through and formed a bridgehead which sealed the island on which their objective stood; they had blocked all lines of approach from the main town.

The protection parties did a great job of guarding the demolitions parties; the sizes varied depending on which task they had been allocated.

Their chief tasks were to assure the destruction of the main gates below the water level; and to blow up the pumping station, from inside, including its electrical motors and gears; to destroy both winding houses, and to smash the inner dry dock gates.

If these tasks were completed then the great dry dock would be put out of action for a very long time. The damaged "Tirpetz" would not be able call in here for the repairs she badly needed.

Courageous Heroes

The subsidiary tasks were busy destroying the bridges, dock gates, pump houses and the other areas of the dockyard. The effectiveness of the fighting force was to prevent any counter-attacks from succeeding.

One team also had to destroy the entrance for the U-boats; and finally they had to destroy the two bridges and three sets of lock gates, to the lock connecting the outer harbour with the main dock basin.

Almost every target was destroyed on time; then the battle came to an end because every Commando soldier was out of ammunition. The Germans went round rounding them up and taking the Commandos to their headquarters.

Here, in dribs and drabs the rest of the Commando's Troops filtered in. To those still surviving it was like meeting old friends at a reunion with their spirits still high; they winked to each other or smiled the smile of a job well done.

All were eventually rounded-up; most were wounded in one way or another and they were unable to get away, even if they wanted to. They were taken to prisoner of war camps in Germany.

German Inspectors Were Confused

The Germans were at a loss of why the British had done such a crazy thing? They would quite easily be able to move the wrecked ship and everything else could be repaired in just a few days.

By mid-day the German officials were all over the old destroyer with crowds of German soldiers all wondering why the British had carried out such an outrageous operation.

While all were in attendance the "Campbeltown" blew up; and they received an abrupt and lethal answer to their speculations. All on board and the onlookers were killed; many beyond recognition.

The captured Commandos waiting to be transported to the prison camps; heard the "Cambeltown" go up with a huge explosion. All at once they gave a loud cheer; their venture had been successful.

Some sixty hours later the demolitions below the waters in the submarine pens and docks also went up completing the demoralization of the Germans.

The Naval losses were high. Thirty-four officers and one-hundred and fifty-one ratings of the Royal Navy were killed. Two-hundred and twelve Commandos all ranks were killed five Commandos returned to England under their own steam.

Of the forty-eight Commandos who returned home and were unable to get ashore; because their landing-craft had broken-down, were upset because they were not involved in any of the action.

Admiral Sir Charles Forbes, G.C.B., D.S.O., wrote; neither the losses in men nor materials can be considered excessive for the excellent results that were achieved.

The great dry dock was put out of action for the rest of the war; and by common consent the raid on St Nazaire was the most gallant of all. In the annals of war there is to be found no braver action than the battle fought by the fearless Commandos that moonlit night.

The Mediterranean Theatre

On The 15th August 1943, No.2 Commando set out for a destination in the neighbourhood of Cap D' Ali near Messina, Sicily. Their objective was to cut off the Germans now in full retreat to that port.

The Commando went ashore at a beach near the village of Scaletta. Mad Jack Churchill, no relation of Winston Churchill, led the men on towards Messina; they received provocation from snipers but they were all abruptly dealt with.

Italian troops appeared on the outskirts of the town but on seeing the Commandos they surrendered immediately. The Commando arrived to find that they were too late to cut off the Germans. They had already been rounded-up; Sicily was now in the hands of the Allies.

The invasion of Italy would be the next phase; with the crossing of the Straits of Messina to the landing at Salerno which turned out to be one of the more hazardous enterprises of the war.

The units to which the task of silencing the coastal batteries and seizing the defile of La Molina was entrusted to No.2 Army Commando and 41 Royal Marines Commando. The Commandos were to have the help of one troop of 6-pounder anti-tank guns and one American 4.2-inch Mortar Company.

It was decided to land them in four waves the first composed of two-hundred and ten all ranks of No.2 Commando, in five assault craft. They would deal with the coastal battery at Marina and secure a beachhead.

No.2 Commando landed unopposed exactly at H-hour; one troop formed the beachhead and the rest with Jack Churchill moved to the high ground overlooking the beach.

Then according to plan they moved off some going to Vietri, with the majority going to the defile of La Molina. Vietri proved no resistance but the garrision of pill boxes in the narrow valley leading north towards La Molina, and a German tank at a road bend sought to resist the advance; they killed the tank crew and dealt with the pill boxes and continued forward.

The Divisional General Appeared

The Divisional General himself appeared and congratulated the Commandos on the tenacity with which they were moving forward and holding their positions.

That night they were withdrawn and billeted a bare mile from the front line, in houses on the cliff road running between Vietri and Salerno. The houses nestled beneath the steep cliff and no fire could be brought to bear upon them.

The men passed the hours away watching the German batteries of multiple mortars pitch as many as forty-eight bombs at a time into the harbour of Salerno, preventing the Navy from using the port. It interfered with, but it did not stop the Commandos bathing parties.

By now the Commandos were getting thinner on the ground and the effect of the casualties was beginning to be felt. That day saw the climax of the battle; for some time it seemed the German thrust must penetrate the tenacious guard of the Commandos.

They were clinging on to a monstrously steep hillside with no prospects of reinforcements, and with nothing behind them but the village and the sea.

Nothing except the guns that belonged to the 71st Regiment of the Royal Artillery and were most ably directed by Lieutenant Shingleton; their heavy fire checked the enemy.

The Commandos had driven the enemy out of their positions and had held on to them; their fighting had proved decisive, and the mauled Germans retreated to the pass; they had no further stomach for fighting with the gallant remnants of the Commandos.

Twenty-four hours rest was little enough, but it sufficed. Late afternoon found them ready to respond to an order that would take them away from Vietri and La Molina, the scene of their stubborn defence, to the village of Mercatello, two and a half miles to the south-west.

There they were to deliver an equally stubborn and perilous attack on the other side of Salerno. No.2 Commando was next ordered to capture a German observation post outside of the town of La Molina, which controlled a pass leading down to the Salerno beach-head.

No.2 and No.41 Royal Marine Commandos, infiltrated the town and captured the post, taking 42 prisoners including a mortar squad.

On 11th September, the Commandos made contact with the United States Army Rangers who had landed to their west. On 13th September, the Commando defended the village of Dragone against the attacking German paratroopers and panzergrenadiers.

The battle cost the Commando 28 dead and 51 wounded. After a day's rest following the battle the Commando moved to Mercatello, about three miles east of Salerno.

Together with No.41 Royal Marine Commando, they were tasked by Brigade to "sweep the area and clean out the German forces". On having completed the requested "sweep", the Commando then returned, bringing with them 150 captured Germans.

Both Commandos were then ordered back to occupy the area known as the "pimple". Over the next days the Commando losses grew and included the then-Duke of Wellington. Finally relieved on 18th September, they were withdrawn to Sicily. During the Salerno operations No.2 and No.41 Royal Marine Commandos had 367 killed, wounded or missing out of the 738 who had made the landing.

They Shouted "Commandos Coming"

The enemy were in possession of the woods in front of the village of Pigoletti, the village itself and the three hills behind it. These the Commandos had been told had to be recaptured at any cost.

No.2 Commando prepared to advance up a thickly wooded valley with vines growing along the steep terraces at the end of which stood the village of Pigoletti. At 18:30, an hour after 41 Commando had begun their attack, they moved off in six columns.

The night was dark, because the moon was not up yet. As they advanced they shouted loudly "Commandos, Commandos Are Coming," every few minutes; they had discovered this had a nerving effect on the enemy.

At the head of the Commando was their Colonel, 'Mad Jack' Churchill, with his sword in his hand. Those on the right flank were more fortunate than the others, because 'Mad Jack' had found a side road he thought might lead them to their objective.

Jack's Troop advanced faster than the rest, taking advantage of the noise being made Jack and the Corporal moved silently forward untill, a short distance to their right they heard digging sounds.

When Churchill halted the Troop, he could make-out a footpath that might lead straight up to Pigoletti. He realised he was now well in advance of the main force, he moved quietly along the track with the corporal.

Entering a street the only sound they could hear was the chink of spades and picks. Looking around in an archway they saw the glow of a cigarette. Churchill crept along the wall until he could see two German sentries, whom one was smoking.

When they turned around in the archway they were met by a fierce man in British battledress brandishing a sword. He commanded: "hande hoch!" they obeyed with trembling haste. It was then that 'Mad Jack' noticed a large German mortar in the middle of the courtyard, with its crew sleeping around it.

Whispering he ordered Ruffell to keep the two sentries covered with his Tommy gun. 'Mad Jack' then advanced upon the crew of the mortar. They were beginning to stir, once more he shouted: "hande hoch!" demanding their surrender at the point of his sword. Fuddled with sleep the ten Germans put up their hands.

The Troop were waiting orders on the edge of the village, using hand signals the prisoners were herded together and covered. 'Mad Jack' chose one of the prisoners', taking him with him they visited each sentry in turn. When challenged, with a prod from the sword the prisoner gave the password, when 'Mad Jack' flourished his sword the sentries surrendered.

'Mad Jack' collected thirty-three prisoners; and captured a regimental aid post intact. For this deed that night; Churchill was admitted to the Distinguished Service Order.

He Shouted "Hande Hoch"

Another No.2 Commando Troop Captured a further thirty-five German troops. Like his Colonel, Captain Hemming, their commander, was well in advance with his batman. They reached a belt of dark trees; hearing a voice speaking German, Hemming shouted; "hande hoch!" the only German words he knew.

The German came forward and surrendered, together with three of his comrades. Delighted by his unexpected good fortune, Hemming was about to return to his Troop when a fourth German ran out with his hands up, followed by a fifth, and a sixth, until within a very short space of time he was surrounded by thirty-five of the enemy, all surrendering.

Hemming was gladdened to see his Troop who came up by his side. The prisoners said later that the noise made by No.2 Commando was so great that it seemed to them, that there was at least a Division approaching.

Altogether in this triumphant action No.2 Commando captured one- hundred and thirty-six prisoners; more that date than the whole of the 46th Division had been able to send to their cages.

Courage Alone Was Not Enough

In accordance with orders, the Commando, having swept the valley, got ready to return to the start line at midnight. But for the brave, as for the wicked there is no respite; they were immediately given their orders; "about turn."

They were required to hold Pigoletti, but also to seize the hill behind, which the Germans had established a number of strong points. The Germans here put a brave fight but they were no match for the determined fighting men of No.2 Commando when they stormed the hill.

Courage alone could not take the hill; the next morning the Commandos were much galled by the fire of the German 88-mm guns and heavy mortars. To maintain supplies was very difficult, for much of the way was under constant fire.

The most urgent call was for oil to maintain the automatic weapons and rifles to keep them in good working order. It is an indication of the powerful spirit of the Commando and of the unceasing use to which they put their weapons.

By now the Commandos were much exhausted; news arrived that they were to be relieved; they left behind a huge swathe of land strewn with the bodies of dead Germans.

The Battle of Salerno was a grievous; but glorious fight. At one time the situation was so critical ships of the Royal Navy were put at fifteen minutes' notice to re-embark troops.

The Germans had been vanquished by the gallantry and supreme efforts of the Commandos first at La Molina, Vietri, Dragone and then at Pigoletti. They had stood firm when the situation was desperate and their own condition one of extreme fatigue, and they had conquered.

"Such is their Spirit," wrote the General Officer Commanding the 46th Division afterwards. "That it triumphed over all weakness of the flesh, when they got to close quarters they inflicted a marked-and indeed awful-effect upon the Boche."

Yugoslavia

A depleted No.2 Commando landed on the Yugoslavian island of Vis 16th January 1944, almost half the Commando, consisting of replacements and training staff, remained in Italy. They would remain in the area for the next six months and carried out a number of operations including raids on German garrisons, attacking shipping, making assaults on fixed positions and even helping in the construction of an airfield.

Between 26th January and 4th February, the Commando attacked the German garrison near Milna on the island of Hvar four times. On 19th March, the 110 men from No.2 Commando attacked the village of Grohote, killing six and capturing 102 Germans with the loss of one man.

By May 1944, No.2 Commando had been joined on the island of Vis by No.40 Royal Marine Commando, No.43 Royal Marine Commando, some men from the Highland Light Infantry and a Royal Artillery detachment.

On 2nd June, Lieutenant-Colonel Churchill, in command of both Royal Marine Commandos and a group of Yugoslav Partisans in an assault on German fortifications, was captured after having been knocked unconscious. He was replaced as commanding officer by Lieutenant-Colonel Francis West Fynn.

After the Commando marched past Marshal Josip Broz Tito at an airfield they had helped construct on 23rd June, they returned to Italy.

Albania

On their return from Yugoslavia the Commando were based near Molopoli, in Italy. They recruited new men and carried out parachute training.

On the night 28th/29th July, 250 men from No.2 Commando landed at Spilje in Albania; their objective was a German position near the village of Himare. After withdrawing they estimated that 100 Germans had been killed; the Commando lost 29 dead and had 61 wounded.

On 22nd September, No.2 Commando raided Albania again; their objective this time was to capture the port town of Sarande. The Commando landed on a beach 6-miles (9.7 km) north of Sarande and soon came under artillery fire.

Believing the German garrison to consist of 200 men they discovered that the true German strength was 2,000 men. They requested reinforcements; No.40 Royal Marine Commando arrived on the 24th September.

Sarande was captured by the combined force on 9th October. With the capture of the town the German garrison on Corfu was cut off and surrendered to the Commandos in November.

At Lake Commachio

During the last days of World War II; A few miles north of Ravenna, in a country of lakes whose quiet surfaces reflect the calm of pine woods, lies the lagoon of Lake Commachio.

It is separated from the sea by a narrow spit of land running north towards the Valetta canal from a point close to where the River Reno, makes its way between high banks into the Adriatic Sea.

This desolate part of the world, where Garibaldi stumbled ashore with a dying woman in his arms, was to be the scene of one of the strangest battles of the war.

It was fought by the Second Commando Brigade, under the command of Brigadier R.J.F.Todd, D.S.O. No.43 Commando Royal Marines and No.40 Commando Royal Marines who formed half of the Brigade.

The enemy were noted for maintaining one of the most stubborn lines of defences the Allies had come across. Kesselring had held Alexander, and his armies at bay for more than a year.

Muddy Battle At Lake Commachio

In March 1945, the Brigade was ready for another offensive action, this time in the eastern approaches to Ferrara and the valley of Po. They were set the task of capturing the spit of land separating Lake Commachio from the sea.

To the south of the subsidiary canal 'Bellocchio' were the Turkomans, they were unreliable troops, but stiffened by stout German soldiers of the 142nd Fusilier Battalion of the 42nd Jager Division. They were positioned at all of the important strong points, to which the British had given biblical code names.

If the whole British army couldn't break these soldiers then the job had to be difficult. A close study of how the enemy could maintain such positions, and their methods of defence would be scrutinised closely by the Commandos.

Also would have to study how previous assaults were carried out, and why they had failed; then use the necessary means required to tackle each situation.

There had to be a kink in the enemy's armour somewhere? It was just a matter of finding it, and this was what the Commando's had so far; proven to be experts at.

No.2 Commando was assigned the task of crossing the lagoon further north and also the Argine, an artificial dyke composed of mud and stakes. It was then to land north of the Bellocchio canal, and seize two bridges.

The difficulties, particularly for the Commandos who had to cross the lagoon, were very great. Information about its exact depth and the nature of the bottom was hard to obtain. Local opinions were inclined to dismiss any idea of crossing the lagoon; as far as they were aware it had not been attempted before.

The Pilotage Party, operating in light canoes, were able, despite the enemy's practice of illuminating the lagoon with flares at irregular periods during the night, to make a reasonably comprehensive reconnaissance.

Storm Boats Were Launched

The southern end of the lake was found to be too shallow for the Storm boats to be launched from the shore; they would therefore have to be hauled some five-hundred yards before they can be floated empty; although their draught in that condition was only nine inches.

Once afloat they would then have to be pushed another thousand yards to reach deeper water for them to be fully loaded, and be paddled several hundred yards further before they reached a depth of water where outboard engines could be fitted and used.

A Storm-boat weighed about three quarters of a ton, and even when empty was a difficult burden for eighteen men. Another seven were required to carry its engines and equipment, and since each man on board would have to carry the usual seventy pound load of personal arms and ammunition, it seemed probable that their operations would be of the most exhausting nature.

No landmarks were viable because everywhere was flat; the engines had no neutral gear or clutch, once running it would only go forward. The engines were difficult to start; a minimum of eighty craft were required; all in all it was quite some problem, but there was no other plausible option.

Assaulting The Enemy's Back Door

The enemy were manning defences that were facing east towards the Adriatic; it was hoped he might therefore ignore the possibilities of an assault against his back door.

The Storm-boats were brought from the River Uniti, to the south bank of the Reno, two nights before the operation, and were then lifted into the lake. On reaching the lake the boats were dragged a thousand yards through six inches of soft mud and slime, to the end of a small natural jetty of earth.

On the 1st April, at last light the Commandos put to sea; or rather to mud. Aircraft droned overhead on their way to Porto Garibaldi. Just before midnight the last marker boats, manned by the Special Boat Service, was placed in position and No.2 Commando advanced.

For hours, the men heaved and dragged and pushed unwieldy craft across more than a mile of stinking glutinous mud. By the time they reached deeper water and could be properly floated; the night hours were slipping away. And they had only manged Two- hundred yards in the slime.

Each boat put across the lake, arriving at the Argine dyke without being observed. At this critical time the 'Chinese feint' attack developed.

They hauled the heavy Storm-boats over a gap in the dyke; they then paddled six-hundred yards to their start point, which was on the edge of another two-hundred yards of slime. Yet they caught the enemy entirely by surprise.

Modern-day Pages Fast Boats Pages Joe Wezley Pages

Commandos Appeared Out Of The Mist

Fortunately, that morning the mist was very heavy, hiding No.2 Commando from view, and saving them from heavy casualties. They struggled forward along the spit and reached the strong-point Isaiah, it was taken with the aid of a flame thrower and some fire.

The road bridge was blown by the enemy before the attackers could reach it, but another strong-point in the neighbourhood was silenced by fire and a flame-thrower; and the tally of prisoners began to mount.

The next success was the capture of Peter Bridge by a troop of No.2 Commando which advanced down a narrow front to seize it. One after another the strong-points fell, including the main positions Ezra and Leviticus both on the western edge of the spit.

Three weeks after engaging the enemy No.2 Commando, 40 and 43 Commando Royal Marines had driven the enemy from the watery flats and dreary levels south west of the town of Argenta.

Their advent threw the Germans into a state of indecision; two prisoners, Marines Harwood and Mullins, snatched up weapons and ordered their captors to surrender. The Germans did so and they saved the bridge from destruction.

On the 2nd May 1945, Field-Marshal Kesselring signed the Treaty of unconditional surrender of all his forces in Italy. The 5th Army drove through the Argenta gap and the war was over.

A few weeks later when the war was over,General-Lieutenant Graf Von Schwern, who had been commanding the Germans said: "The right hook to Menate, came upon us as a complete surprise." It cost 40 Commando a quarter of its strength, but it was the beginning of the end.

On the 3rd May, General McCreery informed the 2nd Commando Brigade, that its success in the mud and water flats around Argenta had marked a decisive phase in the battle.

No.2 Army Commando returned to England where they were now surplus to requirements; and were disbanded in 1946.

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