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Operation Anklet was the codename given to a British Commando raid during the Second World War. The raid on the Lofoten Islands was carried out in December 1941, by 300 men from No. 12 Commando and the Norwegian Independent Company 1. The landing party was supported by 22 ships from three navies. At the same time, another raid was taking place in Vågsøy. This raid was Operation Archery, on 27 December 1941, and Operation Anklet was seen as a diversionary raid for this bigger raid, intended to draw away the German naval and air forces.〔 "Raid on military and economic objectives in the vicinity of Vaagso island"〕 ==Background== After the British Expeditionary Force had been evacuated from Dunkirk in 1940, the then British Prime Minister Winston Churchill called for a force to be assembled and equipped to inflict casualties on the Germans and bolster British morale. Churchill told the joint Chiefs of Staff to propose measures for an offensive against German-occupied Europe, and stated: "they must be prepared with specially trained troops of the hunter class who can develop a reign of terror down the enemy coast."〔 One staff officer, Lieutenant-Colonel Dudley Clarke, had already submitted such a proposal to General Sir John Dill, the Chief of the Imperial General Staff. Dill, aware of Churchill's intentions, approved Clarke's proposal.〔Haskew, p.47〕 The Commandos came under the operational control of the Combined Operations Headquarters. The man initially selected as the commander was Admiral Sir Roger Keyes, a veteran of the Gallipoli Campaign and the Zeebrugge Raid in the First World War.〔Chappell, p.6〕 In 1940, the call went out for volunteers from among the serving Army soldiers within certain formations still in Britain, and men of the disbanding Divisional Independent Companies originally raised from Territorial Army Divisions who had seen service in Norway. The Lofoten Islands form part of the north western Norwegian coastline about inside the Arctic Circle. Operation Anklet would be the second raid on the islands. The first, Operation Claymore, had taken place in March 1941, and the third raid, Operation Archery, would take place at the same time as Operation Anklet.〔 The raid was organised by the Combined Operations Headquarters, and would only use naval and land assets, the Royal Air Force was not involved. But it would be the last raid undertaken without air support.〔(【引用サイトリンク】publisher=Combined Operations )〕 The naval force formed for Operation Anklet consisted of 22 ships from three navies. The Royal Navy provided the most ships which included the light cruiser ; six destroyers (, , , , and ); three minesweepers (, and ); two Landing Ship Infantry (HMS ''Prins Albert'' and ''Prinses Josephine Charlotte''); the submarines , ; and the survey ship . The Royal Fleet Auxiliary provided two fleet tankers (RFA ''Grey Ranger'' and ''Black Ranger''); the freighter ''Gudrun Maersk''; and the Tugboat ''Jaunty''.〔(【引用サイトリンク】publisher=Naval History )〕 The exiled Royal Norwegian Navy provided the corvettes HNoMS ''Andenes'' and ''Eglantine'', while the Polish Navy provided the destroyers ORP ''Krakowiak'' and ''Kujawiak''.〔 The landing force was supplied by 223 men of No. 12 Commando, supported by 77 men of the Norwegian Independent Company 1.〔 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Operation Anklet」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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