大象传媒

One extremely successful operation which was known as Operation Josephine, that was the code name for it, was carried out in 1942, I believe. This consisted of saboteurs taking explosive charges, rather like miniature limpet mines. They were attached on a plate on the back of the saboteur, four charges which could then be taken into a power station if you could evade the guard, and plant them on transformers to go off, again after a given time. It took place at a power station called Pessac.
The saboteurs were dropped in southern France and after quite a long period of reconnoitering they attacked the power station at Pessac, just south of Bordeaux. And close by, controlled by this power station were 'U' boat pens for German submarine operations out in the Atlantic. This was an extremely successful attack. The transformers were destroyed and the 'U' boat pens were put out of action for several months as a result.
(Story submitted by Mr John Vandepeer Clarke, son of Major Clarke. This operation is described in a book by M.R.D.Foot about the work of the S.O.E. in France.)

漏 Copyright of content contributed to this Archive rests with the author. Find out how you can use this.