Plan

Hy bombing by Lancasters with 4000 bombs from 0030-0040
An extremely complicated plan was laid on and rehearsed.
Details are not given because in fact very little of it was carried out.

(There is a strong contrast between the simple plan carried out with gallantry and determination which actually captured the bty and the involved and unworkable method which was rehearsed. JTB)

Events
Landing and Reorganisation

Moderate flak encountered. RV organisation party and recce party were correctly dropped.
Bombing missed the target and nearly hit the recce party. Bn was dropped over a very wide area. 1 stick 30 miles from Bty.
CO was dropped on a German HQ and escaped.
By 0235 110 all ranks had collected, with 10 lengths of Bangalore torpedo and no scaling ladders. There was no sign of the glider element.

0250 - Strength 150 + more 10 lengths of Bangalore.
Coys were strength 30.
One coy comdr was missing.
One MG - some sigs stores.
No 3" mortars, a tk guns, jeeps, trailers, mine detectors, sappers or det of fd amb. (There were 6 Med Orderlies).

CO decided to carry on with this force.
Cmdr of recce party (later joined by taping party) met CO: with his party he had cut cattle fences, penetrated minefd to inner fence, pin- pointed enemy posts by their conversation.
The minefds had been breached without mine detectors and without a cas CO decided to blow two gaps (by two parties of 15 from Breaching Coy) and aslt with the remainder of the bn split into four parties, two per gap.
During approach bn evaded on enemy patrol of 20 and was hy shelled. On reaching the firm base posn short of the bty it was fired on by six MGs outside the perimeter and 4 inside.

Aslt.

Vickers MG silenced three MGs on left flank.
Diversionary party moved round right flank, silenced 3 mgs and carried out their task (1 Sgt and 6 ORs).
Two gliders whose task was to crash land on the bty were now seen. They were hit by flak. 1 landed 4 or 5 miles away and the other in an orchard near the bty where for four hours though outnumbered they protected the rear of the bn from a pl sent to reinforce the bty. The breaching parties went for the guns and the diversionary party broke in also. Area was mopped up.
Guns were found to be 105 mm: were destroyed by 82 gren 22 PW taken: remainder killed. Bty was booby trapped: cas caused. Bty was shelled from FRANCEVILLE PLAGE.
0445 - Success signal and carrier pigeon to England.

WD Jun 44 6 Jun

3 Para Son RE (Major J.C.S. ROSEVEARE Under comd 3 Para Bde.

Tasks: Destruction of brs by H+2 at

TROARN - 5 span masonry
BURES
BURES - rly
ROBEHOMME - 195726
ROBEHOMME - 198743
VARAVILLE

14.