Editing Layforce (section)

==Operations==
===Bardia===
In early April Laycock received orders to begin carrying out raids on the Afrika Korps' lines of communication along the North African coast.<ref name=Saunders52/> On 12 April they carried out a preliminary move to [[Alexandria]], and three days later they received orders to carry out the [[Bardia raid]] and another on [[Bomba (Libya)|Bomba]].<ref name=website/> 'A' and 'C' Battalions were dispatched to attack Bardia, while four Troops from 'B' Battalion embarked on a [[destroyer]] and headed for Bomba. The attacks had to be abandoned, however, due to high seas which would have made disembarking and re-embarking too dangerous.<ref name=website/>

A few days later it was decided to implement the attack on Bardia. This time, the raiders were drawn from 'A' Battalion (No. 7 Commando), and embarked upon ''Glengyle''. A number of naval support elements were attached, including three [[Royal Australian Navy]] destroyers ({{HMAS|Stuart|D00|2}}, {{HMAS|Voyager|D31|2}}, and {{HMAS|Waterhen|D22|2}}) and the anti-aircraft cruiser {{HMS|Coventry|1916|6}}.<ref name=Saunders53>Saunders 1959, p. 53.</ref> Due to concerns about the force being attacked from the air, it was decided that the raid would take place under the cover of darkness; and, as a result, additional assets in the form of the submarine {{HMS|Triumph|N18|6}} and a detachment from the Folboat Troop (later known as the [[Special Boat Section]]) under [[Roger Courtney]] were tasked with providing navigational assistance by marking both the anchorage and landing beach.<ref name=Saunders53/>

The raid was carried out on the night of 19/20 April 1941,<ref name=Saunders53/> but things went awry from the beginning. The submarine missed its rendezvous with the landing ship, having been strafed by an Allied aircraft shortly before. Problems with the release gear for the assault craft meant that some of the commando parties were late getting ashore, and another landed at the wrong beach.<ref name=Saunders53/>

The landings went ahead unopposed and the commandos moved to the various objectives that had been identified by intelligence.<ref name=Saunders53/> Little damage was done as a number of the targets proved not to exist or were not where they were thought to be. One party was able to damage a bridge, while another set a tyre dump on fire and blew up the [[Breech-loading weapon|breeches]] of a number of naval guns. Due to the delays during the landings and the need to depart while it was still dark, time ran out and the commandos were forced to withdraw.<ref name=website/> On the way back, an officer was shot when he failed to respond correctly when challenged by a sentry; while 67 men, not knowing that there were no assault craft at their beach due to the earlier error, were left behind and later captured.<ref name=website/><ref>Saunders 1959, pp. 53–54.</ref>

Despite the lack of tangible success the raid was not a complete failure:<ref name=Saunders54>Saunders 1959, p. 54.</ref> the appearance of the commandos forced the Germans to divert the main part of an armoured brigade from Sollum in order to defend against further raids.<ref name=Saunders54/> Although there were still some elements of operational art that had to be refined, the raid demonstrated the strategic value that the commandos might have had within the theatre, if strategic imperatives and resource constraints had not served to derail the concept.<ref name=Saunders55/>

===Crete===
[[File:Wounded British troops disembarking.jpg|right|thumb|alt=A black and white photograph showing wounded British soldiers disembarking from a warship|Wounded British troops disembarking in Egypt after being evacuated from Crete]]
On 6 April 1941 the Germans invaded Greece; less than a month later, on 28 April, the last Allied troops evacuated, having been unable to stop the German advance. On 20 May a German airborne assault on Crete began.<ref>Clark 2000.</ref> The island fell to the Germans on 1 June; however, about a week before that there was still some hope that the tide could be turned. A decision was made to deploy the commandos from Layforce to the island to carry out raids on the German lines of communications with a view to either turning back the invasion or enabling an evacuation to take place.<ref name=Saunders55/>

On 25 May Layforce, consisting mainly of 'A' and 'D' Battalions with a detachment from 'B' Battalion ('C' Battalion (No. 11 (Scottish) Commando) had been sent to reinforce the garrison on [[Cyprus]] in case of a German invasion there), departed Alexandria and attempted to land on Crete.<ref>Parker 2000, p. 50.</ref> They were turned back by bad weather, however, and forced to return to Alexandria where they re-embarked upon the [[HMS Abdiel (M39)|''Abdiel'']] to make another attempt.<ref name=Saunders55/> On the night of 26/27 May they landed in [[Suda Bay]]. Almost as soon as they landed, it was decided that they could not be employed in an offensive role and would instead be used to cover the withdrawal route towards Sphakia to the south.<ref>Clark 2000, p. 165.</ref> As such, upon landing they were ordered to leave all their heavy equipment, including radios and transport, behind.<ref>Clark 2000, p. 166.</ref> This was a role that they were poorly equipped for, though, as they were lacking in the indirect-fire-support weapons such as mortars or artillery and were armed only very lightly, mainly with rifles and a few [[Bren light machine gun]]s.<ref name=Saunders55/>

Nevertheless, by sunrise on 27 May they had taken up a defensive position along the main road that led inland from Sphakia. From then until 31 May, they were engaged in carrying out a number of rearguard actions to enable the main body of troops to be taken off the beaches by the navy.<ref name=Saunders56>Saunders 1959, p. 56.</ref> Throughout the entire time they were almost constantly under aerial attack.<ref>Saunders 1959, pp. 55–56.</ref>

On 28 May the defenders began disengaging from the enemy and withdrawing along the pass through the central mountains that separated them from the port of Sphakia in the south.<ref>Clark 2000, p. 167.</ref> The defence of the pass fell to the Commandos along with two [[Australia]]n infantry battalions (the [[2/7th Battalion (Australia)|2/7th]] and [[2/8th Battalion (Australia)|2/8th Battalions]]) and the [[5th Infantry Brigade (New Zealand)|5th New Zealand Brigade]].<ref>Clark 2000, p. 168.</ref><ref>Parker 2000, p. 51.</ref> In the first two nights of the evacuation approximately 8,000 men were taken off, while on the third night, 30 May, covered by the Australians and Laycock's commandos, the New Zealanders were able to get off too.<ref>Clark 2000, p. 170.</ref>

For the commandos, the fighting was heaviest on that first day. During the height of the German attack on the pass, G Troop from 'A' Battalion (No. 7 Commando), under Lieutenant F. Nicholls, carried out a bayonet assault after a force of Germans took up a position on a hill on the Commando's left flank, from where they began to enfilade the entire position.<ref name=Saunders56/> Twice the Germans came at them and each time the attack was turned back by stubborn defence. Elsewhere that same day, however, Laycock's headquarters was ambushed; and in a rather confused action he and his [[brigade major]], Freddie Graham, commandeered a tank in which they returned to the main body.<ref name=Saunders56/>

By 31 May the evacuation was drawing to a close and the commandos, running low on ammunition, rations and water, fell back towards Sphakia too. Laycock and some of his headquarters, including his intelligence officer [[Evelyn Waugh]], managed to get out on the last ship to depart. The vast majority of the commandos were left behind on the island.<ref name=Saunders57>Saunders 1959, p. 57.</ref><ref name=Parker52>Parker 2000, p. 52.</ref> Although some of them were later able to make their own way back to Egypt, by the end of the operation about 600 of the 800 commandos sent to Crete were listed as killed, missing, or wounded. Only 23 officers and 156 others managed to get off the island.<ref name=Parker52/><ref name=Chappell16>Chappell 1996, p. 16.</ref>

===Syria===
On 8 June 1941 the Allies launched [[Operation Exporter]], the invasion of [[Vichy France|Vichy French]] controlled [[Syria]] and [[Lebanon]].<ref name=Saunders57/> As a part of this operation, 'C' Battalion [[No. 11 (Scottish) Commando]] were tasked with seizing a crossing over the [[Battle of the Litani River|Litani River]] on 9 June ahead of the Allied advance.<ref name=Chappell16/><ref name=combined>{{cite web|url=http://www.combinedops.com/Black%20Hackle.htm|title= 11 (Scottish) Commando – Black Hackle|publisher=www.combinedops.com|access-date=16 August 2009}}</ref> Embarking upon the ''Glengyle'' under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Richard R.N. Pedder (Highland Light Infantry), the plan called for the Commandos to land on the north bank of the river, near Kafr Bada, and attempt to seize the bridge that spanned the river there before the defenders could detonate the explosive charges that were believed to have been placed on the structure.<ref name=Saunders57/>

Upon arriving offshore, the raiding party waited until dawn to take to the water in order to conceal their approach as best as possible. The force was broken up into three detachments with Pedder commanding the centre, the second in command, Major [[Geoffrey Charles Tasker Keyes|Geoffrey Keyes]] commanding the right detachment and Captain George More commanding the left detachment.<ref name=Saunders58>Saunders 1959, p. 58.</ref> Although the landing was unopposed, the southern detachment under Keyes soon discovered that they had been put ashore by mistake on the wrong side of the river. As Pedder's detachment advanced on the target, the [[French Colonial Forces|French colonial troops]] from the [[Tirailleur|22nd Algerian Tirailleurs]] that were defending the area opened fire and in the ensuing engagement Pedder was killed and a number of other officers in the centre detachment were wounded. Nevertheless, the detachment pressed on and, under the command of the [[Regimental Sergeant Major]], they succeeded in securing one of the barracks buildings near the redoubt that formed the key to defence of the position.<ref name=Saunders58/> At the same time the left detachment under More captured a number of howitzers and field guns, as well as a number of prisoners, but as the initial surprise of the attack wore off, the defenders were able to organise themselves. The fighting became more intense, and as the French brought up mortars and artillery, a stalemate developed.<ref name=Saunders58/>

While this was going on, the right detachment under Keyes, having found itself on the wrong side of the river, made contact with the Australian [[2/16th Battalion (Australia)|2/16th Battalion]] to the south which brought up a boat with which they could make a crossing. Due to the size of the boat, it had to make a number of trips before the detachment was on the northern side. Once that was complete Keyes was able to take command of the unit. After carrying out a reorganisation, he was able to launch an assault on the redoubt and by 13:00 they had captured it and secured the crossing.<ref name=Saunders58/> This allowed C Company of the 2/16th Battalion to cross in force and Keyes handed control of the redoubt over to its commander at 19:00.<ref>{{Cite book |last=McHarg |first=Ian |title=Litani River: The Daring Second World War Commando Raid, Syria 1941. |publisher=DaggerMediaLtd |year=2011 |pages=85}}</ref>

Of the 406 men that landed, 130 were killed or wounded, including the commanding officer, in nearly 29 hours of fighting. Despite being outnumbered, and short on ammunition and food, they held their position long enough for the Australians to cross the river and continue with their advance to [[Beirut]].<ref>McHarg, 2011</ref> A short time later, No. 11 Commando returned to garrison duty on Cyprus.<ref name=Saunders60>Saunders 1959, p. 60.</ref>

===Tobruk===
Following their involvement in the rearguard actions on Crete, a detachment of five officers and 70 other ranks from No. 8 Commando were sent to Tobruk, which was at the time under [[Siege of Tobruk|siege]].<ref name=Saunders59>Saunders 1959, p. 59.</ref> In June, as the Eighth Army launched [[Operation Battleaxe]] in an attempt to relieve the garrison from the east, it was decided that the commandos would carry out a raid on an Italian position that was dominating the forward positions of the Indian [[18th Cavalry]]. The position, which was known as the [[Twin Pimples raid|Twin Pimples]], consisted of two small hills that sat close together and from where the Italians were able to observe the Allied lines. For a number of days prior to carrying out the raid, the commandos carried out patrols with the Indians to become familiar with the ground and to practise moving over the terrain at night. Finally on the night of 17/18 July they attacked.<ref name=Saunders59/>

It was a raid that was typical of what the men had been trained for, but which they had rarely been able to conduct since arriving in the Middle East. It proved to be highly successful, being well-planned and executed, with a carefully laid deception plan. Under the cover of darkness the commandos managed to sneak up behind the hills, moving thorough the Italian forward positions unchallenged. In the end they advanced to within 30 yards before they were challenged, and when they finally were, the force rushed the Italian defenders and quickly overwhelmed them. They then withdrew from the position just before the defenders called in an artillery barrage on the position and returned to the garrison holding Tobruk. They suffered five casualties in the raid, one of whom later died of his wounds.<ref name=Saunders60/>