Editing Operation Chestnut

{{Short description|Failed British raid in World War II}}
{{Infobox military conflict
| conflict    = Operation Chestnut
| partof      = [[World War II]], [[Operation Husky|Invasion of Sicily]]
| image       = 
| caption     = 
| date        = 12 July 1943
| place       = [[Sicily]]
| result      = [[United Kingdom|British]] failure
| combatant1  = {{flag|United Kingdom}}
| combatant2  = {{flagcountry|Kingdom of Italy}}
| combatant3  = 
| commander1  = Major [[Geoffrey Appleyard]]
| commander2  = 
| commander3  = 
| strength1   = 20
| strength2   = 
| strength3   = 
| casualties1 = 
| casualties2 = 
| casualties3 =
| notes       = 
| campaignbox={{Campaignbox Invasion of Sicily}}
{{Campaignbox Italy}}
}}
During [[World War II]], '''Operation Chestnut''' was a failed British raid by 2 [[Special Air Service]], conducted in support of the Allied [[Operation Husky|invasion of Sicily]].<ref>{{Cite book |last=Fowler |first=Will |url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/946105016 |title=Last raid : the Commandos, Channel Islands and final Nazi raid |date=2016 |isbn=978-0-7509-6879-9 |location=[Cheltenham, Gloucestershire] |oclc=946105016}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=McCrery |first=Nigel |url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/1246540104 |title=The complete history of the SAS : the story of the world's most feared elite fighting force |date=2021 |others=Barry Davies, Andy McNab |isbn=978-1-78739-687-6 |edition= |location=London |oclc=1246540104}}</ref>

==Background==

Two teams of ten men each, codenamed 'Pink' and 'Brig', parachuted into northern [[Sicily]] on the night of 12 July 1943, to disrupt communications, transport and the enemy in general. All radios were broken and much ammunition, explosives, and food were lost in the jump. One team landed near an inhabited area, alerting the defenders. 

Without radios, neither team was able to contact and direct the planes bringing in reinforcements, which subsequently returned to base without any drops being made. The raiders were unable to achieve anything worthwhile and worked their way towards friendly lines evading the enemy.

This was the first parachute raid for 2 SAS, and also the raid when Maj. [[Geoffrey Appleyard]], (former commander of the [[Small Scale Raiding Force]]), was lost. Appleyard was aboard the plane carrying 'Pink' team as drop supervisor. After the drop was made the plane failed to return to base.

== References ==
{{Reflist}}{{British Commando raids of the Second World War}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Chestnut, Operation of 1943}}
[[Category:World War II British Commando raids]]
[[Category:Allied invasion of Sicily]]
[[Category:Special Air Service operations]]
[[Category:1943 in Italy]]
[[Category:July 1943 in Europe]]


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