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Operation Colossus: The First British Airborne Raid of World War II
Lawrence Paterson's groundbreaking new book is a detailed account of the now legendary Operation Colossus, the first British airborne raid of the Second World War, which took place in Basilicata, Italy on 10 February 1941.
Britain was one of the last major powers of the Second World War to establish an airborne arm of service. Formed by a collection of free-thinking army and air force officers, the fledgling British paratrooper unit, known as the SAS', deployed trial and error in terms of tactics and equipment, costing the lives of several volunteers before an elite few were selected to make the first British parachute raid of the war. Alongside the paratroopers were two veterans of the First World War: an Italian SOE agent, formerly a banqueting manager in London hotels, and an RAF reserve officer who held the Military Cross for bravery. Collectively known as X-Troop', these men were parachuted by specially selected bomber crews into the heart of enemy territory, where they successfully destroyed their target, the Tragino Aqueduct, before becoming the object of an exhaustive manhunt by Italian troops and civilians. Captured, they were variously interrogated, imprisoned, and the Italian SOE agent placed on trial for treason and executed.
Given the distances that had to be covered, the logistical complications and the lack of any precedent, the raid was a remarkable feat. Its success or failure depended on a group of men using methods and equipment thus far untried by the British Army. They were truly guinea pigs' for those that would follow in their footsteps. Often overlooked in British military history, Paterson brings this extraordinary episode to light, drawing on verbatim testimony and interrogating the truth of previous accounts. From the formation of the unit and the build up to its first deployment, through Operation Colossus and its aftermath, to its ongoing legacy today, this is the fascinating story of the modern day British Parachute Regiment.
Britain was one of the last major powers of the Second World War to establish an airborne arm of service. Formed by a collection of free-thinking army and air force officers, the fledgling British paratrooper unit, known as the SAS', deployed trial and error in terms of tactics and equipment, costing the lives of several volunteers before an elite few were selected to make the first British parachute raid of the war. Alongside the paratroopers were two veterans of the First World War: an Italian SOE agent, formerly a banqueting manager in London hotels, and an RAF reserve officer who held the Military Cross for bravery. Collectively known as X-Troop', these men were parachuted by specially selected bomber crews into the heart of enemy territory, where they successfully destroyed their target, the Tragino Aqueduct, before becoming the object of an exhaustive manhunt by Italian troops and civilians. Captured, they were variously interrogated, imprisoned, and the Italian SOE agent placed on trial for treason and executed.
Given the distances that had to be covered, the logistical complications and the lack of any precedent, the raid was a remarkable feat. Its success or failure depended on a group of men using methods and equipment thus far untried by the British Army. They were truly guinea pigs' for those that would follow in their footsteps. Often overlooked in British military history, Paterson brings this extraordinary episode to light, drawing on verbatim testimony and interrogating the truth of previous accounts. From the formation of the unit and the build up to its first deployment, through Operation Colossus and its aftermath, to its ongoing legacy today, this is the fascinating story of the modern day British Parachute Regiment.
256 pages, Hardcover
First published April 30, 2020
26 people want to read
About the author
Lawrence Paterson
32 books19 followersBorn and raised in New Zealand, but now living in southern Italy. I've been interested in history, particularly WW2 history, since I can remember.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
August 10, 2023
This is another classic by Lawrence Paterson where the writing and the amount of important detail are just the right mix. This books covers the first airborne operation by British forces in an attempt to disrupt the water supply to the arid south of Italy in a daring mission, with little chance of escape for the men involved. Paterson gives good background on the development of the airborne forces of the British and how the mission came to be organized.
The raid in itself was not a major tactical success. This due to the one plane out of six that carried the demolition leader and most of the explosives were miss-dropped and the intelligence for the mission was inaccurate. Yet some minor damage was done to the aqueduct, and it was put out of commission for a few days. The propaganda and psychological value of the mission was much more valuable.
Paterson gives great credit to the brave men that went on this mission knowing that the odds were heavily stacked againts them, and follows all of them into captivity and their numerous escape attempt and their subsequent wartime exploit, which really puts a nice personal touch on this. And he especially singles out the bravery and commitment of the Italian, Fortunato Picchi, who went with as an SOE agent to help with the mission and was subsequently found guilty of treason and executed by the fascist regime in Italy.
This mission laid the groundwork for the future airborne forces of Britain during World War 2 where it grew from a small battalion to two highly effective and professional division that was the tip of the spear for British forces in campaigns to come. Great read and highly recommended book.
The raid in itself was not a major tactical success. This due to the one plane out of six that carried the demolition leader and most of the explosives were miss-dropped and the intelligence for the mission was inaccurate. Yet some minor damage was done to the aqueduct, and it was put out of commission for a few days. The propaganda and psychological value of the mission was much more valuable.
Paterson gives great credit to the brave men that went on this mission knowing that the odds were heavily stacked againts them, and follows all of them into captivity and their numerous escape attempt and their subsequent wartime exploit, which really puts a nice personal touch on this. And he especially singles out the bravery and commitment of the Italian, Fortunato Picchi, who went with as an SOE agent to help with the mission and was subsequently found guilty of treason and executed by the fascist regime in Italy.
This mission laid the groundwork for the future airborne forces of Britain during World War 2 where it grew from a small battalion to two highly effective and professional division that was the tip of the spear for British forces in campaigns to come. Great read and highly recommended book.
January 30, 2021
This was a very enjoyable book about a little known raid by the British fledgling Airborne Forces in February 1941. The raid achieved little from a military perspective, except to demonstrate that Britain was willing to “fight back”. However most importantly all of the errors and mistakes made were “lessons learnt” for subsequent raids and airborne operations, such as the raid on the Bruneval radar station in 1942.
The book covers how the British Airborne Forces started up, the raid itself and the aftermath - all of the British parachutists were captured and became POWs and one unfortunate Italian National who volunteered to go on the operation was executed by the Italian Fascists for treason.
The book covers the numerous escape attempts during the course of the rest of the war. I hadn’t appreciated that Churchill had ordered that all Allied POWs held in Italian camps were not to escape after the Italians capitulated in 1943. The view was that the Allied Forces fighting the Germans up the length of Italy did not want loads of POWs “milling around”!
Many prisoners ignored that and did escape.
The other aspect of the book that I found enjoyable was that many of the participants went on to have interesting post war careers.
A thoroughly enjoyable book and easy to read, with good photos.
The book covers how the British Airborne Forces started up, the raid itself and the aftermath - all of the British parachutists were captured and became POWs and one unfortunate Italian National who volunteered to go on the operation was executed by the Italian Fascists for treason.
The book covers the numerous escape attempts during the course of the rest of the war. I hadn’t appreciated that Churchill had ordered that all Allied POWs held in Italian camps were not to escape after the Italians capitulated in 1943. The view was that the Allied Forces fighting the Germans up the length of Italy did not want loads of POWs “milling around”!
Many prisoners ignored that and did escape.
The other aspect of the book that I found enjoyable was that many of the participants went on to have interesting post war careers.
A thoroughly enjoyable book and easy to read, with good photos.
October 18, 2020
When I think of British paratroopers in World War II, D-Day comes to mind, or Arnhem, but in Operation Colossus, Lawrence Paterson takes us to the foundational operation for the Paras in February 1941. This was the small but spectacular assault on the Tragino Aqueduct in Italy. Paterson narrates that operation from the initial plans to its aftermath in an absorbing read.
Paterson begins with the impulse to create small, specialized units that could take the fight to the Germans while Britain repaired its shattered army after Dunkirk. He introduces us to the players in this drama and how the RAF and Army worked out how to pull off airborne operations. Through a rigorous selection process, thirty-eight officers and men were formed into X-Troop and segregated for special training, two were added later, including an Italian interpreter. They took part in a strenuous training programme of practice drops and drills to create an elite force. Their selected target was an aqueduct in Italy that in retrospect, argues Paterson, was ill-chosen. The enthusiastic men of X-Troop were warned that few might return from the mission, which proved prophetic for most of them until the war ended.
The mission’s staging post was Malta from which eight Whitley bombers ascended to fly into Italy where they dropped most of their men more or less on target. Once on the ground, the raiders rounded up the local civilians, laid their guncotton charges, and lit the fuses. They were partially successful, damaging the aqueduct, but now they had to escape across 60 miles of Italian countryside to their waiting submarine. They split up but were all caught and interrogated; their interpreter was executed. The men of X-Troop spent the rest of the war in POW camps, though a few escaped with some hair-raising tales to tell of their adventures. X-Troop’s efforts were originally deemed a failure, but the propaganda effect on morale at home and in Italy was significant for good and bad. The formation of airborne units continued, however, incorporating the lessons learned from this attack.
Operation Colossus is a fascinating story worthy of a book, and Paterson’s diligent research honours the event and the men who took part. He uses sources as close to the action as he could get and that, along with his informative biographical details, personalises what could have been a humdrum operational report about a small action in a great war. Paterson also highlights the logistical and planning difficulties of staging a joint operation without glossing over the many mistakes that were made. Operation Colossus therefore achieves its goals and World War II readers will no doubt enjoy reading it.
Paterson begins with the impulse to create small, specialized units that could take the fight to the Germans while Britain repaired its shattered army after Dunkirk. He introduces us to the players in this drama and how the RAF and Army worked out how to pull off airborne operations. Through a rigorous selection process, thirty-eight officers and men were formed into X-Troop and segregated for special training, two were added later, including an Italian interpreter. They took part in a strenuous training programme of practice drops and drills to create an elite force. Their selected target was an aqueduct in Italy that in retrospect, argues Paterson, was ill-chosen. The enthusiastic men of X-Troop were warned that few might return from the mission, which proved prophetic for most of them until the war ended.
The mission’s staging post was Malta from which eight Whitley bombers ascended to fly into Italy where they dropped most of their men more or less on target. Once on the ground, the raiders rounded up the local civilians, laid their guncotton charges, and lit the fuses. They were partially successful, damaging the aqueduct, but now they had to escape across 60 miles of Italian countryside to their waiting submarine. They split up but were all caught and interrogated; their interpreter was executed. The men of X-Troop spent the rest of the war in POW camps, though a few escaped with some hair-raising tales to tell of their adventures. X-Troop’s efforts were originally deemed a failure, but the propaganda effect on morale at home and in Italy was significant for good and bad. The formation of airborne units continued, however, incorporating the lessons learned from this attack.
Operation Colossus is a fascinating story worthy of a book, and Paterson’s diligent research honours the event and the men who took part. He uses sources as close to the action as he could get and that, along with his informative biographical details, personalises what could have been a humdrum operational report about a small action in a great war. Paterson also highlights the logistical and planning difficulties of staging a joint operation without glossing over the many mistakes that were made. Operation Colossus therefore achieves its goals and World War II readers will no doubt enjoy reading it.
February 21, 2020
Wonderfully written story. Recommend it if you like learning about WWII
July 31, 2023
This is a brief but very well-written account of this mission. The author provided necessary details and didn't get into the weeds, as is sometimes the case. Very easy to read and informative!
There were certainly a lot of lessons to be learned from this mission especially regarding proper intelligence work beforehand, but the mission went off much more smoothly than expected. Nearly all the problems arose once the mission was completed and the raiders left for the rendezvous, only to be captured.
It is astonishing that, of the personnel involved, none were killed during the raid itself nor in the years of imprisonment, with the exception of Fortunato Picchi, and Italian anti-fascist who volunteered to join the raid as a translator and who was executed as a traitor when captured by the Italians.
There were certainly a lot of lessons to be learned from this mission especially regarding proper intelligence work beforehand, but the mission went off much more smoothly than expected. Nearly all the problems arose once the mission was completed and the raiders left for the rendezvous, only to be captured.
It is astonishing that, of the personnel involved, none were killed during the raid itself nor in the years of imprisonment, with the exception of Fortunato Picchi, and Italian anti-fascist who volunteered to join the raid as a translator and who was executed as a traitor when captured by the Italians.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews