The Cockleshell Raid--Bordeaux 1942

by Ken Ford

  The Attack

  Hasler now made his final plan of attack. Catfish was to proceed along the western bank to the docks and deal with ships tied up on the quay that ran along the river. Crayfish would cross over to the other bank of the river and go upstream searching for targets on the east side of Bordeaux. If no suitable enemy ships could be found, its crew were to come back to Bassens South and attack the two ships lying opposite. Once they had made their attack, both crews were to retire downstream as far as a possible on the ebb tide before daylight, scuttle their cockles and then make their escape.

  During the afternoon, while it was still light, Hasler ordered his men to start the preparations for the attack. The first thing to be done was to rearrange the stowage of the boats so as to have all the escape equipment in two bags and everything they needed for the night’s work readily to hand. Next was the fusing of the mines. Each limpet was armed by unscrewing the fuse caps and inserting a glass ampoule of acetone with a strength that would take nine hours to dissolve the washer that retained the firing pin, slightly longer than was normal due to the coldness of the water. The fuse would be initiated when the time came for the attack to begin. Finally the 6ft rod necessary to place the mines on the ships below the waterline was located on each limpet in turn to check that it engaged and disengaged correctly.

  As the daylight faded, the weather moderated and the night became clear and cold. The river was calm and flat with excellent visibility – not the perfect conditions for a covert operation. During the early part of the evening there was a moon, but this was timed to set at 2132 hours. Hasler decided that it would be prudent to wait until 2110 hours before moving out. This was about 30 minutes later than he would have liked – he was mindful of the need to allow as much time as possible to make the escape downriver before daylight. At 2100 hours the major gave the order to start the time fuses. One by one the marines tightened down the thumbscrew on each fuse until there was a faint click as the glass ampoule inside broke and released its corrosive liquid. The limpets were now primed to explode at the appropriate time. There was no going back from here; the attack had begun.

  Both canoes left the lying up place at 2115 hours. The men wished each other good luck and said their goodbyes, promising to meet up in Portsmouth in a couple of months’ time. Crayfish moved out across the river to the far bank while Catfish continued upriver close inshore. In just over an hour Hasler’s craft reached the built-up outskirts of Bordeaux. As it moved closer to the quays and warehouses along the river, Hasler could clearly see that no blackout was in force and the whole area was lit by a great number of lights. So bright was the surrounding area that he guided Catfish further out into the waterway and was forced to hold a line about 200 yards offshore. Soon the entrance to the inner basin showed up on his right, its access lit by bright floodlights. Hasler moved even further out into the river to give the brightly illuminated lock gates to the submarine pens a wide berth.

  A few more minutes and then he could see his prey. A long line of ships, some with lights blazing, tied up along the wide curve of the Quay Carnot. Hasler scanned the ships, trying to decide what types they were. He knew that as he got closer to the vessels their great steel walls would rise high above him and their overall shapes would be lost to him. He could see that the first was a tanker and knew that this was not a good target. Tankers had too many watertight compartments and could not be sunk with just a few limpets. Beyond the tanker were several more promising targets: first a cargo liner; then another cargo ship, the Portland, with a tanker double-banked on the outside of it; then another freighter, the Dresden, and further along yet another vessel that looked to be a likely object for his mines, but which had a small warship, a Speerbrecher, moored alongside. There were more ships further along the quay, but Hasler knew that it was unlikely he would have enough time to get that far. The tide was nearing its ebb and would soon become difficult for any further movement upriver.

  Hasler now brought Catfish close into the side of the river and paddled past the first ship. She was the tanker and he was after better things. The major and Cpl Sparks also slipped silently by the second vessel. She was a reasonable target and Hasler earmarked her to be attacked on the way back if he had any limpets left. Next came a definite blockade buster, the Portland, but the tanker moored on the outside of it made the attachment of mines amidships a difficult proposition. The next vessel was the perfect target: a blockade runner, the Dresden, lying alone next to the quay.

  Once alongside, Hasler stowed his paddle and signalled to Sparks. The corporal brought out the magnetic holdfast and attached it to the ship’s hull, grabbing on to the handle to keep the canoe motionless on the slight drift of the tide. Hasler then assembled the hinged sections of the placing rod to their full extent and reached into the cockle. He gently withdrew the first limpet, which he fixed securely on to the placing rod. Then he lowered the mine into the water as far as the rod would allow and brought it smoothly towards the side of the ship. The pull of the six horseshoe magnets swung the limpet on to the steel plating and attached themselves with a muffled boom. A quick twist on the placing rod freed it from the mine. One limpet secured, seven more to go.

  The Raid: Bordeaux and the routes of Catfish and Crayfish

  10–11 December 1942

  Sixty-nine gruelling miles of paddling lead the two surviving cockles, Catfish and Crayfish, to the area of quays at Bordeaux and the Bassens South. The final day is spent in their last hide preparing for the attack then, at 2115 hours on 11th December, Major Hasler, Corporal Sparks, Corporal Laver and Marine Mills set off in their frail craft to begin the attack on the German blockade busters.

  LOCATIONS

  1 Last hide (2300 hours, 10 December–2115 hours, 11 December)

  2 Lock entrance

  3 U-boat pens

  KEY

  Route of Crayfish

  Route of Catfish

  German vessel

  EVENTS

  A 2115 hours, the crews of Catfish and Crayfish leave their hide and begin their attack.

  B Corporal Laver and Marine Mills in Crayfish cross the river and move upstream in an attempt to find targets on the eastern side of the River Garonne.

  C Major Hasler and Corporal Sparks in Catfish move up river close to the west bank heading for the enemy ships in Bordeaux.

  D Catfish is moved into midstream to keep clear of the entrance to the u-boat pens.

  E Laver and Mills in Crayfish find no suitable targets on the eastern bank and so turn downstream to attack the ships tied up along the Bassens South.

  F Hasler takes Catfish along the line of enemy ships in Bordeaux identifying likely targets and then places mines on the cargo liner Dresden.

  G The tide eventually begins to turn forcing Hasler to manoeuvre Catfish back downstream to attack the German Speerbrecher, the Portland and an unidentified tanker.

  H Laver and Mills place eight mines on the two ships, the Alabama and the Tannenfels, moored at Bassens South and then escape down the Garonne.

  I Hasler and Sparks complete their attack and move swiftly downstream keeping to the centre of the river.

  J Both Catfish and Crayfish move down river independently making for Blaye where the cockles will be scuttled.

  The limpet mines used to attack the ships in Bordeaux were located in position on the vessel’s hull beneath the water line with the means of a placing rod. The placing rod shown here has been hinged flat to save space in the canoes. When opened out and secured it measures over 6ft in length. This example is on display at the Combined Military Services Museum at Maldon in Essex. (Courtesy of Richard Wooldridge, Combined Military Services Museum)

  The process was repeated twice more on the vessel as the marines continued with the attack. Then on to the next ship. This one proved to be difficult. The German Speerbrecher on the outside of the freighter was ablaze with light, making it extremely risky to get behind without being seen. Hasler decided to attack the warship instead and p
lanted two limpets near the inshore frigate’s engine room. By this time the tide was on the turn and any further progress upstream was impractical; it was time to turn back.

  Hasler and Sparks brought Catfish away from the side of the warship and began the intricate manoeuvre on the now ebbing tide to bring the bow of the craft around. Just then calamity struck. They heard heavy footsteps behind them on the deck of the Speerbrecher and a flashlight was turned on, catching them in its beam. A sentry on the warship had seen something in the water. The two marines quickly brought the cockle close into the enemy frigate and assumed the head-down, low position in the canoe. They remained motionless and let the tide carry them slowly along the ship’s side. The sentry tried to keep the beam of his torch on the canoe as he followed it along the deck. The cockles’ camouflage and the dark colours of the marines’ clothing broke up the outline of the manned craft, no doubt confusing the German seaman. In the dark night it was easy to confuse the canoe for a floating log or other debris on the river. Hasler and Sparks drifted along with the tide, expecting that at any moment a shot would ring out and the alarm raised. Above them they could hear the heavy footsteps of the sentry as he kept pace with them on the deck above.

  When the canoe reached the end of the ship Hasler eased the cockle under its bows and signalled to Sparks to silently clamp the holdfast on to the warship. They had slipped from view of the enemy sentry above them, although they could still hear his movements as he shifted position to search the surrounding water with his torch. After probing the darkness, the torch went out, but the sentry remained. For a while there was stalemate as neither party moved. Then, after several more minutes, Hasler motioned to Sparks to cast off and allow the cockle to drift slowly downstream on the tide.

  Once again the two marines crouched low and immobile in their cockle to lessen their silhouette, praying that they would not be discovered. It was an agonizing few minutes for the two marines; unable to look round or move a single muscle they remained bent double until they were swallowed up by the darkness away from the view of the decks of the Speerbrecher.

  They passed the vessel they had previously mined and came to the tanker with the freighter inboard of it. The cargo ship, the Portland, was Hasler’s goal but the presence of the tanker prevented him from planting his mines amidships of the blockade buster. Instead he decided to use his limpets on the bows and the stern of the cargo ship. With a few dips of their paddles and the pull of the tide, Catfish was guided between the bows of the tanker and the freighter. Before the crew could get to work, however, the two ships began to swing towards each other on the swirling current of the ebb tide. Just in time, the marines were able to spread their arms and push their cockle backwards before being crushed by the towering steel walls closing about them. A few frantic backstrokes with their paddles against the tidal flow brought them clear to safety. Hasler decided to try his luck at the stern of the ship.

  The curve of the Quai des Chartrons at Bordeaux. This particular stretch of the harbour is the approximate location of the German Speerbrecher warship attacked by Hasler and Sparks during the raid. (Ken Ford)

  This last mining attempt was completely successful. While Sparks kept the canoe stationary, Hasler planted two limpets on the stern of the Portland and then one on the tanker. All their work was now done: eight limpet mines placed on four separate ships. The major turned around to his corporal and with a beaming smile shook the marine’s hand vigorously. Mission accomplished; all that was left now was to make their escape. Hasler brought his craft out into the darkness of mid-river and the two began paddling with renewed energy. With the tide running in their favour, and the canoes lightened by the shedding of their bomb load, the cockle was able to slice quickly through the water.

  On the other side of the river the crew of Crayfish had also had a successful night. Cpl Laver and Marine Mills had paddled their way up the eastern side of the Garonne to the area opposite Bordeaux without finding any suitable targets and so came back to the two cargo ships tied up in Bassens South. Here they placed five limpets on the Alabama and three on the smaller cargo liner, the Tannenfels, before making their escape. No sign of the enemy had been seen during the attack.

  Maj Hasler and Cpl Sparks begin their attack on the German ships in Bordeaux. The night was punctuated by areas of bright light, as there was no blackout in Bordeaux and the dockyards continued to be worked as normal. The port was far enough away from England to allow RAF bombing raids to be identified well in advance and for the necessary precautions to be taken. In the rear of the craft, Sparks keeps the cockle on station in the ebb tide with his magnetic handhold, while Hasler begins to lower the placing rod holding the magnetic limpet mine into the water. They work carefully to avoid risking one of the large magnets being drawn onto the steel plates of the vessel with a resounding boom which would alert the ship’s crew above. Almost two hours had passed since the fuses had been set, which allowed just seven more hours before the mines exploded. This was, however, just an estimate, for the whole timing process was not an exact science and depended on so many variable factors, principally, the temperature of the water. Nonetheless, the delay was sure to be enough to give the raiders time to be well clear of the port before explosions ripped the ships apart.

  The crews of both Catfish and Crayfish were now intent on making their escape with all speed. Both craft were being driven forward with long deliberate strokes so as to put as much distance as possible between themselves and the chaos that would soon be erupting in Bordeaux. Some ten miles downriver, close by the end of the Île Cazeau, Hasler and Sparks stopped to have a short rest in mid-stream. Much to their alarm they suddenly heard the sound of movement from behind getting closer and closer. Before they could react, a small craft came paddling towards them from out of the darkness. It was Laver and Mills in Crayfish. By sheer chance the two men had caught up with their commander while making their escape.

  All four men were elated to see each other, especially Hasler, who was pleased to learn that Laver and Mills had made successful attacks on the ships at Bassens South and had placed all eight of their limpets on good targets. Laver asked if both cockles could continue downriver together for company and Hasler agreed. However, he stressed that on reaching the area of Blaye they must separate and make their escape independently. It was much too dangerous for four men to be seen travelling on the roads together.

  The Escape

  After a short rest the journey continued. But first, in order to make the most use of the low water slack, some caution was abandoned to speed up the move as Hasler later recorded: ‘We proceeded in mid-stream using double paddles, and although we must have been clearly visible and audible from at least 200 yards away, we did not see any further signs of life.’ By 0600 hours the flood tide had begun to turn. Fortunately by that time they had reached Blaye and had carried on for a mile past the village. At this point Laver and Mills separated from the group, with each of the men once again wishing the others good luck. Hasler and Sparks continued downstream for another quarter of a mile and came ashore close by the small hamlet of St Genés-de-Blaye.

  It was now time for Hasler and Sparks to say goodbye to their cockle. The process was repeated by Laver and Mills a quarter of a mile or so away. The escape kits were removed from the craft before each small boat was slashed with a knife and pushed out into the Gironde to sink. The incoming tide swirled the doomed canoes a short distance away before they slipped slowly into the dark water. In a few moments they were gone. The four marines would now have to continue with their escape on foot. Their instructions were clear, as Hasler later recorded: ‘When starting on the overland escape, get well clear of the river (say 10 miles), moving by night and in uniform. Then try to contact friendly farmers or peasants, borrow civilian clothes, hide uniforms and weapons and proceed by day.’

  Also at large were Mackinnon and Conway, the crew of Cuttlefish. From captured German reports it appears that they had begun their escape overland a day earl
ier, after their canoe was damaged off the Bec d’Ambes. They were initially befriended by French civilians and made it as far as La Réole before eventually being arrested after betrayal to the Vichy Police by one of the locals. The two Royal Marines were immediately handed over to the Germans and returned to the SD at Bordeaux for interrogation.

  Hasler and Sparks began their escape from the river bank two miles downriver from Blaye. All the raiders has been given maps of France and been told to make for the village of Ruffec, some 70 miles north-east of Bordeaux. Here members of the French Resistance had been warned to look out for them. Once contact had been made the escapees would be passed over to the ‘Marie-Claire’ network and moved down the escape chain through Vichy France to the Spanish border. The route would initially take them in the opposite direction to Spain, for the most obvious direct route out of France to the south-west was sure to be searched thoroughly by German and the Vichy French forces once the raid on Bordeaux had been detected.

  On the first day the two men moved by night and rested up by day. They travelled to the north-east avoiding roads and villages, moving across fields and along cart tracks. Their most pressing need was to obtain civilian clothes so that they might blend in with the local population, but first they had to get as far away from the river as possible. On the morning of 13 December, the second day of the escape, Hasler decided to approach a farmhouse and ask for clothes. He was met with a reception that would be repeated again and again throughout the whole of the journey. The moment he opened his mouth a look of fear came over the faces of all he met. He explained that the two of them were English soldiers escaping the Germans and wanted help, a request that placed a great strain on the locals. To give such help the French people placed their lives and those of their families at risk from both the Germans and from the Vichy French police. They all knew that the punishment for helping the British was immediate arrest and confinement in a concentration camp or death.