Operation Chocolate

**Antipodean Andy** · 06-04-2008, 11:30 PM

Anyone come across reference to this before? I read the excellent pdf at Kyt's post here - http://ww2chat.com/forums/obituaries...e-dfc-rip.html - regarding G/C Houle and it mentioned his involvement in Operation Chocolate where Hurricanes operated from an abandoned airfield behind enemy lines for three days harrassing German supply columns etc. They headed home just as an enemy column sent to find them arrived on the scene.

From the pdf:
Friday, November the 13th, 1942 was the beginning of "Operation Chocolate." Its objective was to harass retreating Axis forces by strafing deep behind their lines. Tasked with the assignment were 213 and 238 Squadrons. Flying their Hurricanes to an abandoned air strip 140 km behind the lines the two squadrons would for the next three days fly sortie after sortie strafing enemy ground forces. They pulled out just ahead of an Axis column coming to intercept them. The mission was a great success. One enemy aircraft destroyed during the operation was a Fiesler Storch, a slow, ungainly observation platform. Houle noted that "I shared an unarmed Feisler Storch - but never did count it in my score. It did not seem sporting"6

The 6 at the end refers to a reference - Bert Houle, Flying Desert Rats, unpublished manuscript, supplemental to p.253.

**Antipodean Andy** · 06-04-2008, 11:43 PM

Ah ha, a rather good 1963 article by the legendary Alfred Price. Doesn't refer to Operation Chocolate but the same events:

FlyingreviewInternational

Pathfinder · 06-05-2008, 12:44 AM

Sounds like an ingenious plan Andy. I wonder if Rommel heard of this after they pulled out?

**Kyt** · 06-05-2008, 05:23 AM

From Price's article - On the previous day (12th Nov 1942) stores had been dumped at the landing ground by Hudsons and Bombays of Nos. 117, 216, and 267 Squadrons, and on the 13th aircraft of these squadrons flew in over a hundred groundcrew and more equipment.

He fails to mention that atleast one of the Hudsons crashed - Hudson VI FK501. Wrecked when crashlanded at L.G.125, Western Desert after engine cut during overshoot

**Antipodean Andy** · 06-05-2008, 07:28 PM

So aircraft losses were three Hurris and one Hudson, not just the three Hurris.

**Kyt** · 06-06-2008, 03:35 AM

Might be higher as Price seems to only mention combat losses. There maybe other transport losses that I haven't found.

**Cobber** · 03-19-2009, 09:05 PM

This is very interesting to read,
It makes one wonder just how many other forces were placed in vital places and did excellent work, only for their work to be known/remembered by those with a deep interest 60 years later.

A very special generation.

VALE