Combined Operations - Definition and Overview

Combined Operations was a department of the British War Office set up during World War II to harass the Germans on the European continent by means of raids carried out by use of combined naval and army forces. The main forces used by Combined Operations were known as the Commandos.

However Combined Operations was more than just the Commandos. It also comprised background staff whose job was to plan operations and to develop ideas and equipment to harass the enemy in any way possible. Among the projects undertaken by Combined Ops were

• Mulberry harbours -- portable harbours for D-Day
• Project Habbakuk -- the development and construction of giant iceships
• Operation Tiger -- D-Day training with tragic results
• Operation Starkey -- a pretended invasion of Europe in 1943
• P.L.U.T.O. -- the fuel Pipe Lines Under The Ocean from England to France

as well as the Commando raids which are listed in the Commando article.

External links

• Combined Operations Memorial website (http://www.combinedops.com/index.htm)