The secret heist that proved Britain could ignore international law
In short: In January 1942, a small team of commandos pulled off a daring raid on a neutral Spanish port. They seized three Axis vessels in just 30 minutes, defying local authorities and risking a diplomatic crisis to prove they could strike anywhere, regardless of the legal consequences.
Operation Postmaster was a high-stakes gamble by the Special Operations Executive (SOE) and the Small Scale Raiding Force (SSRF). The objective was to seize three ships in the Spanish colony of Fernando Po: the Italian merchant vessel Duchessa d'Aosta, the German tug Likomba, and a barge named Bibundi. The British were particularly concerned about the Duchessa d'Aosta, which carried a radio that could leak naval movements and a manifest listing massive quantities of materials like copper and copra, leading to suspicions of hidden arms.
The operation faced intense internal opposition. Local British authorities in West Africa initially refused to support it, fearing it would be viewed as piracy or a breach of Spanish neutrality. Even the Foreign Office and the British Embassy in Madrid were hesitant. It took until January 6, 1942, for the Foreign Office to grant permission, based on the strategy of avoiding 'tangible proof' of involvement. To maintain this plausible deniability, the Admiralty even dispatched a corvette to intercept the ships at sea, providing a cover story that they were captured while attempting to return to Europe.
The execution was a masterpiece of deception. SOE agent Richard Lippett infiltrated the local social scene, befriending the Axis officers and hosting a dinner party to gather intelligence on watch arrangements. On the night of January 14, 1942, commandos entered the harbor using two tugs and folbots (folding kayaks). They overpowered the crews, blew the anchor chains, and towed the vessels out in just 30 minutes. While the Spanish government was furious, calling it an 'intolerable attack on sovereignty,' the raid successfully boosted the SOE's reputation for conducting clandestine operations with ruthless efficiency.
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Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: Operation Postmaster
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