Key Facts
- Date
- Night of 27–28 February 1942
- Operation type
- Airborne assault with seaborne evacuation
- Commanding officer
- Major John Frost
- Target
- German Würzburg coastal radar installation
- Key capture
- Radar components and a German radar technician
Strategic Narrative Overview
Planners ruled out a seaborne commando assault, fearing coastal defences would allow the Germans to destroy the equipment before capture. Instead, a company of airborne troops under Major John Frost parachuted near Bruneval on 27 February 1942. They stormed the villa housing the radar, overcame the garrison in a brief firefight, and an RAF technician dismantled key components of the Würzburg array.
01 / The Origins
During 1941, RAF aerial reconnaissance identified several German coastal radar installations along occupied France, but their purpose remained unclear. British scientists suspected these stations were linked to successful German interception of RAF bombers, causing severe losses. Wanting to understand the technology, scientists requested a raid to seize and extract equipment for examination in Britain.
03 / The Outcome
After the technician removed critical radar parts, the force withdrew to the evacuation beach. A detachment had initially failed to clear German defenders there, but the main force helped eliminate them. Landing craft picked up the troops, who transferred to motor gunboats and returned to Britain. The operation succeeded with relatively few casualties, and the captured components and a German technician enabled Britain to develop radar countermeasures.
Belligerents & Mobilization Analysis
Side A
1 belligerent
Major John Frost.
Side B
1 belligerent
Kinetic Engagement Axis
Scroll horizontally to view full axis. Events plotted relatively.