14. The Commandos’ Raid on Bardia
The Commandos’ raid on Bardia got off to an iffy start when the raiders were landed at night behind schedule, and on the wrong beach. However, they managed to sort things out and find their way to Bardia, which they were surprised to discover was lightly defended. They located and destroyed an Italian supply dump, as well as an artillery installation, all for the loss of a single officer, mistakenly killed in a friendly fire incident. The raiders then trudged back to the beach for re-embarkation – and that was when poor preparation bit the raiders: a contingent of 70 Commandos got lost in the dark, and after a cascade of mishaps, ended up going to the wrong beach, where they futilely waited for boats to pick them up. They were left behind, and all were captured by the enemy in the following days.
Despite the poor planning and the ensuing mishaps, the Bardia Raid was an overall success. It did succeed in disrupting the enemy rear, destroyed its assigned targets, and as an added bonus, the raid caused the Axis high command to pull a German armored brigade from the front lines and divert it to provide rear security. That had a significant impact on the battlefield, as the British at the time were being hard-pressed by the recently arrived Afrika Korps, under the command of Erwin Rommel. The diversion of a German armored brigade from the front lines eased the pressure, and gave the British enough breathing space to stabilize the situation.