The night of March 9-10, 1943, witnessed one of the most improbable and audacious covert missions of World War II. The operation, codenamed Operation Creek, involved a group of unlikely volunteers from the Calcutta Light Horse, a part-time auxiliary regiment composed mainly of middle-aged veterans and their colleagues from the Calcutta Scottish, another auxiliary regiment.
Their mission was clear, albeit incredibly ambitious: to capture or sink the German merchant vessel Ehrenfels, a ship that had become a crucial linchpin in the Axis powers’ effort to control the Indian Ocean. Little did these civilians know that they were about to embark on one of the most improbable Special Operations Executive (SOE) missions of the war.
The Calcutta Light Horse had a rich history stretching back 185 years. However, it wasn’t known for its military prowess. Initially, it functioned as a part-time volunteer regiment, more focused on social and recreational activities than combat.
Many of its members were middle-aged men — some veterans of previous conflicts, others simply patriotic citizens looking for a way to serve. For most of them, military activities were secondary to their civilian lives, and the prospect of engaging in active military operations was a distant thought.
But with the outbreak of World War II in 1939, everything changed. The war created new challenges, and the Light Horse found itself drawn into the larger conflict. The Calcutta Light Horse was not alone in this regard. It was supplemented by volunteers from the Calcutta Scottish, another local regiment, which added to the growing pool of resources for a mission that would ultimately change their lives.
The Axis Threat in the Indian Ocean
By 1942, the Indian Ocean had become a hotbed of naval warfare, and the Ehrenfels was one of four Axis merchant vessels operating in the region. These ships—Ehrenfels, Drachenfels, Braunfels, and the Italian merchantman Anfora—had taken refuge in the neutral port of Mormugao, Goa, a Portuguese colony at the time. While Goa’s neutrality meant that these ships were not considered hostile, their presence was far from harmless.
The situation became increasingly dire for the Allies as U-boats, operating from German-controlled areas, began sinking merchant ships in the Indian Ocean at an alarming rate. By the fall of 1942, Allied ships were being destroyed at a pace that threatened to cut off vital supply lines to India.
In the first week of March 1943 alone, 12 ships were sunk. The situation had become critical. The Allies were running out of time, and the threat posed by the Axis merchantmen in neutral waters could not be ignored.
The Discovery of a Secret Weapon
Moreover, intelligence officers from the Special Operations Executive (SOE) in India made a shocking discovery: the Ehrenfels was harbouring a powerful radio transmitter, which was being used by German U-boats to receive critical intelligence regarding the routes and cargo of Allied merchant ships. This espionage network was facilitated through a network of pro-Axis agents operating within India, and the Ehrenfels was at the heart of it.
The vessel was violating the neutrality laws of Portugal, and the British were eager to put an end to the threat. However, there was a significant problem: Goa, a Portuguese colony, was neutral ground, and military intervention was not an option.
The Portuguese government had turned a deaf ear to British protests, leaving the Allies with limited options. The situation called for ingenuity, and thus, Operation Creek was born.
The Creation of Operation Creek
The mission was initially conceived as an audacious kidnapping. Two SOE agents drove from India to Goa with the aim of abducting a German secret agent named Trompeta, who was acting as an intermediary between the Ehrenfels and its U-boat contacts. The hope was that by capturing Trompeta, the Germans would lose access to valuable intelligence.
The two agents managed to execute the plan, using force and deception to capture Trompeta and his wife. However, despite the success of the kidnapping, the underlying issue remained: the Ehrenfels had to be taken out of action.
It was then that the idea of a daring assault on the Ehrenfels was proposed. The operation would be carried out by a group of civilian volunteers disguised as a drunken boarding party gone astray. They would claim to be on a sea-going vacation that had taken a wrong turn. This preposterous cover story, combined with bribes paid to Portuguese officials, formed the basis of Operation Creek.
The Volunteer Force: Civilians Turned Commandos
Lieutenant Colonel Lewis Pugh, the Director of Country Sections for SOE India, was tasked with recruiting volunteers for the mission. And so, in late February 1943, he contacted his friend Bill Grice, the colonel of the Calcutta Light Horse, to ask for help.
Pugh needed 15 to 20 men for a covert operation against the Germans. The mission would involve boarding the Ehrenfels, capturing or destroying its radio transmitter, and potentially sinking the ship. Success was not guaranteed, and if anything went wrong, the volunteers would be left without recognition, rewards, or pensions. They would be risking everything for a secret cause.
After hearing the details, Grice agreed to help. A special meeting was organised to recruit volunteers. At the meeting, Grice explained that he could offer no details other than the fact that the mission would involve a short sea voyage and would take about two weeks. He then asked who among the group would be willing to volunteer. Without hesitation, everyone in the room raised their hand.
The selection process began immediately. The volunteers were evaluated for their physical health, and those who appeared too old or unfit for the mission were disqualified. In the end, a group of 18 men, mainly from the Calcutta Light Horse, was selected, with four additional members drawn from the Calcutta Scottish to fill out the roster.
The training was rushed and minimal, lasting only a few days. The men studied the Ehrenfels’ blueprints and practised boarding methods. Soon, they were ready to set sail, with the operation scheduled for the night of March 9.
The Night of the Raid
The volunteers were given the task of boarding the Ehrenfels in the dark of night, and they would be transported to Goa on a vessel that was anything but typical. Instead of a sleek warship or a specialised landing craft, they found themselves aboard the Phoebe, a hopper barge used for dredging rivers. The Phoebe, commanded by Commander Bernard Davis of the Royal Navy, was the only vessel available for the mission, a stark reminder of the improbable nature of the operation.
In Goa, Jock Cartwright, a member of the Light Horse, was already at work planning a diversion. Using cash provided by SOE, he orchestrated a ruse that involved a lavish festival, complete with free prostitutes, designed to lure the majority of the Ehrenfels crew off the ship. The festivities worked, and by 10:00 PM, many sailors were away, leaving the ship with a skeleton crew.
Around 2:30 AM on March 10, the Phoebe collided with the Ehrenfels as the raiders boarded the German ship. Armed with Sten guns and explosive charges, the men quickly fanned out, taking control of the vessel. The Ehrenfels crew — disorganised and caught off guard — could not mount a proper defence. Within 20 minutes, Lieutenant Colonel Pugh and his team had seized the transmitter, though the Germans had managed to destroy the codebooks.
In the chaos, the Ehrenfels began to sink. The raiders cut the lines, and with a signal from Commander Davis, they returned to the Phoebe. As they departed the harbour, the codeword “Longshanks” was sent to SOE headquarters, signalling that the mission had succeeded.
The Aftermath: A Quiet Victory
The success of Operation Creek was a turning point in the battle for control of the Indian Ocean. In the months that followed, U-boat attacks on Allied shipping fell dramatically. March saw only one ship sunk, and in April, three merchantmen perished. The raid had effectively neutralised one of the most dangerous Axis threats in the region.
As for the volunteers, life returned to normal. Because Operation Creek had been a top-secret mission, the men received no honours, medals, or public recognition. For decades, the mission remained classified. It wasn’t until 1978, when James Leasor published his book Boarding Party, that the world learned of this remarkable story. Two years later, a film adaptation titled The Sea Wolves was released, starring Gregory Peck, David Niven, Roger Moore, and Trevor Howard.
While the men of Operation Creek may not have received the accolades they deserved, their bravery and ingenuity in the face of overwhelming odds ensured that the memory of their mission would never be forgotten. Their story is a testament to the power of ordinary individuals rising to extraordinary challenges and the improbable success of one of World War II’s most unlikely military operations.
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