Order of battle, Operation Accolade
I) Allied Forces
A) Naval forces
Under the superior authority of Admiral Sir Andrew Cunningham, Commander-in-Chief of the Mediterranean Fleet, and his first deputy, Vice Admiral René-Emile Godfroy (MN), the forces assigned to Operation Accolade were placed under the command of Rear Admiral Félix de Carpentier.
All air threats in the sector having practically disappeared (although the raid on the night of October 8th had reminded us that all danger had not been eliminated and that we had to remain vigilant) and the enemy naval means were reduced to very few, the forces engaged in Accolade are very inferior to those of Cordite. Moreover, they are not necessarily all employed simultaneously: Accolade is divided into a series of sub-operations adapted to each target. The ships are initially distributed between Alexandria, Limassol and Rhodes (those based in this port are indicated by an asterisk* after their name).
Fire support force
BB MN Courbet
Monitor HMS Terror
CA MN Duquesne, Tourville
CL MN Montcalm, Gloire, Georges-Leygues
DD MN Kersaint, Tartu, Le Mars, Tempete, Tornade, Tramontane, Typhon, [1] HMS Hereward, Hero, HMAS Stuart, Vampire
PR (river gunboat) HMS Aphis*
ASM Minesweeping and Escort Force of the transports
AM (minesweeping ships) MN Commandant-Bory (available as of October 26th) [2], Commandant-Delage*, Commandant-Rivière, Elan (available from October 19th) [2], HMS
Abingdon*
PS (avisos) MN Ailette, Dubourdieu
PE (anti-submarine trawlers) HMS Kingston-Coral, Loch Melfort, Lydiard, Victorian, Wolborough [3]
AMA (auxiliary minesweepers) MN Tamise * (coaster), MN Pen-Men*, Saint-Christophe* and HMS Arthur-Cavenagh*, Milford-Countess* (trawlers), MN Mont-Caume*, Tamaris
(tugs) [4]
Transports
AMC (or CX, auxiliary cruisers) Koutoubia (X4), Ville d'Oran (X5)
Liners Djenné, Gouverneur-Général Chanzy, Gouverneur-Général Grévy,Gouverneur-Général Jonnart, Gouverneur-Général Tirman
Cargo ships Anadyr, Caledonian, Capo Olmo (ex Italian), Paul-Emile Javary, Saint-Edmond (ex Italian Tagliamento), Sidi Aïssa
Hospital ship Sphinx (X47)
Submarines
From then on, the guard at the exit of the Dardanelles was shared between French and British ships. On October 10th, it was the turn of the MN Fresnel to keep watch.
B) Land-based air forces
The units of the Armée de l'Air, the Aéronavale and the Fleet Air Arm based in Cyprus,
Karpathos and Rhodes were placed under the authority of General Jean-Henri Jauneaud. In this framework, the two Swordfish squadrons are only in charge of ASM patrols, as well as the two Walrus squadrons, which must also regulate the firing of the Terror.
Total: 99 (86) aircraft (numbers in brackets are operational aircraft).
- Fighter: 28 (23) aircraft
GC I/4, 17 (14) Curtiss H75-A3 (at Karpathos)
GC I/7, 2nd squadron, 11 (9) MS-406 (at Rhodes-Maritsa)
- Light bombing, reconnaissance and observation: 52 (44) aircraft
GB I/39, 10 (8) Martin 167 (at Rhodes-Maritsa)
GB II/54, 11 (9) Martin 167 (in Cyprus)
GAO I/583, 7 (5) Potez 63.11 (in Kasos)
AB1, 8 (8) SBC-4 (in Rhodes-Maritsa)
AB2, 8 (6) SBC-4 (in Karpathos)
AB4, 8 (8) SBC-4 (in Karpathos)
- ASM patrol: 19 (19) planes
Sqn 819, 9 Swordfish (in Cyprus)
Sqn 824, 8 Swordfish (in Kasos)
2 Walrus [5] (in Kasos)
C) Ground forces
Commander in Chief : General Eugène Mittelhauser
- 192nd Infantry Division (General Richard): 6th Foreign Infantry Regiment (REI, 2,819 men) [6], 17th Regiment of Senegalese Riflemen (RTS, 2,272 men) [7], 10th Half North African Brigade (DBNA, 2,262 men) [8] and three artillery groups equivalent to a regiment: the II/41st Colonial Artillery Regiment (RAC) and the I and II/80th North African Artillery Regiment (RANA).
- Polish Carpathian Mountain Infantry Brigade (General Kopanski): 1 mountain infantry regiment (with two battalions), 1 reconnaissance group, 1 mountain artillery group (3,270 men).
- 68th Combat Tank Battalion (28 R-35)
- 4th New Zealand Infantry Brigade: 18th, 19th and 20th Infantry Battalions, one Cavalry Squadron, 4th Field Artillery, 5th and 6th Engineer Companies, 27th Machine Gun Battalion (total 6,303 men).
- III Battalion of the 24th Colonial Infantry Regiment (RIC): 100 men in garrison at Symi, the others were sent back to Cyprus.
II) Italian forces
Egeomil (Italian land, air and naval forces in the Aegean Sea)
Commander in Chief: Cesare Maria De Vecchi di Val Cismon
A) Naval Forces
MariEgeo (Aegean Sea Naval Command) - Rear Admiral Luigi Biancheri
Surface ships
After Cordite, only the following ships remained in the Aegean waters:
PG (gunboat) Mario Sonzini (must give up its two 76 mm guns to equip a new coastal battery)
AG (auxiliary) Giorgio Orsini
Torpedo boats: 3rd MAS Flotilla (8 units, 7 of which were available): the 22nd squadron, which had only one unit left, having merged with the 16th, the four original squadrons were reduced to three.The 7 available launches are located in Kalymnos.
7th MAS squadron : MAS-431, MAS-433
11th MAS squadron: MAS-521, MAS-522, MAS-523
16th MAS squadron: MAS-536, MAS-537, MAS-546
The MAS-521, damaged, is at Leros.
Submarines
The submarines, in variable numbers, now operate from Italian bases.
Coastal batteries
Even after the fall of Rhodes, the Regia Marina still armed a significant number of coastal batteries, the majority of which are on the island of Leros.
Leros
25 batteries, of which 24 were on the island itself and one on the nearby islet of Arcangelo (Archangelos), that is in decreasing order of calibers :
- 3 anti-ship batteries armed with 152 mm pieces:
Ducci at Cazzuni [9], 4 guns of 152/50 and 1 of 120/45 [10];
Ciano on Mount Clidi, 4 guns of 152/40 ;
San Giorgio on Mount Scumbarda (Skoumbarda), 3 guns of 152/40 and 1 of 102/35 [12].
- 2 anti-ship batteries each armed with 4 pieces of 120/45 mm:
Farinata on Mount Marcello (Markello), Lago on Mount Appetici.
- 4 anti-ship and anti-aircraft batteries, armed with 102 mm guns:
PL306 on Mount Vigla, 6 guns of 102/35 and 2 of 76/40 [11];
PL211 on Mount Rachi, 4 guns of 102/35 ;
PL227 at Portolago (Lakki), 4 guns of 102/35 ;
PL388 at Porto Cassio, 4 guns of 102/35.
- 1 battery armed with 6 pieces of 90/53 mm: PL127 at Mount Maraviglia; - 15 batteries armed with pieces of 76/40 mm [12], of which 12 anti-ship and anti-aircraft batteries and 3 solely anti-aircraft batteries.
(a) Dual purpose batteries:
1 of 6 pieces : PL281 at the Point of Diapori ;
5 of 4 pieces: PL888 at Blefuti Bay, PL899 at Pointe de Vaies, PL906 at Muplogurna, PL989 at Cape Timari, PL749 on the islet of Arcangelo;
2 of 3 pieces: PL250 at Punta di Cazzuni, PL432 at La Madonna;
4 of 2 pieces: PL508 at hill 138, PL763 and 764 in the bays of Alinda and Gurna, PL690 at Castello di Bronzi [13].
(b) Anti-aircraft batteries:
2 of 6 pieces: PL248 at Monte della Palma, PL262 at Hill 327;
1 of 4 pieces: PL113 at Monte Zuncona.
Stampalia
- San Marco battery, on Monte Castellana (366 m, north of the island): 3 guns of 152/40 and 1 of 120/45 (intended to fire flares);
- Monte Vigla battery (northwest of Stampalia-village): 4 x 76/40 guns;
- Molino Battery (north of Stampalia-village and east of Vigla): 4 x 76/17 howitzers;
- San Giovanni Battery (near the port of Maltezana): 5 x 76/40 guns;
- Cima del Turco battery (east of Monte Castellana): 4 x 76/40 guns.
Patmos
- 1 battery of 76 mm guns;
- 1 battery in the process of being set up, which is to receive the 2 x 76 mm guns of the Sonzini gunboat.
Mines
In June, six anti-ship fields of 25 devices each, that is 150 mines, were laid around Stampalia/Astypalea. Leros was surrounded by 12 anti-ship fields of 30 devices each (360 mines) and 1 anti-submarine field with 65 mines. In August, mines were taken from the anti-ship fields of Leros, Rhodes and Stampalia in order to place two small fields (30 and 20 mines) in front of the bays of Pigadia and Elaari, in the island of Scarpanto/Karpathos. The AN fields of Stampalia were thus reduced to 140 devices (4 fields of 25 and 2 of 20); those of Leros to 340 (8 fields of 30 and 4 of 25).
B) Air Force
Aeronautica dell'Egeo
5 of the 94 aircraft present at the beginning of September remain in the Dodecanese: 4 Cant Z.501 of the 84th RM Autonomous Group and a Cant Z.506C of the maritime rescue. These seaplanes provided mainly liaisons with Italy: they were reinforced by an SM.66 of the 613th Autonomous Rescue Squadron and another brand new Cant Z.506C. The seven aircraft are scattered among various discreet coves of Leros and other islands.
C) Ground Forces
Aegean Army Corps - Commander: Cesare Maria De Vecchi di Val Cismon
- Units of the 50th Infantry Division Regina:
10th Infantry Regiment (with four battalions, instead of the usual three, to better cover a large and fragmented to better cover a large and fragmented territory); detachment of the 50th Divisional Artillery Regiment.
- 3rd Tank Company of the Guardia alla Frontiera: 8 Fiat 3000 tanks in Leros
- Other troops: companies of positional gunners, coastal artillery (distinct from the batteries of the Regia Marina), anti-aircraft artillery, services.
- Elements on land of the Regia Marina (especially in Leros and Stampalia) and elements on the ground of the Regia Aeronautica (in Leros and Koos).
That is to say a total of 13,000 men (for 13,300 at the beginning of September, taking into account losses suffered by the Leros garrison due to naval and air bombardments).
Distribution by islands
Coo (Cos/Kos)
I and II/10th Infantry Regiment
Detachment of the 50th Artillery Regiment
2 Coastal Defense Artillery Groups
Others (including Regia Marina and Regia Aeronautica)
Total: 4,000 men.
Calino [now also called Calimno] (Calimnos/Kalymnos)
Detachment of the IV/10th Infantry Regiment: 450 men
Detachment of the Regia Marina: 50 men (of which 30 came from Leros to maintain the MAS)
Total: 500 men.
Patmo (Patmos)
Detachment of the IV/10th Infantry Regiment: 450 men
Detachment of the Regia Marina: 50 men, arming the "normal" battery, placed in the north of the island (the gunboat Sonzini will provide the servants of the new battery, 12 men)
Total: 500 men.
Stampalia (Stampalie/Astypalée/Astypalea):
IV/10th Infantry Regiment detachment: 300 men.
Garrisons of the batteries of the Regia Marina: 500 men
Total: 800 men.
Lero (Leros):
III/10th Infantry Regiment: 1,200 men.
Navy and others: 6,000 men
Total: 7,200 men (for 7,500 in early September).
[1] The third unit of the 5th destroyer division, Chevalier-Paul, was unavailable until November 23rd after her unintentional collision with HMS Bandolero on September 11th.
[2] The Commandant-Bory and Elan were damaged during the assault on the port of Mandracchio, on the night of September 11th. Also hit, Commandant-Rivière only needed a few days of repairs.
[3] HMS Kingston-Cyanite was unavailable until mid-December following her collision on September 14th with the Italian submarine Luigi Torelli.
[4] The loss of the trawlers MN La Coubre and Héron was compensated by the arrival of MN Tamise and MN Saint-Christophe.
[5] A second Walrus, from the cruiser Liverpool, was sent to support the one from Kent, to spare it.
[6] The 6th REI had only three battalions: II, IV and XI. The latter is the 11th Battalion of Foreign Volunteers (BMVE), replaced in Syria by the reduced 1st and 3rd battalions.
[7] The regiment committed only its 2nd and 3rd battalions to Accolade. The 1st remained in garrison at Rhodes.
[8] The 10th DBNA engaged in Accolade only the V/1st Moroccan Rifle Regiment (RTM) and the IV/6th Algerian Rifle Regiment (RTA). The IV/7th RTA remained in garrison in Rhodes.
[9] To the northwest of the entrance to Portolago Bay.
[10] The smaller gun was intended to fire illuminating shells.
[11] The two 76-caliber pieces were intended for the protection of the main gun ports.
[12] With one exception, noted below.
[13] As an exception, this battery has 50 caliber pieces (76/50).
