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Operation Locust

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Operation Locust
Part of World War II
LocationNew Guinea
3°8′S 142°21′E / 3.133°S 142.350°E / -3.133; 142.350
Planned byM Special Unit
Commanded byJack Fryer
Date21 January 1943 (1943-01-21)
OutcomeSome success
Operation Locust is located in Papua New GuineaOperation Locust

Operation Locust was an operation by M Special Unit in New Guinea during World War II. It was held in conjunction with the better known Operation Whiting.

Mission

The mission was led by Lieutenant Jack Fryer, with Lieutenant Guy Black, Lieutenant Harry Aiken, and Sergeant Les (Tas) Baillie as radio operator, plus local bearers. It involved an extensive trek through Japanese-occupied territory in New Guinea, leaving from Bena Bena on 21 January 1943. The trek went for six months until 14 June 1943 when they reached the Lumi airstrip in the Torricelli mountains. Locust established a base camp here and started observing Japanese. However the locals were very hostile and after the disaster of Operation Whiting a decision was made to withdraw. The patrol left on 27 November 1943 from Kokiabu on the Sepik River and flown to Port Moresby.

According to one account, "Locust did bring back with it some information on defences and dispositions, as well as sketches of inland routes, and that intelligence was subsequently of value to the Australian forces. But the reality was that by the time the Australians reached the Aitape area, they could have mounted aerial surveillance and done much the same job."

References

  1. ""M" Special Unit". RSL Virtual War Memorial. 1945-08-15. Retrieved 2015-09-06.
  2. ^ ""Locust", "Whiting" and New Britain: Guy Black's covert war with M and Z Units. - Free Online Library". Thefreelibrary.com. Retrieved 2015-09-06.
Australian special operations of the Second World War
Timor,
Sundas
and Java
New Guinea
  • Salamaua Raid (1942)
  • Heath's Farm Raid (1942)
  • Mubo Raid (1942)
  • Operation Cockroach (1942, abandoned)
  • Operation Beetle (1942)
  • Operation Ladybird (1942)
  • Operation Spider (1942, abandoned)
  • Operation Wasp (1942, abandoned)
  • Operation Tick (1942)
  • Operation Bug (1942)
  • Operation Locust (1943)
  • Operation Oaktree (1942–44)
  • Operation Whiting (1943)
  • Operation Scorpion (1943)
  • Operation Mosstroops (1943)
  • Operation Menzies (1944)
  • Operation Perch (1944)
  • Operation Reaper (1944)
  • Operation Silver (1944)
  • Operation Gold (1944)
  • Operation Copper (1944)
  • Operation Vokeo (1944)
  • Operation Crayfish (1944)
  • Operation Falcon (1944)
  • Operation Phoenix (1944)
  • Operation Rose
  • Operation Dodo
  • Operation Moa
  • Operation Lennon
  • Operation Socrates
  • Operation Flathead
Borneo
Celebes and
Moluccas
  • Operation Giraffe
  • Operation Crane
  • Operation Shril
  • Operation Magpie
  • Operation Raven
  • Operation Garnish
  • Operation Opossum (1945)
  • Operation Swallow
  • Operation Swift
  • Operation Finch (1945)
Malaya and
China Seas
  • Operation Jaywick (1943)
  • Operation Rimau (1944–45)
  • Operation Politician-Optican
  • Operation Gunard
  • Operation Crocodile
  • Operation Carpenter
  • Operation Period
  • Operation Oblivion
Other
  • Operation Sabre (1945)
  • Operation Apple (1945)
  • Operation Turnip
  • Operation Potato
  • Operation Goldfish
  • Operation Pine Needle
  • Operation Trout
  • Operation Shark
  • Operation Carrot
  • Operation Radish
  • Operation Asparagus
  • Operation Bream
  • Operation Robin
  • Operation Stallion
  • Mission 204 (or 'Tulip Force') (1942–43)
  • Operation Source (1943)
  • Operation Guidance (1944)
Proposed
Other Netherlands
East Indies
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