Royal Navy military operation in World War II
Operation Sabre was a Royal Navy military operation in World War II . It involved cutting the Japanese submarine communications cable linking Saigon and Singapore .[ 1] operating from an X-Craft midget submarine in the Saigon River delta on 31 July 1945.[ 2] [ 3]
Operation Sabre was directed at the Hong Kong to Saigon telephone cable, and carried out by XE4 , which was towed to within 40 miles (64 km) of the Mekong Delta by the submarine HMS Spearhead . Steered by Vernon Ginger Coles XE4 looked for the two telephone cables by using a towed grapnel . She eventually snagged the first cable, and managed to haul it about 10 feet (3.0 m) off the seabed. XE4's diver, Sub-Lieutenant K.M. Briggs, used the net/cable cutter to sever it. The second cable was soon found as well, and was severed by the second diver, Sub-Lieutenant A. Bergius. Two divers were carried due to the operating rule that a diver should not spend more than 20 minutes in depths over 33 feet (10 m) and no more than 10 minutes over 40 feet (12 m). XE4 and Spearhead returned to Labuan on 3 August 1945.[ 4]
Lieutenant Maxwell H. Shean, DSO and bar, Royal Australian Naval Volunteer Reserve , was awarded the American Bronze Star Medal in March 1947 for meritorious achievement as the commanding officer of the midget submarine HMS XE4 .[ 5]
References
Further reading
Australian special operations of the Second World War
Timor, Sundas and Java
Operation Mackerel (1942)
Operation Tiger (Java) (1942)
Operation Lion (1942)
Operation Flounder (1942)
Operation Ambon (1942, abandoned)
Operation Walnut (1942-43)
Operation Lancer (1942)
Operation Lizard (1942–43)
Operation Lagarto (1943)
Operation Cobra (1943)
Operation Adder (1944)
Operation Mugger (1944, incomplete)
Operation Hornet (1944)
Operation Bat & Apache (1944)
Operation Wasp (1944)
Operation Gnat (1944)
Operation Flea (1944, abandoned)
Operation Louse (1944, abandoned)
Operation Sounder (1944, abandoned)
Operation Sunfish (1945)
Operation Sunable (1945)
Operation Sunbaker (1945)
Operation Suncharlie (April 1945)
Operation Sundog (1945)
Operation Blackfish (1945, abandoned)
Operation Blackbird (1945, abandoned)
Operation Sunlag (1945)
Operation Lagartout (1945)
Operation Brim (1945)
Operation Pigeon (1945, abandoned)
Operation Suncob (1945)
Operation Salmon (1945)
Operation Carp (1945, abandoned)
Operation Cod (1945, abandoned)
Operation Starfish (1945)
Operation Binatang (1945)
Operation Anchovy (1945, abandoned)
Operation Groper (1945)
Operation Demo (1945)
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