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Post War Conflict: Surface Fleet
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Suez Operation
The Suez Canal Company opened the Canal in 1869 with Britian taking control of the main canal in 1882. The Suez Canal was strategically important, because it was the ocean trade link between Britian and its colonies in India, the Far East, Australia, and New Zealand. In its entirety, the area was strategically important to North Africa and the Middle East.
In 1949, Egypt closed the canal to Israeli shipping, and blockaded the Gulf of Aqaba. This caused protest from Britian and the Unitied Nations. On 26th July 1956, Egypt announced the nationalization of the Suez Canal Company, in which British banks and business held a 44 per cent stake.
Three months after Egypt's nationalization of the canal company, a meeting took place at Sèvres, outside Paris. Britain and France enlisted Israeli support for an alliance against Egypt, it was agreed that Israel would invade the Sinai. Britain and France would then intervene, instructing that both the Israeli and Egyptian armies withdraw their forces to a distance of 16 km from either side of the canal. The British and French would then argue that the canal should be placed under Anglo-French management.
A tug sunk in the Suez canal. (RNM)
The joint forces named the raid Operation Musketeer. Although the plan was essentially French, Britain, as the major contributor to the invasion, assumed command of the Anglo-French part of the military operation. General Sir Charles Keightley assumed command of Operation Musketeer.
The air-sea-ground force consisted of approximately 45,000 Britons and 34,000 Frenchmen. There were 200 British and 30 French warships, including seven aircraft carriers.
Israel invaded Egypt on 29th October 1956. Late on 30th October 1956 British and French gave their joint ultimatum to Egypt and Israel. Britain and France ordered them to cease firing and withdraw to positions 10 miles from the Suez Canal. Egypt rejected it. During the night of 31st October – 1st November 1956, the Anglo-French invasion armada sailed from Malta and Algeria.
Even before the 12-hour ultimatum expired, the war at sea began. The Egyptian frigate Ibrahim al-Awal was fired upon by a French destroyer and Israeli air and sea units, captured, the frigate was towed in and later formed part of the Israeli navy.
The Suez Canal being cleared of shipping debris, taken in 1957 (RNM)
On the 5th November Royal Marine Commandos carried out a helicopter borne assault from the British carriers HMS Theseus and HMS Ocean. The Royal Navy flew 2000 sorties during the operation. This included 1600 from Fleet Aircraft Carriers this mainly consisted of Sea Hawks and Wyverns and 400 from Commando Carriers consisting of Whirlwind and Sycamore helicopters.
In mid-November, the first elements of a newly created, blue-helmeted United Nations Emergency Force, soldiers from half a dozen neutral states, reached the canal zone. The last of the Anglo-French forces steamed out of Port Said just before Christmas.
45 Commando Royal Marines being inspected by Captain Griffiths before landing from HMS Theseus during the Suez operation, taken on 6th November 1956. (RNM)
The operation to take the canal was highly successful from a military point of view, but was a political disaster. After economic pressure from the United States France and Britian were forced to withdraw, the Israelis left the Sinai in March 1957. Suez marked the last significant attempt Britain made to impose its military will abroad without United States support until the Falklands.
