Bot: robot: Create/upgrade articles. If there is a mistake please report on my talk page.

2021-12-05T15:34:37Z

robot: Create/upgrade articles. If there is a mistake please report on my talk page.

New page

{{operational plan
| name = Operation Flagpole
| partof = [[Operation Torch]]
| image =
| caption =
| scope = diplomatic, operational
| type =
| location = [[Gibraltar]], [[Algeria]]
| coordinates =
| map_type =
| latitude =
| longitude =
| map_size =
| map_caption =
| map_label =
| planned = October 16, 1942
| planned_by = [[AFHQ]]
| objective = secure cooperation of [[Vichy France]] officers in [[French North Africa]]
| target =
| date =
| time =
| time-begin =
| time-end =
| timezone =
| executed_by =
| outcome = successful
| casualties =
| fatalities =
| injuries =
}}
[[File:Mark Clark.jpg|thumb|right|200px|Major General [[Mark W. Clark|Mark Clark]]]]

'''Operation Flagpole''' was part of the run-up to [[Operation Torch]], the planned Allied invasion of [[North Africa]] during [[World War II]]. It involved arranging for and carrying out a top-secret high-level meeting between U.S. General [[Mark W. Clark]], representing the Allies, and [[Charles Mast|Général Charles E. Mast]], the leader of a group of pro-Allied [[Vichy France]] officers in [[French North Africa]], to secure their cooperation with the invasion.

==Planning==
On October 16, 1942, a meeting was held in Operation Torch's staff headquarters at [[Norfolk House]] in [[London]]. Among those present were:
* [[Lieutenant general (United States)|Lieutenant General]] [[Dwight D. Eisenhower]], [[United States Army]], the Allied commander for Operation Torch
* [[Major general (United States)|Major General]] [[Mark W. Clark]], United States Army, the recently appointed deputy commander for Torch
* [[Brigadier general (United States)|Brigadier General]] [[Lyman L. Lemnitzer]], U.S. Army, head of the allied force planning section for Torch
* [[Colonel (United States)|Colonel]] Archelaus L. Hamblen, U.S. Army, the staff expert on shipping and supply
* Colonel [[Julius C. Holmes]], U.S. Army, head of civil affairs branch for Torch
* [[Rear Admiral (United States)|Rear Admiral]] Bernard H. Bieri, [[United States Navy]], senior U.S. naval representative
* [[Captain (United States)|Captain]] [[Jerauld Wright]], U.S. Navy, liaison officer with the [[Royal Navy]]

Eisenhower informed the group that the [[United States Department of War|War Department]] had forwarded an urgent cable from U.S. diplomat [[Robert D. Murphy]] of the American consulate in [[Algeria]] requesting the immediate dispatch of a top-secret high-level group to meet with Général Charles E. Mast, the military commander of Algiers and the leader of a group of pro-Allied officials in French North Africa.

The objective of this secret mission, code-named "Operation Flagpole", was to reach an agreement through Mast and his colleagues to have Général [[Henri Giraud]], a key pro-Allied French army officer, step forward and take command of French military forces in North Africa, and then arrange a ceasefire with the Allied invasion force. Other alternatives, such as [[Jean Darlan]] and [[Charles de Gaulle]], had been rejected by the British and American governments for a variety of political reasons.

Clark would be Eisenhower's personal representative, with Lemnitzer as the top invasion planner, Hamblen as the invasion's logistics expert, and Holmes serving as translator. Wright would serve as the liaison with the [[French Navy]], with the specific objective of convincing the French to have their fleet anchored in [[Toulon]] join the Allied cause.<ref>Murphy p.138-140</ref>

==Execution==
[[File:Seraph.jpg|thumb|left|325px|HMS ''Seraph'']]

The group flew in two [[B-17 Flying Fortress|Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress bombers]] to [[Gibraltar]], operational headquarters for the invasion, and on October 19, they boarded the British [[British S-class submarine (1931)|S-class]] [[submarine]] {{HMS|Seraph|P219|6}}, [[Lieutenant]] Norman Limbury Auchinleck "Bill" Jewell, [[Royal Navy|RN]], commanding. ''Seraph'' carried [[Folding kayak|collapsible canoes]], [[submachine gun]]s, [[walkie-talkie]]s, and other supplies, as well as three members of the British [[Special Boat Section]] - [[Captain]] G.B. ('Gruff') Courtney; and [[Lieutenant]]s R.P. Livingstone and J.P. Foot.

''Seraph'' transported Clark's party to the small fishing village of [[Cherchell]], about {{convert|82|mi|km}} west of Algiers. After midnight on the evening of October 21, the sub surfaced and set Clark's mission ashore, where they met with Mast and Murphy. Wright met with [[Ship-of-the-Line Captain|''Capitaine de vaisseau'']] Jean Barjot and learned that the [[French Navy]] was opposed to U.S. entry into North Africa, although the [[French Army|army]] and [[French Air Force|air force]] supported it. As a result of the meetings, Clark secured the agreement of the French.

On October 24, Clark's mission returned to ''Seraph'' after some inadvertent delays, and later met a [[seaplane]] that flew them back to Gibraltar, arriving back in London on October 25.<ref>Murphy p.140-154</ref><ref>[http://home.cogeco.ca/~gchalcraft/sm/seraph.html HMS "Seraph"] {{webarchive|url=https://archive.today/20120630212310/home.cogeco.ca/~gchalcraft/sm/seraph.html |date=2012-06-30 }} on ''British Submarines of World War Two''</ref>

==Aftermath==
Operation Flagpole was followed by [[Operation Kingpin (World War II)|Operation Kingpin]], in which Général Giraud, code-named "Kingpin", was released from [[Zone libre|French "Zone libre"]] confinement and brought to Gibraltar .

==References==
;Notes
{{reflist}}

;Bibliography
* [[Robert D. Murphy|Murphy, Robert]]. ''Diplomat Among Warriors''. New York: Doubleday, 1964.



{{World War II|state=collapsed}}

[[Category:North African campaign]]
[[Category:Code names|Flagpole]]

Operation Flagpole (World War II) - Revision history

Bot: robot: Create/upgrade articles. If there is a mistake please report on my talk page.