The Battle of Sarande
Albania
1st parachute Company log.
Courtesy - CSM Graeme Deeley [UK]
RAB 100 Lazar Adam on left [Assyrian CO], Major Hudson center [British CO].
1st Parachute company 200 personnel.
No1 platoon [Assyrian]
No.2 platoon [Assyrian]
No.3 platoon [Kurdish]
No.4 Mortars [Assyrian]
Map courtesy Brigadier General Churchil
15th September 1945- Company boarded the British War Ship SS Durban Castle in Alexandria and disembarked in Taranto Italy. One week later they were given orders to stand by at 24hrs notice.
6th October - Company was moved by road to Brindisi and arrived at 1100rs. At 1400 the company sailed for Albania.
6th Oct, 2400hrs - Company arrives at Sugar beach [Sarande], by 0500 all company had disembarked and moved 250mtrs inland and pitched bivouac tents.
7th, 0900 - Officer commanding Parachute Company [Major Hudson] attended a conference at Brigade HQ, orders issued; on the 9th Oct at 0400hrs Sarande which was held by 200 germans and a coastal Battery was to be attacked. From the North British No;2Commando and the Levy Parachute Company from the South. Partisans were to hold the town of Delvue Ten Miles away which was occupied by 300 Germans.The company was to land by Infantry Landing Crafts at 0415hrs on Parachute Beach and to attack and secure Pt. 264.
7th, 1930hrs - Platoon commanders, Lieutenant Reeves and Lt Sherwood reconnoiter landing beach by small boat. From 1930 to 2000, the company came under Shellfire on the beach, no casualties reported.
8th Oct, 0900 - All British officer’s and senior Assyrian Officer RAB Emma Lazar Adam taken by boat to Yoke beach then climbed to point 507 for a look at point 264, returned at 1700.
9th Oct,0930 - the company paraded opposite their Landing crafts [six boats] and issued with Rum rations. At 0200 the Company sailed for two hours to reach the starting point.
At 0400 hrs Company lands at Parachute beach, with overcast sky and ground visibility Ten Yards, the landing was silent and successful.
Number 2 platoon [Assyrian] headed the advance up the slope followed ten minutes later, on its right flank by No. 3 platoon [Kurdish]. During the accent, 3 platoon drifted too far to the right and lost contact with 2 platoon. Captain E Clark was sent to tell platoon to swing back to the left. No; 2 platoon now moved up what should have been no.3 platoons line of advance. Now the company formation was; no.2 platoon in lead, No. 3 platoon right rear, No. 1 platoon left rear, H.Q. and Mortars at rear, rain began to fall as company advanced.
At 0430 Enemy light machinegun opened up on the left flank, No. 1 platoon went in and overran the position sending back prisoners. At 0500 [First light] No2 and 3 platoons engaged enemy posts, overran their positions and sent back more prisoners. 0530- No 2 platoon arrived on the right side of first objective [point 254] and came under heavy fire but could not locate enemy positions, engaged enemy among the ruins, they pushed on and arrived at the right side of main objective [point 264] at 0650hrs and came under fire from Breda 20mm Guns, firing explosive shells. No.1 platoon moved up the left flank, came under long-range enemy fire; they pushed on and arrived on the left side of point 264 at 0730.
Mortar platoon and HQ also arrived at that time. Company was then accidentally machine-gunned by a spitfire. No. 3 platoon moving up on the right flank engaged odd enemy positions and overran them. Before they reached the main objective however, they came under Breda Gun fire and were pinned down. They were then ordered to move off the right slope to the left slope behind No. 1 platoon. They arrived at 0830 and took up positions previously held by No1 platoon.
No 1 platoon releived, moved off to recce Breda Gun positions. At 1030 four prisoners arrived with escort from No;1 platoon, escort said the platoon was moving towards Sarande. Orders were quickly sent out to inform them not to enter Sarande but to return to point 264. At 1100hrs the Runner returned and said he could not locate No.1 platoon.
1200hrs - One wounded soldier from No.1 platoon arrives at point 264 and reports that Lt Peterson and the platoon has been shot up and all were dead or wounded. Brigade was informed of the situation, orders were issued that no one was to leave point 264. At Approximately 1500hrs RAB 50 Shlimon and three other ranks were brought in from No.1 platoon, all badly wounded.
1600hrs- point 264 came under Mortar fire; No.4 Assyrian Mortar platoon came into action and silenced the Guns with twenty bombs. All wounded and POW’s [96] were evacuated off point 264.
1700hrs- Sarande falls, enemy defeated. Brigade orders a patrol to be sent out to make contact with British 40th commando at fork Road. At 1715, platoon commander Lt Sherwood, Sergeant Hormis Youkhana and three other ranks were ordered to go and make contact with the commando and move via Breda Gun positions and see if Lt Peterson and the rest of No.1 platoon were there.
2200hrs - one man from the patrol with a chest wound arrives at point 264 and reports that the patrol has been shot up near Fork Road. They did not find Lt Peterson. Brigade orders no one to leave point 246 until further notice. Rain was heavy all night, the company soaked.
At 0645 the 40th commando reports they have the patrol, all wounded. At 0700 Lt Peterson using 40th commando radio reports himself and 2 other ranks okay.
12th Oct- Company moved off point 264, relieved by 40th Commando.
1430hrs Company sailed to Italy.
6th October - Company was moved by road to Brindisi and arrived at 1100rs. At 1400 the company sailed for Albania.
6th Oct, 2400hrs - Company arrives at Sugar beach [Sarande], by 0500 all company had disembarked and moved 250mtrs inland and pitched bivouac tents.
7th, 0900 - Officer commanding Parachute Company [Major Hudson] attended a conference at Brigade HQ, orders issued; on the 9th Oct at 0400hrs Sarande which was held by 200 germans and a coastal Battery was to be attacked. From the North British No;2Commando and the Levy Parachute Company from the South. Partisans were to hold the town of Delvue Ten Miles away which was occupied by 300 Germans.The company was to land by Infantry Landing Crafts at 0415hrs on Parachute Beach and to attack and secure Pt. 264.
7th, 1930hrs - Platoon commanders, Lieutenant Reeves and Lt Sherwood reconnoiter landing beach by small boat. From 1930 to 2000, the company came under Shellfire on the beach, no casualties reported.
8th Oct, 0900 - All British officer’s and senior Assyrian Officer RAB Emma Lazar Adam taken by boat to Yoke beach then climbed to point 507 for a look at point 264, returned at 1700.
9th Oct,0930 - the company paraded opposite their Landing crafts [six boats] and issued with Rum rations. At 0200 the Company sailed for two hours to reach the starting point.
At 0400 hrs Company lands at Parachute beach, with overcast sky and ground visibility Ten Yards, the landing was silent and successful.
Number 2 platoon [Assyrian] headed the advance up the slope followed ten minutes later, on its right flank by No. 3 platoon [Kurdish]. During the accent, 3 platoon drifted too far to the right and lost contact with 2 platoon. Captain E Clark was sent to tell platoon to swing back to the left. No; 2 platoon now moved up what should have been no.3 platoons line of advance. Now the company formation was; no.2 platoon in lead, No. 3 platoon right rear, No. 1 platoon left rear, H.Q. and Mortars at rear, rain began to fall as company advanced.
At 0430 Enemy light machinegun opened up on the left flank, No. 1 platoon went in and overran the position sending back prisoners. At 0500 [First light] No2 and 3 platoons engaged enemy posts, overran their positions and sent back more prisoners. 0530- No 2 platoon arrived on the right side of first objective [point 254] and came under heavy fire but could not locate enemy positions, engaged enemy among the ruins, they pushed on and arrived at the right side of main objective [point 264] at 0650hrs and came under fire from Breda 20mm Guns, firing explosive shells. No.1 platoon moved up the left flank, came under long-range enemy fire; they pushed on and arrived on the left side of point 264 at 0730.
Mortar platoon and HQ also arrived at that time. Company was then accidentally machine-gunned by a spitfire. No. 3 platoon moving up on the right flank engaged odd enemy positions and overran them. Before they reached the main objective however, they came under Breda Gun fire and were pinned down. They were then ordered to move off the right slope to the left slope behind No. 1 platoon. They arrived at 0830 and took up positions previously held by No1 platoon.
No 1 platoon releived, moved off to recce Breda Gun positions. At 1030 four prisoners arrived with escort from No;1 platoon, escort said the platoon was moving towards Sarande. Orders were quickly sent out to inform them not to enter Sarande but to return to point 264. At 1100hrs the Runner returned and said he could not locate No.1 platoon.
1200hrs - One wounded soldier from No.1 platoon arrives at point 264 and reports that Lt Peterson and the platoon has been shot up and all were dead or wounded. Brigade was informed of the situation, orders were issued that no one was to leave point 264. At Approximately 1500hrs RAB 50 Shlimon and three other ranks were brought in from No.1 platoon, all badly wounded.
1600hrs- point 264 came under Mortar fire; No.4 Assyrian Mortar platoon came into action and silenced the Guns with twenty bombs. All wounded and POW’s [96] were evacuated off point 264.
1700hrs- Sarande falls, enemy defeated. Brigade orders a patrol to be sent out to make contact with British 40th commando at fork Road. At 1715, platoon commander Lt Sherwood, Sergeant Hormis Youkhana and three other ranks were ordered to go and make contact with the commando and move via Breda Gun positions and see if Lt Peterson and the rest of No.1 platoon were there.
2200hrs - one man from the patrol with a chest wound arrives at point 264 and reports that the patrol has been shot up near Fork Road. They did not find Lt Peterson. Brigade orders no one to leave point 246 until further notice. Rain was heavy all night, the company soaked.
At 0645 the 40th commando reports they have the patrol, all wounded. At 0700 Lt Peterson using 40th commando radio reports himself and 2 other ranks okay.
12th Oct- Company moved off point 264, relieved by 40th Commando.
1430hrs Company sailed to Italy.
Sugar Beach the day before the attack
Sugar Beach in 2005
Port of Sarande in 2005 and 1944
killed in action
Sgt Odisho Sulaka
Sgt Youkhana Sliwo
Cpl Youkhana Mikhail
L/C Lazar Loko
Wounded in action
17 wounded
Died of wounds 2
Captured
97 prisoners.
Medium Machineguns - 4
Light Machineguns -6
Heavy Mortar -1
2 inch Mortars - 4
below; I visited Sarande on the 13th Oct 2017
I need to confirm if the heavy gun position is German or a latter addition.
Sgt Odisho Sulaka
Sgt Youkhana Sliwo
Cpl Youkhana Mikhail
L/C Lazar Loko
Wounded in action
17 wounded
Died of wounds 2
Captured
97 prisoners.
Medium Machineguns - 4
Light Machineguns -6
Heavy Mortar -1
2 inch Mortars - 4
below; I visited Sarande on the 13th Oct 2017
I need to confirm if the heavy gun position is German or a latter addition.