Radfan Campaign
{{Short description|Series of British military actions in Yemen}}
{{Infobox military conflict
| conflict = Radfan Campaign
| image =
| caption = Radfan mountains and Dhala road
| partof = Aden Emergency
| date = January–May 1964
| place = Radfan
| result = British victory
| combatant1 = {{flagicon|United Kingdom}} United Kingdom
| combatant2 = {{flagicon|Yemen}} NLF
FLOSY
Radfan tribesmen
| commander1 = {{flagicon|United Kingdom}} Gen. John Cubbon
| commander2 = Unknown
| units1 = {{Army|United Kingdom|size=22px}}
22px Royal Marines
22px Royal Air Force
| units2 = Unknown
| strength1 = 1,000+ troops
45 marines
| strength2 = Unknown
| casualties1 = 4+ killed
| casualties2 =
}}
{{Campaignbox Aden Emergency}}
The Radfan Campaign was a series of British military actions during the Aden Emergency in January–May 1964. It took place in the mountainous Radfan region near the border with the Yemen Arab Republic. Local tribesmen connected with the NLF began raiding the road connecting with Aden with the town of Dhala.
In January 1964 the local army sent three battalions supported by the RAF to restore order. Trouble flared up again and in April British ground troops were sent in; by May they had taken the main rebel stronghold and the revolt had been suppressed. The NLF then switched its attention to Aden itself.[http://www.thehistoryherald.com/Articles/Military-History/Wars-Battles-Campaigns/operation-stirling-castle Jim Keys, "Operation Stirling Castle", History Herald 21 November 2012] accessed 3 November 2013
The first operation in January was known as "Nut cracker". The second one was "Cap Badge".{{cite web |url=http://www.psywar.org/aden.php |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070403060852/http://www.psywar.org/aden.php |archive-date=2007-04-03 |title=ADEN EMERGENCY PSYOP 1963-1967}}
Edwards patrol
The best known action of the Campaign involved a patrol led by Captain Edwards on the 29 April 1964 which came under the attack. It led to the death of Edwards and another soldier, Sapper John Warburton.[https://books.google.com/books?id=EhdqBgAAQBAJ&dq=edwards+patrol+aden&pg=PA100 Aden Insurgency: The Savage War in Yemen 1962-67 by Jonathan Walker, Pen and Sword, 2014 p 100-102] accessed 25 Feb 2015 They were beheaded and their heads displayed in the Yemeni Capital.{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article104291462 |title=British Troops Flown To Aden. |newspaper=The Canberra Times |date=4 May 1964 |accessdate=8 November 2015 |page=1 |via=National Library of Australia}}{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article104291635 |title=U.S. Inquiries In 'Beheading'. |newspaper=The Canberra Times |date=5 May 1964 |accessdate=8 November 2015 |page=1 |via=National Library of Australia}}{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article104293528 |title=2 Soldiers' Beheading Confirmed. |newspaper=The Canberra Times |date=16 May 1964 |accessdate=8 November 2015 |page=5 |via=National Library of Australia}}
British troops then attacked the area and succeeded in capturing rebel positions, although two more British were killed.{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article104292105 |title=BRITISH FORCES OVERRUN REBELS. |newspaper=The Canberra Times |date=7 May 1964 |accessdate=8 November 2015 |page=5 |via=National Library of Australia}}{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article104292319 |title=Britain Reinforcing Middle East Forces. |newspaper=The Canberra Times |date=8 May 1964 |accessdate=8 November 2015 |page=5 |via=National Library of Australia}}
The British went on to use tanks and jets in the fight.{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article104294425 |title=JETS, TANKS STRIKE IN ARABIA. |newspaper=The Canberra Times |date=22 May 1964 |accessdate=8 November 2015 |page=5 |via=National Library of Australia}}
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- [http://www.britains-smallwars.com/Radfan/index.html Radfan] at Britains Small Wars
- [http://www.theargylls.co.uk/adenmap.php Aden Emergency] at the Argylls Website
- [http://www.colonialfilm.org.uk/node/2559 Routine Adventure, a 1964 short documentary about Aden at the time of the Radfan Campaign] at Colonial Film