Operation Details

Picket (i)

'Picket' (i) was a British naval undertaking, intended as a diversion for 'Result' (i), in which warplanes of the fleet carrier Ark Royal attacked the Santa Chiara d’Ula hydro-electric dam of Lake Omodeo on the Tirso river on the Italian island of Sardinia (2 February 1941).

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The covering force was provided by Vice Admiral Sir James Somerville’s Gibraltar-based Force 'H', and comprised the battleship Malaya, the battle-cruiser Renown, the light cruiser Sheffield and the destroyers Duncan, Encounter, Fearless, Firedrake, Foresight, Foxhound, Fury, Isis, Jersey and Jupiter.

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The attack on the dam was entrusted to eight Fairey Swordfish bombers of the FAA’s No. 810 Squadron, which launched the aircraft at 05.30 in a position some 60 miles (100 km) to the west of Cape Mannu. As a result of adverse weather, only four of the aircraft reached the target area, and made three attacks in the face of determined anti-aircraft fire. The attack was unsuccessful, and one of the aircraft was shot down.

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The operation was to have been followed by 'Result' (i), but this latter was then cancelled as a result of the continued adverse weather.

Basic Overview

Nations Involved

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Leadership

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Formation

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