page_title: Operation Abstention
section_title: 25 February
hierarchical_section_title: Operation Abstention / Battle / 25 February
context_page_description: Operation Abstention was a code name given to a British invasion of the Italian island of Kastelorizo off the Turkish Aegean coast, during the Second World War, in late February 1941. The goal was to establish a torpedo-boat base to challenge Italian naval and air supremacy on the Greek Dodecanese islands. The British landings were challenged by Italian land, air and naval forces, which forced the British troops to re-embark amidst some confusion and led to recriminations between the British commanders for underestimating the Italians.
context_section_description: Before dawn, fifty of the commandos landed from ten whaleboats on Nifti Point, south of the settlement, while the Royal Marines occupied the harbour. The landings were supported by the submarine HMS Parthian, which had previously made a reconnaissance of the landing points and acted as a beacon for the incoming ships. The Italian garrison on Kastelorizo consisted of 35 soldiers and agents of the Guardia di Finanza in charge of a wireless station. The commandos ambushed an Italian patrol on the truck between Nifti Point and the port, killing two soldiers and wounding one. The British surprised the garrison, seized the radio outpost and inflicted 13 casualties, including twelve prisoners, the rest of the commandos coming ashore during the action. Before being overrun, the Italians had managed to send a message to Rhodes, the main Italian air and naval base in the Dodecanese. Ammiraglio di Divisione (Vice Admiral) Luigi Biancheri, commander of the Italian naval forces in the Aegean Sea reacted swiftly. From 08:00 and 09:30, aircraft of the Regia Aeronautica (Italian Royal Air Force) raided the harbour castle and the main hills of the island, where the commandos were dug in. Ladybird was struck by a bomb and three sailors were wounded. Short of fuel, Ladybird re-embarked the Royal Marines and made for Haifa, which cut the radio link of the commandos with Alexandria. After communications breakdowns and other mishaps, the follow-up force from Cyprus was diverted to Alexandria.
caption: Map of the South-eastern Aegean Sea
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