RFA Operations since 1905

1942 Operation Stab

Operation STAB was a diversionary operation to suggest landing operations on the Andaman Islands in the Indian Ocean and involved, in part, three Dummy Convoys on passage from Vizagapatam, Madras and Trincomalee towards those islands.

Battleship HMS WARSPITE, HMS ILLUSTRIOUS, HMS FORMIDABLE, HMS EFFINGHAM HMS MAURITIUS and Dutch cruisers HEEMSKERK with destroyer escorts as Force A provided cover for the dummy convoys.

The dummy convoys sailed on 1 August 1942 and Force A was seen by Japanese aircraft.

The dummy convoy from Trincomalee consisted of two merchant ships and 2 RFA’s. They returned to Trincomalee by reversing course, as planned, at 1700Z the same day.

The two RFA ships involved in this Operation were

RFA Appleleaf (1)

RFA Broomdale