Egyptian Chronicles: Operation Musketeer "part 1" {updated}

updates :I am sorry that I publish this again but I just want to remind you with it plus I found new information about the war , I didn't find it before in any western Internet source plus I felt there are some un needed details people won't be interested in it again

We are back in our history lessons ,I am sorry if you don't like history , but I feel must do as paying respect to all my great country people who paid the price of this war

of course if you are following my "1956 war" post series ,you will know immediately that Operation Musketeer was the code name of the military operation UK and France made against Egypt in order to restore back their control on Suez Canal

The first part of the plan or the agreement between France,UK and Israel under the title of Operation Kadesh went fine and the Israelis succeeded in invading Sinai and Gaza Strip and at the same time committing the Kafr Kassam massacre "All that in short time !!"

And now it was the turn of the two ex-powers of the world which didn't realize yet that they became ex-powers and another two countries took their positions

Operation Musketeer was the English and french play , as soon as Israel did it role and invades Sinai,they would act ,both would intervene and instruct both the Egyptian and Israeli armies to withdraw their forces to a distance of 16 KM from either sides of the canal that the shores of the Suez Gulf , then they would place an Anglo-french forces intervention in the canal Zone , that this from PortSaid to Suez !!

Of course after the Israeli invasion on the 29th of October 1956 they offered Nasser this option and it wasn't an option more than order , and of course he refused , why on earth he would accept a reoccupation to his country , he got an army that could defend his land "at least that what logic says" and thus he had to pay the consequences of this refusal, it was a clear announcement of war and invasion to UK and France and that' what they wanted plus Already I believe that they already that's was going to happen , yes in planning you put all the scenarios that can possibly happen , but I believe they knew that Nasser would refuse and there would be a fight

They also gave him a deadline to the 6.30 am in the next day in the 30 of October ,I believe it was only 12 hours period because they issued their warning in the noon of the 29th , anyway they already knew the answer in advance

and that's why both Countries gathered those large numbers of troops to support the invasion, large air forces had been deployed to Cyprus and Malta by the UK and France and many aircraft carriers were deployed. The two airbases on Cyprus were so congested that a third field which was in dubious condition had to be brought into use for French aircraft. Even RAF Luqa on Malta was extremely crowded with RAF Bomber Command aircraft. The UK deployed the aircraft carriers HMS Eagle, Albion and Bulwark and France had the Arromanches and Lafayette on station. In addition, HMS Ocean and Theseus acted as jumping-off points for Britain's helicopter-borne assault (the world's first). In fact I was amazed when I see the list of troops of UK and France here in this historical report

despite what we know that the Anglo-french aggression started on the 31st of October , yet the french did start their attack on the 29th of October in parallel with the Israeli's .The attack began as French paratroops were dropped from Nord-1500 Noratlases over Sinai. Some F-86Fs of the French Air Force also took part in the operation from Ramat-David and Lod-Tel Aviv AFBs. They especially struck tanks and eighteen Llyouchine-28s on October 30th.

On 31st October,after the waiting period was finished the war officially started between UK,France and Egypt, with RAF aircraft already pounding Egypt, A Royal Navy Task Force left Malta comprised of H.M.S. Eagle, H.M.S. Albion and H.M.S. Bulwark carrying Fleet Air Arm aircraft and H.M.S. Ocean and H.M.S. Thesues carrying helicopters and troops bound for the beaches. The LST Lofoten, with men and equipment of No.45 Commando onboard, also accompanied the fleet with its escort of destroyers and frigates.

On November 1st, The french CC Georges Leygues (C 604) supported Israeli artillery at Rafah.French Corsairs took off from the CVL Lafayette in order to try to strike an Egyptian DD ; but without success. A second strike took off from the CVL, and struck Alexandria AFB."It seems to that the French were aiding the IDF so much "

updated :

on the same day the british cruiser H.M.S Newfoundland encountered an unknown contact while it was on the southern end of the canal zone , the unknown contact was Domiat, an Egyptian warship ,the British sources say that it was a frigate while the Egyptian ones say that it was a training warship , well I will believe the Egyptian Sources ,not because I am bias to my navy records but according to another western sources Egypt didn't own this type of warship in the 20th century !!!

I am going to speak later about Domiat and about the Egyptian side of the story later

also the in On the same day the french sunk the Egyptian Warship "DD" {Ibrahim El- Awal"} off Haifa Shore "going to check this too"

The diplomatic relations between, UK and France were cut off , come on it was war !! President Nasser also announced himself as the Military ruler on the country as we were having a war plus nationalizing over1500 establishment owned by the French,British and Australians as their prime minister was the envoy sent to the Egypt from UK

On November the 2nd ,the UN issued its order to cease the fire and stop the war , of course Egypt welcomed it but the trio didn't agree on it except on the 6th of November after the invasion

On November 3rd, Eighteen french aircraft coming from the CVL Lafayette and the CV Arromanches struck Cairo airfield. "CVL:Air craft carrier type" . They also struck different military places for the Egyptian army in the Canal Zone, Egypt in the same time, at the same time the orders came to the Egyptians to sink 5 ships in the Suez Canal to prevent any attempt of invasion from the Suez Canal like what happened in 1882 , when the great leader Orabi asked Delspus to block and close the Canal thus the British forces which failed till then to invade Egypt from the north not from the east and of course the Delspus said his famous lie which cost Egypt its independence when he assured to Orabi that no British soldier would come from the Canal , and unfortunately Orabi believed him ............

Anyway in the western sources they said that we sunk over 50 ships or sometimes more and sometimes even less ,I don't know which is true number !!??

On the 4th of November a very important battleship took place but I would like to include it in other post

Despite all these attacks the invasion wasn't started yet to be honest ,invading Suez Canal Zone , the primary target of that aggressive Musketeer

I believe the Musketeer began his suicidal adventure on the 5th of November

This is the end of part 1 in the operation Musketeer inshallah ,I will start soon Musketeer two under the title Ya Jamil o'Jamil :)