Q&A · 28:28-29:17

HMS Nubian and small-unit island landings

HMS Nubian inserted SBS or Marine parties during Mediterranean island operations, and her own sailors formed an improvised landing party on one occasion.

Question

What did HMS Nubian do when launching special units in the Mediterranean?

Short answer

Nubian inserted SBS or Marine parties during island operations, and on one occasion members of her crew also went ashore to deal with an Italian position.

Notes

HMS Nubian deployed SBS or Royal Marine parties during the Mediterranean campaign's island-clearing phase. These destroyer-borne insertions let small forces reach positions that did not require a large formal landing. On one occasion, Nubian reached another Italian-held island after her embarked specialists had already been committed elsewhere. Members of the ship's own company then went ashore and dealt with the position, showing how a warship's crew could provide an improvised landing party when circumstances demanded it.