Operation Finery
Encyclopedia
Operation Finery was a British
plan for military intervention in Zanzibar
following the 1964 revolution
. It was a replacement for the earlier operations Parthenon
and Boris
, amphibious and airborne assaults. Finery circumvented the reliance of the earlier plans on bases in Kenya, where government and local support for an intervention were not forthcoming. Instead Finery would have utilised the commando carrier HMS Bulwark
to land Royal Marines
on Zanzibar to protect Karume's government. Because of delays in the deployment of Bulwark Finery was supplemented by Operation Shed
, that could be launched at shorter notice. The expected coup did not occur and Finery was scrapped on 29 April 1964, although Operation Shed remained in place.
staged a coup to overthrow the President Abeid Karume
's moderate Afro-Shirazi Party
which controlled the governing Revolutionary Council. The first operation with this objective was Operation Parthenon
which would have used two aircraft carrier
s, four other ships, 34 aircraft and elements of the Scots Guards
, the Parachute Regiment and 45 Commando
of the Royal Marines
to launch an amphibious and airborne assault on the main, southern island of Unguja before taking the northern island of Pemba. Parthenon remained in place until around 20 February when it became known that the forces of the Revolutionary Council may have received military training from communist troops, it was then decided by the British Defence Council that a different mix of forces was required. Thus Parthenon was replaced by Operation Boris
. Boris would have made use of British airfields in Kenya to launch the attack, however it was decided that secrecy could not be maintained in Kenya where some of the population sympathised with the Zanzibaris and so, on 9 April, Operation Finery was developed as a replacement.
from the commando carrier HMS Bulwark
. The plan circumvented the need to operate from Kenya, where secrecy could not be guaranteed and the government did not support intervention, but as Bulwark was required for operations in the Middle East
it would take 14 days for Finery to be launched once it had been ordered. In order to provide a more immediate response plans were put in place for a smaller scale operation which could be launched within 24 hours should evacuation of remaining British citizens in Zanzibar be required. The merger of Zanzibar with Tanganyika to form Tanzania on the 23 April may have provided the catalyst for the Umma Party to attempt a coup and so from around this date Finery was supported by Operation Shed
, an airlift of a battalion of troops, accompanied by scout car
s, to seize Unguja's airfield and protect Karume's government. The expected coup did not occur and Finery was scrapped on 29 April 1964, although Operation Shed remained in place.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
plan for military intervention in Zanzibar
Zanzibar
Zanzibar ,Persian: زنگبار, from suffix bār: "coast" and Zangi: "bruin" ; is a semi-autonomous part of Tanzania, in East Africa. It comprises the Zanzibar Archipelago in the Indian Ocean, off the coast of the mainland, and consists of numerous small islands and two large ones: Unguja , and Pemba...
following the 1964 revolution
Zanzibar Revolution
The Zanzibar Revolution by local African revolutionaries in 1964 overthrew the Sultan of Zanzibar and his mainly Arab government. An ethnically diverse state consisting of a number of islands off the east coast of Tanganyika, Zanzibar had been granted independence by Britain in 1963...
. It was a replacement for the earlier operations Parthenon
Operation Parthenon
Operation Parthenon was a British plan for military intervention in Zanzibar following the 1964 revolution. The operation was authorised by the British Commanders Committee East Africa on 30 January. The main objectives were to restore law and order in Zanzibar and to prevent the radical...
and Boris
Operation Boris
Operation Boris was a British plan for military intervention in Zanzibar following the 1964 revolution. It was devised around 20 February to be used of the radical left-wing Umma Party attempted to take power. It replaced the earlier sea-based Operation Parthenon with a parachute assault launched...
, amphibious and airborne assaults. Finery circumvented the reliance of the earlier plans on bases in Kenya, where government and local support for an intervention were not forthcoming. Instead Finery would have utilised the commando carrier HMS Bulwark
HMS Bulwark (R08)
The sixth HMS Bulwark of the Royal Navy was a 22,000 tonne Centaur-class light fleet aircraft carrier.-Construction:Bulwark was laid down by the Harland & Wolff shipyard in Belfast on 10 May 1945...
to land Royal Marines
Royal Marines
The Corps of Her Majesty's Royal Marines, commonly just referred to as the Royal Marines , are the marine corps and amphibious infantry of the United Kingdom and, along with the Royal Navy and Royal Fleet Auxiliary, form the Naval Service...
on Zanzibar to protect Karume's government. Because of delays in the deployment of Bulwark Finery was supplemented by Operation Shed
Operation Shed
Operation Shed was a British plan for military intervention in Zanzibar following the 1964 Zanzibar revolution. It was one of a series of operations devised by the British to be implemented in the case of an attempt to seize power from President Abeid Karume by the radical left-wing Umma Party...
, that could be launched at shorter notice. The expected coup did not occur and Finery was scrapped on 29 April 1964, although Operation Shed remained in place.
Objectives
The Zanzibar Revolution had occurred on 12 January 1964 and since then British forces had kept a presence in the area to safeguard European citizens. Since 30 January British forces had also been kept on standby to launch a military intervention in the event that the radical left-wing Umma PartyUmma Party (Zanzibar)
The Umma Party was a political party in Zanzibar. It was founded in 1963 from disaffected socialist Arabs from the ruling Zanzibar Nationalist Party. It was led by Abdulrahman Muhammad Babu and supported the Afro-Shirazi Party during the 1964 Zanzibar Revolution. Babu was made Minister of...
staged a coup to overthrow the President Abeid Karume
Abeid Karume
Sheikh Abeid Amani Karume , was the first President of Zanzibar. He obtained this title as a result of a popular revolution which lead to the deposing of the last Sultan in Zanzibar during...
's moderate Afro-Shirazi Party
Afro-Shirazi Party
The Afro-Shirazi Party was the union between the mostly Shiraz Party and the mostly African Afro Party in the island of Zanzibar. The formation of ASP led to the ouster of the Arabs from power with the Zanzibar Revolution in 1964. The party joined with the Tanganyika African National Union to...
which controlled the governing Revolutionary Council. The first operation with this objective was Operation Parthenon
Operation Parthenon
Operation Parthenon was a British plan for military intervention in Zanzibar following the 1964 revolution. The operation was authorised by the British Commanders Committee East Africa on 30 January. The main objectives were to restore law and order in Zanzibar and to prevent the radical...
which would have used two aircraft carrier
Aircraft carrier
An aircraft carrier is a warship designed with a primary mission of deploying and recovering aircraft, acting as a seagoing airbase. Aircraft carriers thus allow a naval force to project air power worldwide without having to depend on local bases for staging aircraft operations...
s, four other ships, 34 aircraft and elements of the Scots Guards
Scots Guards
The Scots Guards is a regiment of the Guards Division of the British Army, whose origins lie in the personal bodyguard of King Charles I of England and Scotland...
, the Parachute Regiment and 45 Commando
45 Commando
45 Commando Royal Marines is a battalion sized unit of the British Royal Marines and subordinate unit within 3 Commando Brigade Royal Marines, the principal Commando formation, under the Operational Command of Commander in Chief Fleet....
of the Royal Marines
Royal Marines
The Corps of Her Majesty's Royal Marines, commonly just referred to as the Royal Marines , are the marine corps and amphibious infantry of the United Kingdom and, along with the Royal Navy and Royal Fleet Auxiliary, form the Naval Service...
to launch an amphibious and airborne assault on the main, southern island of Unguja before taking the northern island of Pemba. Parthenon remained in place until around 20 February when it became known that the forces of the Revolutionary Council may have received military training from communist troops, it was then decided by the British Defence Council that a different mix of forces was required. Thus Parthenon was replaced by Operation Boris
Operation Boris
Operation Boris was a British plan for military intervention in Zanzibar following the 1964 revolution. It was devised around 20 February to be used of the radical left-wing Umma Party attempted to take power. It replaced the earlier sea-based Operation Parthenon with a parachute assault launched...
. Boris would have made use of British airfields in Kenya to launch the attack, however it was decided that secrecy could not be maintained in Kenya where some of the population sympathised with the Zanzibaris and so, on 9 April, Operation Finery was developed as a replacement.
Plan
Finery would have involved a helicopter assault on Unguja, the main base of revolutionary power, by Royal MarinesRoyal Marines
The Corps of Her Majesty's Royal Marines, commonly just referred to as the Royal Marines , are the marine corps and amphibious infantry of the United Kingdom and, along with the Royal Navy and Royal Fleet Auxiliary, form the Naval Service...
from the commando carrier HMS Bulwark
HMS Bulwark (R08)
The sixth HMS Bulwark of the Royal Navy was a 22,000 tonne Centaur-class light fleet aircraft carrier.-Construction:Bulwark was laid down by the Harland & Wolff shipyard in Belfast on 10 May 1945...
. The plan circumvented the need to operate from Kenya, where secrecy could not be guaranteed and the government did not support intervention, but as Bulwark was required for operations in the Middle East
Middle East
The Middle East is a region that encompasses Western Asia and Northern Africa. It is often used as a synonym for Near East, in opposition to Far East...
it would take 14 days for Finery to be launched once it had been ordered. In order to provide a more immediate response plans were put in place for a smaller scale operation which could be launched within 24 hours should evacuation of remaining British citizens in Zanzibar be required. The merger of Zanzibar with Tanganyika to form Tanzania on the 23 April may have provided the catalyst for the Umma Party to attempt a coup and so from around this date Finery was supported by Operation Shed
Operation Shed
Operation Shed was a British plan for military intervention in Zanzibar following the 1964 Zanzibar revolution. It was one of a series of operations devised by the British to be implemented in the case of an attempt to seize power from President Abeid Karume by the radical left-wing Umma Party...
, an airlift of a battalion of troops, accompanied by scout car
Scout car
A scout car is a of military armored reconnaissance vehicle, capable of off-road mobility and often carrying mounted weapons such as machine guns for offensive capabilities and crew protection...
s, to seize Unguja's airfield and protect Karume's government. The expected coup did not occur and Finery was scrapped on 29 April 1964, although Operation Shed remained in place.