Operation Pussyfoot

'Pussyfoot' was a British abortive special forces raid on the island of Herm in the German-occupied Channel Islands group by the Small Scale Raiding Force, called off as a result of fog (3/4 April 1943).

Ordered in 23 March 1943 for implementation on the first suitable night in the period between 29 March and 12 April, 'Pussyfoot' was designed to land a 10-man party of of the Small Scale Raiding Force on the western end of the island (opposite the end visited by the SSRF in 'Backchat') to reconnoitre the village there and, if possible, capture one of more Germans for return to the UK for interrogation. A companion raid was to be made at the same time as 'Catswhiskers' on the neighbouring island of Brechou, and a comparable 'Kleptomania' on the Ile d’Ouessant off the western tip of Brittany was proposed for the end of April or the beginning of May.

The SSRF party departed Portland in MTB-344 at 19.45 on 3 April, but returned at 04.07 on 4 April as navigation across the English Channel was impossible in thick fog.

This was the last operation by the SSRF before it was absorbed into other special forces units.