# Operation Washing

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Destruction Operation

The Asopos viaduct being rebuilt, October 1944

v t e Greek resistance Mainland Greece Drama Ryka Mikro Chorio ESPO bombing Leivadi Gorgopotamos Bridge Fardykambos Meritsa Porta Animals Kournovo Tunnel Asopos Bridge Sarantaporos 22 July 1943 Athens protest Execution of Josef Salminger 200 of Kaisariani Kokkinia Menina Karoutes Crete (Cretan resistance) Albumen Trahili Damasta Kidnapping of Heinrich Kreipe World War II in Albania South Albania

**Operation Washing** was the successful destruction of the railway bridge over the [Asopos River](/source/Asopos_(Boeotia))[1] in [Central Greece](/source/Central_Greece_(geographic_region)) by four British [SOE](/source/Special_Operations_Executive) saboteurs. It took place on 21 June 1943, as part of [Operation Animals](/source/Operation_Animals).[2] The British agents included [Geoffrey Gordon-Creed](/source/Geoffrey_Gordon-Creed) and New Zealander [Donald Stott](/source/Donald_Stott). This was detailed in the book *Rogue Male* by Roger Field. In 1943, British forces planned a daring mission to destroy the heavily guarded Asopos viaduct in Greece, aiming to disrupt German railway communications. The mission, led by Captain Gordon-Creed and a small team, would prove to be a remarkable feat of sabotage.

## Background and Planning

The Asopos viaduct was one of three key bridges in Greece vital to German supply lines.[3] In 1942, a British sabotage mission targeted the [Gorgopotamos](/source/Gorgopotamos_(river)) viaduct, but [Asopos](/source/Asopos_(Boeotia)) remained a priority for destruction. In May 1943, Brigadier Myers ordered its elimination. Captain Edmonds led the operation, supported by Greek partisans and New Zealand soldiers, including Lieutenant [Don Stott](/source/Donald_Stott) and Sergeant Bob Morton, who were known for their resilience in special operations.[4] Edmonds set up headquarters in Anatoli, a remote village strategically located for covert activities. From there, they conducted reconnaissance, making plans for Operation "Washing" to cripple German supply lines.

## The Challenges of the Asopos Gorge

The Asopos viaduct was an imposing structure, spanning a sheer gorge and guarded by a heavily fortified position. Despite the risks, Edmonds and his team, including sapper officers like Gordon-Creed and Stott, were determined to succeed. However, their first attempt to infiltrate the gorge in early June met with extreme difficulties. The team struggled against freezing waters, sheer cliffs, and multiple waterfalls, lacking the necessary equipment. Exhausted and demoralized, they returned to regroup. While waiting for reinforcements and additional supplies, the team participated in [Operation ANIMALS](/source/Operation_Animals), which was designed to divert German attention ahead of the [Allied invasion of Sicily](/source/Allied_invasion_of_Sicily). Morton, who had been assigned a separate mission, missed the final attempt.

## The Final Attempt

On June 15, Stott, Mutch, and Khouri set out with the necessary equipment for the final assault. They navigated the treacherous gorge, felled a tree to create a makeshift bridge over a waterfall, and fought through freezing waters. After days of struggle, Stott finally spotted the Asopos viaduct just 100 yards ahead. Observing German workers reinforcing the structure, he quickly retreated and sent a message to Edmonds, informing him that access to the viaduct was feasible via workers' steps carved into the cliffside. Encouraged by this success, Edmonds immediately dispatched the rest of the team to join them.

## Setting the Charges

On June 18, the team, now complete with Scott and McIntyre, made their way under the viaduct. They worked silently and swiftly, aware that any noise could alert the guards. The tension was palpable, as even the smallest sound seemed amplified in the stillness. At one point, a loose rivet fell, torturing the men as it clattered down. A searchlight swept across the area, and they held their breath, barely avoiding detection. After two hours of meticulous work, the explosives were set. Multiple failsafes ensured that the charges would go off as planned. The "time pencils," which triggered the explosion, were crushed, initiating a timed detonation. The men then quickly descended and began their climb back up the gorge, anxious about the impending explosion.

## The Climb and the Explosion

The climb was grueling. Exhausted and freezing, the men pushed their bodies to the limit, knowing they had little time to escape. They checked their watches constantly, but the hours dragged on, with no explosion in sight. The time limit approached, but still, nothing happened. The men questioned whether something had gone wrong. However, after nearly two hours of uncertainty, a bright flash lit up the gorge, confirming the success of the mission. Though the roar of the stream drowned out any sound, the men knew the viaduct had been destroyed.

## Aftermath and Recognition

The following morning, Stott confirmed the success of the mission from his vantage point on the northern cliff, where he saw the Germans in disarray. Initially, they suspected the sabotage was an internal error, and several guards were executed. It wasn’t until five days later, when a rope ladder made of parachute cord was found, that the Germans realized they had been attacked by saboteurs. The German attempt to rebuild the viaduct was disastrous. An engineer brought in to supervise the reconstruction oversaw the building of a new structure. However, when the framework was being connected, the entire structure collapsed, killing the engineer and many of his workers.

## Awards and recognition

In the aftermath of the mission, Captain Edmonds filed detailed reports to ensure the team received recognition for their extraordinary efforts. While Brigadier Myers initially recommended Stott for the [Distinguished Service Order](/source/Distinguished_Service_Order) (DSO), he later revised his recommendation for a [Victoria Cross](/source/Victoria_Cross) (VC) after learning more about Stott’s role. Ultimately, Stott was awarded the DSO, while Gordon-Creed also received the DSO. Scott and McIntyre were awarded the [Military Cross](/source/Military_Cross) (MC), Mutch received the [Military Medal](/source/Military_Medal) (MM), and Khouri was awarded the bar to his MM. The demolition of the Asopos viaduct became one of the most celebrated acts of sabotage during the war, exemplifying the bravery and ingenuity of the soldiers involved.

## References

1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** ["Asopos 1908 Viaduct"](https://www.highestbridges.com/wiki/index.php?title=Asopos_1908_Viaduct). *www.highestbridges.com*. 10 Dec 2018.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEMeyer2009138_2-0)** [Meyer 2009](#CITEREFMeyer2009), p. 138.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** ["Asopos 1943 Viaduct"](https://www.highestbridges.com/wiki/index.php?title=Asopos_1943_Viaduct).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** ["Auch Brücken haben ihr Schicksal"](http://www.hfmeyer.com/german/veroeffentlichungen/bruecken/rezensionen.html). *www.hfmeyer.com*.

## External links

- [The Destruction of Asopos Railway Bridge - Operation 'Washing' 20-21.06.1943](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xu9REoJf8tw)

## Sources

- Field, Roger; Gordon-Creed, Geoffrey (2011). [*Rogue Male: Death and Seduction in World War II with Geoffrey Gordon-Creed*](https://archive.org/details/roguemaledeathse0000fiel). Coronet. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-1-4447-0633-8](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-1-4447-0633-8).

- Meyer, Hermann Frank (2009). *Von Wien nach Kalavryta: Die blutige Spur der 117. Jäger-Division durch Serbien und Griechenland* [*From Vienna to Kalavryta: The Bloody Trail of the 117th Jäger Division Across Serbia and Greece*] (in German). Mannheim: Bibliopolis. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-3-941336-10-0](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-3-941336-10-0).

v t e Greece during World War II 1940–1941 Balkans Campaign Greco-Italian War (1940–1941) Battles Pindus Elaia–Kalamas Korçë Saranda Morava–Ivan Himara Klisura Pass Trebeshina Italian spring offensive Hill 731 Leaders Greece Ioannis Metaxas Alexandros Papagos Charalambos Katsimitros Konstantinos Davakis Markos Drakos and Ioannis Pitsikas Dimitrios Papadopoulos Georgios Kosmas Italy Benito Mussolini Galeazzo Ciano Sebastiano Visconti Prasca Ubaldo Soddu Ugo Cavallero Carlo Geloso Units Greece 8th Infantry Division Epirus Army Section Western Macedonia Army Section Italy 9th Army 11th Army German invasion (April–May 1941) Battles Operation Lustre Metaxas Line Vevi Kleisoura Pass Thermopylae Crete Leaders Greece King George II Alexandros Papagos Konstantinos Bakopoulos Georgios Tsolakoglou British Commonwealth Henry Maitland Wilson Thomas Blamey Bernard Freyberg Germany Wilhelm List Sepp Dietrich Kurt Student Units Greece Eastern Macedonia Army Section Central Macedonia Army Section Epirus Army Section British Commonwealth 1st Armoured Brigade 2nd New Zealand Division 6th Australian Division Germany XVIII Army Corps XXXX Panzer Corps Luftflotte 4 1st Parachute Division 5th Mountain Division Occupation and collaboration Occupying powers Leaders and commands Germany Günther Altenburg Hermann Neubacher Walter Schimana Alexander Löhr Army Group E Hellmuth Felmy LXVIII Army Corps Hubert Lanz XXII Mountain Corps Alexander Andrae, Bruno Bräuer and Friedrich-Wilhelm Müller Fortress Crete Max Merten Italy Angelico Carta Pellegrino Ghigi Piero Parini Carlo Geloso and Carlo Vecchiarelli 11th Army III Army Corps [it] VIII Army Corps XXVI Corps Bulgaria Ivan Markov [bg] Trifon Trifonov [bg] Asen Sirakov Atrocities Missiria Kondomari Kandanos Alikianos Doxato Mousiotitsa Kommeno Kalavryta Lingiades Distomo Domenikon Drakeia Cephalonia (Acqui Division) Mesovouno Pyrgoi Vorizia Viannos Kallikratis Kali Sykia Anogeia Kedros Kleisoura Haidari concentration camp Larissa concentration camp 200 of Kaisariani Chortiatis Economic exploitation Great Famine GWRA Hyperinflation DEGRIGES Compulsory loan Occupation Reichsmark [el] The Holocaust Bulgarian-occupied Greece Thessaloniki Zvi Koretz Jewish cemetery of Salonica Baron Hirsch ghetto Expropriation of property Rescue of the Jews of Zakynthos Collaborationist government People Georgios Tsolakoglou K. 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Operations ESPO bombing Gorgopotamos Bridge (Operation "Harling") Agia Kyriaki Milia Skala Paramythias Execution of Josef Salminger Xirovouni Trahili Menina Dodona Atrocities Expulsion of Cham Albanians British Military Mission (SOE) People Eddie Myers Monty Woodhouse Patrick Leigh Fermor Bill Stanley Moss Themis Marinos George Psychoundakis Jerzy Iwanow-Szajnowicz Operations Operation "Albumen" Gorgopotamos Bridge (Operation "Harling") Operation "Animals" Asopos Bridge (Operation "Washing") Kidnapping of Heinrich Kreipe Damasta sabotage Greek government-in-exile Greek government in exile Events/Battles Mareth Line El Alamein Wadi Akarit Dodecanese April 1944 mutiny Rimini Symi Santorini People King George II Emmanouil Tsouderos Sofoklis Venizelos Panagiotis Kanellopoulos Thrasyvoulos Tsakalotos Christodoulos Tsigantes Pafsanias Katsotas Greek Armed Forces in the Middle East 3rd Mountain Brigade Sacred Band Vasilissa Olga Adrias Katsonis Papanikolis Squadrons 13th 335th 336th Liberation and road to the Civil War Prelude to Civil War Events National Bands Agreement Plaka agreement [el] Red Terror Lebanon Conference Caserta Agreement Operation "Manna" Percentages agreement Dekemvriana Treaty of Varkiza White Terror People Ronald Scobie Georgios Papandreou Archbishop Damaskinos Georgios Grivas Angelos Evert Nikos Zachariadis Commemoration Events Ohi Day Museums Athens War Museum Holocaust Museum of Greece Kalavryta Massacre Museum Kalpaki War Museum Museum of the Battle of Crete and the National Resistance Thessaloniki War Museum Popular culture Aera! Aera! Aera! Captain Corelli's Mandolin film Ill Met by Moonlight film Ipolochagos Natassa Mediterraneo The 11th Day: Crete 1941 The Guns of Navarone film What Did You Do in the War, Thanasis?

[38°47′01″N 22°25′57″E / 38.78361°N 22.43250°E / 38.78361; 22.43250](https://geohack.toolforge.org/geohack.php?pagename=Operation_Washing&params=38_47_01_N_22_25_57_E_)

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Operation Washing](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Washing) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Washing?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.