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Operation Fry (4-5 April 1945) was a minor SBS operation that saw them capture a series of undefended islands in Lake Commachio.
Lake Commachio was on the right flank of the proposed Eighth Army advance towards the Argenta Gap, their contribution to the Allied spring offensive in Italy. The lake was separated from the Adriatic by a narrow spit of land, and contained four small islands. Brigade Tod’s 2nd Commando Brigade was given the task of taking both the spit and the islands. His main forces captured the spit in Operation Roast (1-3 April 1945), but the islands were left to the SBS, under Major Anders Lassen, supported by a group of Italian partisans.
When Lassen’s M Squadron of the SBS crossed to the islands they discovered that they were undefended. Some Germans were later captured as they came to make a regular inspection of the island.
Sadly Lassen was killed a few days later during a raid across Lake Commachio, while approaching a machine gun position on the road between the northern end of the spit and Commachio town. He was awarded a posthumous Victoria Cross for his part in the operation.