The operation failed as Rommel had left the target house weeks earlier and all but two of the commandos who landed were killed or captured.

From October to November 1941, a plan was formulated at Eighth Army headquarters to attack: (data from Jones 2006 unless indicated)[1] Although not specified in the orders, the goal of the raid was to kill or capture Rommel, to disrupt German organisation before the start of Crusader.

Unbeknownst to the planners, Beda Littoria had only briefly been Rommel's headquarters and had been taken over by the chief quartermaster of Panzergruppe Afrika, General Schleusener.

Rommel was not even in North Africa during Flipper, having gone to Rome to request replacements for supply ships sunk by the British.

[2] On 10 November, HMS Torbay carried Keyes, Captain Robin Campbell, Lieutenant Roy Cooke and 25 men.

HMS Talisman transported Laycock, Captain Glennie, Lieutenant David Macbeth Sutherland and 25 men from Alexandria.

On the night of 14/15 November 1941, Keyes' detachment landed on the beach of Khashm al-Kalb (The Dog's Nose), guided by two-man Special Boat Section (SBS) teams in folboats (folding canoes).

Keyes then led his men on a 1,800 ft (550 m) climb, followed by an approach march of 18 mi (29 km) in pitch dark and torrential rain.

According to the source, 2nd Lieutenant Alfredo Sandulli Mercuro and the 3rd Platoon, 2nd Company, 1° Battaglione Paracadutisti Carabinieri Reali encountered what he thought was a band of Arabs hiding along a mountain ridge on 19 November.

When Mercuro's Arabic interpreter called out to them, the Italians were fired on and the paratroopers engaged what they now knew were British commandos, who withdrew to a cave.

Reconstructed by Michael Asher (2004), based on a list by Hans Edelmaier, amended from documentary and witness evidence, with the assistance of the Commando Association [now defunct].

[8] The German historian Hans Edelmaier suggests that Rommel was not the objective of the raid and his name not featuring in the plan supports this.

Keyes' body and those of the four dead Germans were buried with military honours on Rommel's orders in a local Catholic cemetery.

The citation for the award was written by Robert Laycock, who contrary to British military custom, was not a witness to Keyes' actions on the night in which he was killed.