they surrendered. The last objective was the castle just above the harbour where fire was concentrated with Vickers machine guns and mortars opening up on the battlements. While crossing a bridge SBS men became pinned down and had to stay there for a while. Fighting was bitter and the majority of the casualties were taken in this area, but mortar fire was concentrated on the castle. A captured German officer and a Royal naval Lieutenant seconded to the SBS called out for the castle to surrender and after three hours of further fighting an Italian Carabinieri unit walked out and surrendered. Further inland, the German position in Panormitis Monastery was attacked and the men driven out, who only surrendered when they came to a promontory by the sea. The island was thus secured and mopping up was done on other possible strong points on the island. With this consolidation, the SBS began planting demolition charges on gun emplacements, ammunition, fuel and explosive dumps. Even the harbour wasn't spared: altogether nineteen German caiques, some displacing 150 tons, were destroyed. During this time the Luftwaffe made a number of attacks on the island but to little effect. With all objectives taken it was decided to evacuate the island and the Greeks and the SBS withdrew with the booty and prisoners. A small section of SBS remained on the island until the last possible moment. Two German motor launches attempted to land but the SBS opened fire, setting the two ships on fire as they tried to withdraw. The last of the men to leave on a barge ran into an E-Boat but with enough captured weapons and ammunition they were able to open fire and sink the vessel for no loss. Aftermath Operation Tenement was completely successful and gained far more achievements than it set out. For the Germans the raid forced them to put more troops in the area and as a result a much larger garrison was placed on Symi. The raid was the last of its kind in the Aegean for the SBS and as a result the Greek Sacred Band took over the role of raiding in the Aegean as they were now fully trained and politically reliable. In August 1944 the SBS joined the Long Range Desert Group in further operations in the Adriatic, on the Peloponnese, in Albania, and, finally, Istria. So effective were they that