Ronald Apps recalled, Execution and cancellation Late in the afternoon of 26 September 1940, War Nizam and Oakfield set sail from Sheerness and headed towards Calais and War Nawab set sail from Portsmouth to Boulogne. A diversionary bombardment by the RAF was also ordered against Ostend. A number of destroyers, motor torpedo boats and other vessels escorted the fireships. Agar commanded the operation from the destroyer . An unfavourable wind blew up and Oakfield soon dropped out; a little later War Nizam suffered boiler problems, leaving only War Nawab to continue. Unwilling to sacrifice the element of surprise and under orders from Churchill not to hesitate to call things off if the plan did not go well, Agar cancelled the operation. The recall reached Nawab from Boulogne. Another attempt was made on 3 October, this was thwarted by bad weather, as was an attempt for the following night. On the night of 7/8 October, an acoustic mine damaged an escorting destroyer with Agar on board; the convoy scattered and the destroyer limped home. Plans were made for another attempt in early November but by then Hitler had postponed Operation Sealion and the Admiralty correspondingly postponed Operation Lucid. The plan was revived in the spring of 1941 but never put into action. War Nawab continued in service as an oil hulk until being broken up in 1958. In 1962, her ship's bell was remounted on the quarterdeck of the Royal New Zealand Navy's Sea Cadet unit based at Wanganui on New Zealand's North Island. See also List of Royal Fleet Auxiliary ship names British anti-invasion preparations of World War II References Notes General references Collections – an online archive of wartime memories contributed by members of the public and gathered by the BBC. Lucid Military history of the United Kingdom during World War II