On November 5, 1956, British paratroopers drop near Port Said in Egypt, while France sends its own airborne forces to nearby Port Fuad. The landing is part of Operation „Musketeer“ – the Anglo-French military intervention in the Suez Crisis, which began after Egyptian President Gamal Abdel Nasser nationalized the Suez Canal Company.
The British 3rd Battalion of the Parachute Regiment seizes El Gamil airfield near Port Said. French paratroopers take positions in Port Fuad. The following day, British Royal Marines, supported by tanks, begin an amphibious landing at the canal entrance. By the end of the day, additional British airborne forces have been deployed to the area, and the Anglo-French forces begin moving south along the canal.
Nationalization triggers the crisis
The cause of the conflict is Nasser’s decision on July 26, 1956, to nationalize the Suez Canal Company, which had until then been controlled mainly by British and French interests. The Egyptian president sees the revenue from the waterway as a way to finance the construction of the Aswan Dam, after the United States and Britain withdraw their promised financial support for the project.
London and Paris view the nationalization as a threat to their economic and strategic interests. British Prime Minister Anthony Eden says on August 8:
„Our dispute is not with Egypt, still less with the Arab world. It is with Colonel Nasser.“At the same time, France accuses Nasser of supporting insurgents fighting against French rule in Algeria.
Israeli advance precedes the landing
On October 29, Israel begins an advance into the Sinai Peninsula. Two days later, Britain and France issue an ultimatum to Israel and Egypt to end the hostilities and withdraw from the Suez Canal zone. Israel accepts the terms, while Egypt rejects them. Air strikes on Egyptian airfields and military installations follow, and on November 5 the airborne phase of the operation begins.
The military operations initially develop in favor of the Anglo-French forces. They establish a bridgehead near Port Said and begin advancing into the interior of the canal zone. Therefore, the claim that the British forces failed entirely to establish control over Port Said is inaccurate. They seize key positions and parts of the city, but do not achieve the full strategic objective – lasting control over the entire Suez Canal.
External pressure halts the operation
Military success does not translate into a political victory. The United States calls for a ceasefire, while the Soviet Union threatens to intervene. In a telephone conversation with Eden on November 6, U.S. President Dwight Eisenhower notes that he is pleased that the British prime minister has agreed to a ceasefire following the landing. Eden replies: „We took a certain risk, but in my view it was justified.“
Britain and France agree to a ceasefire, which takes effect at midnight on November 6–7. The Anglo-French troops withdraw in December, while Israel leaves the Sinai Peninsula in March 1957. The Suez Canal remains under Egyptian sovereignty and reopens to shipping in April 1957. The crisis deals a severe blow to the international influence of Britain and France and establishes Nasser as a symbol of Arab nationalism.
Sources: nam.ac.uk, history.com, history.state.gov