Operation Copper

Operation Copper
Part of World War II
Four of the crew members of Motor Launch (ML) 1321 and NX73110 Sapper (Spr) Edgar Thomas 'Mick' Dennis, Z Special Unit, the only survivor of the ill-fated raid on Muschu Island (off the coast of New Guinea), at Brisbane dockyard; May 1945
Date 11 April 1945 Location Muschu Island, Territory of New Guinea 3°25′0″S 143°34′59″E / 3.41667°S 143.58306°E / -3.41667; 143.58306 Result Japanese victory
Belligerents
Z Special Unit	Imperial Japanese Army Imperial Japanese Navy
Commanders and leaders
	Captain Kiyoshisa Noto[1]
Strength
8	Roughly 1000[2]
Casualties and losses
7

Operation Copper was carried out by the Allied commando unit Z Special Unit, during World War II. The objective of the mission was to investigate the Japanese defences on Muschu Island, capture a Japanese officer for interrogation and discover the location of two naval guns on the island that covered the approaches to Wewak Harbour. Eight commandos were landed as part of the operation; only one survived.