although the allies held Defending air superiority by this time , `` luftwaffe '' transports Sending were operating Being_in_operation with impunity during darkness .

Creating Creating an airlift presented Presence the AAF a considerable challenge in 1942 : it had no units trained Education_teaching or equipped Supply for moving Motion cargo , and no airfields existed Presence in the China Burma India Theater ( CBI ) for basing the large number of transports that would be needed .

The raid Attack sank Motion three transports and damaged Damaging several other ships .

Bad weather had delayed Change_event_time the Swedish archipelago fleet and troop transports , which gave Giving the Norwegian fleet and army time to evacuate Escaping the island .

In exchange Exchange for providing Supply troops and transports for the operation , the Portuguese were promised Commitment Guiana as an expansion of their holdings in Brazil for the duration of the conflict .

The more substantial Portuguese contingent consisted Cause_to_be_included of 700 regular soldiers of the colonial Army of Brazil ( led by Lieutenant Colonel Manuel Marques de Elva Portugal ) , 550 marines of the Royal Brigade of the Navy detached in Brazil and several warships to act as transports and provide offshore artillery support .

It failed when seven transports and one storeship were wrecked Destroying and some 850 soldiers drowned Killing in one of the worst naval disasters in British history .