Dieppe raid
The Dieppe Raid, also known as Operation Jubilee, took place on August 19, 1942, and was a significant but ultimately unsuccessful Allied military operation during World War II. Aimed at testing German defenses and gaining experience for future invasions, the raid involved a large contingent of Canadian troops, supplemented by British commandos and smaller numbers of American and Free French forces. The operation was originally scheduled for July 7 but was postponed due to bad weather, and the plan was eventually executed under the command of Vice Admiral Louis Mountbatten.
The assault targeted several beaches near the port of Dieppe in northern France, but it faced immediate challenges, including the loss of the element of surprise against German forces. Despite some initial successes, such as the destruction of enemy artillery batteries, Canadian troops were heavily pinned down by gunfire and suffered significant losses. Of the approximately 6,086 Allied soldiers involved, around 3,623 were either killed, wounded, or captured, while German casualties were notably lower, totaling fewer than 600.
The Dieppe Raid highlighted the strengths of German defenses and underscored the need for better planning for combined operations. The lessons learned from this failed operation were crucial in shaping the strategies for the successful D-Day landings in Normandy in 1944.
Dieppe raid
The Event Failed Allied operation resulting in significant Canadian casualties
Also Known As Operation Jubilee
Date August 19, 1942
Place Dieppe, France
The failure of the Dieppe raid taught the Allies valuable lessons about German defenses in continental Europe, while also convincing British prime minister Winston Churchill of the necessity of postponing the Allies’ planned invasion of northern France—a delay that American military leaders opposed.
After the failed British landing at Dunkirk in mid-1940, the evacuated troops were returned to England, where they were joined by a steady influx of new troops from Canada. After 1941, American troops began joining them in anticipation of an eventual major invasion of northern France, which was occupied by Nazi Germany. Before the major invasion could be mounted, the Allied leaders wanted to gain some invasion experience in France, so they could learn as much as possible about German military strategy and possible German defensive actions against invasion. In early 1942, plans were made to launch a trial invasion at Dieppe, a port in northern France, to achieve these limited aims. They were code-named Rutter and planned by Combined Operations HQ and GHQ Home Forces, with Lieutenant General Bernard Montgomery in charge.
The force was initially conceived as consisting entirely of British troops. However, the Canadians waiting in England were growing restless at seeing no action, putting pressure on the British military. Eventually it was decided that the trial invasion should be made by a largely Canadian force, the Second Canadian Division under Major General John Hamilton Roberts. It would be accompanied by British commando units and a token force of Americans and Free French, using the British Royal Force and Royal Navy.
The date for the invasion was set for July 7, 1942, but bad weather on that day forced postponement. Montgomery wanted cancellation, but after his transfer to North Africa, his replacement, Vice Admiral Louis Mountbatten, was persuaded to continue the plan, now code-named Jubilee and scheduled for August 19.
The invasion was launched from five English ports and was aimed at hitting seven different beaches surrounding Dieppe, with covering air and naval operations. From the start, the operation went wrong. The element of surprise was lost when the convoy encountered German sea patrols in the early morning of the invasion. To the east, the British No. 3 Commando managed to knock out the Goebbels battery; to the west, the No. 4 Commando successfully destroyed the Hess battery and took the beaches.
In the center, however, around the port itself, the Canadians were pinned down by unexpectedly heavy gunfire. Their tanks could not get off the shingle beach, and one of the British destroyers was sunk by enemy batteries. In the air, Royal Air Force losses were much higher than those sustained by the Luftwaffe in their vain attempt to lay a smoke screen.
Around 11:00 a.m. the assault was called off. Some Canadian units had managed to penetrate a few miles inland, but they were met by German reinforcements. Evacuation proved difficult with the loss of many landing craft and was not fully effected until about 2:00 p.m. Eventually, of the original 6,086 soldiers, 3,623 were lost, killed, or captured, with the Canadians constituting the majority. By contrast, total German casualties amounted to fewer than 600. All twenty-seven Allied tanks used in the operation were lost.
Impact
The immediate impact of the failed operation was to make Winston Churchill and the other British leaders aware of the strength of the German defenses, especially around port areas. It was also clear that much more planning was needed for such combined operations. Many other more detailed lessons were learned. When the D-day landings in Normandy were planned in 1944, the mistakes at Dieppe were fully rectified.
Bibliography
Neillands, Robin. The Dieppe Raid: The Story of the Disastrous 1942 Expedition. Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 2005.
Thompson, R. W. Dieppe at Dawn: The Story of the Dieppe Raid. London: Hutchinson, 1956.