Dieppe Raid

The raid across the English Channel (Operation Jubilee, 19 Aug 1942) on Dieppe, a small port on the French coast between Le Havre and Boulogne, was planned as a "reconnaissance in force" to test the defences of Hitler's continental fortress and the capability of the Western Allies to launch large-scale amphibious assaults against his Festung Europa (Fortress Europe). It was a major disaster; only the battle-hardened British commandos assigned to subdue the coast artillery batteries near Varengeville and Berneval enjoyed some success. Troops of the 2nd Canadian Infantry Division under Major-General J.H. Roberts, landing on the Dieppe esplanade, at Puys, 1.6 km east, and Pourville, 3 km west, failed to achieve any of their objectives.

The raid lasted only 9 hours, but among nearly 5000 Canadian soldiers involved more than 900 were killed and 1874 taken prisoner - more prisoners than the army lost in the 11 months of the 1944-45 NW Europe campaign. Two Canadians, the Honorable Captain J.W. Foote of the Royal Hamilton Light Infantry and Lieutenant-Colonel C.C. Merritt, commanding officer of the South Saskatchewan Regiment, received the VICTORIA CROSS.

In the air battle the Allies lost 106 aircraft and 81 airmen, the RCAF 13 machines and 10 pilots. German casualties were light, although they could ill afford the loss of 48 aircraft. For the Allies, the raid did provide valuable experience for subsequent amphibious assaults in North Africa, Italy and, most notably, NORMANDY on 6 June 1944.

Although it has been suggested that the Germans had prior knowledge of the raid, there is much evidence to the contrary. The enemy was alert but not forewarned, and failure was primarily caused by poor and overly complex planning, inadequate training, insufficient fire support, and the employment of troops undergoing their baptism of fire.

Author BRERETON GREENHOUS

Links to Other Sites
Through a Lens: Dieppe in Photography and Film
The horrors of war are clearly depicted in this collection of old photographs and newsreels about the disastrous Allied raid on Dieppe in the Second World War. From Library and Archives Canada.

The 1942 Raid on Dieppe
An extensive website devoted to the Canadian military participation in the 1942 Raid on Dieppe, a pivotal moment in the Second World War. From Veterans Affairs Canada.

The Dieppe Raid
The compelling story of Canada's role in the 1942 Dieppe Raid. From the website for the Juno Beach Centre.

The Contentious Legacy of Dieppe
A CBC Archives feature about the Canadian troops who were sent to raid the French coast at Dieppe.

Dieppe Bar
About the Dieppe Bar, awarded to those who participated in the Dieppe Raid on August 19, 1942. From Veterans Affairs Canada.

The Memory Project: Dieppe Raid
At this site, you can listen to a collection of interviews in which Canadian veterans provide remarkable first-hand accounts of their wartime military service. See also related digitized artefacts and memorabilia. From the Historica Dominion Institute.