Dieppe 1942

Operation Jubilee—A Learning Curve

Stephen Wynn

• Publisher: Pen & Sword Military
• Year: 2023
• eBook ISBN:
  9781526714831
• Topic: Histoire
• Subtopic: Seconde Guerre mondiale

On 19 August 1942, an Allied amphibious raid took place on the coastal town of Dieppe in northern France, when a force of some 6,500 infantry soldiers, predominantly Canadian, and supported by a number of tanks were landed by ships of the Royal Navy under a blanket of cover provided by the RAF. The official reason for the raid was to capture the town's port, gather relevant intelligence, and destroy a number of coastal defenses, port structures and other identified buildings. Allied authorities believed the raid would not only provide a much-needed boost to Allied morale, but also demonstrate to Stalin that Britain and the United States were serious in their commitment to opening a second front, in order to help the Soviet army fighting on the Eastern Front. It has also been suggested that the real reason for the raid was to capture a new German 4-rotor Enigma code machine, along with related code books. Whatever the reasons for the raid, it was an unmitigated failure. The German defenses were more formidable than intelligence reports suggested they would be, Allied aerial and naval support was insufficient, meaning soldiers were unable to achieve their objectives, and most of the tanks failed to make it off the beaches. Indeed, due to the unexpected mounting casualties, the decision was taken to cut short the raid and evacuate the remaining men.

Table of contents

• Cover
• Title
• Copyright
• Contents
• Acknowledgements
• Chapter One Dieppe: The Build Up
• Chapter Two Operation Rutter
• Chapter Three The Raid on Dieppe
• Chapter Four RAF Flight Sergeant Jack Nissenthall
• Chapter Five 1st Battalion, US Army Rangers at Dieppe
• Chapter Six French Civilians and the Dieppe Raid
• Chapter Seven German Defenders at Dieppe
• Chapter Eight The RAF and the Dieppe Raid
• Chapter Nine The Essex Scottish Regiment and the Rivait Brothers
• Chapter Ten Military Awards of the Dieppe Raid
• Chapter Eleven The German Perception of the Raid
• Chapter Twelve The Dieppe Raid in the News
• Chapter Thirteen The Enigma Pinch
• Chapter Fourteen 1er Bataillon de Fusiliers Marins Commandos
• Chapter Fifteen Canadian Military Report No. 83 – 19 September 1942
• Chapter Sixteen Canadian Military Report No. 100 – 16 July 1943
• Chapter Seventeen Canadian Military Report No. 142 – 18 July 1945
• Chapter Eighteen The Raid Seen Through ‘Open Eyes’
• Chapter Nineteen Beach Comber the Homing Pigeon
• Conclusion
• Appendix A: Forces Deployed at Dieppe
• Appendix B: Men of No. 3 Commando Killed at Dieppe
• Appendix C: Men of the South Saskatchewan Regiment Killed at Dieppe
• Appendix D: Men of the Queen’s Own Cameron Highlanders of Canada Killed at Dieppe
• Appendix E: Men of the Black Watch (Royal Highland Regiment of Canada) Killed at Dieppe
• Appendix F: Decorations Awarded Following the Dieppe Raid
• Appendix G: French Civilians Killed in the Dieppe Raid
• Sources
• About the Author
• Plates 1