Western Europe · 19 Aug 1942 – 19 Aug 1942
Dieppe raid
The Allied raid landed at five points on 19 August 1942. German defences stopped the main attacks, and the raiding force withdrew after heavy losses.
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Operation Jubilee was an Allied amphibious raid on the German-occupied port of Dieppe on 19 August 1942. Its stated purposes included testing the feasibility of an opposed landing, gathering intelligence and demolishing coastal defences and port facilities. Nearly 5,000 Canadians formed the main assault force, alongside British commandos and 50 American Rangers. The raid was supported by Royal Navy ships and Allied air squadrons.
The plan sent four flank attacks in before the main assault on Dieppe. British No. 3 Commando was intended to attack the Berneval battery, while No. 4 Commando landed near Varengeville to destroy the Hess battery. Canadian forces attacked at Puys and Pourville, as well as across the beach in front of Dieppe. An encounter between the eastern landing craft and a German convoy alerted the defences. No. 3 Commando was scattered; a small party nevertheless approached the battery and, through accurate sniping, prevented its guns from firing on the assault ships for a time.
At Puys, the Royal Regiment of Canada landed in daylight against alert defenders positioned above a narrow beach. Machine-gun and mortar fire pinned the Canadians and three platoons of the Black Watch on the shore; the force was unable to evacuate them. At Pourville, the South Saskatchewan Regiment and Queen’s Own Cameron Highlanders initially surprised the defenders. They crossed the River Scie and advanced inland, but were stopped short of their objectives and later attempted to withdraw under fire. No. 4 Commando succeeded in destroying the battery near Varengeville and withdrew.
The main landing at Dieppe followed the flank assaults by about half an hour. German fire from cliffs and buildings swept the beach. The Essex Scottish Regiment could not breach the seawall, and the reserve Les Fusiliers Mont-Royal were pinned down after landing. The Royal Hamilton Light Infantry cleared the casino and nearby pillboxes and entered part of the town, but the attack did not secure Dieppe. The Calgary Regiment’s tanks landed late and were caught by obstacles and roadblocks. No Allied force captured and held the port.
The Allied commanders ordered withdrawal after the attacks had failed. German fire made evacuation impossible for some troops, while many others were taken prisoner. The raid ended in a German victory. Sources give different casualty breakdowns, but report 3,367 Canadians killed, wounded or captured, 275 British commando casualties, and 550 Royal Navy dead and wounded; the Royal Navy also lost a destroyer and 33 landing craft. The raid demonstrated the difficulty of attacking a defended port without adequate fire support and shaped later Allied amphibious planning.