Context: Dieppe Raid 1942 - Operations RUTTER/JUBILEE (3).

Leading Up to Operation RUTTER, Later Cancelled.

Clippings From July 3 - 7, 1942

[Photo: From The Winnipeg Tribune, July 4 (U.S. Independence Day), 1942.

The story to which the above caption refers ("on Page 16") appears well below

under the headline - Final Battle In France Says Gen. De Gaulle]

Introduction:

The news items presented that provide some context about the times before and after the Dieppe Raid will extend from June 22 (the day some Canadians in Combined Ops were attacked - on their way to set up for RUTTER - by German planes) to late August 1942.

I anticipate that I will find next to nothing or nothing at all in The Winnipeg Tribune about the first operation - cancelled for various reasons - as I scan its digitized pages. I am more hopeful about making worthwhile discoveries about Operation JUBILEE that will complement the photographs and material in texts and other news articles I have already located.   

One story, by Clayton Marks (RCNVR, Combined Operations) - about the role of Canadians in Combined Operations during the Dieppe Raid -will be presented here in parts. 

His rare story begins as follows:

DIEPPE August, 19, 1942 

It was deemed a failure right from the original plan of operation. The original code word for this landing was "Rutter". It was accepted by Combined Operations and the Home Forces Staffs on April 25, 1942 and the landing was to commence by the 8th of July, 1942. On July 7th the German Air Force flew over Yarmouth Roads and sank landing ships.

This, and the bad weather, convinced Mountbatten to cancel the complete operation.

Mountbatten and Churchill had a plan to remount "Rutter" on August 19, 1942 under the code word "Jubilee" with all the same participating forces. The Chiefs-of-Staff were on the wane and Dieppe was desperately needed to restore Combined Operations quickly growing ambitions.

Bomber Command could not and would not supply heavy, accurate air bombardment, but could guarantee only limited indiscriminate bombing.

The Naval Sea Lord could not supply sea power in the form of battleships due to the recent loss of the battleships "Prince of Wales" and the "Revenge" at Singapore in December of 1941. This left only destroyer sea power of 4-inch guns that could not damage the wall of defense along the French coast.

At 2130 on the night of August 18th the landing ships slipped their moorings and headed out to sea on a cloudless and warm evening. The fleet consisted of 237 ships of all sizes from large Infantry landing ships to the 74 LCPs, unarmed and unarmoured, carrying 6,100 of all ranks.

Page 28, Combined Operations

More to follow from Clayton Marks' rare and informative text.

* * * * *

News clippings from The Winnipeg Tribune, published on July 3 - July 7, 1942:

As Canadians prepared their landing crafts for the cross-Channel raid, there may have been a note of positive enthusiasm in their thoughts and words due to news coming from North Africa, as well as from other fronts.

Free cigarettes were mentioned in the previous entry (link is provided at bottom of page). Apparently the smokes were received like good news - gratefully. 

I have shared photographs in another location related to the handing out of cigarettes to Navy crews on board ships returning from Operation TORCH (Nov. 1942). Though the smokes were free, I bet more than a few members of the armed forces paid a steep price - perhaps unknowingly - later in life.

A few years ago, as I researched two newspapers from Comox and Courtenay on Vancouver Island, I came across numerous articles related to the Pacific Coast Rangers. Though I was more on the look out for items related to HMCS Givenchy III, the WW2 Navy base on the island, at which served several Canadians in Combined Operations (including my father), information about "guerilla fighters" and their "intelligence network" struck me as very unique.

Who knows the most about the coming 'second front?'

The RCN and RCNVR were hard at work on several fronts:

Axis leaders may be worrying more about how vulnerable they are to attack along the western coast of Europe. 

Later in the war, after he was pushed out of North Africa, Field-Marshal Rommel would be tasked with beefing up defences along the western coast of Europe.

Losses to Russia and Germany pile up on the Eastern Front:

A few days before 5,000 Canadian troops are boarded upon landing crafts in southern England, bound for a raid upon the French coast, senior Canadian officers are included - at a more significant level - in on-going talks between U.K. and U.S. leaders. Is the timing just a coincidence?

The following is said to be from The Halifax Herald. Somebody loves the Army! : )

Victory Gardens were promoted in Allied countries. Such gardens produced a significant amount of food for local communities already well-used to rationing.

More about the many roles played by Canadians during WW2. "No small roles," I say.

A telling tale:

More news articles, photographs, editorial cartoons, etc. that provide some context for the two operations will follow.

Please link to Context: Dieppe Raid 1942 - Operations RUTTER/JUBILEE (2).

Unattributed Photos GH