Colour-coded Dieppe Raid Landing Beaches and More.
[Photo: Map showing the colour coded landing zones. Dieppe Raid/Operation Jubilee
CC-BY-SA 3.0 as found at Wikipedia with accompanying link Enderwigginau]
Introduction:
Most of the photographs that are part of this post/blog entry can be found at Wikipedia. Please link to Wikipedia ‘Dieppe Raid’ - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dieppe_Raid for information about the raid of August 19, 1942.
As well, excerpts from the rare account related to the raid, by Al Kirby (RCNVR, Combined Operations) of Woodstock, Ontario continue below:
My left hand, which I had burned on the smoke generator as we pulled off the beach, was now beginning to bother me a little. It didn't look bad but the skin was now very stiff, like cardboard, and if I tried to bend it the pain was noticeable.
Shortly before 1000, we received the order to start our engines and take our line ahead formation. Our engine started like a charm and I turned to Grear with my best enquiring look and he said, "Bet you we've got a small crack in the distributor that is holding moisture, and the long run-over here had dried it out".
It certainly sounded good to me and I felt confident as our Flotilla headed off toward the beach.
"What's up now Sir?" I shouted to Leach over the din.
"We're going in to pick up the Camerons from Green Beach," he replied.
I felt very elated as we headed in, for surely our boys must have completed their tasks and now we were going to sail back to England, victorious over the great German army. About a mile out from the beach, we did a right wheel, just as we had on the initial landing, and ran parallel to the beach for a minute or two, then turning ninety degrees to port we headed in to the beach in line abreast. No sooner had we completed the last turn, than the sea erupted just as before, with a great barrage of mortar fire.
Immediately, I saw the boat on our left go up in a deafening blast and a fountain of water deluged our boat. A small tidal wave hit the side of our boat and tossed us to starboard like a match stick. As we continued on, R-84, on my right, seemed to be taking a blast of fire from the left hand cliffs, probably heavy calibre machine guns, as bits seemed to be flying from the front of her.
Then, suddenly, Leach shouted, "Turn to port, one eighty degrees. Watch for other craft, Hopper. Grear, get down into the bottom of the boat".
Then, suddenly, Leach shouted, "Turn to port, one eighty degrees. Watch for other craft, Hopper. Grear, get down into the bottom of the boat".
The landing craft swung around hard and headed out to sea and we left the mortar fire behind us but the automatic weapons continued to hound us for nearly a mile. "What was that all about, Sir?" I asked Leach when we stopped alongside the destroyer.
"I don't know, but as soon as we're tied up I expect there will be a conference", he answered.
Leach climbed up onto the deck of the destroyer and disappeared.
Looking around, we seemed to be missing four of our boats. I don't see either McKenna's or Lantz's boat but they may be on the other side of the destroyer. Miraculously we didn't pick up a scratch in that fray, but I can't imagine why we turned around before reaching the beach.
In about half an hour Leach came back and we looked at him expectantly.
Finally he volunteered, "Flotilla Command got word that the Camerons were unable to reload until the German fire on the beach was reduced, so the Navy is going to shell the fortifications on the cliffs and then we will try again."
Good grief, I thought we were in control? It looks now as if it is just the other way around. No wonder we took such a pasting near the beach.
Just then, the entire world seemed to explode. A great orange flash over my head, accompanied by the loudest blast I have ever heard, knocked me right out of my seat onto the deck.
(Pages 55 - 56, Combined Operations by Clayton Marks, London)
(Pages 55 - 56, Combined Operations by Clayton Marks, London)
To be continued.
More information about the raid can be found at JUNO Beach Centre - The Dieppe Raid.
* * * * * *
Wikipedia1. Dieppe's chert beach and cliff immediately following the raid on
19 August 1942. A Dingo Scout Car has been abandoned. Bundesarchiv, Bild
101I-362-2211-04 / Jörgensen / CC-BY-SA 3.0
Wikipedia2. A German MG34 medium machine gun emplacement.
Bundesarchiv, Bild 101I-291-1213-34 / Müller, Karl / CC-BY-SA 3.0
Wikipedia4. Canadian dead on Blue beach at Puys. Trapped between the beach and high
machine guns in a German bunker. The bunker firing slit is visible in the distance, just
above the German soldier's head. Bundesarchiv, Bild 101I-291-1230-13 /
Meyer; Wiltberger / CC BY-SA 3.0 de
Wikipedia5. Destroyed landing craft on fire with Canadian dead on the beach. A
concrete gun emplacement on the right covers the whole beach. The steep gradient can
clearly be judged. Bundesarchiv, Bild 101I-291-1229-12 / Meyer; Wiltberger
/ CC-BY-SA 3.0
concrete gun emplacement on the right covers the whole beach. The steep gradient can
clearly be judged. Bundesarchiv, Bild 101I-291-1229-12 / Meyer; Wiltberger
/ CC-BY-SA 3.0
Wikipedia6. Canadian wounded and abandoned Churchill tanks after the raid. A landing
craft is on fire in the background. Bundesarchiv, Bild 101I-291-1205-14 / Koll
/ CC-BY-SA 3.0
craft is on fire in the background. Bundesarchiv, Bild 101I-291-1205-14 / Koll
/ CC-BY-SA 3.0
A link is provided to this same photo, above, with story re a Dieppe survivor: https://www.defensemedianetwork.com/stories/the-success-within-the-failure-the-nissenthall-mission-in-the-dieppe-raid/
Wikipedia7. Daimler Dingo armoured car and two Churchill tanks bogged down on the
shingle beach. The nearest Churchill tank has a flame thrower mounted in the hull, and
the rear tank has lost a track. Both have attachments to heighten their exhausts for
wading through the surf. Bundesarchiv, Bild 101I-362-2211-12 / Jörgensen /
CC-BY-SA 3.0
the rear tank has lost a track. Both have attachments to heighten their exhausts for
wading through the surf. Bundesarchiv, Bild 101I-362-2211-12 / Jörgensen /
CC-BY-SA 3.0
Wikipedia8. Canadian dead at Dieppe, August 1942.
Bundesarchiv, Bild 101I-291-1206-13 / Koll / CC-BY-SA 3.0
Wikipedia9. Canadian prisoners being led away through Dieppe after the raid.
Photo Credit: Library and Archives Canada / C-014171 Public Domain
Wikipedia10. British and Canadian prisoners at Dieppe, August 1942.
Bundesarchiv, Bild 101I-291-1238-25A / Teschendorf / CC-BY-SA 3.
Wikipedia11. Canadian and British dead at Dieppe, August 1942.
Bundesarchiv, Bild 101I-291-1230-05 / Meyer; Wiltberger / CC-BY-SA 3.0
Wikipedia12. German soldiers examine a Canadian Churchill tank at Dieppe.
Unknown - Bibliothèque et Archives Canada MIKAN no. 3628511
More information about the raid can be found at JUNO Beach Centre - The Dieppe Raid.
Link - https://www.junobeach.org/canada-in-wwii/articles/the-dieppe-raid/
More photographs related to the Dieppe raid will follow.
Please link to Photographs: Dieppe Raid 1942 - Operations RUTTER/JUBILEE (5).
Unattributed Photos GH
WikiCommons1. Abandoned Churchill Tank and Daimler Scout Car at the Dieppe
Raid, WWII. Bundesarchiv Bild 101I-362-2211-05, Dieppe, Landungsversuch,
englische Panzer
WikiCommons2. Abandoned armoured fighting vehicles, Dainler Scout Car, Dieppe Raid Bundesarchiv Bild 101I-291-1207-11, Dieppe, Landungsversuch, englischer Spähpanzer.jpg
Huffpost1. Link - https://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2012/08/19/dieppe-70-anniversary-services_n_1806558.html
Editor: At another site the following caption appeared with the above photo: Members of the Royal Canadian Medical Corps evacuating Allied soldiers from the beach after the Dieppe, France raid during the Second World War. The Associated Press. However, I question the validity of the caption. I think the photo relates to a training exercise in southern England.
See below:
Caption: Personnel of the Royal Canadian Army Medical Corps treating "casualties"
during the final rehearsal for Operation JUBILEE, the raid on Dieppe. England,
August 1942. Photo Credit - Wartimes.ca
More photographs related to the Dieppe raid will follow.
Please link to Photographs: Dieppe Raid 1942 - Operations RUTTER/JUBILEE (5).
Unattributed Photos GH
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