Dieppe Raid – Operation Jubilee 19 August 1942

Operation Jubilee, the Allied attack on the port of Dieppe on 19 August 1942, was conceived for many reasons, effectively rendering it a practice exercise for future operations. There was a desire to test German reaction capabilities, Stalin’s request for relief of pressure on the eastern front and an attempt to gather intelligence about German radar technology from the radar station. Some 6,000 English and Canadian infantrymen and commandos would land on six different beaches and attempt to damage German defences with the aid of tanks, whilst making inroads to the town itself. The strength of German forces in the area was greatly underestimated, and apart from No. 4 Commando who successfully cleared their objective, all other landing groups were subjected to heavy enemy fire and general disarray. At the end of the operation only 40 per cent of the soldiers involved returned to England alive, the rest having being killed or captured.