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The Beast's Castle...

The Dieppe Raid

Summer, 1942. Within the last year Japan had expanded it's war on China and attacked the Asian possessions of the major European powers, as well as the US in Hawaii.

Germany had also attacked the Soviet Union, and had two years earlier conquered France, leaving until recently Canada and the UK to stand against it.

At this point the Soviet Union was reeling against the German assault, and was pressuring the Western Allies to open a second front. The Americans, at this point were willing but were still relative newcomers to the conflict. The British and Canadians knew the folly of a second front at the time, however knew they had to convince both the Americans and the Soviets that the second front was not feasible. And to the Soviets in specific that they Allies were doing something aside from gathering intelligence, fostering resistance and only attacking via air.
 
lillianaZ said:
Fun fact (and only tangentially related to the current topic): Somewhere between 8000 and 10000 Americans (sometimes referred to as "gun jumpers") joined the Canadian Armed Forces before the US joined WW2. At the time these men were told that they would lose their US citizenship and would not be welcomed home at the end of the war.
Click to expand...

That happened in the First World War as well.
 
Hope all is well at the castle this Easter/April fools day, this is only the third time in the last hundred years or so that Easter and April fools day has fallen on the same day!
After chapel will we be having a feast? I've got my ham with pineapple glaze ready, and mashed sweet potatos and white potatoes peeled and ready, some nice fresh asparagus and honey bunny rolls to round out the meal, and and I made a strawberry cake decorated to look like a easter basket with green coconut grass and chocolate eggs on top!

Hope you all will have a great day:heart:...:cattail:
 
Podium...check.
Couches... check.
Globe... check.
Maps & tables for each couch... check.
 
Dieppe 1942

The year is 1942, the Second World War rages across the planet. The Japanese have invaded British Hong Kong and have attacked Pearl Harbour in Hawaii. These actions make the war truly global as Japan has entered the larger war, and as well brought the United States into the conflict. War between Germany and the US would soon follow.

Germany on the other hand has turned away from Operation Sealion (the invasion of Britain) after their loss in the Battle of Britain. Instead Hitler has turned his attention east and invaded the Soviet Union, shattering their previous non aggression pact. In response The Soviet Union joins the war in Europe.

As of the summer of 1942, Hong Kong nd numerous other European colonies in the far east have fallen. The American pacific fleet is decimated. China and Australia are solely focused on defending against Japan. Von Paulus has cut a swath into the Soviet Union and is within striking distance of Moscow. Rommel, the Desert Fox is advancing across North Africa. Mainland Europe has is under the heel of Hitler and his allies. Britain stands as the last bastion of democracy against the Axis in Europe. However without the convoys of supplies from Canada, and the Royal Canadian Navy to protect them, Britain will fall.

With the inclusion of the Americans and the Soviets, the Allies are ready to start pushing back. Untill now the only offence in Europe was through aerial attacks through Bomber Command. A combination of mostly RAF and RCAF bombers. Now the American and Soviets are pushing the idea of a second front against Hitler.


The Soviets are pushing for a second front to relieve pressure on them. The Americans want to deal with Germany first as they see them as the bigger threat. The British and Canadians having held on by a thread, know that more time is needed to prepare. As a compromise, the raid on Dieppe was suggested. Officially it is to test the doctrine and tactics for seizing a port as the focal point of an invasion, and to see if it is viable. This satisfies the Soviets as it shows the western Allies are doing something. The Americans want to see if a port can be taken. However those reasons are merely cover for the real reason behind the raid.


Operation Rutter as it was originally known was to launch in July 1942. The force nearly all Canadian soldiers , we set to depart, however secrecy was breached and the operation was cancelled. However it was later rechristened Operation Jubilee and set for August 19 1942, still attacking the same area. Despite the fact that secrecy had been breached and it was now possible that potential German agents now had the data.

The plan overall, on the surface was sound. 5000 Canadians, 1000 British, and 50 Americans would storm a series of beaches in the channel port of Dieppe, France and hold it for one tidal period. There would be an aerial and naval bombardment, and the infantry would advance under the cover of armour on the beaches. German resistance was expected to be light and unaware of any incursion.

However below the surface all was not well. The Germans through French double agents knew that the Allies were interested in the area. The resistance at Dieppe would not be light as not only was it a strategic port it was also a German Naval Headquarters. On top of that a German naval convoy sighted the raid fleet as it approached. The Germans knew we were coming.

The bombardments failed to do any real damage, and the Allied air forces took tremendous losses. A Royal Navy destroyer was sunk as well. The beaches instead of being small pebbles were baseball and fist size rocks that bogged down the tanks and disabled them. The beach was also terraced. So imagine running up a beach and only having each step equate to about a quarter step as you keep sinking back down. Now imagine you are doing that carrying a rifle, full pack, extra ammo and heavy combat boots, all while trying to avoid rifle, sniper, machine gun, grenade, mortar and artillery fire. And if that isn't bad enough, imagine doing that while trying to avoid dead, dying, wounded and screaming men on the ground. And have them be your friends too. As all of these men came from locally raised units.

As to the defenses, take for example Red Beach, pretty much the most famous landing where the Essex Scottish regiment of the Canadian Army came ashore. In front of them were the defenses mentioned previously. But in addition to that the Germans had a similar position on an elevated bluff to the east. Imagine all of the firepower raking back and forth across the beach from two directions. A perfect example of withering fire. The beach was a literal killing zone.

As a result across all beaches casualties can only be described as horrendous. Especially considering a garbled communication back to Canadian command saying that the trooper held up was mis-interpreted as that the troops had had a break through and the reserves should be committed to exploit the situation. As a result if you went ashore that day you roughly had an 80% chance of becoming a casualty. Overall roughly 1000 Canadians died, 500 were wounded and nearly 2000 were captured.


There were however numerous instances of heroism and bravery that dat, including two Victoria Crosses were awarded to Canadian soldiers, and one to a British soldier.


Lt. Colonel Charles Merritt commanding officer of the South Saskatchewan Regiment received his decoration for extreme bravery and devotion to duty under extreme enemy fire. Specifically for charging headlong throughout mortar fire to secure a bridge for his troops to cross and advance into the town of Dieppe.


Reverend John Foote of the Royal Hamilton Light infantry moved throughout the beach landing area, collecting and carrying wounded men back to the landing crafts for England. The Reverend continued to do this throughout the battle even when urged to stay in the safety of the make shift aid stations of the landing crafts. However when the order was finally given to withdraw, instead of returning to England the Reverend elected to stay behind. When urge to return by the soldiers evacuating, the Reverend knowing ther were still wounded and dying men ashore said hat he had been with these men for two years and would not abandon them now.


Overall the Allied did show at this point a second front was not feasible. Nor could they land at a port. They would have to take open beaches. This raid in effect laid the ground work for the invasion of Normandy two years later. It is said that for every man who died on the beaches of Dieppe, ten were saved on the beaches of Normandy.


As to why the operation was allowed to go through with the original target, and even after the raid convoy was spotted. And knowing that Dieppe was the sight of a German Naval HQ, and would be well defended. Well, recently declassified materials uncovered by a Canadian historian indicate that the entire raid was a cover so that a special British Commando team could raid the HQ and come back with the ENIGMA codebooks to aid in the Allied Naval codebreaking. If we had gotten that code book the war could have been considerably shortened. The previous reason for the raid being a dry run for Normandy, placating the Soviets and proving to the American a second front and the taking of a port could not be done were not worth the losses incurred. The new information would sway my thinking, such a risk for an ENIGMA code book would have been worth it.


Please, questions are welcome.
 
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