1941 - 42: First Came Commandos, Then Combined Operations H.Q.
Then Came Raids at St. Nazaire, Dieppe, and the Invasion of N. Africa
Some of the raids and invasions related to Combined Operations
are marked in red. Allies invaded North Africa on Nov. 8, 1942
Introduction:
Before Eric Maguire in DIEPPE: August 19 shares many of the tragic details related to the Dieppe raid he writes about the background of the organization responsible for it's planning, i.e., the Combined Operations organization. Though much is written and known concerning the fate of Canadian Army regiments during their first trials in battle, I will share but briefly that members of the RCNVR who had volunteered for Combined Operations (and chiefly the manning of landing crafts) beginning in November, 1941, also suffered their first trials during the raid upon the well-defended French port.
volunteered for Combined Operations in Nov. - Dec., 1941. Their first action was
the Dieppe raid after specific training in the U.K. Photo is from the collection
of my father Doug Harrison (X) of Norwich, Ontario. His memoirs, click here
Pressing for an Immediate Large-scale Landing in France
After the ignominious ejection of the British Army
from France in June 1940, Britain found herself forced on
to the strategic defensive and in mortal danger of invasion.
However, this unhappy position did not deter active minds
- of which Winston Churchill's was the most active - from planning how
best to resume an offensive spirit and find ways and means of harassing
the enemy, now committed to the defence of an enormous coastline,
extending from the far north of Norway to the Franco-Spanish frontier...
Here lay the answer to the present problem
- amphibious raids on the enemy shores, mere pinpricks perhaps,
but enough to compel the Germans to tie up large forces to guard
their vulnerable coast. The psychological value of such attacks
would be very great, although the amount of actual damage
might be negligible. It was appreciated that a special force
would be required to carry out these raids, and as a result...
the Commandos came into existence.
Theirs was the task of carrying the war
into enemy territory... To control and direct the new force,
Combined Operations Head Quarters (COHQ) was formed...
The embryo group staged its first operation on June 24 1940...
In November 1941 Lord Louis Mountbatten became Chief of
Combined Operations. Under (his) dynamic direction, COHQ
stepped up the pace, their most important operation being
the attack on St. Nazaire in March 1942.
The over-all political and strategic situation
at this time was difficult. In May the Germans had renewed
their offensive on the eastern front, and everywhere the Russians
were being driven back. There was the ever-present fear that
Russia would be forced out of the war altogether, something
which would be a disaster of the first magnitude to the Allies.
Stalin had never ceased to call for a second front
in Europe, and now his demands became insistent.
The Americans... were pressing
for an immediate large-scale landing in western France.
Winston Churchill... his plan called for an attack on North Africa,
where the resistance to be encountered... would be negligible.
As we know, the North African venture
was eventually agreed to, but this did not prevent
the Americans from continuing to advocate an emergency landing
in France; indeed, President Roosevelt went so far as to suggest
what he called 'a sacrifice landing'.
DIEPPE: August 19, pages 43 - 45
Maguire writes about some early training exercises re the Dieppe Raid and a few factors related to these events are shared here:
Final Approval Was Given
The original intention had been to stage the raid
on June 21st, but a large-scale combined exercise
held on the night of June 11 - 12th went off badly.
Units were landed on the wrong beaches, and some
landing-craft were over an hour late in touching down.
It was obvious that more training was urgently required.
Another rehearsal was carried out on June 22nd - 23rd*,
which went better, but there were still defects, particularly
on the naval side, where difficulty was experienced
in locating the correct beaches.
Arrangements were now made to provide three special
radar vessels equipped with special direction-finding apparatus,
to lead some of the flotillas in to the French beaches.
Once they were satisfied that the navigational weaknesses
had been eliminated, final approval was given by the Canadian
generals and it was decided to mount the operation
at the first suitable opportunity early in July.
DIEPPE: August 19, pages 49
*re June 22nd - 23rd: The dates are mentioned in my father's memoirs and reveal "terrific activity" associated with the training exercises.
When the Klaxon Went Everybody Hit the Deck
[In June 1942, members of RCNVR/Combined Operations, after training aboard landing crafts near Irvine, Scotland, were transported to southern England, for Operation Rutter (cancelled) and Operation Jubilee, i.e., the Dieppe Raid.]
it seems we pulled into an Irish seaport one night;
however, farther down the coast of England we headed south
past Milford Haven, Wales, and all was serene.
We usually had a single or maybe two Spitfires for company.
We usually had a single or maybe two Spitfires for company.
There were eight ships in the convoy; we were the largest (Ennerdale),
the rest were trawlers. Of course, the Spitfires only stayed until
early dusk, then waggled their wings and headed home.
On June 22, 1942, my mother’s birthday, O/D Seaman Jack Rimmer
On June 22, 1942, my mother’s birthday, O/D Seaman Jack Rimmer
of Montreal and I were reminiscing on deck. We must remember
there was daylight saving time and war time, and to go
by the sun setting one never knew what time it was.
Jack and I were feeling just a little homesick - not like at first -
and it was a terribly hard feeling to describe then.
Our Spitfire waggled his wings and kissed us goodnight
Our Spitfire waggled his wings and kissed us goodnight
though it was still quite light, and no sooner had he left
when action stations was blared out on the Klaxon horn.
Eight German JU 88s came from the east, took position
in the sun and attacked us from the stern. It was perhaps
between eight and nine o’clock because I had undressed
and climbed into my hammock next to Stoker Fred Alston.
When the Klaxon went everybody hit the deck and tried to dress,
and being the largest ship, we knew we were in for it.
I got my socks on, put my sweater on backwards and
I got my socks on, put my sweater on backwards and
got the suspenders on my pants caught on the oil valves.
I was hurrying like hell and nearly strangled myself - scared to death.
They needed extra gunners so Lloyd Campbell of London, Ontario
(later to die of wounds suffered at Dieppe) said, “Let me at him.”
The bombs came - and close. They really bounced us around.
The bombs came - and close. They really bounced us around.
The gun crew on the foc’sle of the ship was knocked clear off
the gun by the concussion and fell but were only bruised.
The attack was short and sweet but it seemed an eternity.
The attack was short and sweet but it seemed an eternity.
A near miss had buckled our plates and we lost all our drinking water.
I ventured out on deck immediately and picked up bomb shrapnel
as big as your fist. I noticed the deck was covered with mud
from the sea bottom. I kept the shrapnel as a souvenir along with
many other items I had but, alas, they were all lost in Egypt.
We arrived at Cowe (Isle of Wight) the next day with everyone
We arrived at Cowe (Isle of Wight) the next day with everyone
happy to be alive and still shaking. It indeed had been a basinful.
Incidentally, two German 88s were shot down. Norm Mitchinson
of Niagara Falls was credited with two planes shot down
during the course of the war; one at Dieppe and one at Sicily.
Both were low flying bombers. His weapon was a strip Lewis 303.
The next evening, June 23, 1942 there was terrific activity.
The next evening, June 23, 1942 there was terrific activity.
Motor launches by the dozen headed out to see what was going on,
and it turned out to be the aborted attempt on Dieppe*.
The next one on August 19, 1942 should have been aborted too.
"Dad, Well Done" Pages 19 - 20
*the aborted attempt on Dieppe: If my father has his dates right, instead of seeing an aborted operation (i.e., Operation Rutter, cancelled on July 7, two weeks later) he saw "another rehearsal" mentioned in the Eric Maguire passage above my father's memoir.
Mr. Maguire shares details in his book regarding General Montgomery's opinion of the cancelled raid. A few more excerpts are provide below:
The next one on August 19, 1942 should have been aborted too.
"Dad, Well Done" Pages 19 - 20
*the aborted attempt on Dieppe: If my father has his dates right, instead of seeing an aborted operation (i.e., Operation Rutter, cancelled on July 7, two weeks later) he saw "another rehearsal" mentioned in the Eric Maguire passage above my father's memoir.
Mr. Maguire shares details in his book regarding General Montgomery's opinion of the cancelled raid. A few more excerpts are provide below:
The Expedition Was Finally Cancelled (Then Revived)
By the end of June all was ready,
and a suitable date early in July was selected for the raid.
The troops were assembled and embarked, only for the weather to
change, and they were kept cooped up in their ships for several days.
July 8th was the last possible date in the month with
a suitable combination of time and tide, and on the 7th
the weather still remained unsettled and seemed likely
to be so for several days. Then a new factor arose.
Enemy planes spotted the assemblage of ships
in the Solent and attacked it with bombs and machine guns,
fortunately causing only four minor injuries but damaging
two of the troop-carriers. It is said that the attack would not
have caused the abandoning of the operation, but the weather
deteriorated even more and the expedition was finally cancelled.
The disgusted and disappointed troops were disembarked
and dispersed, many of them being given leave, and
as all had been thoroughly briefed as to the nature
of the affair a security problem immediately arose.
General Montgomery, G.O.C. South Eastern Command,
advised that the operation be written off for good, but
Combined Operations were not of the same mind. They
had already had one other similar operation cancelled
by higher authority and were deeply upset at the fate of the
Dieppe plan, Operation 'Rutter', to give it its code name.
They worked hard to have it revived and by mid-July it was
once more approved, this time known as Operation 'Jubilee'.
On the evening before the raid my father was in a position to view ships heading out toward Dieppe. He witnessed 'a mishap':
When one considers the political and strategic situation
at the time, it is not difficult to understand why the Dieppe raid
was reinstated, even though in so doing the authorities were
breaking their own rule of never returning to a target once a
previous attempt on it had been cancelled. It is also possible
that 'Jubilee' was considered a very effective screen for the
coming invasion of North Africa, scheduled for November -
which in fact it proved to be. In any event, 'Jubilee' was on,
in spite of some people's misgivings and despite
the very real risk that the Germans
had got wind of the plan.
DIEPPE: August 19, pages 51 - 52
Eric Maguire's description of some of the successes and many of the tragedies related to the crossings, landings upon various beaches, scaling of fortified cliffs, retreats to waiting landing crafts, attempts to escape while under murderous fire... are thorough and include several rare stories and many poignant passages.
The next one on August 19, 1942
should have been aborted too. I wasn’t there because
I was on leave but came back early (because, though
I didn’t know where, I knew there was a raid coming)
and was in position to see the Duke of Wellington
carrying barges, my oppo and other buddies to Dieppe
and certain death for the soldiers.
There was a mishap before they even got to sea,
i.e., soldiers were readying hand grenades and one
somehow exploded; four were killed and many injured.
It was an ill omen.
"Dad, Well Done" Page 20
Another 'ill omen' occurred in the early morning of the 19th. Canada suffered her first fatality of the Dieppe raid at 0345, about one to two hours before most of the Allied landing crafts landed on foreign beaches:
Another 'ill omen' occurred in the early morning of the 19th. Canada suffered her first fatality of the Dieppe raid at 0345, about one to two hours before most of the Allied landing crafts landed on foreign beaches:
Keen Eyes Peered Ahead Into the Darkness
At 3 a.m. the large troop-carriers commenced
trans-shipping their human cargoes into the assault craft.
They were now within easy reach of the enemy coast, but
so far the luck had held and no enemy
air or surface craft had been detected.
A11221. Landing craft in the distance passing a destroyer on their way inshore.
Lt. L. Pelman, RN official photographer, Admiralty Official Collection, IWM
in the pitch darkness and silence, some confusion arose as
groups sought to make contact with their escort and guide-ships.
The minutes of darkness were slipping by - valuable
minutes which if lost now could never be regained.
Gradually the medley of little ships sorted themselves out
and found their stations, but the group destined to land on
Blue Beach lost their leading gunboat, and thirty
valuable minutes passed before it was found.
On either side of the convoy, invisible in the thick darkness,
were a motor boat and a flak ship, and farther off to the east
two destroyers patrolled on the look-out for enemy surface craft.
The flotilla was on time and on course.
One more hour and they would be in.
From the gunboat keen eyes
peered ahead into the blackness -
they were very near the enemy coast now
and anything could happen.
And suddenly it did.
Out of the blackness the silhouette
of a darkened ship appeared almost dead ahead.
A star-shell shot up, and there in the ghostly illumination were
eight enemy vessels, steaming in line ahead towards Dieppe.
Instantly the silence of the night
was shattered by the crash of gun-fire*
as the enemy ships, altering course,
concentrated their fire upon the gunboat.
Struggling to reply,
she was hit repeatedly,
her forward guns silenced,
her wireless-room wreaked,
her engine-room damaged,
so that she gradually lost speed
and became a sitting target.
Just in time, the flak ship,
coming up at high speed, engaged the enemy
and crippled two of them with her first salvoes.
For perhaps twenty minutes a running fight ensued,
with the German ships making off at speed for the
safety of the coast, and then all was silent once more.
The moment the first salvo thundered out,
it seemed to the officer's on the gunboat's bridge
that all chance of secrecy was now lost.
Whatever the result of the engagement,
the cannonade would surely
waken the whole coast.
By the worst of bad luck
a chance encounter on the
very threshold of success had put
the whole mission in grave danger.
But that was only the beginning of it -
not only was the gunboat out of action,
but the convoy of landing-craft had vanished,
all but five of which had sought the protection
of the gunboat at the first blast of gun-fire.
DIEPPE: August 19, pages 56 - 58
*"the crash of gun-fire" resulted in the death of Canadian Sub. Lt. Clifford Wallace. Please go to the online book St. Nazaire to Singapore: The Canadian Amphibious War Volume 1 pages 60 - 61, to read about Canada's first casualty - at 03.45 hours - linked to the Dieppe Raid.
If readers visit the above link, more about Sub. Lt. Wallace's death among other fatalities and casualties can be uncovered on page 57. For example:
Ill omen fell upon ill omen even before the approx. 6,000 soldiers and sailors approached the heavily fortified beaches on the coast of France. A magnitude of skilfully written and very rare stories about personal bravery during the tragic raid fill Eric Maguire's book:
Page 3 of 4 'scribble notes' re Maguire's book. Page after page of
significant details and poignant ("poign.") passages. Photo GH
More notes about and passages from well-written books related to the operations familiar to Canadians in Combined Operations (and other aspects of World War II) will follow in 2023.
Unattributed Photos GH
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