Dieppe Raid France 19th August 1942 3,623 captured or dead
By stevetheblogger, 19th Aug 2012 | Follow this author
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Posted in WikinutNewsWorld
Today the 19th August 2012 marks the 70th anniversary of the Dieppe Raid. This disastrous raid was a Second World War Allied attack on the German-occupied port of Dieppe. The raid took place on the northern coast of France on 19 August 1942. The assault began at 5:00 a.m. and by 10:50 a.m generals were forced to call a full retreat.
Road to Disaster
At 5:00 am 6,086 brave mostly Canadians boarded there landing crafts and set of for the fortified beaches of Dieppe. Within 6 hours 3,623 brave souls would be either killed,wounded or taken prisoners by the Germans. Although all combatants fought bravely the Dieppe raid was a lesson in what not to do while making an amphibious landing.
The Futility of War
As the young brave men climbed into there landing crafts none of them new that security for the landing had been breached allowing the Germans controlling the beachhead to know in advance, that the attack was coming. Once ashore the brave Canadians did not have a chance, the young men waded ashore neck deep in water with absolutely no cover from the devastating cross fire set up by the German defenders. Most were cut down after just placing one foot on the beach even the Germans soldiers recoiled in absolute disgust at what they saw before them. Today when you visit Dieppe you will see both German and Canadian soldiers buried side by side, a monument to the stupidity of War, a monument to the young of both sides. Within this graveyard you will find no politicians buried, just there tools who stormed the beaches never to return.
The Crossword Puzzle
Two days before the attack on the 17th August the Daily Telegraph Newspaper carried within its crossword puzzle the clue “French Port" the following day, one day before the attack the solution was given to the clue as “Dieppe" To much of a coincidence the War Office thought and came to the conclusion that the crossword puzzle had been used to pass intelligence to the enemy. In other words the Germans new when and where the attack was coming, leaving the brave Canadians in dire danger.
Holliday Snaps and mementoes.
The use of tanks was a very important element of the attack without them the operation was doomed. Amazing as it might seem planners had assessed the beach gradient and its suitability for tanks by only scanning holiday snapshots of the area because of this most tanks nether made it up the beach and were in-fact useless. Add this to the total underestimation of the German strength and not knowing that French collaborators had passed on the actual plans to the Germans the whole episode was just a recipe for disaster. The Canadians along with an attachment of New Zealanders, Americans and British troops would be annihilated.
In retrospect
In retrospect many believe that this attack should have never taken place others believe that many lessons were learnt, lessons that would help the allies when they invaded fortress Europe on the 6th June 1944 (D Day) but they were expensive lessons, 3,623 brave souls were either killed wounded or taken prisoners, brave Canadian souls who should be remembered today the 19th August 2012.
stevetheblogger
Credits Wikipedia for the pictures.
Comments
19th Aug 2012 (#)
Hi Steve Thanks for this and moderating so Quickly I have just noticed a terrible spelling error in one of the titles can I go back and edit. it should read Disaster and not Diisaster another senior moment.
Best Wishes
Steve
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19th Aug 2012 (#)
Mistakes are made everywhere by everyone - But in two instances I can think of, they are rarely insignificant. Those would be the ones made 1) in the hospital, and 2) in war.
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20th Aug 2012 (#)
A lesson that war is disaster. What a waste of precious human lives. We still produce weapons of mass destruction only to lament later that they have fallen into the "wrong hands"! The world is inter-connected and is it not clear we are all the same? The vast majority should just say no to any more war. What we have is more than enough and nothing is worth risking lives. We know more of each other now and little to be proved through a war. Thanks Steve, for recalling this episode that caused so much agony - siva
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20th Aug 2012 (#)
Steve: Your recall of this terrible event emphasizes the realization of the dreadful futility of war. You do well to bring to light the horrors of Dieppe and the callous orchestration of this event by inept and irresponsible "leaders"..
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22nd Aug 2012 (#)
Well as usual, I differ then most that have left messages here on your page. In the fact that I do believe that at times war is inevitable and at times needed. Now after saying that, I wish we did not have to have any reason to go to war in the first place. I see daily innocent folks dying in Syria and yet, all nations sit back and do nothing. So is it the humane thing to just let it happen and turn a blind eye, since we all hate war or do we go in and help those that can not help themselves, I say we help them. If we don't, we are no better than their idiot leader and his henchmen that are slowly killing the innocent. Back to your piece, a well written account of that fateful day. The star is a given. Thank you for sharing.:)
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25th Aug 2012 (#)
That was a touching account narrated about the fateful day dear Steve! For a moment I have forgotten that I am reading an article, I am so much so engrossed in it! Thanks for the share!
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1st Sep 2012 (#)
A K says for me my thoughts on your well written article Steve....
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10th Oct 2012 (#)
I've seen these graves at Dieppe. They frightened me so much. How could we lose so many lives in one battle? I hope Hitler is turning in his grave with shame.
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10th Oct 2012 (#)
P.S. Are you on Triond? I'm sure I've seen your name somewhere else. Must look you up there - see if I'm right!!
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24th Oct 2012 (#)
Interesting.
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29th Dec 2012 (#)
Starred post. Thank you for your affectionate appreciation. Wish you a prosperous and happy New Year.
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