Much has been written about the Dieppe Raid which took place on Wednesday, 19 August 1942. The gallantry of the Canadians at Dieppe has been recorded in great detail as well as the raids by the Commando forces on the flanking gun positions. What is less well recorded or documented is the great air effort which took place on that day in direct support of Operation Jubilee. This book is an attempt to put the air side on record.
By the end of that August day in 1942, the Royal Air Force and the German Luftwaffe had fought what must be regarded as the greatest air battle of the war if only in terms of aeroplanes lost in combat on both sides in the space of just sixteen hours. Despite the tragic losses suffered by the Canadian troops on the ground, the RAF claimed a great victory that day.
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The plan to launch a raid on the French coastal town of Dieppe was conceived early in April 1942, the thirty-second month of the war, at Combined Operations Headquarters. Following a long study of the practicability of such an enterprise, an outline plan was drafted and produced on 13 May. This plan was formally approved by the Chiefs of Staff.
In general terms the plan was to land a force of troops at Dieppe, supported by landings by Commandos on the flanks to knock-out gun positions overlooking the Dieppe beaches. Following much discussion it was decided not to precede the landings with either an air attack or heavy naval bombardment, nor was it agreed to use any form of airborne troops, although the landed troops would be given the support of a number of the new Churchill tanks.
Initially the raid was code-named 'Rutter' and it was to be launched towards the end of June 1942. However, due to an unsuccessful exercise and then bad weather, the raid was abandoned on 7 July and the troops dispersed. Political pressure by the Russians for the Allies to open a second front in the West in order to relieve pressure on the Russian front, brought the raid back to life at the end of July. A full-scale invasion against the French coast was completely out of the question at this time, but this strong attacking raid would, it was felt sure, help to keep the Germans guessing and on their toes.
On 27 July the Chiefs of Staff approved a new plan — which was code-named 'Jubilee'.
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Two brigades of the 2nd Canadian Division and a Canadian Tank Regiment were chosen for the raid. Canadian troops, quick to come to the support of the Mother country when the war began, had been virtually unemployed in England for more than two years. They were bursting for action. Jubilee was to be theirs. They would be supported by British Commandos and 50 American Rangers. Total strength for Jubilee was approximately 6,100 troops - 5,000 of whom were Canadian.
In Dieppe itself was the garrison force of the German 302nd Infantry Division plus artillery. When Rutter was conceived the 302nd had been well under establishment but by August it had been brought up to strength. The Germans in France were well aware of and fully expecting some form of hostile move against the French coast during the summer of 1942. Exactly where, when, or in what form it would take they did not know. They did know, however, the most likely periods when tides and weather might be conducive for such an enterprise if mounted from the sea. In August 1942, the most favourable period would be between the 18th and 23rd.
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Extracts from a communication from Combined Operations Headquarters dated 31 July 1942:
Object
1. Operation Jubilee is a raid on Jubilee1 with limited air and military objectives, embracing the destruction of local defences and power stations, etc; in Jubilee, the capture of prisoners, the destruction of aerodrome installations near the town, and the capture and removal of German invasion barges and any other craft in Jubilee harbour.
Air Support
25. Air action in direct support of the landings will be provided as follows:
(i) Two gun-positions south of Jubilee which threaten the landings at Red and White beaches will be attacked by Hurricane bombers and day bombers. These positions will be attacked approximately five minutes before the landing craft are due to touch down.
(ii) If weather permits, aircraft will lay smoke on and bomb enemy gun-positions on the headland to the east of Jubilee harbour during the final approach of the landing craft to Red and White beaches.
(iii) Close support fighters will attack the beaches (Red and White), the buildings overlooking these beaches and gun positions on the headland to the west of Jubilee as the landing craft finally approach and the first troops step ashore on Red and White beaches.
(iv) A Spitfire squadron will attack the gun positions 4V2 miles west of Jubilee in support of the attack on these positions made by Commando troops previously landed at Orange beach.
44.Air Support will be provided as follows during the withdrawal:
(i) Fighter Cover will be increased to maximum strength.
(ii) Bomber and Fighter Squadrons will be maintained at 'Readiness' in maximum strength to engage targets to cover the withdrawal.
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For the Allies, Dieppe was a necessary test for the future planning of future invasions, such as those which later took place in North Africa, Sicily and in particular the 'big' invasion in Normandy in June 1944. The Chiefs of Staff, their back-room boys and planning staffs, the Army and the Royal Navy all heeded lessons which later proved invaluable. The Royal Air Force too took notice, learned their lessons well and were ready when D-Day came. They also wanted a major confrontation with what had been mostly an elusive Luftwaffe since the middle of 1941 when Germany had invaded Russia. On 19 August 1942 they found the Luftwaffe and fought their greatest air battle.
1 Code name for the harbour town of Dieppe. Gun positions and fortified headlands etc, were all coded by the Allied planning staff with names of German leaders.