Dambusters 70th Anniversary
Avro Lancaster and 617 Sqn Tornados fly over Derwent Dam to commemorate the 70th anniversary of 617's 'Dams Raid'. PlanesTV thanks Severn Trent Water for pro...
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Will Fowler eBook Commandos at Dieppe
SoR is proud to announce the launch of Will Fowler's eBook "Commandos at Dieppe". Will is our guide on our 70th Anniversary Dieppe tour.
What follows is the Osprey press release on Will's book:
Last week saw the announcement of Osprey's new digital only series, and launching this eBook range is the highly anticipated Allies at Dieppe: 4 Commando and the US Rangers from celebrated Osprey author Will Fowler. Here, Will writes an exclusive post describing the fateful landings of Operation Jubileeand his experiences writing Allies at Dieppe.
At dawn on August 19, 1942 the training and planning forOperation Jubilee became a bloody reality.
The operation was an Anglo-Canadian attack against the German held French coastal town of Dieppe. In the attack the bulk of the force, some 4,963 men of the 2nd Canadian Division, was committed to frontal assaults on the town and adjoining coast. The head of Combined Operations, Admiral Lord Louis Mountbatten, who had overall command of the operation, would emphasise that Jubilee was not a raid but a “reconnaissance in force.” The landings, supported by 28 Churchill tanks of the Calgary Regiment, took place on eight beaches and the troops were tasked with destroying batteries and other installations in the town before making their withdrawal.
In addition to the 2nd Canadian Division, about 1,000 British Commandos from Nos 3 and 4 Commandos and the newly formed A Commando Royal Marines (later to become 40 Cdo, RM) were involved in supporting the main attack. Along with the Commandos, 4 US Rangers landed at Dieppe, the first American land action of the war.
Despite awesome bravery the landing on the shingle beaches in front of Dieppe was stopped almost before the Canadian soldiers had left their landing craft. On that one grim day the 2nd Canadian Division lost 3,164 men and 215 officers as well as all its tanks and other vehicles. These were losses as bad as, or worse than, the bloodbaths of the Western Front in World War I.
The Royal Navy suffered 550 casualties, lost 33 landing craft, and the destroyer HMS Berkley, torpedoed after she had been severely bomb damaged. The RAF lost 106 aircraft, while the Luftwaffe, who were initially caught off guard but quickly committed 945 aircraft to attacking the Allied beachhead, lost only 48.
With some justification the Germans could claim Dieppe as a victory, their casualties on land totalled only 591.
It is a measure of the courage and commitment of Canadians to the fight for freedom that when the news of these losses reached home there was a flood of volunteers for the armed forces. Canadian soldiers would later fight in Sicily, Italy, and acrossEurope. Following the landings at Juno Beach on D-Day on June 6, 1944, it was appropriate that it was the men of the 8th Canadian Reconnaissance Regiment (14th Canadian Hussars), the reconnaissance arm of the 2nd Canadian Division, who liberated Dieppe on September 1, 1944.
At dawn on August 19, 1942 the training and planning forOperation Jubilee became a bloody reality.
The operation was an Anglo-Canadian attack against the German held French coastal town of Dieppe. In the attack the bulk of the force, some 4,963 men of the 2nd Canadian Division, was committed to frontal assaults on the town and adjoining coast. The head of Combined Operations, Admiral Lord Louis Mountbatten, who had overall command of the operation, would emphasise that Jubilee was not a raid but a “reconnaissance in force.” The landings, supported by 28 Churchill tanks of the Calgary Regiment, took place on eight beaches and the troops were tasked with destroying batteries and other installations in the town before making their withdrawal.
In addition to the 2nd Canadian Division, about 1,000 British Commandos from Nos 3 and 4 Commandos and the newly formed A Commando Royal Marines (later to become 40 Cdo, RM) were involved in supporting the main attack. Along with the Commandos, 4 US Rangers landed at Dieppe, the first American land action of the war.
Despite awesome bravery the landing on the shingle beaches in front of Dieppe was stopped almost before the Canadian soldiers had left their landing craft. On that one grim day the 2nd Canadian Division lost 3,164 men and 215 officers as well as all its tanks and other vehicles. These were losses as bad as, or worse than, the bloodbaths of the Western Front in World War I.
The Royal Navy suffered 550 casualties, lost 33 landing craft, and the destroyer HMS Berkley, torpedoed after she had been severely bomb damaged. The RAF lost 106 aircraft, while the Luftwaffe, who were initially caught off guard but quickly committed 945 aircraft to attacking the Allied beachhead, lost only 48.
With some justification the Germans could claim Dieppe as a victory, their casualties on land totalled only 591.
It is a measure of the courage and commitment of Canadians to the fight for freedom that when the news of these losses reached home there was a flood of volunteers for the armed forces. Canadian soldiers would later fight in Sicily, Italy, and acrossEurope. Following the landings at Juno Beach on D-Day on June 6, 1944, it was appropriate that it was the men of the 8th Canadian Reconnaissance Regiment (14th Canadian Hussars), the reconnaissance arm of the 2nd Canadian Division, who liberated Dieppe on September 1, 1944.
During the research for my book I contacted Alex Szima, one of the two surviving US Rangers who had been attached to No 4 Commando during the raid. Szima proved a lively and knowledgeable correspondent who had never succumbed to the temptation or demand to “throw out all that old stuff from the war.” His archive of cuttings, letters, and reports was informative not only about the establishment and history of the US Rangers, but also about US domestic reaction to Dieppe. Alex is the tall US soldier on the cover of Allies at Dieppe: 4 Commando and the US Rangers getting a light for his cigarette from a British Commando at the close of the Dieppe operation.
On my first visit to the site of Operation Cauldron – the No 4Commando part of the wider Dieppe action – I was without question blessed with two ideal companions. One was James Dunning who as a 22-year-old was the Troop Sergeant Major of C Troop 4 Commando, the other was Emyr Jones. Emyr hadamassed an invaluable archive of material about No 4 Commando while “Jimmy” could give that unique insight into the operation from the eyes of one was
there. Jimmy put me in touch with other 4 Commando veterans including Bren Gunner George Jones and demolition expert John Skerry. John provided details of the charges used to destroy the guns and recollections of the operation and
fellow Commandos.
Every August the veterans and their families return to Dieppe to remember friends and comrades. This year
will be the 70th anniversary of the raid and perhaps for the dwindling number of veterans their last Jubilee. With this in mind, as a broadcaster, historian, and author I will be taking a tour to Dieppe with the unique battlefield tour company “Spirit of Remembrance” on the anniversary of Operation Jubilee.
Read Allies at Dieppe: 4 Commando and the US Rangers, comewith me on this pilgrimage and be part of Canada's military heritage; remember the courage and sacrifice of the Allied servicemen, who in Operation Jubilee brought hope to France andOccupied Europe at one the lowest points of World War II.
will be the 70th anniversary of the raid and perhaps for the dwindling number of veterans their last Jubilee. With this in mind, as a broadcaster, historian, and author I will be taking a tour to Dieppe with the unique battlefield tour company “Spirit of Remembrance” on the anniversary of Operation Jubilee.
Read Allies at Dieppe: 4 Commando and the US Rangers, comewith me on this pilgrimage and be part of Canada's military heritage; remember the courage and sacrifice of the Allied servicemen, who in Operation Jubilee brought hope to France andOccupied Europe at one the lowest points of World War II.
The eBook Allies at Dieppe: 4 Commando and the US Rangers is available next month. For more information about Will's tour, please visit the Spirit of Remembrance website. Source: http://www.ospreypublishing.com/blog/will_fowler_on_allies_at_dieppe/
Add a Comment
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Comment by Spirit of Remembrance on May 31, 2012 at 17:58 -
Comment on Will's book by Ian on "The Blog With No Name"This book refreshingly takes a look at one successful part of the disastrous operation that was the attack on Dieppe. This book I gave away as part of my blogs giveaway and I am happy to say it was a good read. Typical of most books of this type it goes into detail regarding the formation and original training of the Commandos which is very welcome and a run through of the war to this point, which is not. It's a specialist book so why do we need what is essentially filler. Anyone who does not know the order of things up to that point really are unlikely to be reading the book anyway. So the question has to be, was it filler to pad out a thin book or worse was other more interesting detail missed out? I really think it's a mix of the two and whilst the actual engagement is well covered further information regarding the run up or after affects of the action could and should have been included in the book. So it's a bit like being cheated out of some detail for the lack of being prepared to go the extra mile. Whilst this is a little unfair it stands up as long as they continue to waste our reading time by putting the usual Germany Invaded Poland etc etc shite in books that clearly the reader already knows. Rant over.The detail of both the run up and raid itself is both good and well presented. Whilst the area of the fight was relatively small Will Fowler does a great job of keeping the action separated into compartments but also knitting them together. The section on the battle is chock full of possible scenario's for small actions and whilst the famous mortar round would be hard to replicate you have plenty on other small actions that warrant table top representation. As for those just wanting a good read they will be happy with the way it is written. The human element comes through very well and we get a view of the action from all three sides.What makes this a hit for me is that given the strange habit the Brits have for highlighting our failings in war and the seemingly desperate attempts to make all Generals seem either plodding, stupid or most often both, this book celebrates the part of the action that went right and where it did not, the action taken to get it back under control. Yes the raid was a disaster and yes it was one of many but reading so many other books it's a surprise we ever got to France never mind Germany. It's nice to read a book for a change that does not paint up Tommy as a accident waiting to be shot and as such thank you Mr. Fowler, I will forgive you for the potted history, maybe.
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