HITLER TALKS OVER DIEPPE RAID

Dominion, Volume 35, Issue 281, 26 August 1942, Page 5

HITLER TALKS OVER DIEPPE RAID

LONDON, August 24.

The commander of the Nazi occupying forces in France, Field-Marshal von Runstedt. has been summoned to Berlin, where he conferred with Herr Hitler on the commando raid on Dieppe. The Gestapo leader, Herr Himmler and the German fortifications expert, von Spehr, were also present. The Canadian Government has released the fifth army casualty list since the battle of Dieppe, bringing the total casualties to 418, including 79 killed, 313 wounded, and 26 missing. Further lists are expected twice daily till all the Dieppe casualties have been reported. The German news agency says that the Canadian, Brigadier William Southam, two colonels, and 14 staff officers were among 105 officers who were taken prisoner at Dieppe. Rescue launches and aircraft, engaged in the same task, played a notable part in the Dieppe combined operations (says British Official Wireless). The launches were out before dawn, and were placed in three lines, stretching out into mid-channel. Over them patrolled Lysanders, Delimits, and Walruses. The launches worked for 16 hours throughout the whole operation, and reserve planes flew more than 4000 miles during the day. They flew beneath an umbrella of Spitfires, and though some had exciting experiences, none were shot down.

One Canadian pilot who was rescued at sea watched the air battle for some hours from a launch. Commending the braverj- of the crews of the rescue launches, he said he would rather meet a Focke-Wulf 190 head-on from a Spitfire than bo in a rescue launch when an enemy plane was diving on it.