Triple Attack On Dieppe Proved Too Strong For Nazis

Taranaki Daily News, 22 August 1942, Page 3

Triple Attack On Dieppe Proved Too Strong For Nazis

By Telegraph—Press Assn.—Copyright.

British Official Wireless.

Naval salvoes battered an opening for land forces under air cover.

Rec. 9.15 p.m. Rugby, Aug. 20. "(jERMAN claims of the damage inflicted on the British naval [ • forces are ridiculous. The raid proved that a large force of L ships, given proper air cover, can be maintained within a few ^ miles of an enemy coast despite the defences," reports an ob^■Eserver who was on the bridge of a destroyer. "The Channel ^K*ossing was uneventful. There is no doubt that the enemy was ^Hurprised by the raid, especially by its strength. As the destroyJ^ers completed a wide search for enemy ships we heard and saw the first gunfire of the action. It was later discovered that the [ first Commando flight had run into a small force of patrolling flak ships. Tracer bullets shot down through the darkness like fireworks. As we slipped slowly into position we could see the long, low lines of the tank landing craft following up the smaller shapes of the assault craft. Then came the spatter of machineguns from the shore. The Germans had seen the approach of the main force but not until they were within half a mile of the shore.

"As dawn broke our senior ship opened- fire. Her shells whistled over the troops fighting ori the beaches and it seemed that she was nearly on the target with. the first salvo. Then the other destroyers went into action. Each had a particular target. Ours was a big tobacco factory now used for military purposes, and projectiles were thudding on and around the targets from one • end of the area to the other. The Casino seemed to be having a particularly heavy time. Eventually the enemy's heavy guns began to reply and the bombarding ships moved quietly out, still firing and cover - ing their temporary withdrawal by a smoke screen. "Here French chasseur boats played a big part in the spectacle. These little ships attacking their own homeland for the sake of its freedom was one of the most moving of the whole day. "Then came the order to the destroyers, 'close in to the shore' and back they went through the smoke with their guns blazing. I listened to a first lieutenant, a 23-year-old, giving spotting directions to another officer, an even younger • sub-lieutenant in the R.N.V.R. Once I heard the first lieutenant say: 'Albert, yours are falling short on the plifF face. It may be an idea to bring the enemy down with the cliff but I think it rather a long-term policy.' "Meanwhile, the tank landing craft had gone in and all landed their tanks. Hundreds of Shells. "Hundreds of four-inch shells were fired into targets in Dieppe and on the cliffs and beaches during eight hours of the operations. This hammering was periormed sometimes from within a mile of the shore by one British destroyer flotilla." The destroyer flotilla fired many hundreds of four-inch shells into military targets and strong points at Dieppe and at nearby cliffs and beaches. A naval observer said the Germans did not see the approach of the main raiding force until it was within half a mile of the shore. It was an ideal night for a landing raid: Each destroyer was given a special target for the initial bombardment. Despite the half-light the shells thudded on and around the target from : one end to the other. The enemy was too busy with the Canadians to reply immediately to the bombardment but the boom of heavier guns was eventually heard and the destroyers moved out under a smoke screen. By 6.30 a.m. most of the heavier shore opposition was silenced. Occasionally destroyers would steam slowly in-shore in order to relieve with their guns any enemy pressure on our troops. One destroyer manned by Poles steamed parallel with the beaches, loosing broadsides at the cliffs and enemy posts above. Air attacks became more frequent and more fierce towards the afternoon but R.A.F. fighters reduced the bombing danger to a minimum. Besides destroyers, light coastal craft gave fine support. They were able to approach even closer to the beach and their guns were seldom gilent. They were invaluable in transporting casualties from the landing craft to destroyers. Great Smoke Screen. The withdrawal called for the biggest smoke screen of the day. Destroyers again opened the bombardment and closed in to give the landing craft every possible opportunity to embark the rearguard. The destroyers left last of all. Ihe air cover for the return journey was even greater.' With a few exceptions, all attempts by German planes to bomb the convoy failed. The naval force was under the command of Captain J. Hughes Hallett, the military force was under Major-General J. H. Roberts. and the air force under Air-Marshall T. L. Leigh Mallory. The air action in the raid on Dieppe began 'with an attack on heavy gun positions, says the Air Ministry news service. From the time the troops began the landing fighters gave them protective covering and attacked gunposts. The aircraft were met with a hail of flak from the centre of the town", from ships in harbour and from cliff batteries. An anti-aircraft battery on top of the Casino was swept with cannon shells. A bomber squadron succeeded in silencing some batteries in spite of the resistance of the German fighters. A Belgian fighter squadron engaged the enemy high above Dieppe and an American force engaged about 25 Focke Wulfs. Other aircraft laid down a smokescreen. Ihe. Germans threw in a great variety of aircraft and there were combats from sea level to 20,000 feet up. Polish and Czech pilots had successes and British and Canadian pilots flying Mustangs took a notable part. Their main task was reconnaissance, but several engaged in the combat and had successes. Nearly 500 fighters carried out fourpronged sweeps over Northern France this evening, during which Flying Fortresses were escorted to bomb railway yards at Amiens. Hits were scored on the yards. Mastery of the Air. Complete mastery of the sky and sea was given by the R.A.F. and Royal Navy. Attacks were made by Spitfires, Hurricanes and Bostons on gun positions before the first raiding troops reached the landing beaches. . When the British forces began to disembark Spitfires came over the beaches. then Hurricane bombers, which gave special attention to gun batteries south of the town. Describing the flak. one Spitfire pilot said: "Guy Fawkes Day wasn't in it." An enemy battery to the west of the town went up in a large orange flame. The Fighter Command's score of enemy aircraft shot down was 69. A British squadron of the Air Co-operation Command flying Mustangs played a notable part, mostly reconnaissance. United States fighter pilots flying Spitfires scored three probable victories and three damaged. Eight of their planes were lost but three pilots are known to be safe. The Royal Navy did a superb job in preparing to get this large and complicated force to the right spots at the right time. The R.A.F. and naval guns smashed the Luftwaffe. A German force , of at least 500 aircraft was sent to blast the Commandos and the ships. Every ship was bombed and strafed repeatedlv ard blazed back at the enemy. "For eight hours I watched Canadian shock troops. squadrons of British tanks. naval vessels and an armada of R.A.F. fighters battling in daylight against con-

centrated German opposition," a special correspondent with the Dieppe raiding forces, who saw the attack from a tank barge off the town, writes. "A thousand to one chance caused some of the raiding craft to be intercepted by an enemy patrol just before they were due to land, he continued. The result was that not only were the Commando vessels severely damaged by German fire from close range, but the German coastal batteries were also warned and when the Commandos landed on the beach they walked into a curtain of fire from everything the Germans could muster, including anti-aircraft batteries. Against this the Commandos, who had needed some measure of surprise to succeed, spent themselves in vain. "The guns, the first vital objective of the raid, were never silenced, despite the greatest efforts and sacrifices of the attackers. This initial failure was a setback which was felt throughout the whole operations and was partly responsible for later difficulties. "To land and stay nine hours was a brilliant feat, but a demonstration of