Big R.A.F. Force Again Over France

Taranaki Daily News, 22 August 1942, Page 3

Big R.A.F. Force Again Over France

London, Aug. 21. A HEAVY force of 500 planes was out over northern France to-day and found themselves almost undisputed masters of the skies. Of the few German fighters that gave battle one was shot down. American Flying Fortresses bombed railway yards at Amiens with impunity. All the Allied planes returned safely from one of the biggest offensive sweeps of the war.

even greater might was given by the Navy and the R.A.F., who were masters of the sea and air. The Navy did a superlative job in getting the large, complicated and almost cumbersome convoy to the right spot at the right times, They did it entirely without incident. No peacetime crossing of the Channel could have been quieter, and during the whole time the convoy lay off Dieppe no attempt was made by the Germans to attack it with surface craft. The dimensions of the air support defied adequate description. Even the German fighters showed the utmost respect for the British air umbrella and never showed an incliniation to fight it out -with the Spitfires guarding the vessels." The correspondent writes that the tank-carrying craft slipped across the moonlit Channel like great black slugs on the surface of the water, carrying hundreds of tons of tanks, while the tank crews Slept in hammocks. A second wave of tanks arrived about an hour after zero hour. It was discovered that the attack at Bemeval (41 miles east of Dieppe) had failed, and many of those who returned to the beach for re-embarkation were wounded and dying. At Varengeville (about miles west of Dieppe) the raiders carried their objective triumphantly and captured and destroyed a battery of six 6-inch guns with relatively light losses, then were withdrawn. Sneak Landihgs. "Sneak" landings were made on the fianks of Dieppe by the South Saskatchewan Regiment at Fourville and the Royal Regiment of Canada at Puys. By that time the whole coastline was aflame and the Nazis were flinging up immense quantities of shells at imaginary aircraft. All of the batteries opened up and kept up a continuous shelling throughout the nine hours and even after the Commandos left. Squadron after squadron of bombers swept in to reply to the German batteries and the cliffs shook to the explosions. The Saskatchewans had a comparatively easy task, but the Royal Canadians were swept back by the beach defences. However, they reformed and swept over the defences. The tanks crunched their way across the once popular peacetime playground, while engineers went before them to clear the way to the town. Meanwnile the Royal Hamilton Light Infantry and Essex Scottish joined battle with the coast defences. By the time the sun rose over the scene the sound of battle had moved inland and the Berneval guns which had eluded capture opened on the anchorage, which was then covered by a smokescreen. However, the guns had found the range and a second wave of tanks prepared to land under the command of Major Robert Taylor, a Calgary accountant. The major received radio reports from the beach which recorded damage to the tanks already landed. At 7.45 a brief period of quiet descended upon every thing, and the craft off shore moved to and fro while they received reports of the position ashore. Heavy losses had been suffered at Bernavel. The Royal Canadians had had a mauling. The Essex Scottish and Hamiltons had been severely handled and the Saskatchewans had run into heavy opposition. The Navy had not escaped. One tarik landing craft was down by the stern, another had great holes in the bows. A motor landing craft was I listing. One craft taking Commandos back to | England was manoeuvred to receive an American pilot who had bailed out. At this stage reports from the shore were not good. The Casino was proving a strong fortress and a nearby tobacco factory was strongly held. The Germans had assembled about 100 British prisoners near the Casino and the men on the boats were quite restless because they were unable to do anything. j A few minutes later they saw planes | circling slowly towards the beach and at I the same time the first German bomber raid was made on the massed ships, but all missed and a second raid a quarter of an hour later was also without result. Before the tanks afloat reached the j shore the order to withdraw was given | and they moved along the coast.^ which! was concealed for several miles by smoke-screens. I As the convoy turned across the Chan- | nel reports still being received by radio indicated that the men on the shore were still fighting and dying.

"Reports now received roake it. possible to give a full co-ordinated story of the raid in the Dieppe area. These reports l show that the raid was a successful ' demonstration of the co-ordination of all three services. A large military force assembled and arrived off the selected six beaches at the time laid down. Aircraft covered the landings and continued to cover the ships and men throughout the operation. The raid had as its objectives the testing by an offensive on a larger scale than previously the defences of what was known to be a heavily defended | section of the coast, the destruction of ' German batteries and a radio-location station used in attacks on our convoys, the destruction of German personnel and equipment and the taking of prisoners for interrogation. The raid was a .reconnaissance in force, having a vital part in our agreed offensive policy. It was known that as a consequence of our avowed aggressive policy the Germans have been recently heavily reinforced

on the coastal defences and heavy opposition was anticipated. During the raid it was apparent that additional troops and guns had been brought to the area recently." The communique records the destruction done to batteries and equipment previously reported and adds that two small enemy vessels were sunk and all tanks left behind were blown up. There were numerous acts of individua! bravery. "Strong air protection was provided and among the airmen taking part were Americans, Canadians, New Zealanders, Norwegians, Belgians • and Fighting French," adds the communique. "One of the greatest air battles of the war developed and the Germans were forced to bring up reinforcements from all parts of France and Belgium and Holland. Ninety-nine enemy planes were destroyed and 180 more were probably destroyed or damaged. We lost 98 planes. with 30 pilots safe. "A fairly large number of our landing craft were lost, and the destroyer Barclay was so seriously damaged that she had to be sunk by our own forces. Most of the ship's complement are safe. A Polish destroyer also took part in the operations. We destroyed a Germar. armed trawler and set fire to another. "In heavy land fighting our casualties were high but not unduly so considering the size of the operation."