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Twentieth-Century Battles
The Dieppe Raid: The Story of the Disastrous 1942 Expedition
Documenting one of World War II’s most controversial campaigns, this decisive guide provides an in-depth view of how, a full two years before D-Day, thousands of men—mostly Canadian troops eager for their first taste of battle—were deployed across the Channel in a poorly organized raid on the French port town of Dieppe. Revealing that air supremacy had not been secured, and that the topography of the town and its near-impenetrable surroundings were impossible to overcome, this startling account presents allegations of a dark conspiracy that resulted in the utter carnage of the attempted invasion—with entire regiments literally decimated before the troops had reached the shores. Striving to reveal the facts behind the myths, and debating whether the invasion was an attempt to prove to the Americans—at the expense of many Canadian lives—the impracticality of staging the Normandy landings for another two years, this intriguing volume is an invaluable resource for those captivated by the path of military history.
320 pages, Paperback
First published November 1, 2005
About the author
Robin Neillands
46 books19 followersRobin Hunter Neillands was a British writer known for his works on travel and military history. A former Royal Marine who served in Cyprus and the Middle East, he later became a prolific author, publishing under multiple pen names. His military histories, often featuring firsthand accounts from veterans, challenged revisionist narratives, particularly regarding Bernard Montgomery, the Dieppe Raid, and the Allied bombing campaign in World War II. Neillands also authored numerous travel books inspired by his extensive journeys across Europe. His works, both popular and scholarly, earned him a nomination for the Royal United Services Institute’s Military Literature Award.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
April 13, 2011
It's enough to make you want to weep. Extremely thorough account of this distrastrous example of how NOT to plan and conduct a military operation. This sentence is a great summary for the whole book: "Reading any account of the Dieppe operation, personal or official, gradually fills the reader with a growing sense of doom. Everything seems to hinge on what happened elsewhere. Everywhere the same basic problems - inadequate intelligence, a poor plan, a lack of adequate support, communications failures, no alternative to the pre-planned assault, a lack of surprise, the rapid enemy response - become ever more obvious, yet nothing is done, the slaughter continues and the casualties mount."
February 17, 2024
If I am completely honest, this book was dull, and I fought hard and failed miserably to not have my thoughts drift and wander and constantly re-reading portions. I nearly chose to simply not finish, but I really wanted to learn what happened and the end results. Not knowing really anything about the Dieppe Raid. The author's anger and bias are front and center throughout the entire book, which makes a heavy topic, even heavier to read. The book does give good and detailed information, just not in an interesting, casual reading sort of way.
December 16, 2017
Simply harrowing.
August 20, 2012
Gerry B's Book Reviews - http://gerrycan.wordpress.com
Today, August 19, 2012, marks the 70th anniversary of the storming of Puys beach, a small seaside village two kilometres east of Dieppe. The landing parties, including 4,963 men and officers from the 2nd Canadian Division, 1,005 British commandos, 50 US rangers and 15 Frenchmen, were already late as the sun rose, giving the Germans plenty of advance notice. The shore batteries opened up while the landing craft were still 10 metres from shore, and at 5:07 AM the first of the Canadian soldiers dashed forward in the noise of machine-gun and mortar fire that targeted them. They fell, mowed down by bullets and hit by mortar shells. Some tried to reach the seawall bordering the beach, hoping to find shelter. They were to be made prisoner after a few hours of useless resistance.
A few kilometres away, to the left near Berneval and to the right near Dieppe, Pourville and Varengeville, other battalions landed, more men were killed by machine-gun fire and struck by mortar shells. Several platoons managed to break through enemy defence lines and closed in on their targets. Their determination was no match for the formidable might of the German army. Order was given to pull back at 1100; Navy personnel did the utmost to retrieve as many assault troops as possible. The raid was over. As the tide rose, the wounded who remained on the beach were carried away by the waves with the dead.
The objectives of this ill-fated venture weren’t particularly significant. These included seizing and holding a major port for a short period, both to prove it was possible and to gather intelligence from prisoners and captured materials while assessing the German responses. The Allies also wanted to destroy coastal defences, port structures and all strategic buildings. “Dieppe raid was also a “pinch” raid for the Naval Intelligence Division (NID) overseen by Ian Fleming. A group of No. 30 Commandos were sent into Dieppe to steal code books, setting sheets and a German-made Enigma code machine for encryption and decryption of secret messages.” Wikipedia
The cost, however, was significant. A total of 3,623 of the 6,086 men (almost 60%) who made it ashore were either killed, wounded, or captured. The Royal Air Force lost 96 aircraft (at least 32 to flak or accidents). The Royal Navy lost 33 landing craft and one destroyer.
So what went wrong? Almost everything says Robin Neillands in his meticulously researched treatise, “The Dieppe Raid: The Story of the Disastrous 1942 Expedition (Twentieth-Century Battles)” [Indiana University Press, 2005], from the earliest planning stages, to the lack of combat experience by the British and Allied officers to make a proper assessment of the risks of such an operation.
As one reviewer has summarized it:
“In seven bloody, smoke-filled chapters, the author tells the waterlogged tale of men struggling in the ocean and along the seawall — the assault boats of No. 3 Commando blundering into a German convoy — bullet-ridden landing craft loaded with dead and wounded — virtually every radio set destroyed right from the beginning — heroic soldiers charging gun pits with fixed bayonets — Churchill tanks hopelessly stranded on the promenade — bodies rolling about in the waves — hundreds of men cowering behind knocked out tanks and landing craft along the shingle — eventually, abandoned men on the beach swimming for miles to reach withdrawing ships. Mr. Neillands’ remarkable reconstruction of the battle from east to west makes clear the troops had little chance of success.” Michael L. Shakespeare
When it is all said and done, Robin Neillands’ book may be the best thing that came out of the aftermath; that and the lessons learned when it came to the amphibious raids that ultimately led to VE Day, May 8, 1945.
A must read under the heading “Lest we forget.” Five bees.
Today, August 19, 2012, marks the 70th anniversary of the storming of Puys beach, a small seaside village two kilometres east of Dieppe. The landing parties, including 4,963 men and officers from the 2nd Canadian Division, 1,005 British commandos, 50 US rangers and 15 Frenchmen, were already late as the sun rose, giving the Germans plenty of advance notice. The shore batteries opened up while the landing craft were still 10 metres from shore, and at 5:07 AM the first of the Canadian soldiers dashed forward in the noise of machine-gun and mortar fire that targeted them. They fell, mowed down by bullets and hit by mortar shells. Some tried to reach the seawall bordering the beach, hoping to find shelter. They were to be made prisoner after a few hours of useless resistance.
A few kilometres away, to the left near Berneval and to the right near Dieppe, Pourville and Varengeville, other battalions landed, more men were killed by machine-gun fire and struck by mortar shells. Several platoons managed to break through enemy defence lines and closed in on their targets. Their determination was no match for the formidable might of the German army. Order was given to pull back at 1100; Navy personnel did the utmost to retrieve as many assault troops as possible. The raid was over. As the tide rose, the wounded who remained on the beach were carried away by the waves with the dead.
The objectives of this ill-fated venture weren’t particularly significant. These included seizing and holding a major port for a short period, both to prove it was possible and to gather intelligence from prisoners and captured materials while assessing the German responses. The Allies also wanted to destroy coastal defences, port structures and all strategic buildings. “Dieppe raid was also a “pinch” raid for the Naval Intelligence Division (NID) overseen by Ian Fleming. A group of No. 30 Commandos were sent into Dieppe to steal code books, setting sheets and a German-made Enigma code machine for encryption and decryption of secret messages.” Wikipedia
The cost, however, was significant. A total of 3,623 of the 6,086 men (almost 60%) who made it ashore were either killed, wounded, or captured. The Royal Air Force lost 96 aircraft (at least 32 to flak or accidents). The Royal Navy lost 33 landing craft and one destroyer.
So what went wrong? Almost everything says Robin Neillands in his meticulously researched treatise, “The Dieppe Raid: The Story of the Disastrous 1942 Expedition (Twentieth-Century Battles)” [Indiana University Press, 2005], from the earliest planning stages, to the lack of combat experience by the British and Allied officers to make a proper assessment of the risks of such an operation.
As one reviewer has summarized it:
“In seven bloody, smoke-filled chapters, the author tells the waterlogged tale of men struggling in the ocean and along the seawall — the assault boats of No. 3 Commando blundering into a German convoy — bullet-ridden landing craft loaded with dead and wounded — virtually every radio set destroyed right from the beginning — heroic soldiers charging gun pits with fixed bayonets — Churchill tanks hopelessly stranded on the promenade — bodies rolling about in the waves — hundreds of men cowering behind knocked out tanks and landing craft along the shingle — eventually, abandoned men on the beach swimming for miles to reach withdrawing ships. Mr. Neillands’ remarkable reconstruction of the battle from east to west makes clear the troops had little chance of success.” Michael L. Shakespeare
When it is all said and done, Robin Neillands’ book may be the best thing that came out of the aftermath; that and the lessons learned when it came to the amphibious raids that ultimately led to VE Day, May 8, 1945.
A must read under the heading “Lest we forget.” Five bees.
February 4, 2014
Robin Neillands' book on the infamous Dieppe raid undertakes to answer a question bizarrely given short shrift in so many of the discussions of this amphibious assault: what was this raid supposed to accomplish? Debate over the raid usually centers on whether the terrible casualties can be justified by the claim that the lessons learned here were important to the later D-day invasion. However, Neillands argues, these lessons were never the original intention. So what was? I think the answer given in this book could perhaps have been a little clearer, but it seems to me this book directly addresses a question usually overlooked.
November 27, 2010
Frustrating, after 60 years it is still clouded in rumor and mystery.....
February 2, 2012
Good balanced account detailing the unbelievable amateurism that led to catastrophe that was Operation Jubilee
November 21, 2012
Very informative. Slow read and lacked flow. Great topic and should be studied much more.
December 11, 2012
Reasonably good and clear popular history with just enough analysis.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews