On August 19, 1942, an Allied force stormed the beaches of Dieppe, France, in what would become one of the most infamous raids of the Second World War. At the centre of the attack was the 2nd Canadian Infantry Division, commanded by Major-General J.H. Roberts.
The raid had been long in planning. That summer, Louis Mountbatten, Chief of Combined Operations, resolved that a Canadian-led force would spearhead a raid on Dieppe. The operation involved coordinated landings across several points: Canadian troops would assault the town itself, flanked by British Commando units, while Churchill tanks provided armoured support for the main attack.
The raid had multiple objectives. Beyond the desire to engage Canadian troops in combat, the Allies aimed to test German defenses along Hitler’s Atlantic Wall and to evaluate their own amphibious capabilities in preparation for the eventual invasion of France. Recent research has revealed that a secret mission to capture intelligence on German radar installations and codes was also part of the plan.
From the outset, the operation faced challenges. As the flotilla of over 250 ships approached Dieppe in the early hours, it encountered a German convoy. Several landing craft were torpedoed, and the element of surprise was compromised. At 4:40 a.m., the first Canadian waves hit the beaches.
The fates of the Commando units on the flanks diverged sharply. On the left, only a handful of troops from Lt. Col. John Durnford-Slater’s No. 3 Commando managed to scale the cliffs at Berneval and reach their target: a German battery. Nevertheless, their actions distracted the gun crews enough to render the artillery largely ineffective.
On the right flank, No. 4 Commando, led by Lord Lovat, landed near Varengeville. Supported by 50 U.S. Rangers, they successfully neutralized six 150 mm guns with minimal losses. For their heroism, Lord Lovat received the Distinguished Service Cross, and British Captain Patrick Porteous was awarded the Victoria Cross.
In the central assault, the Royal Regiment of Canada and three platoons of the Black Watch of Canada faced strong resistance east of Dieppe at Puys. Only 60 well-fortified German defenders effectively halted their advance, nearly annihilating the units. At Pourville to the west, the South Saskatchewan Regiment and Cameron Highlanders initially landed successfully, but the River Scie created a bottleneck. Under the leadership of Lt. Col. Charles Cecil Ingersoll Merritt, the South Saskatchewans fought their way across the bridge before being forced to retreat under heavy German counterattacks.
In front of Dieppe, the Essex Scottish Regiment was pinned on the beach, suffering 121 fatalities, while the Royal Hamilton Light Infantry reached the shorefront casino before being repelled. The supporting Calgary Tank Regiment faced an insurmountable obstacle: the beach’s pebbled terrain bogged the Churchill tanks, leaving them trapped against German anti-tank defenses.
At 7:00 a.m., Les Fusiliers Mont-Royal and Royal Marine “A” Commando were deployed as reserves, but they too achieved little. Of the 584 Fusiliers, only 125 returned to England, while “A” Commando was stopped mere yards from the shore. By 10:50 a.m., a general withdrawal was ordered.
Casualty figures were devastating. Of the 4,963 Canadians involved, 913 were killed according to Veterans Affairs Canada.
Among the heroes of Dieppe were Lt. Col. Merritt and Reverend John W. Foote, chaplain of the Royal Hamilton Light Infantry, both awarded the Victoria Cross for exceptional courage under fire.
In the decades since, historians have debated the raid’s high cost. Yet, the lessons learned proved invaluable. They informed the planning of Operation Torch in North Africa later that year, and the amphibious strategies employed during D-Day in Normandy, 1944. Reflecting on Dieppe, Mountbatten later stated, “I have no doubt that the Battle of Normandy was won on the beaches of Dieppe.”
Ultimately, the 2nd Canadian Infantry Division returned to Dieppe in September 1944, liberating the town and bringing closure to the sacrifices of 1942.
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