40 Commando Dieppe

Changed from Raid to Attack

The previous page was: "40 Cdo Commachio"

No. 3 Commando, No. 4 Commando and 40 commando were all to see action at Dieppe, France. Each story gives a different view of how their warfare panned out. This is the third.

The Dieppe raid was initially planned to harass the enemy, and to test out the Commandos in their new role; of which they'd had very little previous experience.

The idea was also to test out the known strong German defences on the French coast to see if possible weaknesses could be spotted.

Then Combined Operations decided to use the raid also for an attack; an amphibious attack for the preparation for the invasion of Europe. They had no real idea how effective an amphibious landing would be against the German defences?

When it came to using Commandos the initial success for landing on enemy territory depended on the efficiency and inititive of these men. Who rely upon their own sharp wit, and high courage, to bring them through. Would that be enough to break through the German lines?

No greater compliment could have been paid to the Royal Marines, than to entrust the Corps with the great responsibilities they were to bear.

Out of one hundred and twenty Commando soldiers, only Twenty members of No. 3 Commando under Peter Young survived a disastrous German naval attack at sea before they managed to land on the shore.

They made it ashore in a sinking Eureka (wooden) landing craft, while under constant German fire, commanded by Lieutenant Buckee R.N.V.R.. Others were rescued from the sea but in doing so lost their equipment which was essential for the success of their task.

However the Commandos who did manage to get ashore set out to harass the German batteries that they had been sent to attack, but only having light weapons there was little Young and his men could really do.

40 Cdo Commachio

Canadian Royal Hamilton Light Infantry

No. 4 Commando's mission three and a half miles up the coast was going to plan.

40 Commando who were held in reserve and were waiting off shore in landing craft for the moment they would be called into action. Meanwhile on the main beaches opposite the town of Dieppe, matters were going ill.

Major-General J. H. Roberts M.C. commanding the forces that were to land, decided to reinforce the Canadian Royal Hamilton Light Infantry.

They had courageously succeeded under extremely heavy fire in crossing the main beach. Reinforcements, Roberts thought, would enable the battalion to push forward.

Reinforcements were 40 Commando

The troops chosen to reinforce were from No.40 Commando Royal Marines, under Lieutenant-Colonel J. P. Phillips.

It had been planned that they would enter Dieppe after it had been mastered by the Canadian Troops. Their alloted task was to work on the demolition and removal of a number of large barges known to be in the harbour.

The Royal Marines had been taken to Dieppe in French 'chasseur's a type of fast motor boat, and then trans-shipped into assault landing craft.

They moved in towards land through a series of smoke screens, which gave excellent cover. When however they emerged into the light, they all at once met a hail of bullets. They were in circumstances which made success impossible and heavy casualties inevitable.

If fortune so willed

The Official report runs: "With a courage terrible to see; the Marines went into land determined, if fortune so willed, to repeat at Dieppe what their fathers had accomplished at Zeebrugge."

Very few reached land unwounded. Among them Lieutenant K. W. Smale who, taking cover with the remainder of his platoon behind a stranded tank landing craft. Fought on until they were all killed.

Seeing the condition of the beach which, far from being cleared as had erroneously been reported, was under heavy and concentrated fire, including fire from enemy fighter planes.

Entering the field of fire would undoubtebly prove mortal to those who did.

Lt Col Phillips Gallant Sacrifice

The beach was strewn with the Canadian dead or wounded of the Royal Hamilton Light Infantry. Colonel Phillips of 40 Commando realised immediately that the landing had to be stopped if the entire Commando were not to be wiped out. His landing craft was by then close to shore.

Pulling on a pair of white gloves so that his hands could be more easily seen, he jumped on the foredeck and made the signal to withdraw. It was seen by the remaining craft; they put about just as Lieutenant-Colonel Phillips fell.

Shot through the head. Phillips gallant sacrifice saved over two-hundred Royal Marines from almost certain and useless death.

Sergeant T. J. Badlan Royal Marines of the Beach Landing Party, took charge of a landing craft when all of the crew had been killed or wounded, he sailed the craft and its detachment out and away from the beach.

Some hours after the withdrawal

Some hours after the withdrawal a marine was discovered in the water swimming towards England. In front of him was his May West life jacket, upon which lay his rifle. For, when forced to retreat, it is not the custom of the Royal Marines to abandon their arms.

He was picked up by a motor gun boat, and on reaching her deck, collapsed. At that moment an air attack developed; it was action stations, no-one on board had time to look after him. When it was over, the marine was discovered seated near the bridge cleaning his rifle.

One marine rescued whilst swimming away from France, when picked up out of the water, still retained his Bren gun weighing twenty-three pounds. No sooner had he got on board he demanded oil and flannel, then lighting a cigarette began to clean his Bren.

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And should never have taken place

Such were the actions fought by three Commando Units which took part in the raid on Dieppe. The last was an assault from the beach, it was not the Commandos job, they were trained specially for raiding. The attack was a gallant failure and for more than one reason should never have taken place at this time.

That undertaken by No. 3 Commando was saved from a complete miscarriage by the well-trained courage of Young and his men.

That fought by Lovat and No. 4 Commando will remain the unrivalled pattern of all future Commando assaults.

The lessons learnt would prove invaluable in the future planning of amphibious landings. The Commandos backed-up with other Forces would be Britain's weapons in waiting.

The Canadians lost nearly seventy-per-cent of their brave soldiers. Never again would troops land without proper Naval and Air Force protection.

The next Link below will be: "40 Cdo Sangin"

40 Cdo Dieppe 40 Cdo Sangin

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