Dieppe assault

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Dieppe assault, 1942. On 19 August 1942 a raiding force of the 2nd Canadian Division and three British commando units carried out a daylight reconnaissance mission against the German defences at the French port of Dieppe. After a fierce nine-hour battle the force was withdrawn, having sustained 3,670 casualties out of the 7,000-strong force. The costly operation suggested that, in a full-scale invasion, the advantages of a preliminary bombardment would greatly outweigh the possibility of surprise, and that it would be unwise to try to seize a major port. The role of Lord Mountbatten, chief of combined operations, has been subjected to strong criticism.

Richard A. Smith

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