Evening star., 1942-08-20
Munro
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NuHIO
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was an arsenal of coastal defense.
When they left Dieppe it was aflre,
it's ruins and its dead lying under
a smoky shroud.
The operation against Dieppe
started from British port Tuesday
evening.
I boarded ship which also car
ried a Royal regiment from Toronto.
1t was 7 pm. Only then were we
told that Dieppe was our destina-
ton.
The Royals took it coolly enough,
They had been trained with the
rest of the force for several months
on combined operations for just
such job.
Maps, mosaics and photographs
of Dieppe were issued, and as the
boats put to sea with other ships
OF the raiding feet the troops were
"briefed" in their tasks.
1t was nuggy night. but the sky
was clear and the sea calm. 1t was
combined operations weather,
In the darkness the fotilla formed:
shadowy tank landing craft that
looked like oil tankers. a score Of
small assault boats destroyers, gun
boats, motor launches and torpedo
boats.
A few officers in the raiding party
drank some beer with the ship cap
tain and chatted about everything
except the operation. We had a
snack of bully beef, bread and but
ter with tea and then went over
the side into an assault craft.
After leaving the mother ships
our flotilla of little craft took posi-
tions in line astern. The Cana
dians were to land at Puts, one mile
east of Dieppe and establish them
selves in that hanking area.
Just as we were pushing away
from the mother ship. an old Brit
ish tar whispered to us:
"Cheerio, laddies, best luck. Give
the - licking"
1t was pleasant enough in the open
assault boats Nobody seemed par
ticularly nervous about the coming
business. although it was to be the
Canadians first time in action.
Encounter E-Boats.
made myself think in terms of
nlaneuvers, the exercises in which !
had taken part with these men in
preparation for this night.
l had about convinced myself that
this was only another of those ia
miliar exercises when at 4;l0 a IN.
about so minutes before We were
due to hit the beach, fare arched
over the channel.
Tracer bullets followed quickly
long green and red streaks marking
their paths. They were too close
for comfort.
e. boats" announced a sailor.
The atmosphere suddenly grew
tense and wide-awake. Men tight.
ened their grips on weapons.
sailor hoisted Lewis gun into place
and cooked it.
Our boats slipped steadily or
through the quiet waters. Our motor
was hardly audible,
Then the German E-boats ap.
peared close by, off to one side.
They opened up with shots thai
bounced bright red off one or two
of our boats,
The fire now came from severa
angles. 1t was the first time mos
of us had ever been under direc
enemy fire. We f1attened againS
the armor plating of our craft.
The E-boats kept up running
attack for 20 minutes. The nigh
was alive with streaking tracers.
1t occurred to me that it wa
awkward to be travelling towsrt
Germans with other German
hanging on our heels.
But the Royal Navy took care o
our unuanted travelling companion;
The destroyers popped up with
harrage that sent the E-boats sour
rying off like sea rats.
Aircraft drummed overhead. b
this time heading south. They wer
the first OF the bombers heading 70
Dieppe and in a few minutes grea
crumps shook the French Channe
shore as they unloaded bombs o
the port.
Nazi anti aircraft defenses barke
at the skies. and the haphazard pat
4erns of tracer fax criss-crosSed
horizon that showed the first streak
Of dawn.
Heavy Anti Aircraft Fire.
They made brilliant chandelie
over Dieppe, Two searchllght
probed for bombers dodging tn
anti aircraft fire Other bomber
went in, squadron after squadron
The flashes of bomb explosions i
the town. within two miles Of Whic
we now had crept, revealed a cor
crete jetty at the harbor entrance.
The anti-aircraft fire was heavie.
from the cliff tops on both sides {
the town.
One on our right could see ar
other feet Of raiding craft bearin
men Of the Essex, Scottish Roya
Hamilton light infantry and til
Calgary tank regiment to the mai
beach IN front of Dieppe.
There was a great roar as a cor
eentrstion OF high explosive ar
smoke bombs landed on the east {