March 27, 1942 - St. Nazaire, France The British launch “Operation Chariot”, a combined Navy-Commando raid (with air support from the RAF) to destroy the key structures of the heavily defended French Normandy port of St. Nazaire, equipped with the largest and most modern dry-dock facilities in Europe. The Germans planned to use the port, which opens on the Atlantic, as a base for U-Boats and surface raiders. The bow of the former French destroyer “FR Ourangan” was packed with four and a half tons of high explosives, and rammed the entrance to the huge dry-dock (1,168’ x 164’), with about 270 Commandos, transported on an old destroyer (HMS Campbeltown), also loaded with high explosives to detonate, and fifteen motor torpedo boats (a total of 622 sailors were involved), to attack other vital port facilities with time delay explosive charges. The raid (which became known as “The Greatest Raid of All”), although costly in casualties, put the targeted dry dock and other structures out of commission until the end of the war. 169 raiders were killed (105 Royal Navy sailors and 64 Commandos), with another 215 being taken prisoner (106 sailors, 109 Commandos). About 360 German defenders were killed. The British awarded the raiders 89 medals for valor, including five Victoria Crosses, their highest decoration. In addition, the Free French government eventually awarded four Croix de Guerres, their highest honor.
Posted on: Thu, 27 Mar 2014 15:02:19 +0000
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