Important Battles of WWII: Dieppe Raid Battle of Hong Kong Canada and World War II Important Battles of WWII: Dieppe Raid Battle of Hong Kong

Battle of Hong Kong In November 1941, Canada sent 1975 troops to help garrison the British colony of Hong Kong . Canadian troops were not fully equipped or trained at this time. The Japanese invaded Hong Kong on 8 December and overran its meager defenses in 17 days.

Canadian troops fought valiantly in a vicious, unequal struggle. Losses were heavy: 290 killed in action and hundreds wounded. The survivors were all taken prisoner. Suffering from malnutrition, disease, overwork, and brutality, nearly 300 more Canadians died in captivity.

Japanese lines of attack

Dieppe Raid

Dieppe ~ Operation Rutter ~ April 1942 Original Plan: Operation RUTTER In the spring of 1942, the Allies planned a large raid on German occupied territory to take place during the first week of July 1942. Code-named "Operation Rutter," the objective was the French port of Dieppe.  25 April 1942 Planning for the raid begins. The original plan, including the objectives are established by Combined Operations.  20 May 1942 Training for the raid begins in England. Canadian and British troops train for more than two months on the Isle of Wight practicing landing and coastal attacks for the raid.  07 July 1942 Operation RUTTER is cancelled. Due to a number of factors, in particular the unfavourable weather reports, the raid is cancelled.

Dieppe ~ Operation Jubilee ~ August 19, 1942 Four flank attacks were planned for just before dawn, with the main frontal assault on the town of Dieppe a half hour later. Surprise was key to the plan. 3:45 am ~ Landing ships and escorts on the east met a small German convoy. The resulting battle alerted the Germans, eliminating the element of surprise. 5:06 am ~ The Royal Regiment of Canada landed late on Puys beach on the east, and the Germans were ready. Over 500 men were killed or taken prisoner and the Canadians were forced to surrender. 5:20 am ~ West at Pourville, the South Saskatchewan Regiment and the Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders met only light resistance, but heavy fighting developed as they pushed toward the town of Dieppe. The Canadians could not reach their target. Most were successfully evacuated, but the rear guard did not make it out. 5:35 am ~ The Royal Hamilton Light Infantry and the Essex Scottish Regiment landed on the main Dieppe beach and were met with German machine-gun fire. Shingles on the beach broke tank treads. All entrances to Dieppe were blocked by concrete barriers, trapping any tanks that made it that far. 7:00 am ~ An inaccurate message led the headquarters ship to assume the Essex Scottish Regiment was making headway, and the reserve battalion was sent in. They too were pinned on the beach. 9:30 am ~ A general withdrawal message is sent, relaying the order that troops were to be withdrawn an hour and a half later. Under battle conditions, it is very difficult to communicate the order to withdraw. As a result, 1,946 men are captured and made prisoners of war on the three beaches. 1:00 pm ~ Withdrawal is complete.

Statistics Approximately 5000 of 6100 troops involved at the Battle of Dieppe were Canadians including: Royal Regiment of Canada Black Watch (Royal Highland Regiment) South Saskatchewan Regiment Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders of Canada Essex Scottish Regiment Les Fusiliers Mont Royal Royal Hamilton Light Infantry Calgary Regiment RCAF lost 13 aircraft and 10 pilots; RAF lost 106 planes and 81 airmen - the highest single day total of World War II 3,367 casualties - including 1,946 taken prisoner and 907 Canadians killed

The concrete barriers, wire fencing, and other obstacles on the beach show how well the Germans fortified the Dieppe beach. Several hundreds of miles of beaches were fortified in the same fashion as the Germans saw their greatest threat of Allied invasion to be from the sea. (L/O 54162 and DVA 734 and #1 and 8160: Dieppe #2)

German soldiers round up Allied prisoners following the Dieppe Raid German soldiers round up Allied prisoners following the Dieppe Raid.. 1, 874 Canadians were captured during and after the assault. (R.24 and DVA 735)

Canadian and Allied soldiers are paraded as prisoners of war by their captors. (DVA 736)

CBC Archives looks at the “The Contentious Legacy of Dieppe” http://archives.cbc.ca/IDD-1-71-2359/conflict_war/dieppe/ CBC Archives looks at the “The Contentious Legacy of Dieppe” It has been called the most controversial battle Canadians have ever fought. On Aug. 19, 1942, after nearly three years of waiting in England for a chance to fight, Canadian troops were sent to raid the French coast at Dieppe. But the Germans were ready for them, and the attack became a massacre. Of nearly 5,000 Canadians sent to Dieppe, only 2,000 returned. More than 60 years later, the operation remains divisive: was Dieppe an essential trial run for D-Day, or a shocking waste of lives? ~ CBC Archives ~

Dieppe Revisited ~ 1944 ~ Juno Beach Two years after the raid on Dieppe, the Canadians landed on Juno Beach, and at dawn on June 6th, 1944, participated in the Battle of Normandy. On September 1st, 1944, the 2nd Canadian Division liberated Dieppe.