St Nazaire Raid

St Nazaire Raid. The St Nazaire Raid, codenamed Operation Chariot, was a British Commando assault on the heavily defended Normandie dry dock at the port of Saint-Nazaire in German-occupied France during World War II. Launched on 28 March 1942, the audacious operation aimed to deny the Kriegsmarine the only dry dock on the Atlantic coast capable of servicing major warships like the battleship ''Tirpitz''. Despite heavy casualties, the raid is celebrated as one of the most daring commando operations of the war, earning participants five Victoria Crosses.

Background

Following the fall of France in 1940, the Kriegsmarine gained access to the Atlantic port facilities at Saint-Nazaire. The port's massive Normandie dry dock, originally built for the liner SS ''Normandie'', was a critical strategic asset, being the only facility west of Brest able to accommodate the ''Bismarck''-class battleships, including the formidable ''Tirpitz''. The presence of the Tirpitz in Norwegian waters posed a constant threat to the vital Arctic convoys supplying the Soviet Union, tying down significant elements of the Royal Navy's Home Fleet. The British Admiralty, under First Sea Lord Dudley Pound, and the Combined Operations Headquarters, led by Lord Louis Mountbatten, identified the destruction of the dock as a paramount objective to neutralize this threat and secure Allied shipping lanes.

Planning

Planning for the raid, designated Operation Chariot, was undertaken by Combined Operations Headquarters. The core plan involved ramming an explosive-laden destroyer into the caisson (dock gate) of the Normandie dry dock. The obsolete ''Town''-class destroyer HMS ''Campbeltown'' was selected and heavily modified, her superstructure cut down and hull packed with delayed-action explosives. A flotilla of motor gun boats and motor torpedo boats, under Naval Force Commander Robert Ryder, would escort Campbeltown and carry No. 2 Commando and supporting troops from other units, led by Augustus Charles Newman. Detailed intelligence was gathered from aerial reconnaissance by the Royal Air Force and French Resistance agents. The plan required precise navigation up the Loire estuary, a night-time approach to avoid Luftwaffe detection, and a simultaneous commando assault on key port installations.

The raid

The force departed Falmouth on 26 March 1942. Despite a brief clash with a German U-boat and evading a German patrol, the raiders achieved surprise, aided by flying a German naval ensign. Just after 01:30 on 28 March, Campbeltown, under heavy fire from shore batteries and the flak ship Sperrbrecher 137, rammed the dock gate at high speed. Commandos from No. 2 Commando stormed ashore to destroy pump houses, winding houses, and gun emplacements in fierce close-quarters combat with German defenders from the 280th Naval Artillery Battalion and 679th Infantry Regiment. Most of the smaller craft were destroyed during the withdrawal. The delayed-action explosives aboard Campbeltown detonated the following afternoon, utterly destroying the caisson and killing many German personnel inspecting the ship, including senior officers.

Aftermath

British casualties were severe: of the 611 men who took part, 169 were killed and 215 were captured, many wounded. Only 228 returned to England, with five vessels escaping. German casualties numbered approximately 360 killed. The Normandie dry dock was rendered unusable for the remainder of the war, definitively preventing the Tirpitz from using Atlantic facilities. The captured commandos, including Newman, became prisoners of war, with some, like Thomas Frank Durrant, being posthumously decorated for their valor. The raid was immediately hailed as a major strategic victory by the British War Cabinet and Winston Churchill, significantly boosting Allied morale during a difficult phase of the war.

Legacy

The St Nazaire Raid remains a legendary example of amphibious warfare and special forces daring. The operation demonstrated the effectiveness of Combined Operations and validated the commando concept, influencing later raids like the Dieppe Raid and the planning for Operation Overlord. Five Victoria Crosses were awarded for the action: to Commander Robert Ryder, Lieutenant Colonel Augustus Charles Newman, Sergeant Thomas Frank Durrant (posthumous), and posthumously to Commander Stephen Halden Beattie and Able Seaman William Alfred Savage. The raid is commemorated by memorials in Saint-Nazaire and England, and its story is a staple in the histories of the British Commandos and Royal Navy during World War II.

Category:World War II