On 28 march 1942, british forces launched one of the most daring operations of the second world war. It was an operation so heroic that it resulted in the award of five victoria crosses and 80 other decorations for gallantry. To do this, they devised a daring raid that would put the port of st. The st nazaire raid or operation chariot was a successful british amphibious attack on the heavily defended normandie dry dock at st nazaire in germanoccupied france during the second world war. Readers of this site interested in the raid on st nazaire may wish to know of my 2009 book commando to colditz.
I understand the movie turn towards the sun starring. The raid was launched to disable the only dry dock on the atlantic seaboard that was big enough to accommodate the terrifying german. Able seaman bill savage was a gunner on board the headquarters gun boat. The raid on the port of st nazaire in march 1942 by a seaborne task. This solitaire wargame simulates the march 28, 1942, british raid on the nazioccupied french port of st. Steam workshop raid on st nazaire solitaire wargame. The raid of saintnazaire, 75 years ago today, was one of the most. A complete account of the rafs support role during the victorious command raid on st nazaire, march 1942. Micky burns journey to the far side of tears the raid on st nazaire, published by murdoch books, sydney, and still available. The mission was a formative step in the building of a special operations capability for the allies, and a painful lesson learned in combined operations. Into the jaws of death britains operation chariot and the raid on saint nazaire. Operation chariot the st nazaire raid 1942 part 2 posted on thursday 28th march 20. In the first part of the game, the player moves the british boats and destroyer hms campbeltown camouflaged as a german ship to their landing areas, while determining the results of the many shots from the harbor defense guns. More vcs were won during the raid than at any other operation in world war two that took same amount of time.
Tirpitz was the second of two bismarckclass battleships built for the german kriegsmarine war navy during world war ii. Of the commandos who fought through saint nazaire, five managed to evade capture and escape to spain with the help of the french and eventually to gibraltar and back to england. This was a most brave undertaking when a old us navy ww1 destroyer sold to us by the americans was loaded with 4 and a half tones of high explosive and up armoured was. This is how british commandos pulled off the greatest raid of all. Building on the success of various commando raids during 1941, headquarters combined operations moved up the scale of size and complexity by electing to attack and deny the only dry dock that could take a german battleship for repairs, the normandie dock at st nazaire on frances atlantic coast. Added gun 222a to initial deployment and pieces window. As a major submarine base for the germans, saintnazaire was subject to a british raid in. The port of saint nazaire was the location of whats called the greatest raid of all, a daring and flatout incredible attack by the british on the only drydock outside. Nazaire in march 1942 remains one of the outstanding acts of heroism in world war two. Nazaire is james dorrians fascinating account of the british commando raid on st. At the time of the raid, several german propaganda kompanie teams were still in town, having come to saint nazaire to cover admiral donitzs visit to the uflotillas based there. Jeremy clarkson tells the story of one of the most daring operations of world war ii the commando raid on the german occupied dry dock at st. The town was one of the most damaged in france during world war ii. Gift horse released in the united states as glory at sea is a 1952 british blackandwhite world war ii drama, produced by george pitcher, directed by compton bennett, that stars trevor howard, richard attenborough, james donald, sonny tufts, and bernard lee the film follows the story of the fictional ship hms ballantrae and her crew from the time they come together in 1940 until they go.
I have just been reading in my local french newspaper that a fictional film about the st nazaire raid will be released in 2012. Inside the french submarine espadon and base saintnazaire. While this raid has been covered in detail in a variety of other books, this latest edition of the osprey campaign series adds detailed maps and diagrams that help. Online shopping from a great selection at books store. St nazaire 1942 is an excellent narrative summary of the famous british commando raid in march 1942. The officer in charge of the naval phase of the raid on st nazaire, commander r. However the port was miles up a well defended estuary. The st nazaire raid, 1942 casemate illustrated 9781612007298. Nazaire in german occupied france during the second world war.
Commander robert ryder was instrumental in planning the raid on saint nazaire for which he was awarded the victoria cross and led its naval contingent. Nazaire, on the west coast of france, had dry docks that the allies had to put. For great gallantry, skill and devotion to duty when in charge of a lewis gun in hm motor launch 306 in the st. Allies daring trojan horse attack on germancontrolled french port. Uboats were sinking allied merchantmen faster than they could be replaced, and to this threat was added the lurking menace of german surface raiders. This and the 1952 film gift horse are based on the same world war two raid carried out by british forces on the locks of the french port of st nazaire in 1942. A german soldier inspects the battlefield with dead english soldiers lying on the ground at the bay of the port city st. To deliver an explosive charge big enough to demolish the massive lock gates, an old ship hms. Building on the success of various commando raids during 1941. The st nazaire raid or operation chariot was a british amphibious attack on the heavily defended normandie dry dock at st nazaire in germanoccupied france during the second world war. The st nazaire raid or operation chariot was a british amphibious attack on the heavily defended normandie dry dock at st nazaire in germanoccupied. March british forces successfully complete operation chariot, the saint nazaire raid, with the cost of 622 men of the royal navy and. The st nazaire raid or operation chariot was a successful british amphibious attack on the heavily defended normandies dry dock at st. Motor launch 306 came under heavy fire while proceeding up the river loire towards the port.
Is anyone aware of any wargame scenario that covers the raid on st nazaire ideally objective driven with demolition targets for the commandos and escape routes. Into the jaws of death britains operation chariot and. Nazaire, published by the avalon hill game company, in 1987. Nazaire, france, on april 1, 1942, after the battle with german forces. Operation chariot during world war ii in the dark early days of 1942, britains atlantic lifeline was stretched to the breaking point. Mighty movies the mighty fit plan mighty memes press. The whole film gets under the skin of the raid in a manner and depth that others have tried. These commando raids were undertaken by the best commandos and best special forces in the world. Nazaire, france, in 1942 was a display of cunning and skill. They were therefore perfectly placed to record the aftermath of the raid, as seen in this german newsreel extract. I discussed buildings and roads as tourist attractions before, here. Michael micky burn led a troop of army commandos as part of what has been described as the greatest raid of all time the daring, successful but costly operation chariot against the vital.
It was a feat of cunning and daring that helped to shape the war at sea. But for me the question is given what it achieved was the st nazaire raid of march 1942 worth the loss of life and shipping involved p. Nazaire and brit commmandos so i was quite pleasantly surprised to stumble upon this movie to see it based on. The raid on st nazaire 1942 naval historical society of. During the st nazaire raid on 27th march 1942, lieutenantcolonel newman was in charge of the military forces and was one of the first ashore, leading his men and directing operations without regard for his own safety. The defences around st nazaire, especially at the mouth of the river loire were upgraded by the addition of a number of fixed gun emplacements of varying calibre. The motor gunboat and four motor launch boats survived the raid and along with 228 men, made it safely back to england. At the request of a module user, i have made the following tweaks.
The film depicts an account of allied combined operations headquarters commandos executing a daring. With jeremy clarkson, corran purdon, bob wright, james dunning. Typically, in 1943, the usaaf would lose approximately 5 percent of its bombers on a mission. Fixed infinite loop when advancing vp indicator with left arrow key. British broadcasting corporation, march 1942, britains elite commandos going to action, assaulting one of adolf hitlers key installations. Nazaire raid 1942 second part in the documentary series about the commandos of ww2. Attack on the iron coast is a 1967 deluxe color angloamerican oakmont productions international coproduction war film directed by paul wendkos in the first of his fivepicture contract with mirisch productions, and starring lloyd bridges, andrew keir, sue lloyd, mark eden and maurice denham.