September 2nd, 1942
Dieppe - Operation Rutter/Routier
1 - 01h45-04h45 - Airborne attacks and diversions
01:45 - Sixty-three Beaumont I bombers from Sqn 13, 88, 107, 226, 418 (RCAF), 605 and 614 attack Berneval and Puys, aiming at the coastal battery
Goebbels. Two planes are shot down by the very dense Flak.
02:05, near Hénin-Beaumont - The main railroad line linking Paris to Lille is sabotaged by the Resistance. This sabotage is the first of Operation Tournevis, intended to divert German attention from the beginning of Rutter.
02:10, Longueau (near Amiens) - As part of "Tournevis", the SNCF depot is attacked by the Resistance. Seven locomotives are destroyed and three damaged.
02:15, near Arques-la-Bataille - Twenty-one scouts of the 2nd Regiment of Chasseurs Parachutistes (2nd RCP) are the first Rutter fighters to touch French soil. The men are very moved, even if they know that it is only a round trip. Alas, for many of them, this reconnection with their homeland is to be fatal. Indeed, the drop zone was planned to be north of Arques, but a violent wind made the pilots of the DC-3 and the stick fall in a small valley south of the city, north of the hamlet of Grèges, east of Hautot. Six men drownin the marshes.
02:35, German 302nd D.I. HQ, Envermeu, 15 km southeast of Dieppe - "
Paratroopers have been reported near Arques, Herr Colonel."
- Ah, maybe the Flak didn't overestimate their exploits this time! They told us that they had shot down five or six of the English bombers that attacked Berneval, these parachutists are undoubtedly the survivors of the crews.
02:45, Kommandantur of Liévin - A 2 kg explosive charge, deposited a few hours earlier by a French employee in charge of cleaning, devastates the premises. Three officers are killed and four soldiers wounded.
02:50, HQ of the German 302nd ID (Lt. General Konrad Haase), Envermeu - "
Heil Hitler, Herr General!"
- Heil Hitler... Those damn bombings woke me up. I told myself that I'd better come than try to go back to sleep. It was Goebbels who ate it, wasn't it? Anything else to report?
02:50, Normandy and Picardy - Operation Tournevis continues. The Resistance begins the destruction of telephone lines between Rouen and Arras.
02:55, near Arques - While crossing the railroad tracks east of Arques, paratroopers drop south of the town came across a German patrol. The skirmish that follows resulted in five Germans dead and two among the parachutists. However, it has a good side: the noise allows the group of Resistance fighters who are supposed to welcome the men of the 2nd RCP to finally find them, after a few minutes of anguish in the dark to distinguish friends and enemies.
03:15, German 302nd ID. HQ, Envermeu - "
Message to 15th Army Command - It seems that the enemy has launched a commando raid against the former divisional HQ in Arques. Enemy elements were pushed back not far from the train station. The 5th and 11th Companies of the 571st Rgt were ordered to move to secure the town."
03:25, German 302nd ID HQ, Envermeu - "
Message to 15th Army Command - According to the latest reports, this was not a commando raid, but an attempt to sabotage the railroad tracks and probably the Arques station. (signed) Lt-Gen. Haase "
- We have been worried for nothing, I think. Cancel the order given to the two companies of the 571st.
- Impossible, Herr General. I have just been informed that all telephone lines were cut off a few moments ago.
- Another terrorist attack! So don't just stand there! Send in the motorcycles.
But the two motorcyclists sent by Lt. Haase will be intercepted and shot down by paratroopers as they were approaching their goal.
03:30, 15th German Army HQ, Lille - "
Alert message - It seems that the French terrorists have launched a large-scale operation to disrupt rail communications in the Lower Seine, Picardy and Pas-de-Calais regions. It is possible that they are supported by some parachuted commandos. (signed) Col.-Gen. Haase "
03:35, Saint-Aubin airfield, northwest of Arques - Eighteen Horsa gliders, carrying a large part of the 2nd Battalion of the 2nd RCP, lands directly on the small airfield. The "assault landing" is costly, as the light Flak destroys three gliders still in flight and mercilessly strafes two others that had just landed, killing 82 in the five aircraft.
However, after ten minutes of combat, the field is in the hands of the paratroopers, who leave 16 dead and 28 wounded.
03:40, near Arques - A company is dropped north of Grèges and a reinforced company landed near Hautot, with the help of six Horsa gliders. North of Arques, a company lands on the planned drop zone, the navigation of the DC-3 having been corrected following the misadventure of the scouts; these units are welcomed by the Resistance.
04:05, north of Arques - The men of the 2nd RCP, who are trying to take control of the road from Arques to Les Vertus and the railway junction near the river Béthune, are engaged by small improvised German combat groups. A confused action continues for several minutes. Lacking heavy weapons, the Germans are pushed back towards Arques, from where they try without success to contact the 302nd ID HQ.
04:10, HQ of the 15th German Army, Lille - "
Message to OberKommando West - communications are currently cut with the 302nd Division, because the telephone lines have been sabotaged and the enemy is maintaining heavy jamming on the shortwave. We anticipate significant terrorist activity against our troops and against industrial facilities working for the Reich in an area from the north of the Seine to the Mining District. This activity could be supported by airborne troops and bombers. (signed) Col.Gen. Haase "
04:20, around Arques - In the northwest, troops of the 2nd RCP land on the airfield of Saint-Aubin destroy the heavy Flak battery near the village of Vertus, then the
Göring battery (four 100 mm howitzers). In the south, the reinforced company holding Hautot extends its defensive perimeter to the small road from Varengeville-sur-Mer to Pourville.
04:30, German headquarters - "
Message from the Militärbefehlshaber Belgien-Nordfrankreich to the OberKommando Heer (OKH) - Terrorist groups supported by airborne commandos are currently launching a major operation in northern France to disrupt communications and economic activities. Strikes and demonstrations may occur in the Mining District. The units of the armed forces and the police have been put on alert. Signed: Gen. Alexander von Falkenhausen."
Meanwhile, the OberKommando West (OK West) alerts the 3rd Luftflotte (General Hugo Sperrle) and Naval Command West. The forces of the 3rd Luftflotte include Jagdgeschwader 2 and 26 (fighter) and Kampfgeschwader 2 and 40 (bomber); but none of these large units are at full strength. The naval forces available in the Channel are weak: six torpedo boats based in Le Havre (5th Flotilla, with the
T-2, T-4, T-14 and
T-19; 6th Flotilla with only the
Falke and
Kondor) and three flotillas of S-Boats, two at Cherbourg (the 5th and 6th) and one at Ostend (the 4th).
04:40, south of Arques - The paratroopers attack the
Rommel and
Mobile-Est batteries (four 100 mm howitzers each) covering the beach of Puys. The
Rommel battery is easily destroyed, but the
Mobile-Est battery, located further north, inside the Dieppe defenses, is a more difficult target. The paratroopers are repulsed with heavy losses (13 dead and eleven wounded) after having destroyed only one howitzer.
.........
2 - 04:45-06:45 - Berneval (beaches Yellow I and II) : the attack of the eastern flank
East of Dieppe, the men of the 3rd British Commando (Lt.Col. Durnford-Slater) and those of the 1st Belgian Commando (Captain Danloy) are dropped on Yellow Beaches I and II by LCI(L)s, LCP's and the eight boats of the 2nd Marine Corps Rapid Boat Squadron. Naval cover is provided by the French destroyers
Albatros and
Milan and the 1st Escadrille de Vedettes Rapides du Corps de Marine.
On Yellow II, the British commandos disembark without being seen and, after having crossed the barbed wire, they quickly make their way into Berneval-le-Grand. As they reach the church, they are targeted by a machine-gun nest, but after a short fight, the German defenses are taken out.
On Yellow I, the Belgians reach the cliffs before the surprised defenders open fire. However, the fire is quickly violent. The
ML-247, seriously damaged, has to be taken in tow by the
ML-246. The
Milan and the
Albatros return fire with all their weapons.
The
Albatros comes so close to the beach that it is on its heels, but silences several bunkers.
Taking advantage of this support, the Belgian commandos enter Le Petit-Berneval at 05:15.
At the same time, the British commandos attack the
Goebbels battery (3 170 mm and 4 105 mm guns), which had been shelled during the night. After a short but brutal fight, most of the defenders are killed or wounded, the battery is taken and the guns destroyed. It is there that Lieutenant Edward Loustalot, US Army, one of the 44 Rangers integrated into the British commandos, is killed. He is the first American soldier to be killed on Western European soil since the beginning of the war.
05:45 - Lt. Col. Durnford-Slater transmits to the
Milan that the
Goebbels battery is out of action. Belgian and British commandos begin to establish a defensive perimeter extending west to Belleville-sur-Mer to protect the landing on Blue Beach (Puys).
At 05:10, General Konrad Haase (302nd ID) orders the 302nd Anti-tank Battalion to counter-attack towards Berneval. A bicycle platoon, the 3rd Company of the 570th Rgt and a company of the division's Engineers are also moving towards Berneval, from the south (Ancourt and Graincourt) or from the east. At 05:30, these units are under fire from the heavy Royal Navy monitors at Ancourt. However, they come into contact with the commando lines at 06:15, where they are stopped by heavy infantry fire. At 06:25, the Tornados of Sqn 56 and 609 start to attack the German troops coming from Graincourt. The
Milan and the
Albatros soon add the weight of their 138 mm guns. At 06:45, General Haase is informed that his counter-attack is stopped.
.........
3 - 04:45-06:45 - Varengeville (Orange beaches I and II): the attack of the western flank
At the western end of the Rutter landing zone, the British commando n°4 (Lt.Col. The Lord Lovat) carries out an almost perfect landing, whose main objective is the
Hess battery (six 150 mm guns) at Varengeville.
The landing craft reaches the beach at 04:56, surrounded by the DE HMS
Calpe and
Fernie and the French 1st ASM Flotilla. Lord Lovat's forces landing on Orange II (Quiberville) are spotted at the last minute by the German defenders, but the bunkers are quickly silenced by the fire of HMS
Calpe. On Orange I (Vasterival), Major Mills-Roberts' group is put ashore without opposition. His men open the way to Battery
Hess by destroying barbed wire and other obstacles with torpedoes. Without waiting for the forces led by Lovat himself, Mills-Roberts immediately attacks the battery, despite the fire of a Flak tower. Lovat's men arrive from the west and south, surprising the defenders.
During the battle, Corporal Franklin Coons of the Rangers single-handedly destroys a machine-gun nest in what would be described as a "textbook" attack; the feat would earn him the first medal awarded to an American soldier in Western Europe since 1918. The battle is hot, however. The leader of the F-Troop of the British commandos, Captain Pettiward, is killed and his unit is pinned down. Taking advantage of an intervention of the Hurricane IIE of Sqn 3 and 87, Captain Pat Porteous, who succeeded Pettiward, leads a charge that takes the enemy position, earning a Victoria Cross.
At 0645 hours, the
Hess battery is in the hands of Lovat's forces, its guns are destroyed and British commandos start to evacuate Varengeville.
.........
4 - 05:00-06:50 - Puys and Pourville (Blue Beach and Green Beach): the main landing
The main attack was to start a quarter of an hour after the commando attack on the east and west wings, with the help of "substantial naval support". A force of 12 MGBs from the Royal Navy was to cover the fleet to the west.
1 - The plans
- The force assigned to Blue Beach (in the east) included the 4th Canadian Infantry Brigade under Brigadier Sherwood Lett (Royal Regiment of Canada [Lt-Col. Cato], Royal Hamilton Light Infantry [Lt-Col. Labatt] and Essex Scottish Regiment [Lt-Col. Jasperson]), but also the 1st Groupement de Choc français under Colonel Gambiez (three battalions, 1,865 men). These forces are supported by the 51 Churchill I and III tanks of the 14th Armoured Battalion, Calgary Rgt. (Lt-Col. Andrews). The first wave is to include the French and the Royal Regiment of Canada, the Royal Hamilton Light Infantry is to be the operating element and the Essex Scottish Rgt is in floating reserve.
Blue Beach is to be shelled by the heavy monitors HMS
Marshal Soult and
Roberts, escorted by the DE (Hunt class) HMS
Brocklesby, Garth and
Albrighton, the light monitor type G
M-112 (RN) and the three light monitors type F
M-124 (RN),
M-125 (Royal Dutch Navy) and
M-127 (RN). The 13th Minesweeper Flotilla of the Royal Navy is responsible for mine countermeasures in the Blue Beach area.
The 4th Brigade has to take Puys before going, on the one hand, to join the French paratroopers near Grèges and, on the other hand, to push towards Dieppe to reach the eastern part of the harbour. The "1er Choc" of Gambiez has to enter Dieppe itself. The Royal Hamilton Light Infantry (RHLI) has to advance towards the valley of the Béthune. Then, with the help of the French paratroopers, it has to hold a position between the Ancourt-Dieppe road and the Béthune river, to prevent any attempt to reinforce Dieppe from the south-east.
- The attack on Green Beach (to the west) is to be led by Brigadier William Southam's 6th Canadian Infantry Brigade (Fusiliers Mont Royal [Lt.Col. Menard], Cameron Highlanders of Canada [Lt.Col. Gostling] and South Saskatchewan Regiment [Lt.Col. Meritt]).
The 6th Brigade is to be supported by the 38 Ram tanks of B and C Squadrons of Lord Strathcona's Horse (5th Canadian Armoured Division). The South Saskatchewan Rgt (SSR) to take control of the beach, the Cameron Highlanders of Canada to ensure the exploitation and the Fusiliers Mont-Royal are in floating reserve.
The assault is to be supported by the light cruiser HMS
Newcastle, the AA cruiser HMS
Scylla (flagship of the operation, also in charge of coordinating the anti-aircraft defense in the Dieppe area), the Hunt class DEs HMS
Berkeley and
Bleadale and ORP
Krakowiak (Polish), two G-type light monitors (
M-113 of the Royal Navy and
M-114 of the French Navy) and two F-type monitors (
M-128, Norwegian, and
M-129, Dutch). The 9th Minesweeper Flotilla of the Royal Navy has to ensure mine countermeasures in the Green Beach area.
After the landing, the 6th Brigade has to go up the Scie. A combat group of the South Saskatchewan Rgt is to seize the German radar station at Quatre-Vents. The Cameron Highlanders, assisted by Lord Strathcona's Horse tanks, are to take Petit-Appeville and Les Vertus, join the French paratroopers holding the Saint-Aubin field and block the valley of the Béthune north of Arques. After having made the junction with the Royal Hamilton Light Infantry, completing the encirclement of Dieppe, the Cameron Highlanders have to attack the city from the valley of the Béthune. The main objective is the harbor, which is to be used to evacuate the troops at the end of the day.
.........
2 - The landing at Puys (Blue Beach)
Being of higher rank than Lt-Col. Douglas Cato, of the Royal Rgt of Canada (RRC), Colonel Gambiez directs the attack. He decides that the attack would take place in two waves, with a squadron of Churchill tanks landing on the heels of the second wave. The artillery barrage is to last only fifteen minutes, but it is to be very intense. The first wave is supposed to land on the beach as soon as the naval guns have moved their fire beyond the seawall, and many naval officers are afraid of hitting Allied soldiers.
05:00 - The weak light of dawn causes some confusion and the heavy monitors and escorting destroyers shift their fire to the rear of the beaches far too early, sparing two thirds of the German bunkers. As a result, the first wave is the target of heavy fire and several landing craft are destroyed. However, the lessons of the landings on the Peloponnese coast pay off - the four light monitors do not hesitate to get close to the beach to engage the bunkers at close range.
05.03 - The first wave lands.
05:06 - The three remaining howitzers of the
Mobile-Est battery start to shell the beach, but they are quickly engaged by the DE HMS
Garth and
Brocklesby, whose fire is directed from 05:11 onwards by French paratroopers who remained in the vicinity of the battery, which they were unable to destroy. In less than ten minutes, the battery is silenced.
05:20 - The dam is breached and Gambiez's men, supported by the Canadians, rush into Puys.
05:25 - The second wave lands, followed five minutes later by the first tanks of the Calgary Rgt. The beach, relatively narrow, becomes overcrowded, which slows down the landing. Brigadier Sherwood Lett has to delay the landing of the Royal Hamilton Light Infantry (RHLI) to limit the confusion.
05:30 - The Royal Rgt of Canada reaches the wire and joins the paratroopers. The latter requests suppression fire on Ancourt, where they see German reinforcements concentrate. Ancourt is energetically shelled by
Marshal Soult and
Roberts from 05:30 to 05:45.
05:45 - Puys is entirely controlled by the allied forces. A little further west, Gambiez's men remove a heavy Flak battery, whose 88 mm guns have sunk an LCI(L).
05:50 - The French reach the outskirts of Dieppe, on the right bank of the Béthune, and engage the German III/571st Battalion. The progression towards the harbor is slowed down by a strong defense, as German troops have turned several buildings on the waterfront into bunkers.
06:00 - Colonel Gambiez, who is slightly wounded, requests naval support. The DE HMS
Albrighton, quickly followed by the
M-112, start to shell the defenders of Dieppe's sea front.
Meanwhile, the beach is still crowded, as the Churchill tanks have difficulties to advance on the pebbles and their landing is slower than expected. The landing of the RHLI cannot be delayed indefinitely. Finally, the first Canadian tank, a Churchill III, roars through Puys at 06:18.
06:15 - The Canadians under Lt. Cato join the French paratroopers at Grèges.
06:35 - Helped by the fire of the fleet, the 1st Shock enters Dieppe. At this moment, the commander of the German 571st Regiment has already ordered to sink all the boats in the harbor (coasters, fishing boats...) to block the entrance.
06:40 - Finally disembarked, the Royal Hamilton Light Infantry enteres Puys and starts to go up the valley, supported by Churchill tanks.
.........
3 - The landing at Pourville (Green Beach)
05:00 - The South Saskatchewan Regiment obtains a near complete surprise.
Unfortunately, strong currents push its landing craft westward, towards the Scie. This does not pose a problem for taking Pourville, but it does mean that to reach Petit-Appeville and advance towards Les Vertus and the Saint-Aubin airfield, it is necessary to take bridges.
05:10 - The HQ of the German 302nd ID reacts to the news of the Pourville landing by ordering an anti-tank company and a machine-gun company to move from Offranville to Petit-Appeville. Indeed, General Konrad Haase knows that the Allies would have to cross the river Scie at this point to complete the encirclement of Dieppe.
05:17 - The German
Mobile West battery, located north of Petit-Appeville, begins to shell the beach, adding to the confusion caused by the shift of the landing point.
The Canadians hesitate, but Lt. Charles Meritt takes control of his men. Despite the rain of shells, he does not hesitate to lead them and re-launch the attack.
05:20 - The Cameron Highlanders begin to disembark with a slight lead, as their leader, Lt. Col. Alfred Gostling, feels that the SSR needs help.
05:25 - CL HMS
Newcastle begins to engage the
Mobile West Battery.
05:28 - Lt. Col. Gostling is killed on the beach, moments before the
Newcastle finally muzzles the howitzers of
Mobile West. Major Tony Law takes command and leads the Cameron Highlanders along the left bank of the Scie River towards Petit-Appeville.
05:40 - Lord Strathcona's Horse's Ram tanks land. Their larger wheels means that they are less hindered than the Churchills by the pebbles on the beach.
05:50 - The two companies of the German 302nd ID, coming from Offranville, have to pass through Saint-Aubin-sur-Scie and then through the road crossing Vertus. There they are ambushed by the French paratroopers who control the area.
05:55 - Supported by Canadian tanks, the men of the Cameron Highlanders and the SSR attack the German troops defending Petit-Appeville and Quatre-Vents farm.
06:05 - Lt-Col. Meritt succeeds in making contact with the French paratroopers holding Les Vertus.
06:20 - A coordinated French-Canadian attack captures Petit-Appeville. During this time, the SSR begins to organize the western flank and join the paratroopers holding Hautot, the Cameron Highlanders (sometimes mounted on Ram tanks) broke through towards Les Vertus and Rouxmesnil.
06:30 - Lt-Gen. Haase orders the I/571st Battalion to counter-attack towards Hautot and the Scie to re-establish contact with the Dieppe units. But the allied planes are in number in the sky, and the movements of the German troops attract very quickly the attacks of Tornado or Hurricane fighter-bombers.
06:45 - Elements of the Cameron Highlanders and some tanks reach the field of Saint-Aubin.
06:50 - Maj. Roberts decides to engage the Fusiliers Mont-Royal in support of the SSR and the Cameron Highlanders.
.........
06:25 a.m., German 302nd ID. HQ, Envermeu - "
Message to 15th Army Command - Enemy forces have landed around Dieppe. Armored units would be engaged. (signed) Lt-Gen. Haase "
06:30, 15th German Army HQ, Lille - "
Message to OberKommando West - The 302nd ID reports that enemy forces have landed around Dieppe. Armored units would be engaged. (Signed) Col.-Gen. Haase"
06:35, OK West, Paris - "
Message to OberKommando Heer - Something like a limited invasion may well have begun around Dieppe. Signed Chief of staff of the OK West".
06:40, OKH, Rastenburg - The message from OK West causes consternation in OKH, but does not convince Field Marshal Keitel: "
What is this all about? All our intelligence services are predicting a major enemy offensive in the Mediterranean. I will not wake up the Führer for that!"
Halder agrees with Keitel for once: "
Message to OberKommando West - Please clarify as soon as possible the exact nature of the current enemy operation. (signed) General Halder".
06:45, HQ of the German 15th Army, Lille - "
Order to the 576th Infantry Regiment to concentrate at Offranville to prepare to counterattack the enemy who threatens Appeville. (signed) Col.-Gen. Haase"
The 15th Army staff is unaware that Petit-Appeville had already fallen.
06:50, OK West, Paris - "
Order to the 23rd Panzer Division to move towards Dieppe." The 23rd PzD is stationed between Lille and Saint-Omer. The two armored battalions of the 23rd Panzer Rgt are stationed at Saint-Omer and the 23rd Motorcycle Battalion at Saint-Pol-sur-Ternoise. The infantry of the division (128th Panzergrenadiers Rgt) is stationed in Béthune and Hazebrouck, and the artillery is in Armentières. As the OK West still fears at that moment a general uprising in the Mining District, only one battalion of the 128th PzG Rgt has to accompany the tanks. Moreover, the 23rd Pz is far from being at its best, because the losses suffered during Barbarossa have seriously reduced the German armored forces in Western Europe. With only two battalions, each comprising two light tank companies and one company of medium tanks, the 23rd Panzer Rgt can only muster 28 Pz-IV (all equipped with the short 75 mm), 41 Pz-III, 18 Pz-II and... 24 Somua S-35 recovered after the French Campaign.
06:55, HQ of the German 15th Army, Lille - "
Message to Lt-Gen. Haase, 302nd I.D. - OK West informs us that units of the 23rd PzD will be available by 10:00 to counterattack enemy forces landing at Dieppe. (Signed) Col.-Gen. Haase "
Konrad Haase immediately realizes that his namesake is very optimistic. The tanks of the 23rd PzD have to travel 150 km and cross the Somme at Abbeville before reaching the combat zone.
07:00, HQ of the German 302nd D.I., Envermeu - "
Message to the 15th Army Command - It will be impossible for me to counter-attack before 12:00 at best. Air support is urgently needed. (signed) Lt. Gen. Haase"
.........
4 - From 07:00 - The Luftwaffe intervenes
Since 06:20, the Allied air force did not meet any opposition, but this will change.
07:00 - The first German planes to appear in the sky over Dieppe are four Fw 190 of II/JG 26, based at Abbeville-Drucat and led by Hauptmann Joseph "Pips" Priller. Diving from 24,000 feet, they strafe the beach of Puys at 07:02. Priller is in direct contact with Hugo Sperrle's HQ. Not very well trained in ship identification, he describes the Allied fleet off Dieppe as including "a battleship (in fact, the CL
Newcastle), four cruisers and more than a dozen destroyers." This message, quicklytransmitted to 15th Army HQ and OK West, persuades many general officers that the operation is only the beginning of a major invasion.
07:25 - A formation of 24 Fw 190 of II and III/JG 26 attack the allied planes operating between Berneval and Puys. The German planes are spotted by the
Scylla's type-279 radar, but the director of the fighter squadron has difficulties to direct efficiently the RAF planes, unaccustomed to operate under the control of the Royal Navy. The Focke-Wulf first attack eight Tornado of Sqn 245 which are preparing to bomb German reinforcements trying to advance towards Berneval-le-Grand. Three fighter-bombers are shot down before they can react and get rid of their 500 lbs bombs. The following fight is a bit more even, but the Tornados, outnumbered, lose two more planes against a Fw 190. The three survivors are able to escape thanks to the arrival of 24 Spitfire Vb from Sqn 401 (RCAF) and 403 (RCAF), which lose five of theirs in exchange for threefighters.
07:45 - This time, 20 Fw 190 A-3/U-3 fighter-bombers from 10.(Jabo)/JG 2 and 10.(Jabo)/JG 26, based at Caen-Carpiquet and Evreux St-André, which arrive from the south, escorted by 32 Fw 190 of the II and III/JG 2 led by Hauptmann Bolz and Hahn. This important formation is perfectly detected by the radar of the
Scylla, and the Director of fighters (FDO) gathers four squadrons to counter it, the 411 (RCAF) and 611, on Spitfire IX, plus the 302
City of Poznan and 303
Kosciuszko, on Spitfire V. The 48 Allied fighters intercept the German formation over St-Valéry-en-Caux. In a four-minute melee, the Spitfires shoot down nine Fw 190s, plus two that prove to be irreparable after a belly landing at Beaumont-le-Roger, in exchange for the loss of three Spitfire IXs (two from the 401 and one of the 611) and eight Spitfire Vs. Most of the Jabos have to jettison their bombs during the fight, but four manage to get through and attacke ships off Green Beach. They just miss HMS
Berkeley and sink an LCT, but one of the Jabo is shot down by intense flak.
07:55 - New attack : this time, nine Do 217 of II/KG 2 escorted by 24 Fw 190 of II and III./JG 26 are going to bomb the bridgehead of Puys. This formation is intercepted by the Spitfire IX of the GC I/1 and II/1, which cover the eastern flank. Two Dorniers and three Fw 190 are shot down, against two of the French Spitfire IX.
........
5 - 07:00-09:35: a difficult decision
On the ground, the intensity of the fighting does not abate.
- In the west, the Fusiliers Mont-Royal are put ashore at 07:25. This time, their boats are not deceived by the currents and the troops are disembarked on the right bank of the Scie. The Fusiliers quickly join the Cameron Highlanders and reach the railway tunnel west of Dieppe at 0755 hours.
At the same time, B Squadron of Lord Strathcona's Horse deploys in the vicinity of Saint-Aubin airfield. Operating with the French paratroopers who hold the field, the Ram tanks establish contact with other elements of the 2nd RCP, north of Arques. For their part, the Ram tanks of C squadron, accompanied by Cameron Highlanders, plunge into the Béthune valley and reach the Dieppe racecourse at 0750 hours.
- To the east, coming from Puys, two battalions of the 1st Shock fight hard near the Chapelle de Dieppe, on the right bank of the Béthune, where they destroy a 75 mm coastal defense gun at 07:30. As they approach the harbor, the German defense stiffens and the French are stopped several times. Only the presence of Churchill tanks of the Calgary Rgt. allows them to resume their advance. But at 08:05, Colonel Gambiez is able to report to General Roberts that the harbour of Dieppe is full of burning or sunken ships and that any hope of re-embarking there must be abandoned.
This message provokes a lively discussion in General Roberts' staff. Some officers say that the operation has achieved its goal - diversion and evaluation of amphibious tactics - and that it should be stopped: if the port could not be used to reembark the troops, there is no reason to take Dieppe. Others argue that, with large enemy forces occupying Dieppe, reembarkation via the beaches would be difficult and risky if the city was not more or less cleaned up beforehand.
At the same time, at 08:05, a Mustang I of Sqn 26 spots tanks near Abbeville.
The information, quickly transmitted to Air Vice-Marshal Leigh-Mallory's HQ, shows that the Germans are ready to engage armoured forces. This is the plan, and the Tactical Command of the RAF is waiting for this opportunity to attack in the open the German forces stationed in northern France and destroy some of them.
.........
During the staff debates, the battle is still violent on the ground.
08:15 - In the east, the French troops reach the gas factory, which is soon destroyed. They try to cross the Béthune to reach the port, but are twice pushed back. Colonel Gambiez is wounded again, this time more seriously, by a sniper, and he has to be evacuated.
At the same time, to the west, tanks from B Squadron of Lord Strathcona's Horse arrive at Arques-la-Bataille, where they are immediately engaged by the German 2/570th Infantry Battalion which is concentrated in the forest of Arques.
08:30 - The Fusiliers Mont-Royal attack Dieppe through the Saint-Rémy church area, but are stopped by very heavy fire. As this part of the city is still inhabited by civilians, the Canadian officers are reluctant to ask for naval artillery support to reduce the defenders.
08:35 - It is not a problem in the Arques forest. Guided by the men of the 2nd RCP and the Cameron Highlanders,
Marshal Soult and
Roberts engage the German troops.
For half an hour, the northwestern part of the forest is under fire from their 15 inch guns, putting the soldiers of the 2/570th to a severe test.
09:05 - While in the east of the city, the French are still blocked despite the help of the Churchill of the Calgary Rgt, to the west, the Fusiliers Mont-Royal succeed in overrunning the German defences around Saint-Rémy. Their leader, Lt-Col. Ménard, is seriously wounded during the assault.
09:15 - The concentration of troops of the German 576th RI in Offranville is detected by both the men of the South Saskatchewan, who holdPetit-Appeville, and by the parachutists who occupy Hautot. Offranville is quickly shelled by mortars, but this is obviously not enough.
09:28 - The CL HMS
Newcastle starts to shell the area between the village of Offranville and the railroad.
09:30 - 24 Hurricane IIE (armed with 250-lb bombs) and IID (armed with 40 mm guns) from Sqn 175 and 184, covered by 24 Spitfire V from Sqn 312 and 331 (Norwegian) start to attack the German tanks coming out of Abbeville. The attack is very effective: 5 Pz-II, 3 Pz-III and 4 Somua S-35 are destroyed, while the Flak manages to shoot down two Hurricanes. But after four minutes, 16 Focke-Wulf 190 of the III./JG 26 surprise the allied planes, destroying two Spitfires of the 331 and massacring five Hurricanes. A furious fight starts at this time, three Spitfires are shot down (one from 331 and two from 312), but also three Fw 190.
09:35 - After a long and tense discussion, General Roberts decides to interrupt the attack on Dieppe and to prepare the general withdrawal. The Fusiliers Mont-Royal, who have taken the Dieppe railway station at the cost of heavy losses, would have a hard time swallowing this order, which comes just a stone's throw from the heart of the city. However, those who are able to see the harbor from the top of the station building see that it is full of burning or sunken ships.
.........
6 - 09:45-12:00: the withdrawal begins
09:45 - French paratroopers and Canadian Cameron Highlanders holding positions north of Arques-la-Bataille begin to regroup around Les Vertus and Saint-Aubin.
East of the bridgehead, the battalions of the 1st Shock begin to withdraw towards Blue Beach, covered by the Royal Hamilton Light Infantry and the tanks of the Calgary Rgt.
09:55 - At Yellow Beach (Berneval), the British Commando n°3 and the 1st Belgian Commando begin to retreat after having carefully demolished the
Goebbels coastal battery.
10:05 - The Lord Lovat commandos re-embark on Orange Beach (Vasterival) after clearing the
Hess battery.
10:10 - Flying under the radar cover, 16 Fw 190 of the 10.(Jabo)/JG 2 and 10.(Jabo)/JG 26, escorted by as many fighters of II/JG 2, attack the allied ships on the western flank. The DE HMS
Calpe takes a 500 kg bomb in the engine room, then another one just under the 4-inch A turret. The prepared ammunition begins to explode and all the men on the bridge are killed or wounded. Soon, the ship is enveloped in flames and begins to lean to port, before being shaken by two more impacts, very close.
It takes another 15 minutes before it capsizes and sinks.
An LCI(L), hit by a 500 kg bomb, sinks quickly. The Jabos also damage the French
CH-5 and
CH-7 so severely that these two ships have to be scuttled.
The German formation has no time to rejoice, because it is surprised by 16 Tornado of Sqn 253 and 266. A furious battle breaks out over the water; six Fw 190s and four Tornados are destroyed.
10:15 - The Abbeville-Drucat airfield is bombed by 36 B-17s (97th BG of the USAAF) escorted by 54 Spitfire IX (12 from each of Sqn 118, 124, 165 and 222 of the RAF, plus 8 from each of the GC I/1 and III/1). Twenty Fw 190 of II/JG 26 intercept them, but a very aggressive escort prevents them from reaching the bombers. Two Fw 190 are shot down by Sqn 222 and three by the GC I/1, this group and Sqn 118 losing one Spitfire each. The bombing contributes to disorganize the Luftwaffe reaction east of Dieppe.
10:30 - The units holding the Saint-Aubin field and the Vertus crossroads begin to regroup at Appeville.
Above Berneval, two Spitfire V of Sqn 133 (Eagle) are shot down by a Rotte of III./JG 26.
10:35 - The French paratroopers leave Grèges and head for Puys and Blue Beach.
10:45 - The retreat is completed on Yellow I and II. While the landing craft are heading towards England, the large destroyers
Albatros and
Milan take position east of the Blue Beach screen.
10:55 - Escorted by 40 Fw 190, 18 Do 217 of KG 2 and KG 40 attack Puys. Led by the HMS
Scylla, 12 Spitfires V of Sqn 71 Eagle and 12 Spitfires IX of Sqn 602 intercept them.
Two Do 217 and three Fw 190 are shot down, as well as three Spitfire V and one Spitfire IX. The bombs falling on Blue Beach cause more than 100 casualties; the reembarkation is delayed by half an hour.
11:00 - The officer commanding the 576th IR. informs Lt. Konrad Haase that "
the troops are slowly withdrawing to the beaches and might have begun their evacuation." This message is immediately relayed to 15th Army HQ and to theOK West, where it raises a wave of skepticism. The German officers could not understand why units that had successfully broken through local defenses and put tanks on the ground would not try to defend the bridgehead they had secured, even if they had to expand it later.
11:05 - Off the coast of Boulogne-sur-Mer, four Bristol Banshee II of Sqn 141 surprise five S-Boats of the 4th Flotilla, based in Ostend. The
S.48 and
S.80 boats are severely damaged by the 20 mm shells of the Banshees and the commander of the flotilla decides to take refuge in Calais.
11:10 - New elements of the 23rd Panzer, which started to assemble near Envermeu (where the HQ of the 302nd ID is located) are attacked by a formation of Hurricane IID (Sqn 43 and 87) and Tornado (Sqn 56 and 174). Two Pz-II, three Pz-III and two Pz-IV are destroyed, as well as many support vehicles. The HQ of Lt-Gen. Konrad Haase is generously strafed and bombed by the Tornado of Sqn 56.
11:20 - General Roberts orders the paratroopers of the 2nd RCP holding Hautot to fall back on Appeville, because the retreat is accelerating at Pourville.
11:25 - The monitors
Marshal Soult and
Roberts carry out their last bombardment of the day against the German troops concentrated around Envermeu. But their fire is not very accurate, because the Mustang I of Sqn 239 which is to ensure the adjustment of the fire was shot down by a Rotte of Fw 190 in marauding.
11:35 - Twelve Fw 190 fighter-bombers from 10.(Jabo)/JG 2 and 10.(Jabo)/JG 26, arriving at low altitude, attack by surprise the allied fleet in front of Pourville. The CL HMS
Newcastle attracts a lot of attention from the Jabos and receives three 500 kg bombs (SC-500). The first one hits under the Y turret, at the rear; it does not pierce the armor of the turret trunk, but the detonation is very powerful and a violent fire starts to devour the rear of the rear of the ship. The second hits the port hangar, igniting a serious fire there too.. The third hits near one of the two double 4-inch AA port mounts and the prepared ammunition begins to explode. However, the most severe damage is caused by a bomb that does not hit the cruiser, but explodes in the water, just beside it, on the port side, at the level of the X turret. This near-miss completely blocks one of the port propeller shafts and seriously damages the other one. The port turbines are immediately stopped, but not enough to prevent one of the shaft passages from being damaged and an ingress of water occurs. At 11:45, two aft compartments are flooded, but the water ingress is controlled. However, the
Newcastle can only give 10 knots, on its starboard propellers only.
Captain John Hughes-Hallett orders the ship to return to Portsmouth and asks the two French destroyers
Albatros and
Milan, the light monitor AA
M-128 and two minesweepers of the 9th MS Flotilla to escort the damaged cruiser. The two French are on the eastern flank of the fleet, the departure for Portsmouth does not take place until 12:15.
11:45, OKW, Rastenburg - The fact that the Allied troops around Dieppe are reembarking is confirmed, considerably surprising the entire German general staff.
"
This Dieppe story could be hiding anything. Why shouldn't a large-scale operation in France or Norway be in preparation?" asks Halder, emphatically.
.........
7 - 12:00-16:35: General reembarkation
12:00 - Despite air and naval bombardments, elements of the 23rd Panzer Battalion, including the 23rd Motorcycle Battalion, enter Grèges and begin to advance towards Puys.
12:05 - The men of the German 2/576th Battalion, followed by the survivors of the 2/570th, reached the airfield of Saint-Aubin.
12:25 - South of Puys, near the remains of the
Mobile-Est battery, a brief but violent skirmish breaks out between advanced elements of the 23rd Panzer and the Allied rearguard, composed of two companies of the Royal Hamilton and a squadron of the Calgary Rgt. At short range, two Panzer IIIs are quickly destroyed by the Churchill's 2-pounders, while the German tankers discover that their 50 mm/L42s are unable to pierce the armor oof the "hard-skinned beast".
12:30 - Blue Beach (Puys) is again attacked by the Luftwaffe : this time, 18 Do 217 escorted by 40 Fw-190 of II and III/JG 26 attack. The Spitfire Vs of the RAF covering Puys have great difficulty to stop this attack. Sqn 403 (RCAF), 416 and 501 lose seven planes to shoot down two Fw 190 and two Do 217. The LSI(H)
Ulster Monarch, hit twice, is burned and two LCT are destroyed on the beach. Ten minutes later, the
Ulster Monarch is abandoned, as the fires have become uncontrollable.
12:45 - The men of the 1/576th German Battalion are stopped at Petit-Appeville (Bas d'Hautot) by a group of Cameron Highlanders and parachutists of the 2nd RCP.
12:50, Hitler's HQ, Rastenburg - Informed by Keitel and Halder of the Dieppe operation, Hitler orders all German troops in Norway to be put on maximum alert.
As Halder notes in his diary: "
Hitler listened to us [Keitel and Halder]
for barely five minutes, before launching into a half-hour monologue about Norway, going on and on about that country and its place in Germany's destiny. It was only at the end of this speech that he ordered us to prepare all possible means to repel a possible enemy attack on Bergen. Of course, an Allied landing in Norway would have been a great inconvenience to us. However, all our intelligence data indicated that a large-scale operation was being prepared in the Mediterranean, and the enemy obviously did not have enough forces to launch two separate major operations at the same time."
13:02 - Pourville is again attacked by German fighter-bombers. Escorted by eight Fw 190 of II/JG 2, eight "Jabos" of 10.(Jabo)/JG 2 dive on the boats parked in front of Green Beach. An LCI(L) is sunk and the light monitor
M-114 (French Navy), hit by a 500 kg bomb and a 250 kg bomb, is also destroyed. An Fw 190 is shot down by the flak.
13:10 - The Dieppe railroad tunnel was sabotaged by the Fusiliers Mont-Royal, then they withdrew.
then they withdrew.
13:15 - A new German attack on Petit-Appeville is repelled by the Cameron Highlanders and parachutists of the 2nd RCP. A Ram tank of the C squadron is lost.
13:20 - A group of five tanks (three Pz-II, two Pz-III) and a motorcycle platoon enter Rouxmesnil-Bouteilles and join up with the German units which have regained control of the airfield of Saint-Aubin and the crossroads of Les Vertus.
13:25 - General Roberts orders the troops covering the landing at Pourville to withdraw to Appeville and Quatre-Vents.
13:30 - Hurricane IIE of Sqn 32 and 175, covered by the Polish Spitfire V of Sqn 302
City of Poznan and 303
Kosciuszko, attack the German forces on the field of Saint-Aubin, when they are surprised by eight Fw 190s from Stab/JG 26. One Spitfire V of the
City of Poznan and two from the
Kosciuszko are lost, against only one Fw 190.
13:45 - The 23rd Panzer attacks Puys despite a series of Allied fighter-bomber raids, which are themselves countered by German fighters. Soon, a small but very intense "air-land battle" develops south of Puys. The Hurricane IID/E destroy two Panzer IV and three Somua S-35, but the Allies lose four Hurricanes (three IIE and one IID), two Tornado from Sqn 400 and 609 and three Spitfire V from Sqn 306
City of Torun and 308
City of Krakow by Fw 190 of II/JG 26, three of which are shot down by the allied fighters.
The surviving German tanks, supported by most of the motorcycle battalion and two companies of Panzer Grenadiers, manage to make some progress but are again blocked at a short distance from the beach by the energetic resistance of the Royal Hamilton, supported by the tanks of the Calgary Rgt. Three Churchill tanks are destroyed by HEAT shells fired by the 75 mm/L24 (short) of the Pz-IV, but four of the latter aredestroyed and two others put out of action.
13:55 - The battle expands again when the
M-122, M-124, M-125 and
M-127 light monitors enter the fray to bomb the German positions. The last three, armed with 4-inch multipurpose couplings (they are F-type), use delaying shells which prove to be very efficient on the unprotected German infantry.
Lacking artillery (its guns are still on the road), the 23rd Panzer is again stopped.
14:05 - Lt-Gen. Konrad Haase, who leads the fighting at Grèges, suspended the attack.
14:10 - The beachmaster of Green Beach informs General Roberts that it is much too difficult to reembrk the Ram tanks and that priority should be given to the infantry.
14:15 - The German 576th Infantry Regiment, supported by a few tanks that has just joined it, try to drive the Allies from Appeville. This attack is thwarted by the tanks of the CC Squadron of Lord Strathcona's Horse. Two Pz-II and one Pz-III are quickly eliminated. One Ram isdestroyed and another one put out of action by a lucky hit on the left steering pinion (this tank will have to be destroyed soon after by its crew).
14:30 - Two Mustang I tactical reconnaissance tanks of Sqn 26 are shot down within a few minutes by Fw 190 patrols in the Offranville-Quiberville area.
14:55 - Ten Fw 190 of 10.(Jabo)/JG 2 and 10.(Jabo)/JG 26 attack again the allied ships in front of Pourville. The Hunt class DE ORP
Krakowiak (Polish) is hit by a 500 kg bomb and three 250 kg bombs. The fires being impossible to control, the ship has to be scuttled at 15:12. One of the attackers is shot down by the
M-129 (Dutch) and another one by a Tornado from Sqn 174.
15:05 - Pourville is this time the target of 15 Do 217 of KG 40, escorted by no less than 40 Fw 190 of I and II/JG 2. The coverage of the beach is at the moment ensured by the Spitfire IX ofSqn 602, 610 and 611 of the RAF and by those of the GC I/1 and III/1 of the Armée de l'Air.
Skillfully directed by the
Scylla's fighter director, the allied fighters throw themselves on the attackers. At the cost of three British and three French losses, three Do 217 and nine Fw 190 are destroyed. Two of the Focke-Wulf are shot down by a "young and exuberant" pilot of the GC I/1, who accomplished his third mission of the day, after having had to harass his superior, who wanted to leave him on the ground because he was afraid that he was tired.
The twelve remaining Do 217s are able to pound Pourville and the beach, killing or wounding more than 80 men of the Fusiliers Mont-Royal who are retreating.
15:25 - The last units reembark at Puys, covered by fighter-bombers which attack the approaching German units. This is not without losses, as the Fw 190 of II and III/JG 26 destroy three Hurricane II of Sqn 3 and two Tornado of Sqn 245 ; one Fw 190 is shot down in return.
Almost all the Churchill tanks, impossible to re-embark, have to be destroyed by their crews. However, until the last moment, even the broken down tanks offer an efficient protection to the men of the Royal Hamilton, who are the last to re-embark.
15:40 - Eighteen Beaumonts from Sqn 13, 88 and 107 of the RAF attack the airfield of Caen-Carpiquet at low altitude. The light bombers thus escape the fighters, but they fall on a terribly dense Flak. Seven Beaumonts are shot down, two others land at sea near the Allied ships in front of Dieppe and three have to land on their bellies back on their base. However, their bombs destroy eleven Fw 190 fighter-bombers, moreover, this raid disorganizes the refueling/rearming cycle of the Jabos.
15:55 - Two Spitfire IX of Sqn 411 (RCAF) are surprised and shot down by eight Fw 190 of II./JG 26 over Pourville.
16:00 - The German forces approaching Blue Beach undergo a last air attack. Eight Hurricane IIE of Sqn 43, covered by 12 Spitfire V of Sqn 403 (RCAF) bomb the Panzer Grenadiers in the streets of Puys. A Hurricane is shot down by the light Flak and two others are seriously damaged and their pilots wounded, but they manage to return to return to England. Disobeying orders to escort the Hurricanes back, the Canadian Spitfires begin strafing the advancing German troops. They wreak havoc in the ranks of the 23rd Motorcycle Battalion, but two are shot down by light flak and three others are surprised and destroyed by four Fw 190s.
16:05 - End of the landing on Blue Beach (Puys). Despite the fire support provided by the ships, a company of the Royal Hamilton Light Infantry is trapped on the beach. A few men manage to swim to two LCI(S) that are stationed some distance from the beach and others drown while trying. Counting the wounded, 112 men are taken prisoner in those last minutes.
On the boats that sail away, the men of the 1st Shock see the land of France disappearing on the horizon and sing, not
La Marseillaise, but
Ce n'est qu'un au-revoir...
16:20 - Eight Tornado of Sqn 414 (RCAF) attack the field of Abbeville-Drucat and three Fw 190 of II/JG 26 in the landing circuit. They quickly dispatch them before destroying two other aircraft that have just landed, but lost two of theirs under the blows of the Flak, as precise as usual.
16:30 - The wounded
Newcastle and its escort detect unidentified ships at 250.
Shortly afterwards, it appears that they are four German torpedo boats, the
T-2, T-4, T-14 (flag) and
T-19, of the 5th Flotilla, based in Le Havre and commanded by Korvettenkapitän Wilcke. The two formations are at this time 12 nautical miles apart.
The
Albatros and the
Milan accelerate and charge the intruders, making smoke to hide HMS
Newcastle, the
M-128 and the two minesweepers. The two destroyers quickly engage the German flotilla with their 138 mm guns, then their 4 inches. The Korvettenkapitän Wilcke quickly realizes that he is up against a stronger opponent than he had expected, all the more so since, deceived by the change in appearance of the French vessels (their four chimneys were joined in two), he identified them as two
Le Fantasque class destroyers!
Fantastic! Wilcke turns around and sails away towards the south-west while making smoke.
16:43 - Satisfied, the French return to the
Newcastle. This movement does not escape Wilcke, who makes his torpedo boats take a course parallel to that of the allied ships.
16:48 - Annoyed, the Newcastle opens fire from its forward 6-inch turrets (the only ones capable of firing) and quickly frames the lead torpedo boat. Cautious, Korvettenkapitän Wilcke moves away, but, obstinate, he continues to follow the cruiser and its escort, hoping for the arrival of the S-Boats based in Cherbourg.
16:35 - End of the landing on Green Beach (Pourville). Six Ram tanks from Lord Strathcona's Horse can be evacuated. But operations are much easier at Pourville than at Puys.
.........
8 - 16:40-22:30 : Epilogue
16:42 - General Roberts and Captain Hughes-Hallett order all ships to withdraw. withdraw.
16:58, HQ of the German 302nd D.I., Envermeu - "
Message to the 15th Army Command - The enemy troops have evacuated the area. Only wounded and prisoners remain. The 576th Regiment controls Pourville (signed) Lt-Gen. Konrad Haase"
17:05 - As a final response, eight Fw 190s of the 10.(Jabo)/JG 2 (in fact, the last operational Jabos) attack the retreating allied naval formations. The CLAA HMS
Scylla is
framed by two 500 kg bombs and the heavy monitor
Marshal Soult is hit by another one, which destroys its 4-inch aft linkage. On the other hand, three Fw 190 are shot down by the intense flak of the Hunt class DEs and F-type light monitors.
17:10, German headquarters - "
Message from OberKommando West (OK West, Paris) to OberKommando Heer (OKH) and OberKommando Wehrmacht (OKW), Rastenburg _ All ground fighting appears to have ceased in the Dieppe area."
18:45 - CL
Newcastle and her escort, now moving at 12 knots, are joined by four Channel Patrol destroyers, HMS
Onslow, Offa, Oribi and
Orwell.
19:02 - With the reinforcements received by the escort of the damaged cruiser and the fact that the British coast nears, Korvettenkapitän Wilcke orders his flotilla to return to Le Havre.
22:00-23:30 - All the surviving ships involved in the Rutter operation return to port, either in Portsmouth or Brighton.
.........
9 - A controversial balance sheet
The losses of Rutter are heavy on both sides. The allied forces lost 2,450 men, killed, wounded or missing (not counting the sailors and airmen). The three units that suffered the most were the 2nd RCP, the Cameron Highlanders of Canada and the Royal Hamilton Light Infantry. The German units involved lost about 2,800 men, many of them by air and sea.
The Allied air forces lost 101 aircraft to enemy action (57 Spitfires, 15 Tornados, 15 Hurricanes, 3 Mustang I's and 11 Beaumonts); 68 Luftwaffe aircraft were shot down in air combat (59 Fw 190 and 9 Do 217) and 21 were destroyed on the ground. Since the confrontations of the Battle of Britain in September 1940, this was the most important air battle fought over the Channel.
The Allied navies lost two destroyers of escort (the DE HMS
Calpe and ORP
Krakowiak), a light monitor (
M-114) and a large transport (
Ulster Monarch), as well as several landing craft and light ships. The light cruiser HMS
Newcastle was seriously damaged. In addition, a new damage inspection on
Marshal Soult shows that the condition of her old hull, already poor, has been further aggravated by the shock inflicted by the German bomb and the efforts required during the operation. The old warrior is permanently withdrawn from active service.
"The Allies learned several lessons from Operation Rutter/Routier. The most significant was that a direct attack on a well-defended port, even if successful, could not prevent the enemy from interdicting its rapid use. Another solution had to be found: this thinking led to the future "Mulberry" prefabricated ports. In the same way, the idea of capturing an airfield by a direct airborne assault had to be reviewed in the light of heavy losses suffered by the 2nd RCP at Saint-Aubin. If the ground had been better protected, the whole assault could have failed.
Another important lesson was the need for a "forward air controller" able to direct the ground support aircraft. Moreover, it was necessary to group these aircraft in a specific unit (the future Tactical Air Force). In the same way, an efficient direction of the fighter in the combat zone, as the HMS
Scylla had done, was one of the keys to success.
However, the
Scylla was probably too small to do the job properly in a larger landing. A dedicated air control ship, combined with an amphibious command ship, was needed.
Speaking of aircraft, the urgency of replacing the Spitfire V with more advanced models (Spitfire IX and XII in particular), at least in northern Europe, had once again been underlined by the fights over Dieppe. The limited autonomy of this English fighters had once again appeared to be very troublesome.
Finally, if a good knowledge of the enemy fortifications and of the nature of the landing zone was obviously essential, it was also necessary to have boats that would allowing fast reembarkation and armored vehicles for the engineers.
Most of these lessons were not new. To a large extent, they had already been learned during the landings in the Peloponnese. The same can be said of the importance of naval fire support, direct and indirect. Rutter had in a way allowed to revise them and to underline that all these points were not specific to the Mediterranean theatre.
Some historians now claim that Rutter was useless - a widely held view in Canada, by necessity. Others believe that this "full-scale training" of Allied amphibious forces in the Channel was irreplaceable. All agree that the losses would certainly have been much heavier without the experience acquired during the operations in Greece and without the participation of the French, during the fighting and, even more, during the planning.
On the German side, they did not realize that the approach of the enemy ships had remained unsuspected until the last moment because of the lack of radar capable of detecting them.
The Churchill tank was judged to be poorly armed and protected. The allied plan seemed too complicated and the forces in play insufficient and poorly supported. All in all, the failure of the operation confirmed the strategy of building a static defense on the entire Atlantic coast, even though the Germans were well aware that the Allies would also learn lessons from this operation." (Maurice Héninger,
L'Epreuve du Feu)
Polish Air Force Spitfire V (operating within the Armée de l'Air), September 1942
