Unit/ Formation: 40 Cdo RM
Location: France
Period/ Conflict: World War II
Year: 1942
Date/s: 19 August 1942
The Royal Marine Commando (later 40 (RM) Commando) was tasked to destroy port facilities at Dieppe and form a reserve.
They crossed the Channel in the river gunboat Locust and arrived off Dieppe at about 0530, before disembarking into several LCAs (Landing Craft Assault).
As Locust attempted to force the harbour entrance, she came under heavy fire from German batteries which the preliminary bombardment had failed to silence. She was repeatedly hit and her captain withdrew: meanwhile, the Canadians were pinned down on the beaches by heavy fire and barbed wire entanglements.
40 Commando was now ordered to land at the eastern end of the beach, but as the LCAs approached the shore they came under intense machine-gun and mortar fire.
The commanding officer, Lieutenant-Colonel JP Phillips, ordered them to retreat back out to sea. In his landing craft, however, Houghton continued towards the shore, moving to the centre of the beach where he stormed the sands, his LCA blowing up behind him.
"Ironically the doctor was our first casualty," Houghton noted. "But further casualties quickly followed. We advanced as far as the promenade wall, where progress was barred by thick wire entanglements swept by enemy fire. Pinned in this position with practically no cover, unable to move forward and without any means of returning by sea, we concentrated our efforts on inflicting as much damage as possible on the enemy positions.
"Lacking any form of communication with our own forces, we continued until the official time of withdrawal had passed. The beach was strafed by our own aircraft at 1400 hours as part of the withdrawal programme, and it was just the luck of the draw that we found ourselves on the receiving end."
Of 370 officers and men in 40 Commando, 76, including Phillips, were killed.
Houghton, after fighting against overwhelming odds, was taken prisoner, though for many months he was reported dead. Later that year, in an act of vengeance, Hitler ordered commando prisoners to be shackled, and Houghton was handcuffed for 411 days.
Afterwards he was awarded an MC for his bravery at Dieppe and for his endurance as a prisoner of war.
Pinned in this position with practically no cover, unable to move forward and without any means of returning by sea, we concentrated our efforts on inflicting as much damage as possible on the enemy positions
Titch' Houghton at Dieppe
Report on Events on 19 Aug 42, off Dieppe of A. Coy, Royal Marine Commando
by Capt. P. W. C. Hellings, D.S.C. R.M.
HMS. LOCUST arrived uneventfully off Dieppe at about 0530 hrs, there had been a certain amount of firing and tracer seen on either bow previous to this. The sky was clear, but visibility was greatly reduced owing to the thick smoke resulting from the earlier landings.
At about 0610 hrs LOCUST attempted to enter the mole, but it immediately became apparent that the batteries to the EAST of the entrance had not yet been silenced. LOCUST received two hits whilst preparing to enter, resulting in two killed and about 6 wounded.
Commander Ryder seeing that the EAST batteries were still in control of the channel did not enter the harbour at the time, a Bombardment by destroyer and LOCUST being resorted to. It was very difficult in the following hours to get any clear picture as to what was happening owing to the thick smoke, destroyer bombarding and aerial battles overhead. It did however become apparent that the floating reserve in R. Boats of, I believe, about a Bn in strength was landed on BLUE beach.
Reports which I heard from Col. Phillipps on the initial landing stated that success was had at RED and WHITE beaches but that BLUE had not gone so well. I heard no report about Outer beaches.
After the floating reserve had been landed there was no news, until Commander Ryder returned from KELPIEE, when he reported that RED and WHITE beaches were clear of opposition and the General wished the marines to go in and support the ESSEX SCOTTISH through WHITE beach. The Colonel gave his orders from LOCUST, the idea being to pass through the beach to the town and there reform and report to the Colonel of the ESSEX SCOTTISH, the object of the force being to pass around the WEST and SOUTH of the town, and attack the batteries on the EASTERN cliff from the SOUTH.
The marines of Commando H.Q. and A. Coy were embarked in two M.L.C's, the force under Major Houghton from the chasseur consisting of X & B. Coy embarking in A.I.C. The Mortar Pl. & Demolition being left behind in LOCUST.
The Commando started to move toward the shore, it being about 1130 hrs, smoke was provided by the chasseur, who accompanied us within 500 yds.
Shell fire was opened on the boats almost immediately, at about 4000 yds, increasing in intensity as the range shortened. The fire appeared to consist of 3"-4" Mortar Bombs, or a similar size, intermingled with low angle gun fire of about 4" and a tracer shell of about 2 pds which may have come from tanks, up to date the range wasto great for S. A.
The fire was all coming from the EASTERN cliffs and the end and base of the mole, firing to the N.W.
The range was shortening and rifle and L.M.G. fire was become apparent, the chasseur, being now no longer able to support the force owing to the depth of waters.
At this stage I turn to the personal narrative of my Company. The M.L.C. in which we had embarked had done the main landing and was in need of repair, one engine being out of commission and the deck of the M.L.C. was washing down with water. Owing to one engine being out of commission and the other very hot, steering was difficult, and our speed reduced which resulted in in an ever increasing distance between boats; Just prior to reaching the shore and whilst in thick smoke we completely broke down, which may have been the result of a near miss or the overheating of our engine.
The engine was started after about 2 mins. and we proceded on toward the shore out of the smoke in time to see the Colonel's M.L.C. and an A.L.C. containing Capt. Deveraux and one platoon and Major Hougton's A.L.C. arrive under heavy mortar and M.G. fire. Fire was intense and any attempt to reach the houses would have been most hazardous. Colonel Phillippe stood up in his M.L.C. and waved the remaining boats to return to the protection of the smoke, one A.L.C. was extracted, the Colonel M.L.C. turned broadside on and I believe from survivors reports, caught fire.
My M.L.C. at this stage received a hit close to the stern which finished any attempt at steering, leaving us some 300 yds off the shore, smoke was used in quantity and we were able to increase the distance by about 200 yds before the engine finally went. After some period a chasseur took the M.L.C. in tow and we returned to LOCUST where the company were placed on board and told to await orders. I reported to Commander Ryder who sent me to General Roberts whom I saw and reported the state of affairs and that WHITE and RED beaches were held by the enemy.
Any attempt to return to the LOCUST in a R. Boat proved fruitless as bombing had commenced and she was laying smoke at top speed, shortly after this organized attempts to evacuate ceased and the company returned to England in LOCUST.
sgd. P.W.C. Hellings, Captain, R.M. D.S.C.
R.M. Commando
David Abrutat of the RMHS wrote:
It has been suggested that the Dieppe raid in August 1942 was a diversionary activity for a pinch operation mounted by an elite commando unit assigned as 30 Commando Assault Unit (30AU) to target a number of key locations in and around Dieppe. These included the Hotel Moderne by the port housing the German Naval HQ and allied intelligence had also convinced themselves that trawlers moored in Dieppe harbour were acting as secret German signals intelligence collection platforms. It has been suggested that 30AU’s main target was to obtain spare parts for the new 4-rotor wheel version of the Enigma cipher machine and associated code books, to aid the work being done by GC & CS at Bletchley Park.
The team was put ashore acting as No. 40 Royal Marines Commando on HMS LOCUST, which failed to breach the inner channel in Dieppe harbour so the 30AU troops had to go ashore aboard a landing craft. Strategically, the Dieppe raid was a disaster. Over 900 Canadian soldiers were killed, 586 injured and 2000 captured. The 30AU team returned to England empty handed.
References/ Further Reading:
Operation Jubilee - The Disastrous Dieppe Raid. August 19, 1942 - Combined Operations
Wikipedia - Dieppe Raid
Commandos and Codes - The Royal Marines Historical Society