To round-off our special commemorative content marking the 75th anniversary of the Dieppe Raid, Professor Eric Grove reflects on the outcomes of Operation Jubilee.
The tragic Operation Jubilee was a failure at all levels, excepting the commando attacks on the flanks. Lord Mountbatten later justified the high cost, arguing, like many, that lessons learned at Dieppe in 1942 were put to valuable use at Operations Torch and Overlord: “I have no doubt that the Battle of Normandy was won on the beaches of Dieppe. For every man who died in Dieppe, at least 10 more must have been spared in Normandy in 1944.” Prime Minister Churchill shared this sentiment: “My Impression of ‘Jubilee’ is that the results fully justified the heavy cost … [It] was a Canadian contribution of the greatest significance to final victory.”
Although lessons were learned for future operations and intelligence secured, it was probably unnecessary to attempt something so badly planned and so woefully ill-supported. The naval fire support was wholly insufficient, and the Royal Navy lost a destroyer and 33 landing vessels. Thousands of British and Canadian troops were killed, wounded, or captured - 60% of the force of 6,100 men who were landed.
