Operation Chariot 28th March 1942
http://www.combinedops.com/St%20Nazaire.
Operation Chariot was an audacious Combined Operation raid on the port of St Nazaire in German occupied France. Packed with tons of high explosives, the destroyer, HMS Campbeltown, was rammed into the gates of the only dry dock capable of servicing the German battleship Tirpitz. Such was the damage, the dry dock was rendered unusable for the remainder of the war.
In the second week of January 1942, the powerful German Battleship, Tirpitz, moved from the Baltic, through the Kiel canal and North to Trondheim on the Norwegian coast. From there, it had the potential to break out into the North Atlantic and to wreak havoc on allied Atlantic convoys. C in C Home Fleet, Admiral Tovey, opined that to sink the Tirpitz would be "of incomparably greater importance to the conduct of the war than the safety of any convoy." Churchill shared this view, commenting that "the entire naval situation throughout the world would be altered."
Four separate attempts to bomb the Tirpitz failed, with the loss of 12 aircraft. A different strategy was required.
The Germans needed dry-dock facilities on the Atlantic coast, before the battleship could be deployed effectively against allied convoys and the only suitable port was St. Nazaire. It lay on the north bank of the River Loire about 6 miles from the river mouth, which itself was about 6 miles wide.
The Planning Division in the Admiralty, conceived the idea to destroy the lock gate at St Nazaire which would render the dry dock unusable. The idea was picked up by Captain Charles Lambe (who became First Sea Lord from 1959 to 1960). He took the idea to Mountbatten, head of Combined Operations - the first outside client for COHQ.
The target area was bordered by the River Loire, the waters of the outer harbour and the Basin of St Nazaire - a total area of less than one square mile. The heavy concentration of enemy defensive positions and troops in the area strongly reflected the importance of the port facilities to them. It was, arguably, the most heavily defended place along the whole of the German occupied Atlantic coast. In this confined space there were power stations, pumping stations, warehouses, lock installations and the old town of St Nazaire. Denying the Germans use of the dry dock would effectively neutralize the threat the Tirpitz posed.
 |
The South Lock. Long since replaced, that HMS Campbeltown rammed.From the roof of the protected sub lock, built subsequently. |
 |
The original basin entrance where many of the Commandoes came ashore. |
 |
Upper view of original basin entrance where many of the Commandoes came ashore. |
 |
The Commando RV Point at the corner of the sheds.From the roof of the protected sub lock. Non existant in early 1942. |
 |
The Old Mole. Commandoes were unable to land here due to fierce German resistance. |
 |
Old Mole Lighthouse. Numerous Cdo casualties were sustained by firepower from this position. |
 |
Unable to withdraw from the Old Mole a fighting breakout occurred over this swing bridge. |
 |
Jackie on the swing bridge. Murderous fire stopped many Cdo's that night. |
 |
Memorial on the Old Mole to all allied soldiers + sailors who lost their lives in March 1942 |
 |
Forward 12lb gun from HMS Campbeltown.Found on the seabed some thirty years after the raid.Now mounted on the roof of the fortified sub pen lock.
The delayed action fuses detonated the high explosives in the Campbeltown's hold at noon on the 28th. Forty German officers were aboard at the time and 400 other ranks were nearby on the quay. All were killed in the blast. The dock gates were destroyed and were not repaired until after the war.
Of the 241 Commandos who took part, 59 were posted as killed or missing and 109 captured. 85 Royal Navy personnel were killed or missing and a further 20+ captured. Many others were wounded. 5 other ranks returned to England via Spain.
Five Victoria Crosses were awarded for this action. Other awards that were granted after the St. Nazaire Raid were: 4 DSO; 17 DSC; 11 MC; 4 CGM; 5 DCM; 24 DSM and 15 MM. Another 51 men were mentioned in dispatches, 22 of them posthumously.
|
