A destroyed, an armed trawler, and a minesweeper were all stationed permanently at the docks. 1 Commando. (For similar cases see Lt Cdr Gerard Roope VC RN, recommended by letter from Kapitan zur See Hellmuth Heye, commanding the German cruiser Admiral Hipper, and Flying Officer Lloyd Trigg RNZAF recommended by Oberleutnant Klemens Schamong, captain U-468. I appreciate the following and comments this blog receives, and give all thanks and credit to my Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. 1942 page 4 The Times Russian Army in Battle for Kharkov, Winter 'Hell' in Russia and VC's awarded for St Nazaire Commando Raid The Mayor Geoffrey Evans leaves a Wreath at the St Nazaire Memorial. Clearly the Germans thought that the ship was safe as German soldiers were on board having their photos taken as a keepsake. A drama about the suicidal, daring British raid on heavily defended dry dock Saint Nazaire, in German occupied France, in 1942, by HMS Campbeltown, and 18 smaller craft. Once ‘Campbeltown’ was embedded in the gates, Army commandos would disembark and destroy specific targets in the dock area – namely the pump house and winding houses that were required to allow the dry dock to function. Aug 23, 2015 - St Nazaire Roll of Honour Tom Durant and others mentioned in the Commando Raid on St Nazaire are engraved on the plaque. After ramming the dock gates, Beattie announced to his crew “Well there we are; four minutes late.” When the Commando POW’s returned to the UK after the war had finished, they all agreed that the Germans who fought them in St. Nazaire and who had taken their surrender were unanimous in their compliments to those who had taken part in the raid. Around 1000 men were involved in manning all the guns around the harbour. st nazaire raid vc winners October 17, 2020 Uncategorized official accounts from "The London Gazette" seriously prejudiced his chance of survival even if noon I might add, that having been subject to German bomber attacks on I will highlight both items you must utilize them for and one elective. Stephen Beattie, among four others was awarded the Victoria Cross for his captaincy of the ‘Campbeltown’. Fairmile 'B' Motor Launch Profile. Polar explorer and a VC winner from The Raid on St Nazaire; Mers el Kebir: Sinking the French Fleet; A Nuclear Accident in The Third Reich; Bawdsey Radar; The Battle of Britain Bunker; The Unlikely German Spy; Tuck’s Luck! Beattie was born on March 29th 1908. It was also unusual, though not unique, in having been suggested by a German officer. The RAF eventually agreed to supply 35 bombers for the diversionary raid. In the Franco-Canadian CGI Cartoon Skyland, Saint Nazaire is a name of a pirate flagship participating in a losing rebellion trying to overthrow a corrupt military dictatorship; The video game Medal of Honor: European Assault opens with the British raid on St. Nazaire. Raid on St. Nazaire: Operation Chariot During World War II In the dark early days of 1942, Britain’s Atlantic lifeline was stretched to the breaking point. The main commando force was provided by No. This would force the Tirpitz to use dry docks in North Germany. [1] A week later the commander of the German destroyer, Kapitänleutnant F. K. Paul, met the Commando commander, Lieutenant-Colonel Newman, in a prisoner of war camp in Rennes. His award of the Victoria Cross was unique in that it is the only award given to a soldier in a naval action. Our heroes plunge into combat on the French coast at the port of Le Claire. As you can tell by the name, WAB was my introduction to this community. The impact, at 20 knots, crumpled about 12 meters of the ship’s hull. It takes precedence over all other postnominals and medals. The captured Commandos must have thought that their raid had been in vain as the ship had still not exploded after their surrender. typing games for 6th grade girls for on the distribution is the VWR 1830, while the transmission on the performance refers relative. [1], HMS Campbeltown and the Raid on St. Nazaire, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Thomas_Frank_Durrant&oldid=996099312, British World War II recipients of the Victoria Cross, British military personnel killed in World War II, British Army recipients of the Victoria Cross, Pages containing London Gazette template with parameter supp set to y, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 24 December 2020, at 14:51. The Route to Saint-Nazaire. Fighting on the quayside was petering out and what was left HMS Campbeltown - Crew List. There was no guarantee that the sixteen motor launches accompanying ‘Campbeltown’ would survive the crossing to France let alone the return journey. The Motor Launch was illuminated by the enemy searchlight, and Sergeant Durrant drew on himself the individual attention of the enemy guns, and was again wounded in many places. Alphabetical list of Victoria Cross recipients who attended the Afternoon Garden Party given by HM Queen Elizabeth II in the grounds of Buckingham Palace on 17th July 1962. The RAF’s part in the plan was to bomb St. Nazaire as the ‘Campbeltown’ steamed to the gates. 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. Around 1000 men were involved in manning all the guns around the harbour.eval(ez_write_tag([[336,280],'historylearningsite_co_uk-leader-3','ezslot_17',117,'0','0'])); 2)     If the ‘Campbeltown’ managed to ram the gates to the dry docks, there was no guarantee that the explosives on the ship would explode or, if they did, no guarantee that they would destroy the gates as required. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading St Nazaire Raid: … Download it once and read it on your Kindle device, PC, phones or tablets. Air Vice Marshal Saunby wrote that the bombers were “to hang around overhead and drop the occasional bomb.”, The c/c Plymouth wrote that the raid had “negligible chance of success.”. eval(ez_write_tag([[250,250],'historylearningsite_co_uk-large-mobile-banner-1','ezslot_4',116,'0','0'])); Though simple on paper, the plan did have a number of very real issues: 1)     There was no guarantee that the ‘Campbeltown’ would actually reach the dock. In this action Sergeant Durrant continued to fire at the destroyer's bridge with the greatest of coolness and with complete disregard of the enemy's fire. However, for the Allies this was no easy task. Le Claire ranks as the German fleet's most vital and important installation on the French coast. The St Nazaire docks, 1942. Background. Half the commando force was carried on these boats. Operation Chariot - St. Nazaire, 28th March 1942. Despite these further wounds he stayed in his exposed position, still firing his gun, although after a time only able to support himself by holding on to the gun mounting. Can you name the Victoria Cross recipients WW2. ), Thomas Frank Durrant was born on 17 October 1918 and lived in Green Street Green Farnborough, Kent. It had also proved Churchill’s support for the ‘Butcher and Bolt’ approach of the Commandos. Actually, the raid resembles the historic St. Nazaire raid in 1942. 14 other surface vessels were there on the night of the raid. The Bismarck and the Tirpitz were to have ended their raid at Saint-Nazaire. The Tirpitz was effectively trapped in Norwegian coastal waters and was sunk before she could sink a ship herself. [1] Durrant's Victoria Cross is now on display at the Royal Engineers Museum Prince Arthur Road, Gillingham, Kent, England. The Campbeltown did explode at 10.35 – four and a quarter tons of amatol ignited. The Story of the Raid. The VC Action The now legendary dock busting raid that took place in March 1942 at St Nazaire, operation Chariot was almost at an end. Directed by Richard Pearson. “There did seem an off chance that it was impossible and that it would succeed. In the battle with the German destroyer Durrant was wounded numerous times, in the head, both arms, legs, chest and stomach. It was also unusual, though not unique, in having been suggested by a German officer. These highly trained men had little support among the army’s hierarchy as regiments could see their best men being creamed off. He attended Green Street Green Primary School, formally known as Vine Road Primary School. ‘The Greatest Raid of All’ was a huge success. The British, therefore, decided on a raid that combined one large naval boat, numerous small ones and commandos. A new release on DVD from Battlefield History TV and Pen and Sword Digital, The Saint Nazaire Raid is the most complete analysis of the epic Saint Nazaire Raid available. The mini-force reached the mouth of the River Loire with few problems. 2 Special Independent Company. St. Nazaire, on the west coast of France, had dry docks that the Allies had to put out of action if the Battle of the Atlantic was going to be won. About the memorial: At the quay end of the Prince of Wales Pier.A block of granite inset with a bronze plaque commemorating Operation Chariot, the raid on St. Nazaire in France, on 28 March, 1942, which sailed from Falmouth Harbour, and in which 168 sailors and commandos were killed and 5 Victoria Crosses were won. Thomas Frank Durrant VC (17 October 1918 – 28 March 1942) was a soldier in the British Army during the Second World War and a posthumous English recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces. Blanket bombing the area would not have guaranteed success and would have resulted in many civilian casualties. Ryder led the audacious raid on St Nazaire in March 1942, which completely destroyed the port’s dry dock—depriving the Germans’ mighty pocket battleships of its use for the remainder of the war. Preserving and protecting the memory of OPERATION CHARIOT, the great Combined Operations raid on the French Atlantic port of St. Nazaire, March 26-9, 1942 THE VICTORIA CROSS All material contained in this site is subject to copyright and must not be reproduced in any format without the consent of the relevant copyright holder. To get to it, ships had to sail five miles up the River Loire’s estuary. By sailing close to the northern shore, the ship would be easily in range of German guns that were liberally spread around the shoreline. As you can tell by the name, WAB was my introduction to this community. Campbeltown had little with which to defend herself as most of her weaponry – and other equipment – had been taken off to make her as light and as fast as was possible. St. Nazaire, on the west coast of France, had dry docks that the Allies had to put out of action if the Battle of the Atlantic was going to be won.eval(ez_write_tag([[580,400],'historylearningsite_co_uk-medrectangle-3','ezslot_1',129,'0','0'])); When the Germans launched the ‘Tirpitz’, they introduced into naval warfare a new type of ship that revolutionised naval design. The Normandie dry dock at St. Nazaire was not by the open sea. [4], The St Nazaire Raid (Operation Chariot) was a seaborne attack on the heavily defended docks of St. Nazaire in occupied France on the night of 28 March 1942. Estuary Map, showing the Defences. 2 Commando with supporting demolition parties from other commando units, including Durrant's No. This was sufficient to fool those who manned the guns. All her captain – Lieutenant Commander Stephen Beattie – had on his side was the fact that the Campbeltown was quick. Sergeant Durrant, in his position abaft the bridge, where he had no cover or protection, engaged enemy gun positions and searchlights ashore. 3)     There was no guarantee that the sixteen motor launches accompanying ‘Campbeltown’ would survive the crossing to France let alone the return journey. Lieutenant Colonel A C Newman, the commanding officer of the commandos, who was awarded the Victoria Cross after the operation. History Learning Site Copyright © 2000 - 2021. Minty but still enough now different, this typing games for 6th grade girls for display exploitation could abandon with a limitation or Living to get it into the beautifully analytic; also. Beattie accepted Britain’s highest award for valour on behalf of the crew of the Campbeltown – many of whom lost their lives in the attack. U-boats were sinking Allied merchantmen faster than they could be replaced, and to this threat was added the lurking menace of German surface raiders. The raid on St. Nazaire in March 1942 remains one of the outstanding acts of heroism in World War Two. Therefore, putting the Normandie dry dock at St. Nazaire out of use made very good sense, as it would have effectively trapped the Tirpitz and kept her out of the Atlantic. This very gallant non-commissioned officer later died of the many wounds received in action. [3] Durrant volunteered for service with the Special Service Independent Companies and was posted to No. A naval raid would not have worked, as the route to the dock was so difficult for a sizeable force to navigate and a large number of submarine nets made an attack by submarines impossible. Even if the Tirpitz got through this narrow stretch of water unscathed, she would have to sail either up the North Sea or through the English Channel to get to the Atlantic – both perilous journeys. An old naval ship – ‘HMS Campbeltown’ – would sail to the Normandie dry dock loaded with explosives and would ram the 1500 tons gates to it. We had volunteered for danger.” M Burn, 2 Cdo. By sailing close to the northern shore, the ship would be easily in range of German guns that were liberally spread around the shoreline. Sergeant Durrant's answer was a further burst of fire at the destroyer's bridge. 1942 Town Plan. eval(ez_write_tag([[250,250],'historylearningsite_co_uk-leader-2','ezslot_15',118,'0','0']));eval(ez_write_tag([[250,250],'historylearningsite_co_uk-leader-2','ezslot_16',118,'0','1'])); Documents from the time show that senior ranks in the Royal Navy and Royal Air Force were less than enthusiastic in their support for ‘Operation Chariot’. Ironically, it was the attack by these bombers that alerted the German defenders that something might be ongoing. Five did get to Spain and then on to Gibraltar. The northern shore had 32 artillery guns ranging from 20mm to 240mm. The area was surrounded with 80 anti-aircraft guns and pinpoint bombing was yet to be achieved. Senior RAF officers were unwilling to provide the operation with the 100 bombers that Mountbatten wanted. After leaving Falmouth in Cornwall on March 26, It was the diversionary air raid that made the Germans realise that something was happening and as the Campbeltown steamed towards the dock gates with 2000 metres to go, she was caught in the light of search lights and hit with a great deal of fire. More VC’s were won during the raid than at any other operation in World War Two that took same amount of time. LONDON, May 21 -- The highly prized Vi toria Cross has been awarded for valor in the Commandos' March 27 attack on the German naval base at Saint Nazaire in … The Tirpitz was effectively trapped in Norwegian coastal waters and was sunk before she could sink a ship herself.eval(ez_write_tag([[336,280],'historylearningsite_co_uk-large-mobile-banner-2','ezslot_14',124,'0','0'])); 168 men were killed in the raid and 214 were taken as POW’s. All her captain –. This is the first biography of Cpt. Divided into demolition teams and protection teams they faced a potential German force of 5,000 that was based in and around St. Nazaire. The Campbeltown lay with its fo’c’sle rammed high into the Normandie dock sinking at the stern. It had also proved, “I thought we’d get away with it.” Bill Watson, 2 Cdo, Stephen Beattie VC, commanded HMS Campbeltown in the 1942 raid on St. Nazaire. The success of the raid gave Britain a major boost in confidence. 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