Hour-by-hour account of the "Greatest Raid of All" — a British commando operation that rammed an explosive-packed destroyer into the Normandie dock to deny it to the German fleet. (27–28 March 1942)
Colonel Newman's commando parties disembarked from Campbeltown and motor launches under intense German fire, attempting to secure the dock area and begin demolishing the pumping station and machinery. · Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St_Nazaire_Raid
Under heavy fire, Lieutenant Commander Stephen Beattie drove HMS Campbeltown at speed into the southern caisson of the Normandie dry dock, lodging the explosive-laden destroyer firmly in the gate. · Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St_Nazaire_Raid
HMS Campbeltown raised a German naval ensign to disguise the approaching force, a ruse designed to buy precious minutes before German shore batteries could identify and engage the raiders. · Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St_Nazaire_Raid
Commander Robert Ryder's naval force, carrying Colonel Augustus Newman's commandos, neared the French coast, maintaining a tight formation to exploit surprise and deceive German lookouts. · Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St_Nazaire_Raid
German defences challenged the approaching vessels with searchlights and signal lamps, and when no satisfactory recognition signal was returned, the force was illuminated and came under fire. ) · Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St_Nazaire_Raid
Demolition teams placed explosive charges on the dry dock's pumping station and machinery, aiming to cripple the facility that enabled the dock to function for large warship repairs. ) · Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St_Nazaire_Raid
German troops and dock workers searched Campbeltown and the dock area for booby traps, but failed to locate the primary demolition charges hidden in steel containers behind concrete in the bow. ) · Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St_Nazaire_Raid
German Rear Admiral Karl Dönitz's staff and local Kriegsmarine officers toured the dock and Campbeltown, with a large crowd of dockyard workers and soldiers gathered around the wreck inspecting the damage. · Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St_Nazaire_Raid
The delayed-action fuses ignited the four tons of concealed explosives in Campbeltown's bow, destroying the Normandie dry dock caisson, killing approximately 360 Germans, and rendering the dock unusable for the remainder of the war. · Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St_Nazaire_Raid
German forces, initially caught off guard, regrouped and brought overwhelming firepower to bear on the commandos, pinning down the raiders and preventing many from reaching the old town rally point. · Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St_Nazaire_Raid
With the old town position untenable, Colonel Newman ordered the surviving commandos to break through enemy lines and attempt to escape into the countryside toward Spain. ) · Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St_Nazaire_Raid
German officers and dockyard officials inspected the wrecked Campbeltown lodged in the caisson, unaware that concealed delayed-action fuses were still burning deep within the destroyer's hull. · Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St_Nazaire_Raid
Most surviving commandos, out of ammunition and surrounded, were forced to surrender; Colonel Newman and Lieutenant Commander Beattie were among those captured by German forces. ) · Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St_Nazaire_Raid
Commander Ryder ordered the surviving motor launches to withdraw from the harbour under devastating fire, having suffered heavy losses among the small craft evacuating wounded commandos and naval personnel. · Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St_Nazaire_Raid