Hi Jim,
Without going in to the pros and cons of Operation Jubilee, some comments are necessary on your post.
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Dieppe is NOT a port, it is a seaside beach town.
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Said to be the prettiest of the French Channel Ports, it has been one for over 1000 years.
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The beach was comprised of small rocks that made it nearly impossible for the tanks of the Three Rivers Tank Regiment to get off the beach.
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It was
Churchills of the Calgary Regiment that landed not
tthose of the Three Rivers. Of the 27 that made ashore 15 left the beach, 12 did not - 4 had their tracks broken by the
chert, 6 by shellfire, 1 by a dive-bomber and, undamaged,
C Squadron's OC Major
A.Glenn's 'Chief' he having assumed command of the regiment.
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The seawall also was higher than the planners thought it was.
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I can find no evidence that this was so, however, the 15 "Mountain Goats" (as
Churchills later became known) all successfully climbed up and over the seawall on to the promenade. If the engineers, who were to blow-up the road blocks, had also been able to reach the promenade the end may have been different.
Incidentally,
Churchills of 25th Tank Brigade supported 1st Canadian
Corps in the breaking of the Hitler Line. Subsequently the honour of wearing the Maple Leaf was awarded to 25th Tank Brigade - today
it is still worn
with pride by
members of the regiment in which I served.
Cheers, Gerry
.