Great Raids of World War II episode 4 – Storm at St. Nazaire: The great dry dock at St Nazaire was the only one on the Atlantic coast of occupied Europe large enough to repair Germany’s giant battleship Tirpitz. If it could be put out of action the chances of the Nazi raider threatening Britain’s Atlantic lifeline would be greatly reduced. On 26 March 1942 the destroyer HMS Campbeltown, packed with commandos and explosives set out on a daring mission to achieve this.
World War II was the greatest military confrontation the world has ever known. On land and sea and in the air the scale of the conflict was unprecedented. But amid the great campaigns were many smaller-scale operations which were vital to Allied success – occasions when small numbers of men could have an effect out of all proportion to their numbers; occasions when the course of the war hinged on their courage and daring.
This series looks at six such raids. With the use of veterans’ accounts; carefully researched archive film; meticulous reconstructions and 3-D graphics the viewer is put right into the heart of the action – whether it was foiling Hitler’s attempts to acquire an atomic bomb, or discovering the secrets of the air defences of the Nazi Reich. The recreated raids include the British and Norwegian mission to smash Hitler’s nuclear programme; the canoe-borne commando assault on Bordeaux to disrupt supplies of raw materials essential for Hitler’s war machine; and the paratroop capture of a key German radar installation at Bruneval, which brought back information vital to enable Britain’s bombers to strike at the heart of Nazi Germany. All six episodes from the series are included on this set.
Great Raids of World War II episode 4 – Storm at St. Nazaire
The St Nazaire Raid, also known as Operation Chariot, was a daring attack carried out by British commandos during World War II. It took place on the night of March 28-29, 1942, and was aimed at crippling the German battleship Tirpitz, which was being refitted in the dry dock at St Nazaire in occupied France.
The raid was led by Commander R. E. D. Ryder, and involved a force of about 600 men, most of whom were from the Royal Navy, although there were also some soldiers from the Royal Engineers and the Royal Army Ordnance Corps. The commandos were transported to St Nazaire in two converted merchant ships, the Campbeltown and the Ferniehurst.
Once they reached the harbor, the commandos launched a surprise attack on the dry dock, using explosives and gunfire to destroy the facility and the Tirpitz. They also took out several other targets, including a submarine pen, a power station, and a fuel depot.
The raid was a success in that it severely damaged the dry dock and the Tirpitz, effectively putting the ship out of action for the rest of the war. However, the raid also came at a high cost, with many commandos killed or captured by the Germans. Of the 600 men who took part in the raid, only 228 returned to Britain. Despite the heavy losses, the St Nazaire Raid is considered one of the most successful commando operations of the war.
