During the Second World War, on August 19, 1942, Allied forces launched Operation Jubilee - a major raid on the French coastal port of Dieppe.

 During the Second World War, on August 19, 1942, Allied forces launched Operation Jubilee - a major raid on the French coastal port of Dieppe. 

It was the Canadian Army’s first engagement in Europe. 

Allied forces weren’t strong enough to assault Hitler’s “Fortress Europe.” Winston Churchill preferred clandestine raids inside occupied France to harass the enemy. 

Louis Mountbatten, a senior British naval officer and advisor, recommended a “combined arms” approach. 

Supported by land, air, and naval forces, the plan was to capture Dieppe, destroy key naval facilities, and withdraw.

This would test the Allies’ ability to launch complex amphibious assaults and potentially draw enemy troops and equipment away from other fronts. 

The bulk of the infantry fighting force, led by Major General J.H. Roberts, was Canadian. It consisted of more than 6,000 troops - 4,963 Canadian, 1,075 British, 50 US Army Rangers, and 15 French nationals. Canadian, British and US airmen and sailors provided vital support. 

While approaching the coast of France, the assault force lost the element of surprise when they unexpectedly ran into a German convoy.

A sea battle ensued, which consumed time and ended up alerting the German costal defences. 

Without the cover of darkness and the element of surprise, the task of Canadians landing at Dieppe’s beaches became next to impossible.

The heavily fortified Germans pinned down and shot at Allied troops and tanks from higher ground upon the latter’s arrival. 

It is said that prior to the raid, Major General Roberts had commented that, "it'll be a piece of cake." It ended up being a costly strategic failure.

In a mere nine hours, 907 Canadian soldiers were killed, 2460 were wounded, and 1,946 were taken prisoner. 

Today, on the 80th anniversary of the event, we honour the sacrifices of Canadians at Dieppe.

Their valour was also recognized by the German Army in an official report: "The enemy, almost entirely Canadian soldiers, fought - so far as he was able to fight at all - well and bravely.