Addams
You Bet Your ASS Team
ForumsNet Member
Gender: 
Posts: 5398
|
 |
Canadians remember Dieppe
« on: Aug 17th, 2002, 9:06pm » |
 Quote  Modify
|
from: http://cbc.ca/stories/2002/08/16/dieppe020816
A relative mine fought in this battle. Sadly I can't remember which one. I will have to ask mom again. You think I might learn to write these things down. It was probably 20 years ago that she told me this story. Time for a refresher.
As a Canadian I remember the bravery of Dieppe, it is a battle I learned much about in school.
Heres the story:
A ceremony was held in Ottawa on Friday to mark the 60th anniversary of the Canadian raid on Dieppe, during the Second World War.
The landing pre-dated D-Day by two years and for many it is regarded as one of Canada's greatest military disasters.
But a high-profile war veteran says the Canadian raid on the French beach provided valuable lessons in military strategy.
German fortifications at Dieppe
Of the 5,000 Canadian soldiers who took part on the raid on Aug. 19, 1942, almost 1,000 were killed. Another 2,000 were taken prisoner.
Canada paid tribute to their sacrifice with a remembrance ceremony Friday at the National War Memorial in Ottawa. There will be ceremonies in Dieppe on Monday.
Friday's ceremony in Ottawa
Before placing a wreath at the War Memorial, Veterans Affairs Minister Rey Pagtakhan praised Canadian soldiers who stormed "full-force into a hail of enemy fire."
Cliff Chadderton, head of the War Amps of Canada, has just completed a documentary called Dieppe: Don't Call it a Failure.
He told CBC Newsworld Friday the lessons learned from Dieppe saved thousands of lives duirng the D-Day invasion of Normandy on June 6, 1944.
"I do not say that it was not a military blunder or political blunder. It was both of those," Chadderton said. But he added he doesn't like to use the term "military disaster."
Cliff Chadderton
Chadderton said the Allies learned several lessons, one being they should weaken enemies lines with naval and aerial bombing prior to a land assault.
"We found that if you want to take a defended port, it was absolutely impossible. But the bombing that went on in Normandy two years later was a direct result of what we learned in Dieppe."
|
Sponsored by: The Fans!
Home
Help
Search
Members
Chat
Member Map
Login
Register
Reply
Add Poll
Notify of replies
Send Topic
Print