(6/6) The Greatest Raid of All World War II

The St. Nazaire Raid (also called Operation Chariot) was a successful British seaborne attack on the heavily defended docks of St. Nazaire in occupied France on the night of March 28, 1942 during World War II. The operation was undertaken by Royal Navy and Army Commando units under the auspices of Louis Mountbatten's Combined Operations.

The obsolete destroyer HMS Campbeltown commanded by Stephen Halden Beattie and accompanied by 18 shallow draft boats, rammed the St. Nazaire lock gates and was blown up, ending use of the dock. Commandos landed on the docks and destroyed other dock structures before attempting to fight their way out. All but 27 of the commandos were either killed or captured: 22 escaped back to Britain in the motor torpedo boats and 5 to the Spanish border.

The loss of St. Nazaire as a dry dock would force any large German warship in need of repairs to have to return to home waters.

Five Victoria crosses were awarded to men involved in the raid, which has been called The Greatest Raid of All.

Category:

Education

Tags:

• World
• War
• II
• The
• Greatest
• Raid
• of
• All
• St.
• Nazaire
• HMS
• Campbelltown
• Operation
• Chariot
• Commandos
• France
• Britain

[SgtSplatter782]

The Raid of Saint-Nazaire is one of those operations that should get more time in history books, but unfortunately it doesn't. Easily one of the most audacious raids of all time.

[dcmackin]

OUTSTANDING! I have never heard of this operation. Thanks GD.

[martosjc]

@TheAngus42 YES I DID TOO!! typical english flemish i guess... i really admire your Country and what i stands for, i only hope my country, Mexico, can get somewhere near your country on Democracy, Education and moral standing....

[martosjc]

it really is The Greatest Raid of All... i am a Mexican National, i live in northwestern Mexico and i doubt there are a 1,000 mexicans who know or care about it, i pay tribute to such uncommon valor, such spirit, such moral character! i am deeply touchéd by the sacrifices made for ALL mankind by Britons, Americans, etc but specially Brits since you entered the war out of moral ground not because you were attacked... Descansen en Paz, HEROES DE LA OPERACION CHARIOT!!

[TheAngus42]

How I laughed when Jeremy told us of Beatie's comment on the bridge just after Cambelltown hit the gate and sailing through and still in a firestorm from hell.....(.in upper crust RN speak!)...Well there you are,......4 minutes late!!!!!, wow now that's the RN right there.

[valyoutubing]

Love it

[mbaquara]

Great! Wonderful! Honor and duty are the ingredients of true soldiers.

[jubjub4261]

im thinking. why the memorial was so small? cos its not british soil. its french. this shows how much the french gave a fk when it came to remember these brave men.

a small stone. in front of a carpark.

[TheTwollocks]

@m52spy ....... no offence to you...... but i hate it when people say the british army fought in northern ireland.......it gives this impression that the ira were soldiers who came out and fought the british army.......when in fact they did no such thing.......the odd car bomb.....bombs in shopping centres......the odd sneaky bomb planted on a coach full of soldiers .....shooting unarmed soldiers........ i apoligise for mentioning the ira on this video.....these men are real soldiers

[autoloadable]

0:30 i rofled so hard

[mentonish]

Yes a first class doc, 65 years later, what a change, riots in london what has changed to the british mentality, money

[Lightblinder]

man, these guys are the real life james bonds!!

what an awesome mission