Storming st nazaire raid museum

Submarine espadon and saintnazaire heritage museum. Nazaire was one of those small, sharp, heroic raiding actions that the british have specialized in for centuries, all the way back to sir francis drake. Nazaire raid has not been covered in the detail warranted by its role in the evolution of special warfare tactics. The operation was undertaken by the royal navy and british commandos under the auspices of combined operations headquarters on 28 march 1942. The raid was launched to disable the only dry dock on the atlantic seaboard that was big enough to accommodate the terrifying german battleship tirpitz.

The st nazaire raid or operation chariot was a british amphibious attack on the heavily. Motor launch 306 came under heavy fire while proceeding up the river loire towards the port. The operation chariot plan royal museums greenwich blog. Storming st nazaire the dock busting raid by james g dorrian. Mar 27, 2018 the raid was launched to disable the only dry dock on the atlantic seaboard that was big enough to accommodate the terrifying german battleship tirpitz. The saintnazaire dock was the target of operation chariot, a british commando raid in 1942. It was an important strategic asset for the german fleet in world war two. The museum in le grand blockhouse at batzsurmer gives an overview. Follow the commando actions of world war 2 through france as we take a look at some of the huge battles from operation jubilee at dieppe to the greatest raid of all at st. Preserving and protecting the memory of operation chariot, the great combined operations raid on the french atlantic port of st.

Commandos training in scotland in 1942 were a wasting asset so hq dreamed up a raid for them. Nazaire by naval and commando forces in march 1942 when hms campbeltown rammed the dock gates of the port used by german uboats. It is an invitation to travel through time, discovering how saintnazaire became a thriving transatlantic harbour in the 19th century, was destroyed during world war 2, rebuilt in. In england, a plan was conceived to attack saintnazaire to deny germany the use of the drydock. At the request of a module user, i have made the following tweaks. France paysdelaloire saintnazaire opposite the large uboot bunker is a smaller german large uboot bunker which serves as a museum. Rare photos of history the sas storming the iranian embassy to free.

For great gallantry, skill and devotion to duty when in charge of a lewis gun in hm motor launch 306 in the st. Over two million american servicemen passed through britain during the second world war. Nazaire, france, in 1942 was a display of cunning and skill. Nazaire glen towler says i find this event very interesting the best bit was that the germans thought the raid was a failure when the ship didnt explode straight away and we stood on the ship when the explosives went off must have been quiet a sight for the commandos as they were lead away to prison camps.

James dorrian has drawn on interviews with over 100 survivors, both british and german, to present this remarkable account. The french submarine espadon swordfish in french is open to visitors inside the fortified lock of the harbour of saintnazaire. In memory of the royal navy sailors and army commandos killed in the raid on st nazaire on 28 march 1942. The st nazaire society, which is made up of the survivors of the raid, felt that the. Dec 10, 2014 while most who had not escaped went into captivity, a few did manage to make it to freedom. Tom mccormack, 5 troop, 2 commando, died st nazaire. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. Ml 177, under sublieutenant rodier, somehow survived the storm.

St nazaire raid wikimili, the best wikipedia reader. In the first part of the game, the player moves the british boats and destroyer hms campbeltown camouflaged as a german ship to their landing areas, while determining the results of the many shots from the harbor defense guns. We look at the raid, see the uboat pens and have time to visit the uboat museum at own cost. Added gun 222a to initial deployment and pieces window. Nazaire, by norman wilkinson, national maritime museum, greenwich, london. Do not expect slick interpretaion and a carefully guided tour. Building on the success of various commando raids during 1941, headquarters combined operations moved up the scale of size and complexity by electing to attack and deny the only dry dock that could take a german battleship for repairs, the normandie dock at st nazaire on frances atlantic coast. For the british forces there are 2 distinct phases in the game. The operation also resulted in the award of five victoria crosses. Upon landing the commandos stormed ashore to create mayhem and destruction via their demolition teams. The st nazaire raid had been a success, but at a cost. A biography of the naval commander at the st nazairre raid, who after a prewar career dominated by sailing ships he sailed home from china in a yacht built for the task and was the naval commander on the british graham land expedition, he had a fairly distinguished wartime career, which included the raid on st. While this raid has been covered in detail in a variety of other books, this latest edition of the osprey campaign series adds detailed maps and diagrams that help to make sense of a very confusing night action. Sacrifice at saintnazaire naval history magazine april.

On display is a french submarine named espadon which is lying in the water and can be visited. Nazaire is a solitaire game from 1987 and based on the greatest raid ever. While most who had not escaped went into captivity, a few did manage to make it to freedom. The st nazaire raid or operation chariot was a successful british amphibious attack on the heavily defended normandie dry dock at st nazaire in germanoccupied france during the second world war. Massive intel, courage, sacrifice and big explosions. But traveling through france some years ago, i came across the ugly uboat base in saint nazaire, which is an unlikely tourist attraction but one i was fascinated by.

First you must land your units, then they must try to blow up given objectives, at the same time building up a. His award of the victoria cross was unique in that it is the only award given to. This solitaire wargame simulates the march 28, 1942, british raid on the nazioccupied french port of st. The defences around st nazaire, especially at the mouth of the river loire were upgraded by the addition of a number of fixed gun emplacements of varying calibre. Immerse yourself into worldclass art, exciting history, and mindbending science. Nazaire, on the west coast of france, had dry docks that the allies had to put out of action if the battle of the atlantic was going to be won. Nazaire is a solitaire board game simulation of that raid where the player controls the british forces and the game system controls the germans. Nazaire is james dorrians fascinating account of the british commando raid on st. Operation chariot snoc represents a new departure for le franc tireur, as it is that companys first full historical module. Nazaire was even billed as the sauciest job since drake. Check out the best museums in saintnazaire to visit in 2020.

The best museums youll want to visit in saintnazaire. Nazaire and lorient, take a tour of the maisy battery gun positions and visit the atlantic wall museum at batz. Because this is a place where things get done, and it attracts people on exactly those terms. The town was one of the most damaged in france during world war ii. Now known as the greatest raid of all, operation chariot was an attack on the docks at st nazaire in germanoccupied france. In england, a plan was conceived to attack saintnazaire to deny germany the. It was an operation so heroic that it resulted in the award of five victoria crosses and 80 other decorations for gallantry. The operation was undertaken by the royal navy and british commandos under the auspices of combined operations head. Submarine espadon and saintnazaire heritage museum nantes. France paysdelaloire saint nazaire opposite the large uboot bunker is a smaller german large uboot bunker which serves as a museum. Nazaire galt als zweitstarkste im westlichen frankreich nach.

Nazaire, france, on april 1, 1942, after the battle with german forces. Apr 3, 2020 looking to get inspired on your trip to saintnazaire. The british plan was to ram an explosive laden destroyer into the normandie dock at st. Nazaire, on the west coast of france, had dry docks that the allies had to put. More vcs were won during the raid than at any other operation in world war two that took same amount of time. On 28th march, 1942, a force of british commandos supported by the royal navy made an audacious assault on the port of st.

British officer served with no 5 commando account of st nazaire raid, france, 2831942. Nazaire in france, the only drydock in europe capable of servicing hitler. In one of world war iis most spectacular raids, the royal navy and british commandos virtually ensured that the battleship. Visit submarine pens and escalatlantic in st nazaire france. The lock as a matter of fact used to be the very first harbour entrance, dating back to 1856. U boat pens saintnazaire 2020 all you need to know. I discussed buildings and roads as tourist attractions before, here.

As a major submarine base for the germans, saint nazaire was subject to a british raid in 1942 and it was heavily bombed by the allies until 1945. The life and times of robert ryder vc, richard hopton. The saint nazaire dock was the target of operation chariot, a british commando raid in 1942. Thomas frank durrant vc 17 october 1918 28 march 1942 was a soldier in the british army during the second world war and a posthumous english recipient of the victoria cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to british and commonwealth forces. It was a feat of cunning and daring that helped to shape the war at sea. The mission was a formative step in the building of a special operations capability for the allies, and a painful lesson learned in combined operations. The attack, known as the st nazaire raid, successfully destroyed the adjacent drydock by ramming an explosivefilled destroyer into it, but the uboat pens were not targeted. It was an operation so heroic that it resulted in the award of five victoria crosses and 80 other decorations for. Their job was to man and maintain the vast fleets of aircraft needed to attack german. Fixed infinite loop when advancing vp indicator with left arrow key. So he radioed saintnazaire, british naval force sailing on a westerly course. During the year following the raid on st nazaire life for its inhabitants quickly becomes unbearable and by 1st march all that is left of the town is an immense field of rubble, completely deserted, in the middle of which stands the massive silhouette of the submarine pens, intact. Corporals douglas, howarth, wheeler and sims, along with private harding all managed to escape the net that had been cast over st nazaire and make their way to spain and onto the uk. Saint nazaire progressively replaced nantes as the main haven on the loire estuary.

Ml177, under sublieutenant rodier, somehow survived the storm. As a major submarine base for the germans, saintnazaire was subject to a british raid in 1942 and it was heavily bombed by the allies until 1945. When he asked the port commander about defensive measures, the officer said a plan was ready, but he considered a raid unlikely. In early 1942, shipping losses in the atlantic threatened britains. Nazaire the old lendlease 1919built american destroyer, uss buchanan, renamed hms campbeltown was converted for the raid and given the approximate appearance of a german moweclass escort vessel in the hope that this would cause the german defenders to hesitate. Sacrifice at saintnazaire naval history magazine april 2017. Jeremy clarkson tells the story of one of the most daring operations of world war ii the commando raid on the german occupied dry dock at st. The st nazaire raid or operation chariot was a british amphibious attack on the heavily defended normandie dry dock at st nazaire in germanoccupied france during the second world war. Dorrian, james storming st nazaire, leo cooper, london, 1998 dunning, james it had to be tough, pentland press.

Indeed, not only is it a complete historical module, but it is also the only third party asl module ever published with a box the other being critical hits dien bien phu. The raid on st nazaire, 28th march 1942 david rowlands military. British losses were high, though the raid was a success. Nazaire in march 1942 remains one of the outstanding acts of heroism in world war two. It was decided that the campbeltown would be used to ram to dry dock and transport one group of commandos.

In 1944, at the height of activity, up to half a million were based there with the united states army air forces usaaf. Ive also spoken with dennis reeves at the liverpool scottish museum and weve both bought his excellent book. With jeremy clarkson, corran purdon, bob wright, james dunning. Of the 622 men of the royal navy and commandos who took part in the raid, only 228 men returned to england. Operations royal canadian navy, yukon territory, fort hood, heritage museum. There was also quite a good british film not a doco on the commando raid at st nazaire. Situated on the west coast of france, the town of st nazaire was home to a dry dock that had been the largest in the world when it was built in 1932. If you are visiting the st naziare u boat pens, then i suggest doing some research before you go, otherwise you are just looking at a concrete structure. Saintnazaire progressively replaced nantes as the main haven on the loire estuary. Upon landing the commandos stormed ashore to create mayhem and destruction.