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I’m only voicing the consensus of opinion I hear from some of its Veterans. Generally they enjoy Villa’s book and, a bit odd for war books, find it well written! As you say, it’s Mountbatten and the Dieppe raid 1942. The book is over 300 pages and Villa uses less than a dozen to run through the raid. The rest is taken up with analysis, conclusion and opinion. It has a large index, but I can’t say it’s always accurate?
There’s no universal agreement Villa is 100% right in everything he says, but he identifies many points and clearly sets out how he arrives at most of his conclusions. The book has invoked a lot of discussion among the Commandos I know, of the best possible constructive kind.
A couple of items about Dieppe which books (as far as I’m aware) either skate over or miss, which the Veterans have come up with over the years;
(1) It may be mentioned that the Commando raids on the cliff-top batteries by No.3 and No.4 were originally intended to be carried out by paratroops. Then there was a change of plan and the Commandos were put in. Reason why the paratroops didn’t do it is be cause Bomber Harris would not provide the required number of planes for the drop!
(2) No.4 made a virtual spot-on landing and achieved their objective while No.3’s flotilla clashed with a German convoy and was dispersed. No.3’s ‘bad luck’ was No.4’s good luck, (paraphrased because it is believed the convoy was a regular occurrence and should have been allowed for). The Landing Ships Infantry which had 4 and their landing craft, launched them about 10 miles out as they didn’t want the Germans to see the LSI’s. 4 found they were able to use the German shore beacons to navigate in very well. The Germans put the beacons on for the benefit of the convoy that No.3 ran into! And, No.3 running into the German convoy attracted the E Boats in the Dieppe section who would otherwise have engaged No.4’s landing craft when detected!
No.9
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