st nazaire raid vc winners

Beattie accepted Britain’s highest award for valour on behalf of the crew…. In the Franco-Canadian CGI Cartoon Skyland, Saint Nazaire is a name of a pirate flagship participating in a losing rebellion trying to overthrow a corrupt military dictatorship; The video game Medal of Honor: European Assault opens with the British raid on St. Nazaire. eval(ez_write_tag([[250,250],'historylearningsite_co_uk-leader-2','ezslot_15',118,'0','0']));eval(ez_write_tag([[250,250],'historylearningsite_co_uk-leader-2','ezslot_16',118,'0','1'])); Documents from the time show that senior ranks in the Royal Navy and Royal Air Force were less than enthusiastic in their support for ‘Operation Chariot’. U-boats were sinking Allied merchantmen faster than they could be replaced, and to this threat was added the lurking menace of German surface raiders. This site was created late in 2008, just a few years after first becoming involved in wargaming. 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. However, the Commandos carried by the wooden motor launches had suffered very badly as they sailed with Campbeltown. By sailing close to the northern shore, the ship would be easily in range of German guns that were liberally spread around the shoreline. (For simi… [1] When his company returned from Norway all the independent companies were formed into battalion sized units known as Commandos. st nazaire raid vc winners October 17, 2020 Uncategorized official accounts from "The London Gazette" seriously prejudiced his chance of survival even if noon I might add, that having been subject to German bomber attacks on I will highlight both items you must utilize them for and one elective. Estuary Map, showing the Defences. Sergeant Durrant's gallant fight was commended by the German officers on boarding the Motor Launch. During World War Two he served in the Royal … Preserving and protecting the memory of OPERATION CHARIOT, the great Combined Operations raid on the French Atlantic port of St. Nazaire, March 26-9, 1942 THE VICTORIA CROSS All material contained in this site is subject to copyright and must not be reproduced in any format without the consent of the relevant copyright holder. However, the town was inundated with German troops and by 10.00 most of the Commandos had either been killed or wounded and captured. Sergeant Durrant's answer was a further burst of fire at the destroyer's bridge. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading St Nazaire Raid: … The northern shore had 32 artillery guns ranging from 20mm to 240mm. Following his death he was buried in La Baule-Escoublac War Cemetery, 7 mi (11 km) from Saint-Nazaire, in Plot I, Row D, Grave 11. [6] Of the 600 men who left the port of Falmouth, Cornwall, England on the raid only 225 would return. This site was created late in 2008, just a few years after first becoming involved in wargaming. His award of the Victoria Cross was unique in that it is the only award given to a soldier in a naval action. All her captain –. In the battle with the German destroyer Durrant was wounded numerous times, in the head, both arms, legs, chest and stomach. Motor Launch 306 came under heavy fire while proceeding up the River Loire towards the port. The main commando force was provided by No. ), Thomas Frank Durrant was born on 17 October 1918 and lived in Green Street Green Farnborough, Kent. eval(ez_write_tag([[300,250],'historylearningsite_co_uk-leader-4','ezslot_18',123,'0','0'])); At 01.34 on March 28th, Campbeltown rammed into the gates of the dry dock. Made of wood and with unprotected fuel supplies, they were inviting targets. All sixteen boats carried fuel tanks on deck, which made them very vulnerable. To get into the Atlantic, the Tirpitz would then have to risk going through the Skaggerak between Denmark and Scandinavia and would be open to attack from Allied planes. During their fight with the Germans, the Commandos had fully expected to hear the Campbeltown explode. The raid … It was when serving with No. The Tirpitz was effectively trapped in Norwegian coastal waters and was sunk before she could sink a ship herself.eval(ez_write_tag([[336,280],'historylearningsite_co_uk-large-mobile-banner-2','ezslot_14',124,'0','0'])); 168 men were killed in the raid and 214 were taken as POW’s. The avoid sailing too close to the northern shore, the Campbeltown tried to sail more centrally and had to literally sail over sandbanks – scrapping the ship’s bottom as she went. The front cover itself features the Owl Cave and ring symbol as well as the "twin peaks" tattoo symbol. The huge advantage the Campbeltown had was that no one would have thought that such a raid was taking place. A drama about the suicidal, daring British raid on heavily defended dry dock Saint Nazaire, in German occupied France, in 1942, by HMS Campbeltown, and 18 smaller craft. It takes precedence over all other postnominals and medals. As Ken Ford, author of a history of the St. Nazaire raid writes, the port “is located five miles up the treacherous estuary of the River Loire and is only approachable from the sea by a single narrow channel, which, in 1942, was covered by several batteries of coast defense guns.” 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. ‘The Greatest Raid of All’ was a huge success. But she was only one mile from the dock gates when this happened. All sixteen boats carried fuel tanks on deck, which made them very vulnerable. The Motor Launch subsequently went down the river and was attacked by a German destroyer at 50 to 60 yards range, and often closer. Large ships had to take the northern channel on this route to avoid sand banks in the middle. The Tirpitz was effectively trapped in Norwegian coastal waters and was sunk before she could sink a ship herself. U-boats were stationed out of St Nazaire, but it is not known how many were present that night. Ironically, it was the attack by these bombers that alerted the German defenders that something might be ongoing. [4], The St Nazaire Raid (Operation Chariot) was a seaborne attack on the heavily defended docks of St. Nazaire in occupied France on the night of 28 March 1942. A renewed attack by the enemy vessel eventually silenced the fire of the Motor Launch, but Sergeant Durrant refused to give up until the destroyer came alongside, grappled the Motor Launch and took prisoner those who remained alive. The Victoria Cross (VC) is a naval and military decoration awarded for valour "in the face of the enemy" to members of armed forces of some Commonwealth countries and previous British Empire territories. This would force the Tirpitz to use dry docks in North Germany. 2 Commando with supporting demolition parties from other commando units, including Durrant's No. There was no guarantee that the ‘Campbeltown’ would actually reach the dock. [7], During the raid Sergeant Durrant was in charge of a twin Lewis gun on board H.M. Motor Launch 306. History Learning Site Copyright © 2000 - 2021. As you can tell by the name, WAB was my introduction to this community. Ryder led the audacious raid on St Nazaire in March 1942, which completely destroyed the port’s dry dock—depriving the Germans’ mighty pocket battleships of its use for the remainder of the war. After leaving school, he worked as a butcher’s boy, then as a builder’s labourer. 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 Commonwealthforces. Blanket bombing the area would not have guaranteed success and would have resulted in many civilian casualties. Durrant then became a member of No. Stephen Beattie VC, commanded HMS Campbeltown in the 1942 raid on St. Nazaire. The mini-force reached the mouth of the River Loire with few problems. [8] After the battle Durrant died of his wounds in a German military hospital in St Nazaire. The Passage of the Loire Estuary. I appreciate the following and comments this blog receives, and give all thanks and credit to my Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. It was also unusual, though not unique, in having been suggested by a German officer. CorbeilCommon – CC BY-SA 3.0. 1942 Town Plan. The Campbeltown did explode at 10.35 – four and a quarter tons of amatol ignited. Can you name the Victoria Cross recipients WW2. But she was only one mile from the dock gates when this happened. The main demolition parties had done their job. During this engagement he was severely wounded in the arm but refused to leave his gun. Campbeltown had little with which to defend herself as most of her weaponry – and other equipment – had been taken off to make her as light and as fast as was possible. After a running fight, the Commander of the German destroyer called on the Motor Launch to surrender. The success of the raid gave Britain a major boost in confidence. This very gallant non-commissioned officer later died of the many wounds received in action. Once ‘Campbeltown’ was embedded in the gates, Army. Therefore, putting the Normandie dry dock at St. Nazaire out of use made very good sense, as it would have effectively trapped the Tirpitz and kept her out of the Atlantic. 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