Warfare

WW2: The Dieppe Raid Disaster

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Episode notes

80 years ago today on 19 August 1942, a 6,000 strong combined Allied landing force took part in a raid on Dieppe, Northern France.

Tragically, no less than 67% of these fighters - most of them Canadians - became casualties in what has gone down in history as an unmitigated catastrophe conceived chiefly by Lord Mountbatten.

In this episode to mark the Dieppe Raid's 80th anniversary, James is joined by David O'Keefe who has uncovered declassified material proving how the disastrous raid concealed a secret pinch mission to steal one of the Nazis' Enigma code machines.

David's book One Day in August: Ian Fleming, Enigma, and the Deadly Raid on Dieppe is available here.

Edited by Aidan Lonergan.

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