NORMANDY

Nine ships of the 9th minesweeping flotilla sailed from the Solent at 12:55 hours on 5th June 1944 heading for Juno Beach:

BANGOR, BLACKPOOL, BOSTON, BRIDLINGTON, BRIDPORT, EASTBOURNE , SIDMOUTH and TENBY.

These were accompanied by the following Danlayers:

BRYHER, DALMATIA, IJUIN, SIGNA (replacing QUIRPON)

The combined flotilla had streamed sweeps by 19:15 hours that evening and joined the Assault Convoy J1.

(Authors note - The names Blackpool, Eastbourne and Tenby were later used for three of the class of the post war Type 12 Frigates)
 
 

DIEPPE

The raid on Dieppe on 19th August 1942 was commanded by Captain J Hughes-Hallett (Calpe) and Major-General J.H. Roberts of the 2nd Canadian Division.

The raid on Dieppe was mounted to give Canadian troops newly arrived in the UK, battle experience, experience of assault techniques and to try out new equipment that was being developed.

Dieppe offered many targets including a radar station, a fighter airfield, gun batteries and port installations. It was also within reach of UK airfields with shore-based fighter aircraft. The final plan incorporated a main assault on the harbour and attacks on each flank.

237 naval vessels were used, 1961 Canadian Army personel, 1057 Commandos and a small number of US Rangers were landed; 67 squadrons of aircraft were in support.

The assault started early on the 19th where No. 4 Commando achieved complete success on the Western Flank but, the reverse was true on the Eastern Flank where the enemy were alerted by the assault force meeting a coastal convoy. In the main assualt even the beach was not fully secured and, evacuation was delayed until 1100 hours by too rigid a timetable. by 1230, 1000 men had been recovered from the beach.

The Calpe was hit by enemy fire and damaged and the destroyer Berkeley was damaged by air attack and had to be sunk, 33 landing craft were lost and there were 3363 Canadian and 247 Commando casualties. The Germans lost only 600 in all and 48 aircraft against British aircraft losses of 106.