Operation 'Chariot': The Saint-Nazaire Raid, 1942: Then & Now

By Jean-Paul Pallud

At 14.00 hours on 26 March 1942, a small flotilla of Royal Navy vessels sailed from Falmouth and began its long passage down into the Bay of Biscay. Led by the obsolete destroyer HMS Campbeltown, the task force's destination was the heavily defended port of Saint-Nazaire in German-occupied France.

The primary objective of what was named Operation 'Chariot' was to destroy the Normandie Dock, the only dry dock on the Atlantic coast capable of servicing large German warships such as the battleship Tirpitz. Denying its use would limit the ability of major Kriegsmarine vessels to operate in the Atlantic. The assault force consisted of 345 Royal Navy personnel, 257 Commandos, a four-man medical team, three liaison officers and two representatives from the press - in total 611 men.

For its part in the attack, HMS Campbeltown had been modified to resemble a German torpedo boat and packed with a huge delayed-action explosive charge concealed within its bow. Under heavy fire as they entered the Loire estuary, the force pressed on toward the dock gates. Campbeltown was deliberately rammed into the Normandie Dock caisson, embedding itself firmly. Commandos disembarked under intense German fire to destroy key infrastructure, including pumping stations, machinery, and gun emplacements. Despite significant casualties, demolition teams successfully completed many of their objectives.

Several hours after the initial assault, the explosives hidden aboard Campbeltown detonated, destroying the dock gate and rendering the facility unusable for the remainder of the war. Many of the assault force were killed or captured, and only a third of the men who sailed into the Loire on 28 March managed to escape back to Britain. Despite these losses, the raid achieved its strategic aim. The Germans were never able to use the dry dock again, which limited the operational flexibility of the Kriegsmarine in the Atlantic and contributed to Allied naval advantage. Moreover, the daring operation signalled to occupied Europe that Germany had not won the war.

In Operation 'Chariot', the renowned historian Jean-Paul Pallud reveals the full story of the raid, and the men who took part, all of which is explored in After the Battle's well-known 'Then & Now' format.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: B0H65YZDQ6
• ISBN13: 9781036158385
• Release Date: March 2027
• Publisher: After the Battle
• Length: 128 Pages