Die02 Falaise amont

Dieppe is a fishing port and major town of the area. As you take the new road out of the ferry port through a cutting. Two Anti Aircraft bunkers are sited to your left. This is the start of Die02. It covers all the way from here to the Semaphore along the top of the cliff.

On the 19th August 1942 the Allied planners had decided to assault Dieppe's main beach and two flanking beaches. To destroy the batteries to the rear of the town. Directly assault the main beach to get into and remove a secret Enigma coding machine. What became later 30AU Commando were tasked with coming in on the initial assault and advancing rapidly to a Hotel in the main town and steel this machine, documents and cyphers. This was their first operation. Well as you may know, it was an utter disaster, designed as a raid only was to last between 12 to 24hours. The main forces were Canadians that had been in England since 1939 and wanted action. Well unfortunately, they got it. Within ten hours 3,623 of the 6,086 men who landed were killed. The RAF lost 106 aircraft and the Germans losses were 48.

Two lessons were learnt: -

1: That the Allies would never assault a defended port ever again. And they never did.

2: The German planners, planned to defend ports far more than they had done and make them Festung Ports. At a great cost to themselves.

The defences we see here are mostly post Operation Jubilee, (the Dieppe Raid). And they increased their defence with, extra artillery, AA and infantry bunkers covering the whole of the port area and a surrounding town. When the Canadians did arrive in 1944, (in the back door of Dieppe). The Germans had gone. Also 30AU Commando arrived with them and entered all the HQ bunkers, and buildings used to search for any secrets left behind.

Stab Gren.Rgt.935.

2./gem.Flak.Abt.122.

1 x M272 gun casemate.

6 x L401 88cmFlak.

3 x L407 ammunition.

1 x L411a searchlight.

1 x R608 HQ.

2 x R612 field gun.

3 x Vf2a personnel.

2 x fire control.

2 x 7.5cm F Canon.

6 x 8.8cm Flak.

2 x 2cm Flak.

1 - Tobruk.

1 x SK observation bunker with a 90P9 cupola, a few more smaller bunkers, trenches & emplacements.

L401's emplacement.

This is a 1953 photo showing five L401's.

The numbering is mine and 1 now removed when the road was put through and probably the R608 HQ bunker may have been removed. 2, 3, & 4 are there to see and 5 is there but covered over in somebodies garden.

9th USAAF 18 June 1945.

Plan of Dieppe, the date unknown showing all the defence Wn's. Die 02 is coloured in yellow.