DIeppe - a planned pinch operation

[VTs]

The whole operation was planned to get a 4 rotor enigma machine.

Not to test German defences, not to practice for D-Day - to get a 4 rotor enigma and documentation/manuals in Dieppe.

One Day in August

 

[Henry IX]

Or more likely, as is the case with many operations, it had a number of aims. I doubt the commanders of the operation knew they were sacrificing their men to get an enigma machine (given that enigma and the code breaking was top secret only an idiot would tell the officers in charge, who could be potentially captured). Hence, the operation was planned with a military aim; to test the German defenses and the effectiveness of contested landings, an administrative aim; to troubleshoot planning for D-day, and the secret espionage aim of capturing an enigma machine.

 

[Andre Bolkonsky]

The whole operation was planned to get a 4 rotor enigma machine.

Not to test German defences, not to practice for D-Day - to get a 4 rotor enigma and documentation/manuals in Dieppe.

One Day in August

Additionally they grabbed a fully functioning German radar and then brought in an airstrike to destroy the radar station as a cover, and unloaded a wealth of intelligence operatives and equipment into the German's backfield.

This point has been made multiple times in this forum to mixed reviews: Dieppe was a brilliant intelligence coup hidden inside a military disaster as a cover story.

 

[Andre Bolkonsky]

Or more likely, as is the case with many operations, it had a number of aims. I doubt the commanders of the operation knew they were sacrificing their men to get an enigma machine (given that enigma and the code breaking was top secret only an idiot would tell the officers in charge, who could be potentially captured). Hence, the operation was planned with a military aim; to test the German defenses and the effectiveness of contested landings, an administrative aim; to troubleshoot planning for D-day, and the secret espionage aim of capturing an enigma machine.

You have a lot of OSS, SOE Special Operatives, and Commando type teams embedded in units with a specific purpose operating independently of the main forces and few people have any idea exactly who is doing what, when or where. The Rangers who grab the radar are under specific orders to kill the radar technicians with them if the operation goes south. You have teams out of Camp X whose only function is to take communications and sabotage gear to establish C&C bases around which Resistance units can operate. It looks like a confused mess but was actually a rather well orchestrated ballet. Brave men died for a reason they never knew other than they were following orders because no one else could know what was going on, but their sacrifice bought the Allies a massive military advantage which was so well concealed many people still don't know it ever happened.

 

[Jopa79]

I think I've heard that Dieppe Raid - Operation Jubilee provided "a manual" for the Allies, what not to do in amphibious operations and the experience gained during Dieppe laid the framework for the Normandy Operation two years later...if you didn't state this already...I'm not sure.