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Was the St Nazaire Raid worth it?

• Message 1.Β 

  Posted by scheer (U10270512) on Sunday, 16th December 2007

  The raid on the docks at St Nazaire in 1942 (Operation Chariot) is frequently held up as an example of a great commando raid but, given the losses sustained, was it really justified?
  
  The reason given for it was to prevent the German Battleship 'Tirpitz' from having a repair base in the West and thus make it difficult for it to venture into the Atlantic. But from what I have read on the German Navy, such a sortie was not going to happen anyway, for a variety of reasons-
  
  -By this stage of the war, the U-boat had proved itself a superior weapon for attacks on commercial shipping.
  
  -Hitler did not want to risk losing his second 'super-battleship' in the same way he had lost the 'Bismarck'.
  
  -German fears of an Allied invasion of Norway required a strong naval prescence in Northern waters.
  
  -The heavy ships already based in France were frequently out of action due to British bombing raids and were brought back to Germany (The 'Channel Dash') before the St Nazaire raid took place.
  
  All of this, suggests to me that the raid was not required and resulted in a lot of brave men losing their lives.
  
  Am I being harsh?

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• Message 2

  , in reply to message 1.

  Posted by Trooper Tom Canning - WW2 Site Helper (U519668) on Sunday, 16th December 2007

  Not really harsh but this is a prime example of having 20/20 hindsight.It prevented anyone using the docks for any purpose - ergo - the sacrifice was worth it !
  Why threrfore did Hitler build such great battleships as Tirpitz - Bismarck etc - just to sit out the war...surely some credit must go to the planners for keeping them in their own ports for so long ?

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• Message 3

  , in reply to message 1.

  Posted by Scarboro (U2806863) on Sunday, 16th December 2007

  A double threat of U-boats and battleships would be very dangerous. Tactics for U-boat protection called for convoys. However if a battleship showed up the only hope was to scatter the convoy.
  
  On at least one occasion the rumour that Tirpitz had put to sea was enough to scatter a convoy on the Murmansk Run, resulting in horrible losses.
  
  Keeping St. Nazaire out of commission reduced the likelihood that Tirpitz would try a sortie into the Atlantic.

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• Message 4

  , in reply to message 3.

  Posted by Allan D (U1791739) on Sunday, 16th December 2007

  Yes, despite the losses it showed that the Nazis' "Fortress Europe" could be breached even at its strongest point by a small group of daring and incredibly brave men. In many ways it was as valuable and as instructive as the Dieppe Raid of the same year was and, unlike that operation, achieved most of its objectives.

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• Message 5

  , in reply to message 4.

  Posted by stanilic (U2347429) on Sunday, 16th December 2007

  The raid at St.Nazaire and the Dieppe raid proved, among other things, that the invasion of western Europe by the Allies could not be achieved through the occupation of an existing port. This triggered the development of the Mulberry harbour which was finally used in the successful invasion of Normandy in June 1944.

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