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Storming St. Nazaire: The Dock Busting Raid of 1942

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Author Dorrian tells the story of the raid to destroy the docks at St. Nazaire so as to deny a berth to the German battleship TIRPITZ. He describes the strategic situation, outlines the plan, and gives some background on the primary individuals involved before getting into a highly-detailed account of the raid itself. He gives full credit to the crews of the British motor torpedo boats who found themselves in a harrowing situation without having volunteered for it, unlike the commandoes they were supporting. Dorrian does not hesitate to criticize the lack of support given to the raiding force by the Admiralty and the RAF. He also shows how the local French suffered as a result of the German response to the raid, side effects that are often overlooked in glowing accounts of World War Two special operations. Ultimately, the book shows how a well-trained, highly-motivated military unit can achieve remarkable success despite great difficulties. Highly recommended to anyone interested in special operations or coastal defense.

A well-researched and -written book on the British commando attack on the docks in St. Nazaire, France, in March of 1942. Dorrian points out the risky nature of the raid, the limited support given to the raiding force by the Admiralty and the Royal Air Force, and the incredible courage and persistance of the commandos and sailors assigned to the mission. Dorrian also brings the French residents into the story, and shows how the German occupiers took out their revenge on them. Unlike many current military history titles, the maps are useful! The two biggest drawbacks : as this title was originally published in Great Britain, the author does not explain his use of certain British military terms (e.g. "O group", "pongo") and practically no research was done from the German side. Nonetheless, highly recommended to those interested in the Second World War, special operations, or naval history.

1998's "Storming St. Nazaire" is James Dorrian's enthralling account of a British Commando raid in the dark days of World War II against a German-occupied port in France. The raid was a formative step in the building of a special operations capability for the Allies, and a painful lesson in combined warfare. Above all, the raid was and is a testament to human courage.

Following Britain's ejection from the continent in 1940, Prime Minister Winston Churchill directed the formation of special troop units to strike back at the Germans. The need to deny the German battleship Tirpitz access to dry dock facilities on the Atlantic coast led to Operation CHARIOT. In March, 1942, a force of several hundred commandos, transported in sea-going armed motor launches and on a aging destroyer, boldly sortied to cripple the Normandie Dock at St. Nazaire.

The understandable enthusiasm of the commandos to get into action, coupled with a reluctance on the part of the Royal Navy and Air Force to involve scare ships and aircraft, turned CHARIOT from a focused demolition mission into a full-scale but ill-advised raid on the entire port. Unfortunately, enthusiasm was no substitute for hard-nosed planning and proper resources; the raid turned into a bloodbath.

Dorrian's detailed account capitalizes on over 100 personal accounts by British and German survivors to give an almost minute-by-minute account of the raid. The astonishing bravery of the commandos and their Naval support is very evident. Dorrian is unsparing of the faulty planning, which relied too heavily on achieving complete surprise and meticulous execution at a heavily defended port.

"Storming St Nazaire" is highly recommended as a detailed and exciting account of an early commando mission that will impart important lessons in combined warfare to those familiar with special operations.