The Greatest Raid: St. Nazaire, 1942 [Hardcover]

To be published on the 80th anniversary,The Greatest Raidoffers the definitive account of the raid, which was undertaken by Royal Navy and British commandos, most of whom were killed or captured. Giles Whittell's book also provides a gripping and authoritative narrative of one of the most daring military operations ever undertaken.The definitive account of one of the most desperately heroic missions launched during World War Two.In March 1942, at perhaps the darkest moment of World War Two for the Allies, Britain launched a nearly suicidal raid on the Nazi-occupied French port of St. Nazaire, which the German Navy was using as a dry dock for ship repairs (theTirpitz, the sister ship of theBismarck, was scheduled for repairs there). Destroying it would hinder the U-boat campaign and force German ships to return hundreds of miles to home ports. The plan was for British commandos to attack the port and simultaneously to use an explosives-laden, American-built ship dating from World War One, theCampbelltown, as a gigantic torpedo, launching it into the docks. The first element of OperationChariotwent disastrously. The second proved spectacularly successful. The detonation of theCampbellownput the St. Nazaire dry dock out of commission for the war's duration.To be published on the 80th anniversary, Giles Whittell's book will offer the definitive account of the raid, which was undertaken by Royal Navy and British commandos, most of whom were killed or captured.The Greatest Raidprovides a gripping and authoritative narrative of one of the most daring military operations ever undertaken.ProloguePart IThe Run-inPart IIFour minutes latePart III Where the hell are we? Part IV The benzedrine was beginning to wear off. EpilogueGiles Whittellis the author ofBridge of Spies(Broadway Books/Crolƒ@