Editing No. 3 Commando (section)

===Dieppe===
In August 1942 No. 3 Commando was involved in the ill-fated [[Dieppe raid|Operation Jubilee]], an exploratory raid on [[Dieppe, Seine-Maritime|Dieppe]] in [[France]]. The plan called for a frontal assault on the port by the [[2nd Canadian Infantry Division|Canadian 2nd Division]]. Before this would take place, however, Troops from No. 3 and 4 Commandos would land at beaches on the eastern and western flanks and neutralise two German artillery batteries that were covering the main anchorage.<ref>Ford 2003, pp. 30-33.</ref> No. 3 Commando was assigned the task of attacking the Goebbels Battery, landing on the eastern flank, under Durnford-Slater's command.<ref>Ford 2003, p. 33.</ref> The battery was located near Berneval-le-Grand, about half a mile from the sea with steep cliffs in front of it. It was decided that No. 3 Commando would land on two beaches to the east and west of the battery, from which gullies rose towards the battery and which would provide concealment while the Commandos approached the battery.<ref>Durnford-Slater 2002, pp. 91–92.</ref>

[[Image:No. 3 Commando men after Dieppe raid.jpg|thumb|left|alt=A black and white photograph showing soldiers wearing combat equipment sitting in a small watercraft beside a pier|Men from No. 3 Commando arrive back at Newhaven following the Dieppe raid.]]

As the convoy of landing craft and other vessels ferried the Commandos across the English Channel; however, they had a chance encounter with a German tanker escorted by a number of armed trawlers which proceeded to fire upon them. In the confusion that followed a number of the landing craft were damaged and forced to turn back, while others were reported as missing and believed sunk.<ref>Ford 2003, pp. 41–43.</ref><ref group="Note">Of the 23 landing craft that originally set out, four had been forced to turn back with engine trouble before the run in with the German convoy, eight were forced to turn back due to damage as a result, four were sunk, and seven were originally thought missing but eventually made the coast. Saunders 1959, p. 89.</ref> As a result the decision was made to abandon the attack.<ref>Durnford-Slater 2002, p. 105.</ref>

Nevertheless, unbeknown to their commanders and each other, and having lost communications, the seven landing craft that had been reported missing made for their assigned beaches, determined to press on with the attack.<ref name=Ford43>Ford 2003, p. 43.</ref> In the end two parties landed, one party consisting of six craft carrying approximately 120 men under Captain R.L Willis landed on the beach opposite Le Petit Berneval to the east of the battery—Yellow I—while the other, consisting of only one craft of 20 men from No. 6 Troop under Major Peter Young landed to the west at Yellow II.<ref name=Ford43/>

Of the 120 men that landed at Yellow I, 37 were killed, 81 were captured, mostly after having been wounded, and just one managed to evade capture and return to Britain.<ref name=Ford44>Ford 2003, p. 44.</ref> Among those that were killed was Lieutenant [[E. V. Loustalot|Edward Loustalot]], a United States Army Ranger, who was the first American soldier to be killed in the European theatre of operations.<ref>Ford 2003, p. 45.</ref><ref>Saunders 1959, p. 90.</ref><ref group="Note">For the raid 42 officers and men from the [[1st Ranger Battalion (United States)|US 1st Ranger Battalion]] were attached to No. 3 Commando. Durnford-Slater 2002, p. xiii.</ref> The smaller party, under Young, however, fared better and managed to advance within {{convert|200|yd|m}} of the battery, however, due to lack of numbers they were unable to launch an assault on the battery and instead proceeded to harass the gunners for a number of hours and distract them from their purpose of firing on the anchorage before they were forced to withdraw.<ref>Saunders 1959, pp. 7–11.</ref> They succeeded, albeit briefly, to divert the guns from their task of firing on the ships off the coast.<ref name=Ford44/> Major Young's withdrawal was effected with such haste, and under such heavy fire, that he did not have time to board the Motor Launch (ML346, commanded by Lt A.D. Fear DSC RNVR) on which he returned home; he was towed part of the way, in the water, clinging to a line attached to the stern of the ship.