Editing 2nd Canadian Division (section)

====Operation Jubilee (1942)====
{{Main|Dieppe Raid}}
[[File:Bodies of Canadian soldiers - Dieppe Raid.jpg|thumb|left|Soldiers' corpses from the 2nd Canadian Infantry Division following the [[Dieppe Raid]]]]

In early 1942, under [[Major General]] [[John Hamilton Roberts|J. H. Roberts]], the 2nd Canadian Infantry Division participated in several additional full-scale combat exercises, again gauging the ability of Commonwealth divisions to repel a possible German invasion. As April and May progressed, the exercises intensified, becoming significantly more demanding on the participants.<ref>Copp, p.29</ref> As a result, the 2nd Division was judged to be one of the four best divisions in the United Kingdom,<ref>Copp, p. 30</ref> and was selected as the primary force for the upcoming Allied attack on the German-occupied port of Dieppe—codenamed Operation Jubilee. Mounted as a test of whether or not such a landing was feasible,<ref name="Bercuson62">Bercuson, p. 62</ref> the Dieppe raid was to be undertaken by the 4th and 6th Brigades, with additional naval, air, and infantry support. Significant elements of the 5th Brigade were also involved.<ref name="Zuehlke151"/>

On 19 August 1942, while British commando units attacked bunker positions on the outskirts of Dieppe, forces of the 2nd Division landed on four beaches. The easternmost, Blue Beach, which was at the foot of a sheer cliff, presented the most difficulties; the Royal Regiment of Canada, with a company of the Black Watch, was held at bay by two platoons of German defenders.<ref name="Zuehlke151"/> Only six percent of the men that landed on Blue Beach returned to Britain.<ref>Bercuson, p.69</ref>

The main beaches, codenamed White and Red, lay in front of Dieppe itself. Making only minor gains, the majority of the 4th and 6th brigades became pinned down on the beach, and despite the arrival of an armoured squadron from the [[14th Army Tank Regiment (The Calgary Regiment (Tank))]], casualties were heavy.<ref name="Zuehlke151">Zuehlke, p.151</ref> Reinforcements from the Mont Royals had little effect, and surviving forces were withdrawn by 11:00. Of the nearly 5,000 Canadian troops that participated, more than half were killed, wounded or captured.<ref>Bercuson, p.73</ref>

At Green Beach to the west, part of the South Saskatchewan Regiment was landed on the wrong side of the Scie River, necessitating an assault over the machine gun swept bridge there so they could assault the cliffs on the west. The village of Pourville<ref name="Bercuson71">Bercuson, p. 71</ref> was captured but the eastern cliffs proved impossible to capture so blocking their assault on an artillery battery and a radar station. The Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders were landed with the objective of moving south to attack an airfield and a divisional HQ. Neither battalion was able to achieve their objectives. As with the other three beaches, casualties among the Canadians were high with 160 fatalities.<ref name="Bercuson71"/>