Dieppe’s secret mission
KAMLOOPS — Recently declassified documents reveal the true mission of the raid on the beaches of Dieppe on August 19, 1942.
The publicly stated reasons varied: to test Hitler’s defences in France; to placate Stalin in his calls for a second front to divert Germany’s attention away from Russia; to learn lessons in preparation for D-day (Canada’s History Magazine, Aug/Sept, 2017.)
However, the real reason was to steal the Enigma machine and give decoders like Alan Turing a chance to figure out what the Nazis were planning. It would reveal vital information about German positions, capabilities, and intentions.
Previous raids on the Norwegian island of Lofoten had been successful in stealing the three-rotor version.