Every tank that landed was lost, and over 65% of the 5,000 Canadians involved were either captured or killed. People's War memories »

The plan, codenamed Operation Jubilee, was to open a front 11 miles (18km) long centred on the port of Dieppe.

The area was known to be heavily fortified and defended by the Germans, and strong resistance was expected.

Most of the 6,000-strong force was made up of Canadians, seeing front line action for the first time, as well as British, American and French soldiers.

The raid began when the troops set off in Royal Navy ships on the perilous journey across the Channel to the coast of occupied France.

One of the convoys was spotted by German naval convoy and attacked shortly after leaving.

Anti-aircraft shore batteries and patrol ships opened fire, sinking two German ships.

The troops arrived, along with the Royal Air Force, just before dawn.

Once the landings began on the beaches at Dieppe, troops met fierce resistance.

There was a constant bombardment from gun emplacements in the cliffs above, and casualties are described as "heavy" on both sides.

In the air, British pilots had a fierce confrontation with the Luftwaffe.

Several planes were lost in low-flying attacks on the German gun emplacements, and in all the RAF lost 95 aircraft - the most in a single day's fighting since the war started.

In a communiqu� this evening, Combined Operations Headquarters pointed out that Operation Jubilee was not an invasion attempt - a message it repeated in a broadcast to France in the early hours of this morning.

The German account of the attack, issued from Hitler's headquarters, called the German defence a "great success", and said, "The enemy has suffered a devastating defeat in this landing attempt, which served only political purposes but defied all military reason."

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