Destroying a Nazi Stronghold: The St Nazaire Raid

Destroying a Nazi Stronghold: The St Nazaire Raid

On 28 March 1942, in the darkest months of World War Two, Churchill approved what seemed to many like a suicide mission. Under orders to attack the St Nazaire U-boat base on the Atlantic seaboard, British commandos undertook “the greatest raid of all”, turning an old destroyer into a live bomb and using it to ram the gates of a Nazi stronghold. Five Victoria Crosses were awarded - more than in any similar operation.


Giles Whittell, author and journalist, has unearthed the untold human stories of Operation Chariot. Giles joins Dan on the podcast to discuss how the most daring British commando raid of World War Two was fundamentally misconceived - its impact and legacy secured only by astonishing bravery.


If you'd like to learn more, we have hundreds of history documentaries, ad-free podcasts and audiobooks at History Hit - subscribe today! To download the History Hit app please go to the Android or Apple store.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Episoder(1490)

How Did Humans Take Over the World?

How Did Humans Take Over the World?

Humans are everywhere. How did we get from the savannahs of Africa across to the most northern reaches of Alaska and Greenland, to the outbacks of Australia and the islands of the Pacific millennia ag...

12 Jun 202539min

The Ultimate Mesopotamian Mystery

The Ultimate Mesopotamian Mystery

For thousands of years, ancient cuneiform - the script of the ancient Mesopotamians was lost to time, until being dramatically rediscovered in the 19th century by an adventurous group of unlikely Vict...

10 Jun 202538min

How the Nazis Escaped Germany

How the Nazis Escaped Germany

Following the defeat of Nazi Germany in 1945 some of its most egregious war criminals sought to escape justice by fleeing Europe, most famously to South America. The escape routes they used, establish...

8 Jun 202546min

Julius Caesar

Julius Caesar

The Romans built an empire that reshaped the world through brutal wars, brilliant strategy, and even the power of the pen. From the blood-soaked battlefields to the marble halls of Rome, a few towerin...

5 Jun 202556min

Disasters in the Age of Discovery

Disasters in the Age of Discovery

The dawn of the age of European exploration in the 16th century was absurdly dangerous. Crews on the ships of Christopher Columbus, Vasco De Gama and Ferdinand Magellan often sailed blind into unchart...

3 Jun 202546min

The Rise and Fall of the Assyrian Empire

The Rise and Fall of the Assyrian Empire

Was this the world’s first empire? To uncover the story of ancient history's most formidable powers, Dan is joined by Yale University’s Professor Eckart Frahm to explore Assyria’s military machine, it...

1 Jun 202548min

Why do India and Pakistan fight over Kashmir?

Why do India and Pakistan fight over Kashmir?

A dive into the history behind today's tensions. In this episode, Dan is joined by historian and journalist Andrew Whitehead to explain the historical context behind the ongoing conflict between India...

29 Mai 202545min

How Did Genghis Khan Change the World?

How Did Genghis Khan Change the World?

Genghis Khan reshaped the world with brutal force and brilliant organisation. He began life in exile and rose to be a powerful nomadic warrior who united the disparate Mongol tribes to create the larg...

27 Mai 202533min

Populært innen Historie

rss-dette-ma-aldri-skje-igjen
henrettelsespodden
rss-katastrofe
rss-historiske-romanser
historier-som-endret-norge
rss-benadet
historier-som-endret-verden
rss-nadelose-nordmenn-gestapo
sektledere
aftenposten-historie
rss-strid-de-norske-borgerkrigene
historiepodden
rss-frontkjemperne
med-egne-oyne
rss-gamle-greier
undersattene
vare-historier
taakeprat
sannhet-eller-konspirasjon
historiepodden-ww2