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.

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Episoder(1491)

The Plague of Athens

The Plague of Athens

In 430 BC, in the midst of the Peloponnesian War, the powerful city-state of Athens was struck down by a disastrous plague. Athenians fell sick with a dizzying array of symptoms, from fevers and vomit...

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2. Thomas Cochrane: The Battle of Basque Roads

2. Thomas Cochrane: The Battle of Basque Roads

2/3. Thomas Cochrane and his crew of the HMS Imperieuse embark on their greatest and most audacious scheme yet; Cochrane leads a flotilla of burning vessels and exploding bomb ships piled high with gu...

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The WW2 Witch Trial of Hellish Nell

The WW2 Witch Trial of Hellish Nell

What made a working class woman from Edinburgh become such a threat to British intelligence services during the Second World War, that they tried her as a witch?In today's episode, we're telling you t...

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3. Thomas Cochrane: From Disgrace to Freedom Fighter

3. Thomas Cochrane: From Disgrace to Freedom Fighter

3/3. After a meteoric rise to fame, Cochrane finds himself in front of a court and stripped of his titles for fraud on the London Stock Exchange. Known for his ingenuity and schemes, Cochrane breaks o...

3 Jan 202451min

1. Thomas Cochrane: The Real Master and Commander

1. Thomas Cochrane: The Real Master and Commander

Dan tells a story as dramatic, unlikely and exciting as any ever penned by an author about one of Britain's greatest sailors. Thomas Lord Cochrane was a naval commander with an illustrious career in t...

3 Jan 202439min

The Romanovs

The Romanovs

The Romanov family were the first imperial dynasty to rule Russia, reigning from the early seventeenth century until the Russian Revolution of 1917. Including such illustrious names as Peter the Great...

2 Jan 202429min

Fall of the Aztec Empire

Fall of the Aztec Empire

The Aztec Empire was a large and sophisticated one, stretching at its height from the Pacific coast to the Gulf of Mexico. But in August 1521, after a last stand on the steps of their temple buildings...

1 Jan 202439min

England & Portugal: The Oldest Alliance in the World

England & Portugal: The Oldest Alliance in the World

If you’re enjoying a glass of port during the festive period, you have the world’s oldest treaty to thank.Winston Churchill once described the Anglo-Portuguese alliance as ‘without parallel in world h...

27 Des 202339min

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