rman soldiers (see figure 4). Only a few men wereable to get over the heavily wired seawall at the head of the beach; those who did were unable to getback due to deficient back up or firepower. The rest of the troops, together with three platoons ofreinforcements from the Black Watch (Royal Highland Regiment) of Canada, were pinned on thebeach by mortar and machine-gun fire, and were later of their wounds; the rest were taken prisoner. Failure to clear the eastern headland enabled the Germans to enfilade the Dieppe beaches and nullifythe main frontal attack (History). In the western sector, meanwhile, some degree of surprise wasachieved by the No.4 commando which was the only one according to plan, and successfully destroyedthe guns in the battery near Varengeville, and then withdrew safely (Stacey, 327).At Pourville, some degree of surprise was also achieved, and initial opposition was light as theSouth Saskatchewan Regiment and Queens own Cameron Highlanders of Canada assaulted thebeaches. Resistance stiffened as they crossed the River Scie and pushed towards Dieppe proper. Heavy fighting then developed and the Saskatchewans, and the Camerons who supported them, werestopped well short of the town. The main force of the Camerons, meanwhile, pushed on towards theirobjective, an inland airfield, and advanced some three kilometres before they too were forced to halt. During the withdrawal the enemy was able to bring fierce fire to bear upon the beach from dominatingpositions east of Pourville, and also from the high ground to the west. However, the landing craft camein through the storm of fire with support by a rearguard, the greater part of both units successfully re- 3embarked though many of the men were wounded. The rearguard itself could not be brought off and,when ammunition ran out and further evacuation was impossible, surrendered. The air attack madeacross the pebble beach in front of Diep...
