In 1942, the British Chief of Combined Operations, Louis Mountbatten, ordered a reconnaissance-in-force to seize the French port of Dieppe. The Allies’ objective was to determine if it was possible to occupy a major port for a short period, gather intelligence and assess the German army’s ability to respond to infantry attack. The raid, primarily manned by the Canadian army, was a major disaster, resulting in over 60% of the force of 6000 men killed, wounded or captured, plus more than 500 casualties sustained by Royal Navy personnel, along with the loss of more than 100 Allied aircraft.