4. Success Despite Great Loss
The Commandos tried to make their way inland, but most were killed or captured after their ammunition ran out. The raiders suffered heavy losses: 169 were killed, and another 215 were captured, in addition to the loss of 13 motor launches, a torpedo boat, a gun boat, and two airplanes. It was worth it, however, and the mission became a resounding success, literally, later that day. Just when things had quieted down and the Germans began cleanup efforts, swarming aboard HMS Cambeltown as it rested at an angle above the dry dock gates, the delayed action explosives within the destroyer detonated. The massive explosion not only killed hundreds of Germans and wounded hundreds more, but also accomplished the mission’s primary objective: it put the Normandie dry docks out of commission for the rest of the war, and for five years more beyond that.
