Top 10 Biggest Air Battles in War History
The Dieppe Raid
On August 19, 1942, 6,000 mostly Canadian troops landed at the French port of Dieppe. Their objective was to seize the port, destroy the coastal defenses, gather intelligence on the Germans and render the port inoperable.The British Royal Air Force put over 1,000 aircraft in the air. While some of the force were bombers intended to soften the defenses for the landings, most were fighters. They were there specifically to destroy Germany’s air force, the Luftwaffe. Germany responded with only 200 Fw 190 fighters and Dornier Do 217 bombers. Despite facing five to one odds, the Luftwaffe downed nearly 10 percent of the British aircraft while losing only 23 fighters. 25 Luftwaffe bombers were also lost. The attacking Canadians would lose nearly 68% of their troops, the British Navy lost a destroyer, and the mission was considered an utter failure.
