Commando Operations of WWII Tour

featuring Dieppe, St. Nazaire & Normandy

Tour Includes


  • 6 nights hotel with continental breakfast
  • Specialist Battlefield Guide
  • Hundreds of convenient joining points in the UK, or begin/end your tour in Europe
  • Travel by Silver Service coach

7 Days from $1,385 per person

Commando Operations of WWII

A battlefield tour with a difference following Commando operations of WWII across France from huge battles like Operation Jubilee at Dieppe to the Greatest Raid of All at St Nazaire. We visit the U-Boat pens at St Nazaire and Lorient, the excellent Atlantic Wall Museum at Batz, and take a tour of the Maisy Battery gun positions, attacked by US Rangers in Normandy. We see the Rangers battlefield at Pointe du Hoc and also British Commando areas from Sword Beach to Amfreville.

7-Day Tour – Commando Operations of WWII

Day 1

Depart from your chosen UK pick-up point and travel to the port where a coach interchange will take place, you will then join your tour coach for the Channel crossing. On arrival on the Continent we continue to our hotel (passengers joining the tour in Europe will meet the group at the hotel this evening).

Day 2 – Operation Jubilee: The Dieppe Raid

Today we look at the first major Allied attempt to effect a large scale landing on the French coast. In August 1942 Canadians and British commandos laid down the lessons for D-Day but at huge cost. We see the area where No. 3 Commando fought its actions on the flanks, and around Dieppe see the Canadian landing beaches, the bunkers that defeated them and look at the use of tanks. We also visit Dieppe War Cemetery.

*Breakfast Included

HIGHLIGHTS  ★ Dieppe  ★ No 3 Commando sites  ★ Dieppe landing Beaches  ★ Dieppe War Cemetery

Day 3 – Saumur Tank Museum

We move from Upper Normandy with a stop en-route at the superb Saumur Tank Museum, which is France’s national war museum of armoured vehicles, with everything from Shermans to Tiger tanks. We stay in St. Nazaire or Nantes for two nights.

*Breakfast Included

HIGHLIGHTS  ★ Saumur Tank Museum

Day 4 – The Greatest Raid of All

Operation Chariot was the attack on St Nazaire by Naval and Commando forces in March 1942 when HMS Campbeltown rammed the dock gates of the port used by German U Boats. The operation also resulted in the award of five Victoria Crosses. We look at the raid, see the U Boat pens* and have time to visit the U Boat museum (at own cost). In the afternoon we visit the British graves at Escoublac-la-Baule War Cemetery and the German War Cemetery at Pornichet. *Please note: A degree of walking is required when visiting the U Boat pens as this is a vast area.

*Breakfast Included

HIGHLIGHTS  ★ St. Nazaire  ★ U Boat Pens  ★ Escoulbacq War Cemetery  ★ Pornichet German War Cemetery

Day 5 – Atlantic Wall & U-Boat Pens

We depart St. Nazaire and visit the Grand Blockhaus Museum, a superb example of the Atantlic Wall defences in this area. At Lorient we see the huge U Boat submarine pens which sheltered the Nazi U Boat fleet which operated in this area. After lunch we travel to Caen for two nights.

*Breakfast Included

HIGHLIGHTS  ★ Grand Blockhaus Museum  ★Lorient submarine pens

Day 6 – Maisy Battery, Pointe du Hoc & Eastern Flank

In Normandy we look at the role of American Rangers and British Commandos. At the Maisy Battery we explore a newly preserved gun battery site attacked by the US Rangers, seeing trenches, bunkers and gun pits, with guns in place. We then see Pointe du Hoc where Rangers assaulted the cliffs. In the afternoon we follow the story of British commandoes on D-Day from Sword Beach to the Eastern Flank, visiting the Piper Bill Millin memorial and the Amfreville-Breville battlefield.

*Breakfast Included

HIGHLIGHTS  ★ Sword Beach  ★ Pointe-Du-Hoc  ★ Maisy Battery  ★ Rangers museum at Grandcamp

Day 7

Return home.

*Breakfast Included

Departure Dates & Prices

Departure Date Days Travel By Tour ref Price

Commando Operations of WWII

7-Days from $1,328 per person
Enquire online or call our friendly travel advisers on 844-400-BatteTours (Within the US)

Travel Options

When it comes to getting you to your destination, Mat McLachlan Battlefield Tours makes it easy, with a selection of travel options for you to choose from on our Tours. You can join your coach at a convenient joining point in the UK (we have hundreds to choose from throughout England, Scotland and Wales), or join/depart the tour in Europe.

This tour travels on our Silver Service coach.

 

Please note: Coach options can differ between each tour

Accommodation

You will stay for two nights at a minimum 2-star hotel in Rouen, followed by two nights at the 3-star Holiday Inn Express in St. Nazaire or Novotel Nantes Centre Bord de Loire. You will then stay for two nights at either the 2-star Carline Caen Nord or Kyriad Caen Sud-Ifs in Caen.

How To Book

Commando Operations of WWII

Contact our reservations team on 844-400-BatteTours, email info@battletours.com or click on the enquiry button below.

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Tours are operated in conjunction with our UK partner, Leger Holidays.

Please note: Itineraries are subject to change due to operational reasons. Any changes will be advised closer to the time of departure.

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