The troop figures used in this comparison put Dieppe at roughly 10,500 men, seven times the size of Operation Gauntlet. Claymore destroyed industrial facilities, while Gauntlet destroyed coal-mining facilities in Spitsbergen. Other raids achieved little: Ambassador produced no discernible military effect, and Chess and Acid Drop found no enemy personnel to capture. The criticism concerns preparation and target selection, while recognizing the danger faced by the commandos. Later raids concentrated on reconnaissance, giving commandos knowledge of German defenses that could help them lead the Normandy assault.
Notable Point · 1:27:25-1:34:32
Commando raids worked best when their scale matched a precise objective
A comparison of dozens of raids shows sharp differences between focused reconnaissance or demolition missions and politically driven operations launched without enough preparation.