HMS CAMPBELTOWN commemorated the anniversary of one of the most daring operations of World War II - the destruction of the Normandie Dock in St Nazaire.

The raid, code named 'Operation Chariot', was led by the first Royal Navy warship to be called HMS Campbeltown and it was so successful and so heroic that it resulted in the award of five Victoria Crosses and 80 other decorations for gallantry.

St Nazaire has become known as 'the greatest raid of all' and it continues to be commemorated by the present Type 22 frigate, HMS Campbeltown, which maintains strong links with the St Nazaire Society and the surviving veterans known as 'Charioteers.'

On March 28, HMS Campbeltown held a commemorative mess dinner in the wardroom whilst alongside in Devonport when the honoured guests included three veterans of the raid, Lt Col Bob Montgomery MC, Hugh Arnold DSC and Eric de la Torre MBE, as well as Nick Beattie, the son of Lt Cdr Sam Beattie VC who commanded HMS Campbeltown during the raid.

In 1942, the Normandie Dock in St Nazaire was the only Atlantic seaboard facility capable of repairing the mighty German destroyer Tirpitz and Operation Chariot was the mission to destroy the heavily defended French port.

Spring high tides meant that there was only one day a force could approach the dock through the shallow waters - March 28, 1942 - which gave just seven weeks to plan the mission.

The mission was based on a ship being sent in to ram the dock gate and explode, with support from small ships carrying Commandos who would destroy the dock's winding and pumping facilities and as much of the dockyard's infrastructure as possible.

Although it was audacious and against all the odds, the plan was accepted by the Admiralty and HMS Campbeltown was nominated as the ship to carry out the task of destroying the dock.

The 1,090 - ton destroyer, launched in 1919 as the USS Buchanan had been handed over to the Royal Navy as part of the lend-lease programme with the USA and was commissioned as HMS Campbeltown in September, 1940.

The task of fitting out the ship for her role in Operation Chariot was given to the craftsmen in the South Yard of Devonport dockyard and the ship was completely stripped out internally to reduce her draught for the transit through the shallows as she approached the target dock.

The work was completed with amazing speed (just 10 days) with the signal detailing the work package drafted in just one hour, showing the drive and effectiveness of all personnel involved in the preparations.

When the work was done the ship's bows were packed with four-and-a-half tons of high explosive, hidden in false bulkheads, encased in steel and set in concrete.

The delayed fuses were set to detonate once the Commandos had completed the operation and been withdrawn to safety.

On March 26,1942, HMS Campbeltown and her Operation Chariot flotilla of 16 small motor launches, one motor torpedo boat and a motor gun boat sailed from Falmouth for St Nazaire.

The passage went smoothly and at 0134 on March 28 Campbeltown rammed into the dock gate, just four minutes later than planned. The Commandos disembarked under heavy fire and set about their demolitions.

Campbeltown blew up on her delayed fuses at 1135 on March 28, destroying the 160 ton caisson and rendering the dock out of action until 1948. The explosion killed 360 Germans who were on board Campbeltown, convinced that the raid had failed.

Later on, two torpedoes which had been fired into the inner dock also exploded. This caused more confusion amongst the now jittery defenders and a fierce firefight amongst German forces caused even greater casualties.

The raid was so successful that the Tirpitz never ventured into the Atlantic again. More importantly, the raid gave hope to many people at what was a very difficult time for the Allies.

The French President commented afterwards that the St. Nazaire raid made such an impact that he considered it to be a turning point, demonstrating that the Allies were capable of winning the war.

The small, wooden motor launches suffered terribly during the raid and of the 16 that had set out only four returned to Devonport on March 30, 1942, exactly 59 years before the current HMS Campbeltown returned to Devonport with the three veterans of the raid on board.

Of the 611 personnel who took part in Operation Chariot, 169 gave their lives, 215 were captured and became prisoners of war, and 227 returned home. Of those who were killed, 64 were Commandos and 105 were naval personnel.

Of the 227 who returned home, 222 did so by sea in the MLs and their accompanying destroyers. The remaining five 'Charioteers' avoided capture and travelled overland on foot and by bicycle through France and Spain to Gibraltar.

The guests at the St Nazaire Commemorative Dinner at Devonport all played significant parts in the raid. Lt Col Bob Montgomery was awarded the Military Cross for his actions as a 21-year-old Captain in the Royal Engineers working on demolition control.

He sailed to the raid in HMS Campbeltown and landed by jumping over the ship's bow onto the caisson to conduct demolition work ashore. He was the guest of honour and his speech reflected on the immense responsibility that was heaped on the shoulders of the young men involved in the raid.

Lt Col Montgomery, from Wiltshire, who was captured during the raid and held as a POW, is a Bentley classic car enthusiast and he arrived at the dinner in his own Bentley classic car. He is the main point of contact between the ship and the St. Nazaire Society.

Hugh Arnold was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross for his actions as a young S/Lt in the RN Volunteer Reserves embarked in ML 446, one of the flotilla of motor launches that accompanied the raid.

His ML received heavy fire and he was badly wounded as the ship's CO fought to bring their ML alongside to land their embarked Commandos under point-blank heavy fire. He now lives in Esher, Surrey.

Eric de la Torre MBE is currently the Secretary of the St Nazaire Society and was a Lance Corporal in 3 Commando who landed in Motor Launch 262 during the raid.

His ML manoeuvred in the crossfire and chaos to land Commandos ashore at the old Mole under heavy enemy fire. He was awarded the MBE in recognition of his services to the St. Nazaire Society.

Nick Beattie, the son of Lt Cdr Sam Beattie VC, was just five months old when his father commanded HMS Campbeltown during the raid.

His father was also captured and made a POW and he was awarded the Victoria Cross for his part in the raid. His citation includes the comment that it was awarded, "In recognition not only of his own valour but also that of the unnamed officers and men of a very gallant ship's company, many of whom have not returned."

Nick Beattie has very recently designed a St Nazaire Society web site on the internet and he is keen to ensure that the story of 'The greatest raid of all' continues to be passed down through the generations of Charioteers and the ship's company of HMS Campbeltown.

Four other VCs were awarded to Lt Col Charles Newman, the Military Commander, Cdr Robert Ryder, the Naval Commander, Sgt Tom Durrant, Lewis gun operator in ML 306 (posthumous award) and AB William Savage, gun layer on the pom-pom motor gun boat 314 (posthumous award).

A tribute to the USS Buchanan is incorporated in the present HMS Campbeltown's crest. The blue circle is taken from the Buchanan and the white star represents the flag of the USA.The ship's bell, from the original Campbeltown, was given to the town of Campbeltown, Pennsylvania, at the end of the war as a token of gratitude to the USA for the lend-lease programme.

In 1988 the townspeople of Campbeltown voted to lend the bell to the current operational HMS Campbeltown for the duration of her service in the Royal Navy.