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It's just before midnight on August 18th, 1942, on the south coast of England,

three years into World War II.

British commander Ian Fleming boards the HMS Furny, a backup command vessel for the largest

amphibious mission of the war so far. In the water ahead, or over 200 ships,

their voyage across the English Channel marks the beginning of Operation Jubilee,

the Allies' latest plan to assault German occupied port of Dieppe in northern France.

Once the Furny is less than half a mile from the French coast,

Fleming holds a pair of binoculars to his eyes.

Often the distance, he sees the frenzy of combat has already begun at Dieppe.

Bombs compete with the crackle of machine guns, decimating the early morning silence.

Confused, though, Fleming checks his watch, which confirms his suspicions.

Their meticulously planned raid has escalated prematurely.

He has no idea why. Fleming paces the ship, trying to discern where most of the fire

power is coming from. He blanches as he realizes that the Nazi's flashes of gunfire don't

just come from the beaches, but high above in bunkers overlooking the sands.

From the looks of it, the Germans are completely ready for any kind of incursion,

and it's clear that the element of surprise, so vital to the success of this mission,

has somehow been lost. All Fleming and his shipmates can do now is look on in horror,

while the failing military operation plays out in front of them.

...