Post by richard on Jan 14, 2006 22:48:59 GMT
D-Day is a well documented event in the history books but before D-Day American forces suffered a tragic lose of life which was kept secret and only after D-Day was the news finally released. American troops were caring out landing operations on Slapton Sands as the area resembled Utah Beach as preparations for the second front the return to Europe but on the night of 27th/28th April 1944 was to end with the lose of some 946 Servicemen.
Operation Tiger involved 30,000 soldiers A convoy of ships set sail from local ports Escorts ships provided by the Royal Navy even before the exercise got under way the Destroyer HMS Scimitar was rammed and holed by another vessel and was ordered to remain in port this result had weaken the defence of the convoy. Across the channel along the Atlantic Wall the Germans listening posts picked up radio signals emanating from American Forces in the South West of England. They were listening in on Operation Tiger and they saw a opportunity for a raiding attack.
The corvette, HMS Azalea, had no radio contact with the landing craft it was not deemed necessary reason for this poor decision is not clear this was another factor that caused the exercise to end in a tragedy. German E Boats found them and opened fire on a defenceless convoy German Intelligence had listened to the American radio information nine E Boats inflicted a terrible lose of life along with sinking three landing Crafts and badly damaged another.
The losses have been calculated to be in the region four times more than those on Utah beach General Eisenhower ordered all bodies to be recovered the main reason was some of the personnel had in there possession actual maps of the Utah Beach. For the Germans it was a victory for the Americans it was a bitter tragedy this was the second lesson the Allies had suffered back in 1942 the British and Canadian forces landed on Dieppe and after nine hours ended in disaster.
Are American allies paid the price but for D-Day to succeed we needed there help to liberate Western Europe from the Nazi war machine and I for one am glad of there help and sacrifice.
Richard
Operation Tiger involved 30,000 soldiers A convoy of ships set sail from local ports Escorts ships provided by the Royal Navy even before the exercise got under way the Destroyer HMS Scimitar was rammed and holed by another vessel and was ordered to remain in port this result had weaken the defence of the convoy. Across the channel along the Atlantic Wall the Germans listening posts picked up radio signals emanating from American Forces in the South West of England. They were listening in on Operation Tiger and they saw a opportunity for a raiding attack.
The corvette, HMS Azalea, had no radio contact with the landing craft it was not deemed necessary reason for this poor decision is not clear this was another factor that caused the exercise to end in a tragedy. German E Boats found them and opened fire on a defenceless convoy German Intelligence had listened to the American radio information nine E Boats inflicted a terrible lose of life along with sinking three landing Crafts and badly damaged another.
The losses have been calculated to be in the region four times more than those on Utah beach General Eisenhower ordered all bodies to be recovered the main reason was some of the personnel had in there possession actual maps of the Utah Beach. For the Germans it was a victory for the Americans it was a bitter tragedy this was the second lesson the Allies had suffered back in 1942 the British and Canadian forces landed on Dieppe and after nine hours ended in disaster.
Are American allies paid the price but for D-Day to succeed we needed there help to liberate Western Europe from the Nazi war machine and I for one am glad of there help and sacrifice.
Richard
