Normandy: The Sailors' Story - A Naval History of D-Day and the Battle for France

The first account of the Allied navies' vital contribution to the success of the D-Day landings and the Normandy campaignThe Allied liberation of Nazi-occupied Europe is one of the most widely recognised events of modern history. The assault phase, Operation Neptune, began with the D-Day landings in Normandy-one of the most complex amphibious operations in history, involving 7,000 ships and nearly 200,000 men. But despite this immense effort, the wider naval campaign has been broadly forgotten.Nick Hewitt draws on fascinating new material to describe the violent sea battle which mirrored the fighting on land, and the complex campaign at sea which enabled the Allied assault. Aboard ships ranging from frail plywood landing craft to sleek destroyers, sailors were active combatants in the operation of June 1944, and had worked tirelessly to secure the Seine Bay in the months preceding it. They fought battles against German submarines, aircraft, and warships, and maintained careful watch to keep control of the English Channel.Hewitt recounts these sailors' stories for the first time-and shows how, without their efforts, D-Day would have failed.

Product details

• Authors: Nick Hewitt
• Publisher: Yale University Press Ltd
• Languages: English
• Product format: Hardback
• Released: 01.05.2024
• EAN: 9780300256734
• ISBN: 978-0-300-25673-4
• No. of pages: 464
• Dimensions: 170 mm x 245 mm x 40 mm
• Subjects: Education and learning > Teaching preparation > Vocational needs; Humanities, art, music > History > 20th century (up to 1945); France, HISTORY / Europe / France, 20th century history: c 1900 to c 2000, HISTORY / Military / Naval, maritime history, Naval forces & warfare, Second World War, Normandy, c 1938 to c 1946 (World War Two period), c 1939 to c 1945 (including WW2), Naval forces and warfare, HISTORY / Wars & Conflicts / World War II / General