Normandy

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

By: Nick Hewitt

Narrated by: Julian Elfer

The first account of the Allied navies' vital contribution to the success of the D-Day landings and the Normandy campaign

The Allied liberation of Nazi-occupied Europe is one of the most widely recognized 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.

©2024 Nick Hewitt (P)2024 Tantor

Excellent 1st person narratives

A good read but overwhelmingly a Royal Navy telling of the battles. Very much British centric with only a brief survey of American and other Allied naval contributions to the history