As dawn broke we were one of many landing craft waiting off Sword Beach.
The flotilla set off around midnight, along with many other craft of all sizes. “After a frustrating night & day at anchor, the weather abated enough and on the evening of 5th June we were on our way. We were briefed that we were to be part of the assault on the French coast, only to be told later of a 24 hour delay due to bad weather.
The rest of the 3rd Flotilla LSTs (Landing Ship Tanks) assembled nearby, but weather was stormy. “On 4th June we loaded up with tanks, lorries and troops of the 3rd British Division and anchored off the Forts in Portsmouth waters. In total over 4,000 ships and a further 3,000 light crafts took part in what was the largest seaborne invasion of all time. From Falmouth in the West through to the Thames Estuary in the East, thousands of ships of all sizes waited at readiness for the order.Īlthough several United States warships were used, notably the older battleships, USS Nevada & USS Arkansas, it was the Royal Navy which bore the brunt of D-Day operations. Troop ships had been loaded for several days, with over 150,000 men in readiness for the crossing. Manned midget submarines were used to guide shipping to the correct beaches, although adverse weather and sea conditions limited the success of this part of the plan. The leading minesweepers came within sight of the French coast early in the evening of 5th June. The crossing was accomplished without serious loss or interference by the Enemy, whose air and sea patrols had been cancelled because of the bad weather. The naval assembly area just south of the island was fittingly named “Piccadilly Circus”. The convoys of ships laden with troops, along with their powerful escorts, concentrated off the Isle of Wight and then turned south along channels that had been swept clear of mines. A few hours after the decision to launch ‘Operation Overlord’, the invasion fleet was in final preparations to slip out to sea.
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