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Osprey Campaign #268
Operation Neptune 1944: D-Day’s Seaborne Armada
June 6th, 1944: the largest fleet in history landed Eisenhower's Allied army on the beaches of Normandy against Erwin Rommel's Nazi German defenses. Almost seventy years on from D Day, the story of the greatest armada seen in world history is still not widely known. It has been celebrated in only two major books, both titled Operation Neptune; the first was published just after the war in 1946, the second in 1974, although reprinted in a new edition in 2008. Both were full of details, but lacked visual appeal. With the forthcoming anniversary of D Day in 2014, the time is right for the story to be told again in the style of the Campaign series.
Operation Neptune was the greatest naval operation ever undertaken, especially if looked at from the number of ships employed in the venture - over 7,000. This incredible enterprise is now completely overshadowed by the lan combat aspects of the invasion. When people think of D Day, they think primarily of troops storming the beaches and fighting their way inland. How these troops got to the beaches; how the seaward flanks of German defences were bombarded by accurate gunfire; how the fighting men were reinforced; how their casualties were evacuated back to England and how the later divisions were organised, transported and disembarked seems not to have been part of the public narrative of the invasion. It is now time that the work of planners, shipbuilders, logistic experts, and the men of the Royal and US Navies, and their allies, was shown to a modern audience.
The planners of Operation Neptune were charged with returning Allied forces in strength to mainland Europe. Whilst the land aspects of the operation were left to the generals, the admirals had to ponder how the troops and their equipment could be transferred safely from quiet harbours in Britain on to a very hostile shore. The task required of them was immense. They had to find enough suitable mutually supporting beaches and assemble sufficient shipping to transport troops across the Channel. They also had to organise protection for the ships on passage and the bombardment of enemy defences covering the landing places. Landing craft had to prepared and crews trained to deliver the troops on time, in place and in correct order, then to introduce follow-up troops to a tight timetable and evacuate the wounded. Even more ships had to be found to re-supply those troops ashore. Then, when the assault phase was over, the US and Royal navies had to continue to support the enlargement of the lodgement with large calibre guns whilst their engineers built new artificial harbours and performed a host of other unspecified objects too numerous to mention. Operation Neptune was absolutely immense in its scope.
In addition to the naval aspects of the operation other great feats of engineering were also undertaken. Artificial harbours, a 60 mile fuel pipe line under the ocean, artificial breakwaters and other engineering marvels made D-Day a supportable reality.
The story of Operation Neptune was, of course, more than just a tale of planning, building and logistics. It had action a-plenty and the emotive tales of bravery, ingenuity and determination by the crews of the ships involved brought credit to the naval traditions of the Allied nations. Battleships, cruisers and destroyers bombarded enemy positions; midget submarines pointed the way to the beaches; minesweepers worked secretly by night to clear lanes; landing craft of all sizes braved enemy fire and mines to deposit their loads on the beaches and naval beach parties endured shellfire and machine guns to bring order to the beaches. Royal Navy commandos and US naval engineers dealt with beach obstacles against rising tides in the face of withering enemy fire.
Operation Neptune was the greatest naval operation ever undertaken, especially if looked at from the number of ships employed in the venture - over 7,000. This incredible enterprise is now completely overshadowed by the lan combat aspects of the invasion. When people think of D Day, they think primarily of troops storming the beaches and fighting their way inland. How these troops got to the beaches; how the seaward flanks of German defences were bombarded by accurate gunfire; how the fighting men were reinforced; how their casualties were evacuated back to England and how the later divisions were organised, transported and disembarked seems not to have been part of the public narrative of the invasion. It is now time that the work of planners, shipbuilders, logistic experts, and the men of the Royal and US Navies, and their allies, was shown to a modern audience.
The planners of Operation Neptune were charged with returning Allied forces in strength to mainland Europe. Whilst the land aspects of the operation were left to the generals, the admirals had to ponder how the troops and their equipment could be transferred safely from quiet harbours in Britain on to a very hostile shore. The task required of them was immense. They had to find enough suitable mutually supporting beaches and assemble sufficient shipping to transport troops across the Channel. They also had to organise protection for the ships on passage and the bombardment of enemy defences covering the landing places. Landing craft had to prepared and crews trained to deliver the troops on time, in place and in correct order, then to introduce follow-up troops to a tight timetable and evacuate the wounded. Even more ships had to be found to re-supply those troops ashore. Then, when the assault phase was over, the US and Royal navies had to continue to support the enlargement of the lodgement with large calibre guns whilst their engineers built new artificial harbours and performed a host of other unspecified objects too numerous to mention. Operation Neptune was absolutely immense in its scope.
In addition to the naval aspects of the operation other great feats of engineering were also undertaken. Artificial harbours, a 60 mile fuel pipe line under the ocean, artificial breakwaters and other engineering marvels made D-Day a supportable reality.
The story of Operation Neptune was, of course, more than just a tale of planning, building and logistics. It had action a-plenty and the emotive tales of bravery, ingenuity and determination by the crews of the ships involved brought credit to the naval traditions of the Allied nations. Battleships, cruisers and destroyers bombarded enemy positions; midget submarines pointed the way to the beaches; minesweepers worked secretly by night to clear lanes; landing craft of all sizes braved enemy fire and mines to deposit their loads on the beaches and naval beach parties endured shellfire and machine guns to bring order to the beaches. Royal Navy commandos and US naval engineers dealt with beach obstacles against rising tides in the face of withering enemy fire.
96 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2014
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December 6, 2024
Finally, a Book on a Long-Overlooked Topic
This book covers, purely, the naval and sea related logistical efforts made by the allies from 0-Day through the first 30 days of the invasion. The book covers actual direct military action by the naval forces themselves to only a slight degree (i.e., short bombardment, direct action against German naval forces) while another relatively small portion of the book is geared towards discussion of indirect naval activities (i.e., convoy duties, establishing zones to keep out German naval forces, etc.). The bulk of the book is geared toward a discussion and analysis of the naval forces involved (i.e., number of vessels and types) as well as the logistical naval effort made, in particular the Mulberry harbors (artificial harbors used to supply the allied land forces off the landing beaches), the underwater pipeline system established to supply fuel to the allied land forces (codenamed Pluto) and the supply effort made using so many types of different vessel classes (i.e., large landing craft landing directly on beach to land supplies, smaller boats making use of the Mulberry harbors, etc.).
The book also discusses the relatively puny Kriegsmarine and coastal artillery forces that attempted to stop and interdict the gigantic allied force. Considering the fact that this was the largest amphibious fleet ever assembled the Germans, with their tiny naval forces, had little ability to disrupt the invasion force.
Nevertheless, the allies lost considerable forces. Of the approximately 7,000 vessels involved 917 were lost or damaged albeit this was from all causes (i.e., mines, direct gunfire, collisions, obstacles and the great gale that immediately followed the landing) and included all types of vessels, not just warships (warships accounted for only 25 of these).
All and all a pretty good account of this aspect of the 0-Day invasion, especially considering the fact that the book itself, being part of Osprey Publishing's "Campaign" series, is only 96 pages in length and, very roughly, a third of these consist of illustration of one type or another (i.e., maps, contemporaneous photos, etc.). This relatively short length implies that the book, unfortunately, cannot go into much depth relating to the many factors of the invasion it has to cover. The most it can do is scratch the surface of the topic. In this the book does succeed, however.
This book covers, purely, the naval and sea related logistical efforts made by the allies from 0-Day through the first 30 days of the invasion. The book covers actual direct military action by the naval forces themselves to only a slight degree (i.e., short bombardment, direct action against German naval forces) while another relatively small portion of the book is geared towards discussion of indirect naval activities (i.e., convoy duties, establishing zones to keep out German naval forces, etc.). The bulk of the book is geared toward a discussion and analysis of the naval forces involved (i.e., number of vessels and types) as well as the logistical naval effort made, in particular the Mulberry harbors (artificial harbors used to supply the allied land forces off the landing beaches), the underwater pipeline system established to supply fuel to the allied land forces (codenamed Pluto) and the supply effort made using so many types of different vessel classes (i.e., large landing craft landing directly on beach to land supplies, smaller boats making use of the Mulberry harbors, etc.).
The book also discusses the relatively puny Kriegsmarine and coastal artillery forces that attempted to stop and interdict the gigantic allied force. Considering the fact that this was the largest amphibious fleet ever assembled the Germans, with their tiny naval forces, had little ability to disrupt the invasion force.
Nevertheless, the allies lost considerable forces. Of the approximately 7,000 vessels involved 917 were lost or damaged albeit this was from all causes (i.e., mines, direct gunfire, collisions, obstacles and the great gale that immediately followed the landing) and included all types of vessels, not just warships (warships accounted for only 25 of these).
All and all a pretty good account of this aspect of the 0-Day invasion, especially considering the fact that the book itself, being part of Osprey Publishing's "Campaign" series, is only 96 pages in length and, very roughly, a third of these consist of illustration of one type or another (i.e., maps, contemporaneous photos, etc.). This relatively short length implies that the book, unfortunately, cannot go into much depth relating to the many factors of the invasion it has to cover. The most it can do is scratch the surface of the topic. In this the book does succeed, however.
Displaying 1 of 1 review