Normandy: the Sailors' Story

“Nick Hewitt has achieved the impossible. He has re-told the story of D-Day in a way that transforms our understanding of that Day of Days.”—Dan Snow “A superb account.”—Simon Heffer, Telegraph, Best History Books 2024 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 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 acti