Exercise tiger and Slapton Sands
In the fall of 1943, an area of land on the southwest coast of England, just south of Dartmouth and known as Devon, was ordered to be evacuated of all civilians. All 3000 local people, livestock, equipment and personal belongings were to be totally evacuated by 20 December 1943. A particular area of land on the coast, known as "Slapton Sands"was totally and completely sealed off to civilians whilst the beach was used for practice landings. Slapton sands was selected to be used as a training area for American forces taking part in Operation Overlord. Large scale exercises took place for the Americans to practise amphibious assaults.
But why Slapton sands?
The beaches off south Devon had been selected for ‘Operation Tiger’ because of their similarity to the beach at ‘Utah’ where the Americans would be landing on June 6th.
What went wrong?
This exercise also turned out to be one of the great tragedies of World War II. Hundreds of American soldiers and sailors died needlessly due to confusion and incompetence. It was one of the military's best kept secrets until it was revealed to the world almost 40 years later.
•In the early hours of 28 April 1944, a convoy of eight American landing ship tanks (LSTs) were carrying out a D-Day dress rehearsal off the South Devon coast when they were ambushed by German E-boats.Two of the LSTs were sunk in the attack off Slapton Sands, killing 749 US servicemen - a higher death toll than at the initial D-Day landings which were to take place on Utah Beach, Normandy, two months later.In fact, the operation - called Exercise Tiger - proved to be the most costly Allied training incident, in terms of lives lost, in the whole of World War 2.
•In the early hours of 28 April 1944, a convoy of eight American landing ship tanks (LSTs) were carrying out a D-Day dress rehearsal off the South Devon coast when they were ambushed by German E-boats.Two of the LSTs were sunk in the attack off Slapton Sands, killing 749 US servicemen - a higher death toll than at the initial D-Day landings which were to take place on Utah Beach, Normandy, two months later.In fact, the operation - called Exercise Tiger - proved to be the most costly Allied training incident, in terms of lives lost, in the whole of World War 2.
A survivor
Nathan Resnick was a motor machinist on board LST 511. He was asleep at the time of the attack off the South Devon coast but when the alarm sounded, he became one of the gunners on the top deck.
“I remember it as if it were yesterday," said Paul, who was gunners mate in the US Navy. "Our captain, John Doyle, decided to stay on station and pick up survivors. We came here to fight the Germans and we will stay here and fight, he ordered."
"I don't remember the exact number of troops our ship picked out of the water, but I believe it was around 170.” •"The medical personnel were ordered, under threat of Court Martial, not to ask anybody about what happened. It was imperative that the Germans did not know what we were doing."
“I remember it as if it were yesterday," said Paul, who was gunners mate in the US Navy. "Our captain, John Doyle, decided to stay on station and pick up survivors. We came here to fight the Germans and we will stay here and fight, he ordered."
"I don't remember the exact number of troops our ship picked out of the water, but I believe it was around 170.” •"The medical personnel were ordered, under threat of Court Martial, not to ask anybody about what happened. It was imperative that the Germans did not know what we were doing."