My Grandfather’s Secret D-Day Journal

“The article didn’t say what sort of nightly mission they were doing on the French coast in the month before D-Day.” [wideminded, post 19]

Possible missions: surveillance, probing of enemy defenses, misdirection/deception; crew proficiency. Probably more none of us have heard about.

A great many details had to be discovered and recorded, then disseminated to the right people, to get everyone and everything to work smoothly.

A very few: beach width, sand composition & depth, location of enemy defenses (tens of thousands of landmines had been emplaced from points in Norway all the way south to the border with Spain; marine mines were a concern as this man’s crew discovered). Planners had to discover how wide beaches were, to determine where to land equipment & supplies; composition of beach sand had a direct correlation to what vehicles could cross it without becoming bogged down.

The Royal Navy sent miniature submarines to the landing areas a couple days early, which sat on the bottom until D-Day. A couple hours before landing time, they erected radio antennas to give landing forces radio beacons to steer by. Their hiding spots had to be surveyed to ensure the water there was deep enough, but not too deep.

The British worked up elaborate deceptions to hoodwink the Germans into believing the Normandy landings were a diversion; Americans may have heard about the nonexistent forces built up under George S Patton Jr, but there was more.

German radar stations along the coast were subjected to air attack; the ones behind the planned landing beaches were attacked enough to reduce German confidence that they could see the situation. Those near Calais (where the English Channel was most narrow) were treated to a different attack pattern, to make sure they could see approaching vessels.

On the night of 5/6 June, several files of RAF bombers advanced from England toward Calais in oval patterns, giant loops or “racetracks” with each succeeding southeast curve just a few miles closer to the French coast. When each bomber reached its farthest advance of that racetrack, it dispensed chaff that would give the German radar operators a big target. Length, timing, and increment of advance were adjusted to make it look like a giant fleet of ships was steaming toward Calais at six knots or so, scores of miles across and many miles in length. Each chaff burst imitated a ship on radar.

The objective was to convince the Germans that the main attack was aimed at Calais. It worked, long enough to confuse OberKommando West and cause hesitation when it came to directing reinforcements.

Thanks for that link, Jim.

My uncle was there, 1st wave at Omaha beach. I got to hear him tell some of his stories about that day. It was enthralling! I got to shake his hand and say thank you for what you did. He teared up and shook his head in acknowledgment. He fought in the Hurtgene Forrest, the Bulge and all the way deep into Eastern Europe. He died at age 94 six months ago.

Speechless.

That is actually the right kind of hit for them. Maybe it will show up in their trending and they might do more stories like this.

I read a lot of stuff today. That was hands down the best.

I knew a UDT sailor who swam in the night before to set explosive charges on some of the obstructions blockading the beach. He and his team then swam back to the ship. I think he said it was five miles each way.

I think he didn’t get past his wife’s betrayal......nor did she

Reading more of this journal.......in spite of the war, I think she broke his heart
The 2nd child, a daughter, was raised by the great grandmother in another town.