60 Years Ago Today: Operation TIGER D-Day Training Disaster

http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/ContentServer?pagename=thestar/Layout/Article_Type1&c=Article&cid=1082931009087&call_pageid=968332188854&col=968350060724vv ^ | 04/28/04

[Bommer]

Shortly after midnight on 28 April 1944, nine German torpedo boats moved into Lyme Bay, along the southern coast of England near a place called Slapton Sands. Drawn in by heavier than normal radio traffic, they suddenly found themselves caught up in the midst of Operation TIGER -- one of several amphibious exercises secretly being conducted by the Allies in preparation for the Normandy Landing. In minutes the German torpedoes hit their mark. One LST (landing ship, tank) was seriously crippled. Another burst into flames trapping many of the victims below deck. And a third sank immediately, sending hundreds of U.S. soldiers and sailors to a watery grave.

It was the costliest training exercise in all of World War II. As the bodies washed ashore in days ahead, the official count rose to 749.

Quartermaster soldiers onboard LST 531 were among the hardest hit. The 3206th Quartermaster Service Company was virtually destroyed. Of its 251 officers and men, 201 were killed or wounded. The 557th Quartermaster Railhead Company also lost 69 men.

The brave men who died that day contributed to the success in France six weeks later. Indeed their sacrifice was a Prelude to Victory.

"I consider it no sacrifice to die for my country. In my mind we came here to thank God that men like these have lived rather than to regret that they have died."

General George S. Patton, Jr.
Speech at an Allied cemetery in Italy

[Bommer]

Remember those soldiers who were sacrificed in an accident as well as those who have sacrificed their lives defending our freedom in Iraq and Afganistan!

[Kryptonite]

"I consider it no sacrifice to die for my country. In my mind we came here to thank God that men like these have lived rather than to regret that they have died."

General George S. Patton, Jr. Speech at an Allied cemetery in Italy

"Men will die. Some men never live." - Mel Gibson, Braveheart

[Polybius]

It was the costliest training exercise in all of World War II. As the bodies washed ashore in days ahead, the official count rose to 749.

That is as many fatalities in a single day, in a training exercise, as the U.S. has lost in the entire Iraq War.

The American media in 1944 did not use those deaths to try to make the American Home Front believe that America was in a quagmire and was losing the war.

The greatest weapon that America's enemies have today is the American liberal news media.

[TYVets]

Some of the Elite Media like The New York Times will mock the death of those brave men and women.

[oyez]

I that happened today there would be big hearing and investigation so enemies could have a look see and know what fool we are.

[Bommer]

I that happened today there would be big hearing and investigation so enemies could have a look see and know what fool we are

Never happen, not when a democrat like Gumlegs was in office!

[cherry]

People were better back then...I am convinced....

I am 50 and I am convinced that my generation is the worse ever...

[Adrastus]

Consider: If that event had been covered by todays media, in todays political atmosphere, the likely outcome would have been a German dominated Europe.

[WOSG]

"That is as many fatalities in a single day, in a training exercise, as the U.S. has lost in the entire Iraq War.

The American media in 1944 did not use those deaths to try to make the American Home Front believe that America was in a quagmire and was losing the war.

The greatest weapon that America's enemies have today is the American liberal news media."

Dittos on this... the cost of war was far heavier in those days.

Same could be said for many other WWI or WWI or Korea battles. Chosun cost USA 9,000 lives. And yet we didnt bug out, we stayed 3 years and saved south korea again... Or Tawara, a useless piece of insignificant coral on the way to Japan. What was the death toll there? hundreds?

[oyez]

The Roosevelt Democrats kept Slapton Sands a secret for decades.

[free2freep]

Can you imagine Goebbels manipulating today's PC American media?

You'd see the evening news anchors wearing Nazi armbands!

[MediaMole]

Or Tawara, a useless piece of insignificant coral on the way to Japan. What was the death toll there? hundreds?

About 990 US dead.

17 Japanese survived of the 4836 stationed there.

[John H K]

The Roosevelt Democrats kept Slapton Sands a secret for decades.

Well, it obviously was secret initially as it occured prior to the D-Day invasion, and information about it could have given away the location of the Invasion of France.

But there WAS NO POST WAR COVERUP. It was declassified after World War II. And the US Army's official history of the Normandy Inavasion, published in 1951, mentions it.

It's just that nobody noticed it, and of course the Army didn't fall over itself to publicize it, so some not very bright types came along in the 1970s and decided there had been a "cover-up."

[Feiny]

I posted a thread yesterday &b there are some great links on it.

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1124937/posts

[Feiny]

Freeper Foxhole did a profile last year with tons of info:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-vetscor/902337/posts

[Shery]

The media sure is trying to make this another Vietnam! I'm so glad that there is more open support this time of our fighting men and women. The media will have a black eye from this, eventually!

[Euro-American Scum]

Can you imagine Goebbels manipulating today's PC American media?

You don't have to. You just have to open the New York Times.

[dawn53]

Battle of the Bulge, lasted a little over a month, 19,000 killed there. (81,000 American casualties, including 23,554 captured and 19,000 killed).

[F14 Pilot]

WW II Pings!

[cpdiii]

When I see the crosses row on row, thousands of thousands I am humbled by the greatness of our nation and the honor of its men at arms. Those men at arms saved the world in WWII and they again are saving the world today.