Secret History - D-Day Disaster (2/4)

Secret History - D-Day Disaster
The beach at Slapton had been used as a training area for amphibious landings before the war, and was once more to be used - this time by US troops.

This was partly because of its close proximity to the ports of embarkation at Torbay, and partly because the areas closely resembled Normandy. Farmers and villagers had to sell most of their possessions, and some families never returned to the area.

As part of a full-scale rehearsal for the Normandy landings, on the night of April 28th, 1944, eight Landing Craft Tanks (LCTs) and their lone escort, the British corvette HMS Azalea, were en route to Slapton Sands.

Out of the darkness came a flotilla of nine German E-Boats, which attacked the convoy sinking two LCTs and crippling a third. Of the 4000 men involved in the exercise, nearly a quarter were dead or missing.

The German attack did not stop the exercise, and there were further casualties caused by 'friendly fire' on the beach. Allied planners were worried about the effect on moral that this would have on the troops just immediately before the D-Day landings, so the tragedy was covered up, with the survivors being split up and sworn to secrecy.

The casualty figures were then 'conveniently' hidden amongst those from the actual D-Day landings, only weeks later. This tragedy became one of WW2's best kept secrets until it was revealed to the world almost over 40 years later.

Playlist for whole episode: http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=385D1C9FBB70F609
Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gy9ZkPewP7M
Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3s5jvO1gHC4
Part 3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kXCbUilhlwU
Part 4: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SP3hmm1yoMY

Visit my YouTube-channel for more documentaries about the Second World War, First World War and more or visit my website at http://sites.google.com/site/thegermanwarfiles/ for a better organized and easier access to all my YouTube documentaries and their descriptions.

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• Second
• World
• War
• E-Boat
• D-Day
• Disaster
• Cover
• up
• Death
• American
• Invasion
• Secret
• History

[tundradirtbiker]

I doubt there were many promotions for machine gunning 150 soldiers during war games.

[sirthor00]

there are going to be accidents, some that should have been foreseen, some just neglect, the point is I don't think its healthy to open old wounds and play the blame game and bash and criticize things that are history. To learn from yes, to use as a way to demean or ruin the image of a country or military and look down on the current military is just not fair. Care should be used and a proper perspective kept. It can be said though that the military went through significant change post WWII.