WHERE WERE THE CARRIERS?

THE FLEET AIR ARM’S ROLE | D-DAY 75TH

NICK HEWITT, HEAD OF EXHIBITIONS AND COLLECTIONS AT THE NATIONAL MUSEUM OF THE ROYAL NAVY, EXPLORES THE VITAL ROLE OF THE FLEET AIR ARM IN THE GREATEST AMPHIBIOUS OPERATION IN HISTORY.

The Allied invasion of Germanoccupied Europe on June 6, 1944 was the beginning of the end for the Nazi regime. Although much of its forces had been ground down on the Eastern Front, and the Soviet Red Army was moving inexorably westwards, the opening of the second front finally made the war an unwinnable one for the Axis.

Operation Neptune was the greatest amphibious operation in history. Everything a vast modern army needed to fight, move and sustain itself came across the water, provided by almost 200,000 sailors aboard nearly 7,000 ships and landing craft. By June 30, 1944, when Neptune officially ended, they had put ashore more than 850,000 men, nearly 150,000 vehicles and more than half a million tons of supplies. In scale and ambition, it has never been replicated.

Fleet Air Arm armourers fuse bombs on the deck of HMS Victorious, prior to the FAA’s attack on the Tirpitz in the Altenfjord during April 1944.
(CROWN COPYRIGHT)
On its return return from the raid on the Tirpitz, this Barracuda hit the crash barrier. No one was injured in the crash.

cr@(TOPFOTO)

<

Want to read more?

This is a premium article and requires an active subscription.

Existing subscriber? Sign in now

No subscription?

Pick one of our introductory offers