“Nick Hewitt has achieved the impossible. He has re-told the story of D-Day in a way that
transforms our understanding of that Day of Days.”—Dan Snow “A superb account.”—Simon Heffer
Telegraph Best History Books 2024 The first account of the Allied navies’ vital
contribution to the success of the D-Day landings and the Normandy campaign The Allied
liberation of Nazi-occupied Europe is one of the most widely recognised events of modern
history. The assault phase Operation Neptune began with the D-Day landings in Normandy—one of
the most complex amphibious operations in history involving 7 000 ships and nearly 200 000
men. But despite this immense effort the wider naval campaign has been broadly forgotten.
Nick Hewitt draws on fascinating new material to describe the violent sea battle which mirrored
the fighting on land and the complex campaign at sea which enabled the Allied assault. Aboard
ships ranging from frail plywood landing craft to sleek destroyers sailors were active
combatants in the operation of June 1944 and had worked tirelessly to secure the Seine Bay in
the months preceding it. They fought battles against German submarines aircraft and warships
and maintained careful watch to keep control of the English Channel. Hewitt recounts these
sailors’ stories for the first time—and shows how without their efforts D-Day would have
failed.
