Challenge, Planning, Execution: The Seaward Defence of the Assault Area off Normandy, 6-14 June 1944

Auteurs-es

  • Michael Whitby

DOI :

https://doi.org/10.25071/2561-5467.1339

Mots-clés :

Operation Neptune, Normandy landings, World War, 1939-1945, naval operations, Kriegsmarine, United States Navy, Royal Canadian Navy, Royal Navy

Résumé

La présente étude porte sur la défense nocturne des mouillages d’assaut américains et britanniques au large de la Normandie contre les attaques de surface ennemies entre le 6 et le 14 juin 1944. Le sujet est généralement passé sous silence. Pourtant, la défense des zones d’assaut, comme tous les autres aspects de l’opération Neptune, a été prise au sérieux par les planificateurs. Bien que les forces de surface allemandes n’aient pas été assez puissantes pour résister à l’attaque ou rendre les mouillages insoutenables, si elles avaient réussi à pénétrer la zone d’assaut pour régulièrement faire couler les navires de transport et de débarquement vulnérables, elles auraient pu perturber la mise en place critique des hommes et du matériel en Normandie et  entraver la progression de la guerre au sol. De plus, au lieu de constituer un schéma défensif « unique » pour une attaque massive  peu susceptible de se répéter, certains éléments des défis défensifs de l’opération Neptune auraient pu être envisagés si les Alliés avaient été forcés d’envahir le Japon à la fin de 1945. Ses leçons avaient donc un certain poids.

Biographie de l'auteur-e

Michael Whitby

Michael Whitby was formerly Senior Naval Historian at the Directorate of History and Heritage at National Defence Headquarters in Ottawa. His numerous books and scholarly articles have been recognized by a Moncando Prize from the Society for Military History and three Keith Matthews Awards from the Canadian Nautical Research Society. He is the recipient of a Maritime Command  Commendation for his contributions to Canadian naval history.

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Whitby, Michael. “The Seaward Defence of the British Assault Area, 6-14 June 1944.” The Mariner’s Mirror 80, no. 2 (May 1994): 191-207. https://doi.org/10.1080/00253359.1994.10656496. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/00253359.1994.10656496

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Quick, elusive, and persistent, motor torpedo boats played a key role in defending the assault area. This is MTB 459 of the Royal Canadian Navy's 29th Flotilla.

Téléchargements

Publié-e

2025-06-30

Comment citer

Whitby, M. (2025). Challenge, Planning, Execution: The Seaward Defence of the Assault Area off Normandy, 6-14 June 1944. The Northern Mariner Le Marin Du Nord, 34(4), 493–534. https://doi.org/10.25071/2561-5467.1339