egafd.com

Difficult though it is to believe, the most American soldiers killed in action on a single day in World War II, apart from Pearl Harbour, was at Slapton Sands, Devon. In early 1944, a rehersal for the D-Day landings was taking place in Start Bay, a group of German E boats got amongst them and this resulted in well over 700 deaths. It is difficult to tell how many died as a direct result of German action. A substantial number are believed to have been killed by landing at the wrong location as a result of panic and being killed by 'live' friendly fire. A live firing exercise was being conducted at the same time. Friendly fire does seem to be a particularly American problem.

Saw a TV doco about this some years ago.

Mart

There was one. The one I saw seemed to concentrate on navigation errors. It is, perhaps, time to make another one. All those involved will soon be dead. This did not really get into the public forum until the 1970's.

The thing I find most surprising about this incident, was the ability of the German navy to operate so close to the British shore. Rather like Operation Cerberus, discussed here some weeks ago, it does raise questions as to whether the Royal Navy did have the control of home waters we have always thought they had.

Was there a security leak. It seems a bit of an out of the way place for German subs to be operating.

Mart

They were not subs but E boats (motor torpedo boats). The Germans were fully aware of the forthcoming invasion. They thought it would be at Calais, at least Hitler did. Because of the shambles the night before if the television documentary mentioned earlier was correct, the Germans would have had time to send the E boats. It would be interesting to know if German naval vessels often operated this close to the British shore.

I imagine they probably did- given the scarcity of resources and the sheer difficulty of policing an entire coastline (and Coastal Command were tied up combating the U-boat menace to convoys), and the unlikelihood of the E-boats gaining any really useful intelligence or doing significant damage, I'd guess that we were content to leave them be.