The U.S. Navy at Normandy - by Greg H Williams (Paperback)

About the Book

In the many historical accounts of D-Day, the Navy, Coast Guard and merchant marine, who transported troops to the invasion beaches and supported the attack, are often given scant attention. Film clips of landing craft unloading men into the surf and battleships firing on enemy emplacements are familiar yet comparatively little is known about the contributions of the marine services and what they accomplished during the Normandy Invasion. This book describes the Allied naval command structure for Operation Neptune and offers a comprehensive look at integrated offshore operations--how they were organized, who the sailors were and what they experienced.

Book Synopsis

In the many historical accounts of D-Day, the Navy, Coast Guard and merchant marine, who transported troops to the invasion beaches and supported the attack, are often given scant attention. Film clips of landing craft unloading men into the surf and battleships firing on enemy emplacements are familiar yet comparatively little is known about the contributions of the marine services and what they accomplished during the Normandy Invasion.

This book describes the Allied naval command structure for Operation Neptune and offers a comprehensive look at integrated offshore operations--how they were organized, who the sailors were and what they experienced.

Review Quotes

"[Williams] describes in fascinating detail the Allied Command structure for Operation Neptune and presents in easy to digest [form] the integrated offshore operations, how they were organized, who the sailors were, and what they experienced as they, too, joined in the battles."-ARGunners Magazine

"Detailed...An admirable addition to the historiography of Operation Neptune and the D-Day Campaign as a whole. Williams offers a unique compilation of first-hand accounts and official reports to allow a sea level view of the invasion of Western France in what was a complex and arduous undertaking, the fruit of which is an excellent resource for scholars, historians, and those interested in naval personnel wounded or killed during the operation."-The Northern Mariner

About the Author

Greg H. Williams served four years in the Navy, including duty on the converted Liberty ship USS Granville S. Hall (YAG-40). He was one of 27 volunteer crewmen who made the entire five month voyage from San Francisco to Europe on the Jeremiah O'Brien in 1994 for the 50th anniversary of the Normandy Invasion. He lives near Noti, Oregon.