To mark the 75th anniversary in 2019 of the greatest amphibious invasion in history, this new edition of the Haynes "D-Day Operations Manual" features an additional chapter describing how beach obstacles were neutralised and destroyed, and how the beachhead was organised to manage the rapid build-up of men and materiel before the breakout inland.

CONTENTS FOREWORD – Major General Stuart Watson CBE INTRODUCTION D-Day – The background About this book In their own words 1 MEN IN WHITE COATS – The appliance of science Surveying the beaches Electronic countermeasures Maritime electronic navigation systems and radar Fighter Direction Tenders 2 BEACH OBSTACLE CLEARANCE First ashore Managing the beachhead 3 ON ENEMY SHORES – Landing ships and craft Spoilt for choice Specialised support craft Assault craft that won D-Day The ‘Higgins boats’ LCVP in action on D-Day 4 CORNCOBS AND WHALES – The Mulberry harbours The harbours and their localities A massive undertaking Mulberry harbour components Bombardons Phoenix Spud piers Concrete intermediate Pier Head Pontoons (PHP) Buffer pontoons Whales Beetles (PP) Deployment The Great Storm What the Mulberries achieved 5 SPECIALISED ARMOUR – Hobart’s Funnies and other oddities Hobart’s Funnies The versatile Churchill tank Sherman tank conversions Armoured bulldozers 6 ASSAULT FROM THE SKIES – Airborne operations Assault gliders Airspeed Horsa General Aircraft GAL 49 Hamilcar Waco CG-4A Glider tugs Radio homing devices – Rebecca and Eureka 7 A WARRIOR REBORN – The Assault Glider Trust Horsa 8 FIELDS FOR TACTICAL AIR POWER – Building Advanced Landing Grounds Advanced Landing Grounds in France Runway construction and surfacing materials Airfield construction American-style Airfield construction British-style EPILOGUE – The butcher’s bill Sources Useful contacts Index

D-Day Operations Manual – 75th Anniversary Edition ‘This is the BBC Home Service – and here is a special bulletin read by John Snagge. D-Day has come. Early this morning the Allies began the assault on the north-western face of Hitler’s European fortress.’ The world awoke on 6 June 1944 to the momentous news of the Allied invasion of France – the greatest amphibious assault in history. D-Day was the first large-scale invasion where science, technology and innovation played a truly major part – from tank-carrying gliders like the Hamilcar, Duplex Drive swimming tanks, and a host of specialist engineer vehicles, to the miracle radio navigation aids codenamed Gee and Decca that ensured coastal minefields were swept and that landing craft arrived on the right beaches. The first assault troops who came ashore were accompanied by frogmen and specialist engineer teams who destroyed and cleared deadly beach obstacles; remarkable feats of engineering and logistical organisation saw the rapid assembly of the two Mulberry harbours; and airfield construction engineers carved dozens of advanced landing grounds out of the Norman soil close to the battlefront. The Haynes D-Day Operations Manual provides fascinating insights into the design, construction and purpose of some of the innovative machines, systems and structures that were used on D-Day and after, revealing how they contributed to the success of Operations Overlord and Neptune, paving the way for victory in Europe. This 75th anniversary edition features an additional chapter that describes how beach obstacles were neutralised and destroyed, and how the beachhead was organised to manage the rapid build-up of men and materiel before the breakout inland. About the author Jonathan Falconer is a publisher and author. He has written and co-authored more than 35 books on aspects of aviation, military and local history. He lives in Wiltshire.

• 75th anniversary edition of the best-selling Haynes D-Day Operations Manual. • Insights into the technology that made D-Day possible. • New chapter about Combat Engineers and Beach Groups. • Archive and contemporary photographs and illustrations. • Foreword by Major General Stewart Watson CBE, Sherman DD tank commander with 13th/18th Royal Hussars on D-Day.