#WW2 #1940 Churchill Speaks on Mers-el-Kébir (Oran)

After the Royal Navy attacked the French ships at Mers-el-Kebir, Churchill gave this speech. It was an act the Royal Navy was not proud of, neither was Churchill. Britain could not afford French battleships to be taken over by Germany. The French fleet did not join Britain in fighting against Germany, so it left Churchill with no choice but to order the attack named Operation Catapult.(Please see previous post http://oldecuriosity.blogspot.co.uk/2015/07/battle-of-oran-destruction-of-french.html

#WW2 #OnThisDay1940 10th April 1940 The First Battle Of Narvik

HMS Hunter sunk at First Battle Of Narvik, found at: https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-c02WufFlBsM/UOuVjacSJYI/AAAAAAAAjPU/oxlRj8ljbRg/s800/HMS_Hardy_1936.jpg

On this day in 1940 The First Battle Of Narvik took place.Five  British destroyers took on ten German destroyers and shore batteries near Narvik, (Ofot Fjord). 2 destroyers from both sides were sunk; Hardy & Hunter (British) and Wilhelm Heidkamp & Anton Schmitt (German).Three German destroyers were also damaged in the daring British attack. Eight German merchant ships and one ammunition carrier also were sunk. The British submarine Thistle was sunk by U-4 off Stavanger. 

It was no victory for either side, but the British had made their presence felt, and the Germans had half their destroyers put out of action.

Wrecked shipping at Narvik, found at:http://i4.minus.com/ibkaLRXtEBFfzU.jpg

#D-Day70 #D-Day 6th June 1944 #Operation Neptune was a largely British/Canadian Affair

Operation Neptune was the planning for the seaborne invasion of Normandy 6th June 1944. Over 70% of all naval craft which took part belonged either to the Royal or Canadian Navies. The rest came from the United States, Free French Dutch or Norwegian navies.

Over 5300 vessels took part. 57 British Destroyers, 30 American destroyers, and others from Norwegian, Dutch, French navies including HMS Svenner. 4126 landing craft and ships, 2 midget submarines, 736 ancillary vessels, 864 merchant ships and 189 minesweepers made up the bulk of the fleet. 

The Royal Navy provided some heavy firepower including 6 battleships, 2 monitors and 16 cruisers. The U.S Navy sent 3 cruisers and 3 battleships.H.M.S Belfast fired the first shell on D-Day. Imagine waking up in a bunker and looking out of the observation slit and seeing this lot?

The D-Day Fleet

H.M.S Svenner

Read; D-Day 1944 Voices From Normandy, Neillands, R& De Normann, R.










Landing craft were largely made in the United States as the British shipyards were working flat out repairing the existing merchant and war fleets. They were also busy with the Mulberry Harbours.  Landing Craft Personnel (LCP) and Landing Craft Vehicle and Personnel (LCVP) were used on D-Day. they were flat bottomed boats, able to get close into the beach and had a ramp at the front of the vessel which came down so men and vehicles could disembark. This was essential so the boat did not have to waste time turning round and reversing into the beach head.

Landing Craft- Canadian Troops At Juno Beach