Exercise Tiger: How the top secret D-Day rehearsal went tragically wrong

In the early hours of 28 April 1944, 30,000 American service personnel were preparing to take part in a rehearsal for the Normandy Landings.
Slapton Sands in Devon was chosen as the landing area for Exercise Tiger as it closely resembled Utah beach, having a shingle beach.
But the mock landing was marred by real gunfire - and a very real enemy - that led to the deaths of hundreds of American soldiers and sailors.
More: www.forces.net/feature/exerci...
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[@RalphBrooker-gn9iv]

I’m an ex-infantry JNCO, British Army (ironically a Regiment nicknamed The Tigers). Have served in operational theatres. I cannot imagine how terrifying the landing must have been and it still staggers me that D-Day succeeded. The courage of these men, their fighting determination to go on and beyond, against horrendous odds. Their audacity. I had heard of the Ex. Tiger tragedy. There’s no doubt in my mind that these men didn’t die in vain; that invaluable lessons were drawn from their efforts. God bless them. It sickens and angers me to the pit of my stomach, to the marrow in my bones that their heroic efforts turn out to have been not enough to have brought eternal peace to Europe. And that the Allied west, such as it is, may have to fight again on a grand scale on the European continent.

[@TheIceman567]

Are you British? Do you like the USA and Americans?

[@1sonyzz]

But I found a flaw in D-Day, the ships which loaded people on the beaches had front loading gates, which when opened made easy target for German machine guns - you have 50 people stacked in the tin boat, gates open - 20 of those men instantly dies from machine gun... if the front was a cover like a shield and doors were to the sides - more soldiers would survived and took the beach earlier... That was the biggest flaw of landings

[@phillipkey9829]

My wife and have visited Slapton Sands. They have a recovered Sherman tank on the beach. Very sad to stand there and realise what happened. We’ve also visited the American war graves in Cambridge and you can see all those young mens graves who died at Slapton, in their final resting places. All have the same date on their headstones. We have also visited the D-day sites in France Had a cruise to Egypt so took the an organised visit to the El Alamein war graves and museum. They have the British, Italian,and the German war graves. An American asked where the American graves were and we told him they had not entered the war yet. Seemed confused with all the American tanks about. Explained lend lease to him and the fact that the first American engagement with German tanks was at Kassreine Pass. Erwin Rommel had left the Middle East to return to Germany by this time. All those young men who gave their tomorrow for our today. We must never forget why, but it’s still sad that so many on both sides had to die for one mans ego. We were following the Sherwood Yomamry as my late neighbour late husband and brother in law were in the 8th army desert rats. Her husband suffered an air burst shell the severely damaged his brain and left him paralysed down one side.. he died in 1965 due to throat cancer attributed to being in a tank. His brother gave his life in the D-day invasion at Fontenay-le -Pesanel on the 27 June 1944 after fighting from September 1939. The grave yard is so peaceful after all that violence. Lest we forget the brave service personnel and civilians of all nations who helped save the free world by making the ultimate sacrifice. 😮

[@cosminking8516]

Friday just gone there was an Ariel poppy drop over chesil beach Dorset in memory of those lost during exercise Tiger

[@nemosis9449]

There's a book called The Magic Army by Leslie Thomas about the American army arriving in Cornwall to train for the D day landings and there is a part of the book that describes the Slapton sands tragic events of that night.

[@ClarkieBoy]

The Slapton and Torcross area are very dear to my heart. Thank you for a more in-depth report of exercise Tiger than I've seen before. R.I.P. all the heroes of Tiger and D-day.

[@mattyallen3396]

Strange. I knew of it as a kid. (1980s. My adopted grandfather told us about it)

[@trs4u]

This is excellent content, thanks. The tank needs a QR code or something near it so people can see something like this for a fuller picture - if that hasn't been done already.

[@susanmcgregor6902]

My grandmother never really knew what happened she always said she lost her brother but seeemed to think it was more of an illness vs a real life attack.

[@bordersw1239]

Couple of locals told me there is still a mass grave up the road where they still haven’t removed the dead.

[@fluffyfrog9485]

I can say without doubt that this is not true. All those who lost their lives were initially moved to and buried at Brookwood Cemetery in Surrey. The families were later given the option to have their loved ones re patriated back to U.S.A. or moved and buried at Cambridge American Cemetery. Those who's bodies were never recovered are listed on the wall of the missing.

[@nobodyisbest]

Exercise Tiger was more costly, in terms of lives lost, than British D-Day landings in most landing zones.

[@RJM1011]

More of the truth of what went on and what went wrong was on Channel 4 years ago in the 90's in a very good doc. Sadly these days the truth is not told so people don't learn it about this, WW2 or anything else. Thank you.

[@TheIceman567]

Are you British? Do you like the USA and Americans?

[@springer3783]

They’d be ashamed of what we done with the freedom they gave us

[@listerofsmegv987pevinaek5]

Remember reading about this when i was in high school. So sad tragic loss of life.

[@susanmcgregor6902]

My grandmothers brother died in this tragedy he was only 17 and from kentucky Jake Gambrel

[@addepartment]

lest we forget

[@TheIceman567]

Are you British? Do you like the USA and Americans?

[@user-pj2jf8mm2w]

You forgot to include the fact that this tiger tank had war-grave status, and the extensive arrangements made to recover the crew of the tank and to repatriate all personnel.

[@stevee7467]

It is a Sherman tank.

[@fluffyfrog9485]

Fortunately ALL the crew (5) got out before it sank. The drivers name was Oris Johnson, I met him. The tank was never a war grave unlike the two LST's lost in Lyme Bay.

[@LeeTillbury]

What a tragic waste. All those young G.I.s didn't even get to do what they signed up for.

[@Bryanmccann1981]

make you wonder what else they are not telling us !

[@salvadorvizcarra769]

From Dunkirk, at the beginning of World War II, to Normandy, almost at the end, the Allied Armies did not put a single soldier in Germany. Not a single one. The participation of the Allied Forces in Europe was limited to Aerial Bombing. These actions received a lot of publicity to make us believe that the Aerial Bombings were winning the war. But, there is a very long list of Bombing cities by “Mistake”. The bombing of Nijmegen in the Netherlands (February 1944), it occurred when US bombers returning from a failed mission, as occurred in most cases, were looking for "Optional" targets. Nearly 1,000 Dutch civilians were killed by the bombing. It is proven fact that Aerial Bombardment does NOT win wars, unless it’s Atomic. Aerial Bomb't can destroy cities but does NOT destroy armies. If there is any doubt, then Nazi Germany would have defeated England, after nearly a year of bombing, or the US would have won in Korea, Vietnam or Afghanistan. In fact, it wasn't until 1949-50 that Precision Instruments were available for aerial bombardment. Until then, if a bomber hit within 300 or 400 meters of the target, it was considered a "Bullseyes". In night bombing raids, 500 meters off target was then considered a "Perfect Shot". Propaganda has always led us to believe that we, "The Yankees", beat Hitler. But, I have news for you: The US did not win the war against Germany. The Russians won it. The Allied Army of the US, UK, Canada, Belgium and France (and Poland, and other countries), was able to reach Normandy, thanks to the Soviets destroying the Nazis in Stalingrad, Leningrad, in Kurks and in Kiev, in 1943. It took them 289 days but the Russians won and without the help of nobody… OF NOBODY! Normandy was until June 1944, and Mr. “Hollywood” Patton did NOT manage to set foot on Germany until February 1945, when the Red Army was going over Berlin. In Fact, General Patton was able to cross the border into Germany only when the Russians were 150 kilometers from the Oder River (LOL). The Allies were defeated at Arnhem (Market Garden Sep. 25-1944), and at The Battle of the Bulge (Jan. 25-1945). Now, "Operation Varsity" took place near the end of the War (March 1945), and only 85,000 German soldiers fought against almost 700,000 Allied Forces who could NOT cross the Rhine River due to the heroic resistance of an "Army" of 18-year-olds and 50-year-old Reserve Infantry. So, here General Patton was paralyzed without fuel, while the Red Army was preparing for its last offensive into Berlin. Look here: The average age of the German Army that fought in Normandy was between 18 and 24 years old. And these soldiers faced each other in a ratio of 37 to 1, without Tanks, without Artillery, no Navy nor Air Force. To make matters worse, knowing that four Parachute Divisions were inland behind their backs. This was the reason the Allies won in Normandy. Never the less, It took the Allies 8 months to advance only 500 kilometers from Normandy to Arnhem, and from there, start the Withdrawal back to the border of France/Belgium (What?), facing a virtually defeated German Army cuz USSR. It's a Verifiable Fact that is written in all the History Books, that the German High Command surrendered to the Russian Generals six days BEFORE the first US soldier set foot in Berlin.

[@Tbone1492]

Thanks for Sams dad. They must have known they were coming then. Even worse!

[@glennj6465]

Wow War is one thing but this is a tragedy 😢

[@user-hv7kt9zc3m]

Did you say we had to buy the tank wow they still take us for mug's today didnt realise they been doing it for years

[@alanmcmillan6969]

A tragic mission failurè, that had far reacching consequences for the survivors. But the Cold war started, and moral was important for the country. My opinion.

[@thesausagecontinuim1971]

o7

[@salvadorvizcarra769]

From Dunkirk, at the beginning of World War II, to Normandy, almost at the end, the Allied Armies did not put a single soldier in Germany. Not a single one. The participation of the Allied Forces in Europe was limited to Aerial Bombing. These actions received a lot of publicity to make us believe that the Aerial Bombings were winning the war. But, there is a very long list of Bombing cities by “Mistake”. The bombing of Nijmegen in the Netherlands (February 1944), it occurred when US bombers returning from a failed mission, as occurred in most cases, were looking for "Optional" targets. Nearly 1,000 Dutch civilians were killed by the bombing. It is proven fact that Aerial Bombardment does NOT win wars, unless it’s Atomic. Aerial Bomb't can destroy cities but does NOT destroy armies. If there is any doubt, then Nazi Germany would have defeated England, after nearly a year of bombing, or the US would have won in Korea, Vietnam or Afghanistan. In fact, it wasn't until 1949-50 that Precision Instruments were available for aerial bombardment. Until then, if a bomber hit within 300 or 400 meters of the target, it was considered a "Bullseyes". In night bombing raids, 500 meters off target was then considered a "Perfect Shot". Propaganda has always led us to believe that we, "The Yankees", beat Hitler. But, I have news for you: The US did not win the war against Germany. The Russians won it. The Allied Army of the US, UK, Canada, Belgium and France (and Poland, and other countries), was able to reach Normandy, thanks to the Soviets destroying the Nazis in Stalingrad, Leningrad, in Kurks and in Kiev, in 1943. It took them 289 days but the Russians won and without the help of nobody… OF NOBODY! Normandy was until June 1944, and Mr. “Hollywood” Patton did NOT manage to set foot on Germany until February 1945, when the Red Army was going over Berlin. In Fact, General Patton was able to cross the border into Germany only when the Russians were 150 kilometers from the Oder River (LOL). The Allies were defeated at Arnhem (Market Garden Sep. 25-1944), and at The Battle of the Bulge (Jan. 25-1945). Now, "Operation Varsity" took place near the end of the War (March 1945), and only 85,000 German soldiers fought against almost 700,000 Allied Forces who could NOT cross the Rhine River due to the heroic resistance of an "Army" of 18-year-olds and 50-year-old Reserve Infantry. So, here General Patton was paralyzed without fuel, while the Red Army was preparing for its last offensive into Berlin. Look here: The average age of the German Army that fought in Normandy was between 18 and 24 years old. And these soldiers faced each other in a ratio of 37 to 1, without Tanks, without Artillery, no Navy nor Air Force. To make matters worse, knowing that four Parachute Divisions were inland behind their backs. This was the reason the Allies won in Normandy. Never the less, It took the Allies 8 months to advance only 500 kilometers from Normandy to Arnhem, and from there, start the Withdrawal back to the border of France/Belgium (What?), facing a virtually defeated German Army cuz USSR. It's a Verifiable Fact that is written in all the History Books, that the German High Command surrendered to the Russian Generals six days BEFORE the first US soldier set foot in Berlin.

[@tubefreakmuva]

Torcross