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.

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.

The landing of Allied forces on the shores of Normandy on 6 June 1944 was the greatest amphibious invasion in history. Technology and innovation played crucial parts in the D-Day drama – from tank-carrying gliders, swimming tanks and the Mulberry harbours, to radio and radar aids that ensured landing craft arrived on the right beaches and combat aircraft overhead were controlled., This manual describes the development, construction and use of a wide range of innovative machines, structures and systems, explaining their uses on D-Day and after, and revealing how they contributed to the success of 'Overlord'., To mark the 75th anniversary of D-Day on 6 June 2019, 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., Foreword by Major General Stewart Watson CBE, Sherman DD tank commander with 13th/18th Royal Hussars on D-Day., Author: Jonathan Falconer is the author of more than 35 books on aspects of aviation and military history. He was commissioning editor of the 14-volume 'Battle Zone Normandy' series in 2004 for Sutton Publishing. He is now a senior commissioning editor with Haynes. He lives in Wiltshire.