Slapton Sands
SLAPTON SANDS: Military ‘airstrip’ or strips
Note: This picture was obtained from Google Earth ©
Military user: US Army Air Force
Location: 5nm E of Kingsbridge
Period of operation: 1943 to 1945 only?
Runways: It appears parts of the beach were mostly used
NOTES: The practise exercises for D-Day, 'Exercise Tiger' in WW2 have since become the sad stuff of legend to some extent. On one occasion the affair was ‘mis-managed’ with no defensive measures being taken, despite warnings, and resulting in a terrible loss of life for many of those involved. A memorial exists to the 946 soldiers and sailors to commemorate this tragic happening. This was a higher death toll than at Utah Beach in Normandy on D-Day!
The exercise during the night, as they sailed from Plymouth, on the 28th April 1944 was attacked by nine German E-boats. It is well worth reading accounts of the blunders and incompetence involved. Quite an eye-opener!
As I have said elsewhere, reading so many accounts, if I was involved in a war, the last people I would want to defend me, would be military forces. But to be fair, they have become a lot better in recent years.
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