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Normandy: the Sailors' Story: A Naval History of D-Day and the Battle for France
The first account of the Allied navies’ vital contribution to the success of the D-Day landings and the Normandy campaign
The Allied liberation of Nazi-occupied Europe is one of the most widely recognised events of modern history. The assault phase, Operation Neptune, began with the D-Day landings in Normandy—one of the most complex amphibious operations in history, involving 7,000 ships and nearly 200,000 men. But despite this immense effort, the wider naval campaign has been broadly forgotten.
Nick Hewitt draws on fascinating new material to describe the violent sea battle which mirrored the fighting on land, and the complex campaign at sea which enabled the Allied assault. Aboard ships ranging from frail plywood landing craft to sleek destroyers, sailors were active combatants in the operation of June 1944, and had worked tirelessly to secure the Seine Bay in the months preceding it. They fought battles against German submarines, aircraft, and warships, and maintained careful watch to keep control of the English Channel.
Hewitt recounts these sailors’ stories for the first time—and shows how, without their efforts, D-Day would have failed.
The Allied liberation of Nazi-occupied Europe is one of the most widely recognised events of modern history. The assault phase, Operation Neptune, began with the D-Day landings in Normandy—one of the most complex amphibious operations in history, involving 7,000 ships and nearly 200,000 men. But despite this immense effort, the wider naval campaign has been broadly forgotten.
Nick Hewitt draws on fascinating new material to describe the violent sea battle which mirrored the fighting on land, and the complex campaign at sea which enabled the Allied assault. Aboard ships ranging from frail plywood landing craft to sleek destroyers, sailors were active combatants in the operation of June 1944, and had worked tirelessly to secure the Seine Bay in the months preceding it. They fought battles against German submarines, aircraft, and warships, and maintained careful watch to keep control of the English Channel.
Hewitt recounts these sailors’ stories for the first time—and shows how, without their efforts, D-Day would have failed.
- GenresHistoryWorld War II
464 pages, Hardcover
First published May 14, 2024
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
July 1, 2024
The Longest Day, Saving Private Ryan, Band of Brothers - in literature and film the story of D-Day tends to start when the landing craft ramp drops or the jump light flares green. Hewitt looks at it from a different angle. He describes the Battle of the Seine Bay as the second most important naval campaign in the west, after the Battle of the Atlantic. He notionally defines it as running from the 1943 decision to land in Normandy to the fall of Le Havre on 12 September 1944.
Throughout the period the German defenders used destroyers, torpedo boats, submarines, coastal artillery, aircraft, mines and ultimately the desperate 'small battle units' against increasing odds to deter and then disrupt the approaching storm. Once it broke, as Hewitt points out, a single transport sunk could cost the Allies equipment and more importantly personnel equivalent to weeks of combat losses.
Overall it went well, which obscures the fact that it was not cost-free. During Operation Neptune alone the British Naval Staff History cites 917 ships and smaller craft lost or damaged (out of some 7,000 taking part). This was a significant percentage in its own right, not least because it represented a similar number of craft unavailable for the follow-up.
Hewitt covers each aspect of the operation in detail, from establishing control of the Channel and beach reconnaissance to logistic organisation and a separate look at each beach. The Mulberry Harbours and Pluto pipeline are covered as is the defence of the beaches up to the final withdrawal of Kriegsmarine forces from the Channel and Biscay ports. His tribute to the work of RN beachmasters' organisation reminded me of a comment in one of my father's letters home: 'The atmosphere was very hearty and congenial, as Vic Boyes remarked, even the MPs were smiling at us. '
Mines were perhaps the greatest danger, with continuous laying and novel influence mines occasionally defeating even the most strenuous sweeping efforts. Never mind the danger to the poor sweepers! One novel countermeasure not mentioned was the use of army gun laying radar from 112 and 146 Heavy AA Regiments to track minelaying aircraft off Arromanches and Port-en-Bessin. The sets were accurate enough to spot the fall of mines and direct navy minesweepers to the appropriate track (History of the Royal Regiment of Artillery: Anti-Aircraft Artillery P.313).
This book is a valuable addition to the literature on the subject. Opinions will vary on some of Hewitt's arguments - I have heard differing views on the value of shore bombardment and the reasons for the loss of the American Mulberry, for example. A few (very few) typos have squeezed past the editors ('let he who is without sin cast the first stone'). There is a useful plate section in the middle, comprehensive notes, bibliography and index.
So, definitely a four-star keeper then.
Throughout the period the German defenders used destroyers, torpedo boats, submarines, coastal artillery, aircraft, mines and ultimately the desperate 'small battle units' against increasing odds to deter and then disrupt the approaching storm. Once it broke, as Hewitt points out, a single transport sunk could cost the Allies equipment and more importantly personnel equivalent to weeks of combat losses.
Overall it went well, which obscures the fact that it was not cost-free. During Operation Neptune alone the British Naval Staff History cites 917 ships and smaller craft lost or damaged (out of some 7,000 taking part). This was a significant percentage in its own right, not least because it represented a similar number of craft unavailable for the follow-up.
Hewitt covers each aspect of the operation in detail, from establishing control of the Channel and beach reconnaissance to logistic organisation and a separate look at each beach. The Mulberry Harbours and Pluto pipeline are covered as is the defence of the beaches up to the final withdrawal of Kriegsmarine forces from the Channel and Biscay ports. His tribute to the work of RN beachmasters' organisation reminded me of a comment in one of my father's letters home: 'The atmosphere was very hearty and congenial, as Vic Boyes remarked, even the MPs were smiling at us. '
Mines were perhaps the greatest danger, with continuous laying and novel influence mines occasionally defeating even the most strenuous sweeping efforts. Never mind the danger to the poor sweepers! One novel countermeasure not mentioned was the use of army gun laying radar from 112 and 146 Heavy AA Regiments to track minelaying aircraft off Arromanches and Port-en-Bessin. The sets were accurate enough to spot the fall of mines and direct navy minesweepers to the appropriate track (History of the Royal Regiment of Artillery: Anti-Aircraft Artillery P.313).
This book is a valuable addition to the literature on the subject. Opinions will vary on some of Hewitt's arguments - I have heard differing views on the value of shore bombardment and the reasons for the loss of the American Mulberry, for example. A few (very few) typos have squeezed past the editors ('let he who is without sin cast the first stone'). There is a useful plate section in the middle, comprehensive notes, bibliography and index.
So, definitely a four-star keeper then.
May 18, 2024
Impeccably researched and written, this book shines fresh light on the heroic actions by sailors of all nationalities during the battle to establish a foothold on the European mainland. A must read for all those who wish to understand NEPTUNE and all that went on during those hard, few months.
May 19, 2025
I just finished the audio book, so I’ll open with some comments on the audio.
It’s very nicely read, in an accent that I imagine would have been heard in every wardroom.
Remarkably I think the reader is an American, but the accent is faultless. However words like bouy and locations such as Dungeness and Beaulieu trip him up poor chap.
Still he has an insouciant tone of sang froid that was entirely appropriate when reading diaries and admiralty reports, so 8.5/10.
To the book itself. Firstly what a brilliant subject- considering that the worlds largest amphibious operation ever was by definition partly naval its a) astonishing there isn’t more published history on the subject, and b) an absolutely ripping yarn! There’s so much to say!
That latter point is a challenge in itself, how on earth to structure a book covering so much? Nick does this brilliantly. It’s in 3 parts really- prep, assault, buildup/follow up. That gets you so far, but then what?
Prep- potentially dull admin but not here- a superb strategic context setting, mind blowing exploration of the logistical scale of the prep, fascinating intel and deception aspects, and then a deeply engaging look at training, with great quotes from diaries letters and interviews.
And this bears noting- these personal reflections really draw you in, make it real. The scale can be numbing, but just on the eve of invasion Nick makes it intimate, human, real. Brilliantly done.
So to the assault- well, there’s a lot happening, but it’s neatly done, without losing the feeling of barely managed chaos. We’re well used now to the different character of the beaches from the shoreline south, but what’s remarkable here is the difference out to sea. Characters, ships, events!
Somehow we get a narrative chronology for each beach and also keep the depth, which is really important excellent. We get the personal and the macro and all in between.
Side bar- on the 6th of June the land battle is a thin strip of coast, the sea battle is fought across 100 miles of channel. And the battle against the weather at sea was profound- the weather is really a character itself in this book!
Sorry this is getting a bit long. Anyway, the final bit- if anything the highlight of the book- the incredible efforts of the ferry crews, the mind bending slog of the LCTs back and forth, the horror of casevac, and the relentless fury of the German defence, it’s just stunning.
Nick states the casualties honestly, ‘matter of factly’, never callously. It’s appalling. Every day it seems there are tragedies, horrors, terrible accidents or attacks. Weather, e-boats, u-boats, k-verband, air attacks, and mines. The randomness of when, what the casualties might be, it appalls.
Another point about this last section of the book is that this is a very large battle, with simultaneous overlapping efforts and events and engagements. The semi thematic, semi chronological approach Nick takes to structure this works very well indeed.
So yes, an excellent book that I enjoyed immensely- I hope this view on the Normandy adventure gets looked at in depth on @almurray.bsky.social ‘s excellent podcast- I know @seaspitfires.com has been on there (his award beach is awesome too!) but maybe they should get @nickhewitt4.bsky.social
It’s very nicely read, in an accent that I imagine would have been heard in every wardroom.
Remarkably I think the reader is an American, but the accent is faultless. However words like bouy and locations such as Dungeness and Beaulieu trip him up poor chap.
Still he has an insouciant tone of sang froid that was entirely appropriate when reading diaries and admiralty reports, so 8.5/10.
To the book itself. Firstly what a brilliant subject- considering that the worlds largest amphibious operation ever was by definition partly naval its a) astonishing there isn’t more published history on the subject, and b) an absolutely ripping yarn! There’s so much to say!
That latter point is a challenge in itself, how on earth to structure a book covering so much? Nick does this brilliantly. It’s in 3 parts really- prep, assault, buildup/follow up. That gets you so far, but then what?
Prep- potentially dull admin but not here- a superb strategic context setting, mind blowing exploration of the logistical scale of the prep, fascinating intel and deception aspects, and then a deeply engaging look at training, with great quotes from diaries letters and interviews.
And this bears noting- these personal reflections really draw you in, make it real. The scale can be numbing, but just on the eve of invasion Nick makes it intimate, human, real. Brilliantly done.
So to the assault- well, there’s a lot happening, but it’s neatly done, without losing the feeling of barely managed chaos. We’re well used now to the different character of the beaches from the shoreline south, but what’s remarkable here is the difference out to sea. Characters, ships, events!
Somehow we get a narrative chronology for each beach and also keep the depth, which is really important excellent. We get the personal and the macro and all in between.
Side bar- on the 6th of June the land battle is a thin strip of coast, the sea battle is fought across 100 miles of channel. And the battle against the weather at sea was profound- the weather is really a character itself in this book!
Sorry this is getting a bit long. Anyway, the final bit- if anything the highlight of the book- the incredible efforts of the ferry crews, the mind bending slog of the LCTs back and forth, the horror of casevac, and the relentless fury of the German defence, it’s just stunning.
Nick states the casualties honestly, ‘matter of factly’, never callously. It’s appalling. Every day it seems there are tragedies, horrors, terrible accidents or attacks. Weather, e-boats, u-boats, k-verband, air attacks, and mines. The randomness of when, what the casualties might be, it appalls.
Another point about this last section of the book is that this is a very large battle, with simultaneous overlapping efforts and events and engagements. The semi thematic, semi chronological approach Nick takes to structure this works very well indeed.
So yes, an excellent book that I enjoyed immensely- I hope this view on the Normandy adventure gets looked at in depth on @almurray.bsky.social ‘s excellent podcast- I know @seaspitfires.com has been on there (his award beach is awesome too!) but maybe they should get @nickhewitt4.bsky.social
July 30, 2024
Normandy: The Sailor’s story does a superlative job of guiding readers through the build-up and planning for, execution of and aftermath of the D-Day landings on 6 Jun 1944. The author has a superb understanding of why the Battle of the Seine Bay mattered, and explains it well, covering off a wide range of topics including planning, intelligence, shipbuilding, recruiting and training, and of course the actual struggle for control of the waters off Normandy.
While the book demonstrates a robust understanding of the technical matters influencing events, one of its many strengths is a focus on the people involved, with many excerpts and personal anecdotes sprinkled through the book.
The quality of writing is very high, and the argument and language flows naturally – it’s a joy to read. I can’t recall seeing any issues of grammar, and the only editing slips – all minor – related to accuracy of ranks, and in a couple of minor cases inconsistency of the spelling of surnames. It’s nothing material in the context of the story being told.
As well as the text there are 31 expertly-chosen photographs contained in a plates section in the centre of the book, with extensive and informative captions. There are also 9 maps, 2 diagrams (one of the naval command structure for Operation Neptune and one providing a visual guide to the location of different types of ships during the assault) and a table showing the size of the build-up after 6 Jun 1944. This is supported by a robust 7-page glossary (very good although not perfect - it did fail me once), extensive notes (primarily sourcing, although with some supplementary information), detailed 19-page bibliography and a thorough 22-page index. In short, it’s the complete package.
All up, it’s a very easy recommendation for anyone interested in the Second World War (particularly at sea) or naval history, with that strengthened by whatever degree of specific interest is in the Battle of the Seine Bay. If I were asked, I’d include this in at least the top 20 books to read to understand the Second World War at sea, and quite likely the top 10.
While the book demonstrates a robust understanding of the technical matters influencing events, one of its many strengths is a focus on the people involved, with many excerpts and personal anecdotes sprinkled through the book.
The quality of writing is very high, and the argument and language flows naturally – it’s a joy to read. I can’t recall seeing any issues of grammar, and the only editing slips – all minor – related to accuracy of ranks, and in a couple of minor cases inconsistency of the spelling of surnames. It’s nothing material in the context of the story being told.
As well as the text there are 31 expertly-chosen photographs contained in a plates section in the centre of the book, with extensive and informative captions. There are also 9 maps, 2 diagrams (one of the naval command structure for Operation Neptune and one providing a visual guide to the location of different types of ships during the assault) and a table showing the size of the build-up after 6 Jun 1944. This is supported by a robust 7-page glossary (very good although not perfect - it did fail me once), extensive notes (primarily sourcing, although with some supplementary information), detailed 19-page bibliography and a thorough 22-page index. In short, it’s the complete package.
All up, it’s a very easy recommendation for anyone interested in the Second World War (particularly at sea) or naval history, with that strengthened by whatever degree of specific interest is in the Battle of the Seine Bay. If I were asked, I’d include this in at least the top 20 books to read to understand the Second World War at sea, and quite likely the top 10.
September 2, 2024
Fascinating.
In its introduction the book posits that the role of the Naval forces up to/during/after 6th June 1944 often takes secondary place or is completely overlooked when discussing/describing the D-day landings.
This book concentrates on the war in and around the coastal landings in superb detail and with excellent explanations.
Excellent.
In its introduction the book posits that the role of the Naval forces up to/during/after 6th June 1944 often takes secondary place or is completely overlooked when discussing/describing the D-day landings.
This book concentrates on the war in and around the coastal landings in superb detail and with excellent explanations.
Excellent.
July 1, 2025
Great book. Really shines light on the often glossed over Naval side of the Normandy invasion. He focuses more on events and less on the logic behind the decisions. That is not a note on a weakness, just how it is organized.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews