Exercise Fabius

Exercise Fabius was a formal exercise for the Allied Operation Neptune in World War II.[1] The other was Exercise Tiger, which had occurred a week earlier.[2]

Sherman tanks of 50th Division driving ashore from landing craft during Exercise 'Fabius', Hayling Island, 6 May 1944.(IWM H38270)

The exercise was planned to start on 2 May 1944, but bad weather delayed it to the next day.[1] It consisted of six separate exercises:[1]

• Fabius 1: elements of the 1st Infantry Division and 29th Infantry Division (United States) practised amphibious landing at Slapton Sands.[1]
• Fabius 2: elements of the 50th Infantry Division practised landings at Hayling Island.[1]
• Fabius 3: elements of the 3rd Canadian Infantry Division practised landings at Bracklesham Bay.[1]
• Fabius 4: elements of the 3rd Infantry Division and associated units practised landing at Littlehampton.[1]
• Fabius 5 and 6: practice for American and British forces working on buildup of forces and supplies on Allied beaches.[1]

They formed the largest amphibious training exercise of the war.[1] As the final exercise before Operation Neptune, it resembled closely the final operation and no major changes could be made to Operation Neptune.[1][3]

References

1. Yung 2006, p. 153.
2. Yung 2006, p. 152.
3. Yung 2006, p. 154.

Bibliography

• Yung, Christopher (2006). Gators of Neptune : naval amphibious planning for the Normandy invasion. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 978-1-59114-997-2.