List of Allied warships in the Normandy landings

This is a list of warships which took part in the Normandy landings on June 6, 1944.

Battleships

Seven battleships took part: four British and three US:

In addition HMS Nelson (Nelson class main armament: nine 16-inch guns) was held in reserve until June 10.

Heavy cruisers

Five heavy cruisers (main guns of 8 inches) took part, three from the United States and two from Britain, HMS Hawkins had her original armament of seven 7.5-inch guns while HMS Frobisher's main gun armament had been reduced from seven to five single-mounted 7.5-inch guns.

Light cruisers

17 British light cruisers took part along with two of the Free French navy, and one of the Polish navy. All carried either 6- or 5.25-inch guns of varying numbers.

Destroyers and escorts

139 ships (eighty-five British and Dominion, 40 US, 10 Free French and 7 other Allied):

Monitors

Troop transports

Other warships

508 ships (352 British, 154 US and 2 other Allied):

  • HMS Bulolo, Landing Ship Headquarters (LSH) for Gold Beach carrying tri-service commanders and staff
  • HMS Centurion, old battleship sunk as a blockship to form part of "Gooseberry" breakwater of the Mulberry harbour on Sword beach
  • Courbet, Free Naval French Forces, former battleship, sunk as a blockship in "Gooseberry" breakwater on Sword beach
  • Forbin, Free Naval French Forces, patrol boat, sunk as a artificial dike in "Arromanches"on Gold Beach
  • HMCS Cowichan, Canadian minesweeper
  • HMS Dacres, Captain class frigate converted to act as a headquarters ship
  • HMS Durban (light cruiser used as a blockship in "Gooseberry" breakwater)
  • HNLMS Flores, Dutch gunboat
  • HMS Hilary, H.Q. ship for Juno Beach carrying tri-service commanders and staff
  • HMS Kingsmill, Captain class frigate converted to act as a headquarters ship
  • HMS Largs, H.Q. ship for Sword Beach carrying tri-service commanders and staff
  • HNLMS Soemba, Dutch gunboat
  • HMS Lawford, Captain class frigate converted to act as a headquarters ship (bombed and sunk)
  • HNoMS Nordkapp, Norwegian patrol boat
  • HNLMS Sumatra (Dutch, decommissioned due to crew shortages and losing her guns to HNLMS Flores and Soemba, used as blockship in "Gooseberry" breakwater)

The British 9th and 159th minesweeping flotillas and U.S. 7th Minesweeping Squadron provided minesweeping protection.

A distant anti-submarine screen to the operation was provided by HMS Onslow, Offa, Onslaught, Oribi, Melbreak and Brissenden. Additional protection from E-boats was provided by Motor Gun Boat flotillas.

Support

See also

Notes and references
  1. Investigations indicate that the Svenner may have been hit by an early version of a German anti-shipping missile (possibly a Fritz X), instead of the more usual attribution of a torpedo from the German large torpedo boast Jaguar or Mowe or T28 based at Le Havre. There have also been reports of German bombers releasing long, torpedo-like bombs, but from a very long distance, no way near firing-range. The most likely, though, is that it was hit by a torpedo, but accounts point in either direction.
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