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Originally posted by AngryCymraeg
reply to post by HelenConway
As far as I can discover so far the live firing was confined to the shelling from HMS Hawkins. Which was a cruiser, not a battleship.
The Pentagon has long suppressed the details yet accounts from those present that day show that, as the GIs swarmed ashore, they were scythed down by other US soldiers who had assumed the role, for the exercise, of German defenders. One observer on a nearby vantage point recalled seeing "infantrymen on the beach fall down and remain motionless".
A British observer from the Royal Engineers watched in horror as soldiers streamed from their landing craft and were "mown down like ninepins". He said: "We later found out it was a mistake. They should have been using dummy ammunition but they just carried on shooting."
There has never been any official mention in US army records of bodies ever being found on Slapton Sands and nor has the Pentagon ever commented about there being a friendly fire disaster in the area during the spring of 1944.
Originally posted by nake13
reply to post by HelenConway
I would be sceptical of claims that it was covered up for 40 years,it was certainly covered up at the time,both to prevent the Germans putting two and two together and realising this was the invasion preparation exercise and also it was witheld from the majority of allied troops slated to take part in Overlord,however,it was a great tragedy that could have been prevented had the Royal Navy provided more suitable escort vessels(i.e MTB's) as the E Boat threat was well recognised by the Navy at that time.
Originally posted by billy82269
This story is not only fishy, it is technically impossible. Semi and full auto weapons must be set up to fire blanks in order to function properly. The 1919 browning machine gun and M2 .50 cal. which were what the US used in WWII needed 2 parts changed, one of which would not have even allowed a live round to chamber due to length of the live cartridge. As for the M1 Garand, it needs a blank adapter stuck in the end of the barrel in order to create pressure in the gas system that the bullet would usually create. If a live round were fired it would likely blow up the rifle or at least bend the op rod and render it no longer functional. For this to have happened, the weapons would have had to be set up to fire live rounds and then live rounds issued. I cannot see that being a mistake.
Originally posted by AngryCymraeg
reply to post by HelenConway
Yes, but I'm very, very leery of the Daily Express. It used to be a good paper about 40-odd years ago, but it's now only good for kindling. I'm a former journalist and my father, who also used to be a journalist, absolutely loathes it.
Originally posted by HelenConway
Originally posted by AngryCymraeg
reply to post by HelenConway
Yes, but I'm very, very leery of the Daily Express. It used to be a good paper about 40-odd years ago, but it's now only good for kindling. I'm a former journalist and my father, who also used to be a journalist, absolutely loathes it.
there was an observer article also and one from the guardian plus other sources.
Let me do some digging again and I will get back to you tomorrow.