"On 6 June 1944, Operation Neptune began. The D-Day landings in Normandy, involving 7,000 ships and nearly 200,000 sailors, formed the largest seaborne invasion in history. Nick Hewitt draws on groundbreaking new material to chart the complex campaign at sea which enabled the Allied assult, and the violent sea battle that mirrored the fighting on land. Aboard ships ranging from frail plywood landing craft to sleek destroyers, sailors were active combatants in the operation, having already worked tirelessly to secure the Seine Bay in the months preceding. They fought battles against German submarines, aircraft, and warships, and maintained careful watch to keep control of the English Channel. But despite this immense effort from the Navy, the wider maritime campaign has been broadly forgotten. Hewitt recounts these sailors' stories for the first time--and shows how, without their actions, D-Day would have failed."--Provided by the publisher.