The Assault Begins

The beach we are to land on is beach #259, a beach on the Baie de Cavalaire on the south side of the St. Tropez peninsula. According to intelligence, the beach is lined with barbed wire and concrete tetrahedrons and is mined. It's defenses include 16 pillboxes, at least 13 machine guns, 1 field and 3 coastal defense guns, 2 casements and 8 anti-aircraft guns. The shallow water area is also mined with spider mines, mines with long wire tentacles which get wound around a ship's propeller causing the mine to detonate.

 

We are to approach the beach in columns of 6

 

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shift to a V formation when we approach the control ships X and Y

 

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and hit the beach simultaneously 

 

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August 13   At anchor off Salerno awaiting the order to get underway.

 

August 14  Sailed through the Strait of Bonafacio to Ajaccio, Corsica.