Knowledge

Operation Postage Able

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before becoming submerged, much more detailed information on the target beaches and their approaches was required. Local conditions such as the composition of the beaches, hidden underwater banks, German defensive obstacles, depth of water, tidal conditions etc. would all be taken into account in the
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planned to spend four days off the French coast. Commanded by Lt K.R. Hudspeth DSC* RANVR and Sub. Lt. B. Enzer RNVR, with the COPP (Combined Ops Pilotage Party) comprising Lt. Cdr. Nigel Willmott DSO DSC RN, and the same divers, Major Scott-Bowden and Sergeant Ogden-Smith.
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swam to the beaches. Collecting samples at designated points, they were careful not to leave behind evidence of their visit, and returned to England the next morning.
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Aerial photographs helped identify likely locations but, to obtain more detailed views, the Government asked the
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However, as it was known that the beaches were in parts underpinned by ancient forests which had turned into
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would approach the beach, and the divers would swim ashore to take soil samples, collected this time in
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tablets) and the worsening weather caused Hudspeth to shorten the operation, returning to
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The allies built two scale models of the landing beaches, one held by the
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Naval battles and operations of World War II involving the United Kingdom
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of the shoreline and echo-soundings were performed. Each night,
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The divers went ashore on two nights to survey the beaches at
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As a result of the operation, Hudspeth received a bar to his
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information about the beaches and coastal towns along the
47: 870:. On the third night, they were due to go ashore off the 756: 912:, and a duplicate in the Prime Minister's room in the 977: 803:craft, they moved closer to shore where Major 33: 40: 26: 727: 823: 763:of unspecified coastal areas of France. 978: 783:1943/4, under the leadership of Major 759:to appeal for holiday photographs and 21: 13: 774: 736:was in part dependent on detailed 14: 1002: 959: 164:Caen canal and Orne river bridges 831:X-class submarine, the type used 949:"COPP Heroes of Hayling Island" 102:Taxable, Glimmer & Big Drum 941: 1: 934: 744:coast. British experience of 713:operation in preparation for 969:at British Submarines of WW2 866:in what became the American 7: 899: 894:Distinguished Service Cross 10: 1007: 771:planning of the project. 109:Combined Bomber Offensive 61: 910:Metropole Hotel, London 720:the Allied invasion of 967:Operation Postage Able 832: 728:Intelligence gathering 703:Operation Postage Able 571:Air and Sea operations 364:Anglo-Canadian Sector 243:Anglo-Canadian Sector 827: 801:hydrographical survey 603:Supporting operations 889:on 21 January 1944. 835:During the daytime, 814:On 16 January 1944, 799:. Transferring to a 791:, a unit set out in 55:(Battle of Normandy) 908:in room 474 of the 793:motor torpedo boats 986:Operation Overlord 864:Colleville-sur-Mer 860:Moulins St Laurent 833: 805:Logan Scott-Bowden 785:Logan Scott-Bowden 724:-occupied Europe. 398:Normandy massacres 287:Operation Chastity 51:Operation Overlord 914:Cabinet War Rooms 856:Vierville-sur-Mer 809:Bruce Ogden-Smith 761:picture postcards 738:topographical map 707:X-class submarine 699: 698: 555:Mantes-Gassicourt 219:Normandy landings 998: 953: 952: 945: 923:, just north of 330:La Haye-du-Puits 315:American Sector 223:American Sector 169:Merville Battery 149:Airborne assault 56: 52: 42: 35: 28: 19: 18: 1006: 1005: 1001: 1000: 999: 997: 996: 995: 976: 975: 962: 957: 956: 947: 946: 942: 937: 902: 789:Royal Engineers 777: 775:Pilot operation 750:First World War 732:The success of 730: 700: 695: 682: 469:Verrières Ridge 391:Le Mesnil-Patry 314: 312:Ground campaign 222: 185:American Sector 152:British Sector 151: 57: 54: 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south west 926: 922: 917: 915: 911: 907: 897: 895: 890: 888: 887: 881: 877: 873: 869: 865: 861: 857: 852: 850: 846: 842: 838: 830: 826: 822: 819: 818: 812: 810: 806: 802: 798: 794: 790: 786: 782: 772: 769: 764: 762: 758: 753: 751: 747: 743: 739: 735: 725: 723: 719: 717: 712: 708: 704: 692: 689: 688: 687: 686: 679: 678: 674: 670: 668: 667: 663: 661: 660: 656: 654: 653: 649: 647: 646: 642: 640: 639: 635: 633: 632: 628: 626: 625: 621: 619: 618: 614: 612: 611: 607: 606: 605: 604: 598: 595: 593: 590: 588: 585: 583: 580: 578: 575: 574: 573: 572: 566: 563: 561: 558: 556: 553: 551: 548: 546: 543: 541: 538: 536: 533: 531: 528: 526: 525: 521: 519: 518: 514: 510: 507: 506: 505: 504: 500: 498: 497: 493: 491: 490: 486: 484: 483: 479: 478: 477: 476: 470: 467: 465: 464: 460: 458: 457: 453: 451: 448: 446: 445: 441: 439: 438: 434: 432: 431: 427: 425: 424: 420: 418: 417: 413: 411: 408: 404: 403:Ardenne Abbey 401: 400: 399: 396: 392: 389: 387: 384: 383: 382: 381: 377: 375: 372: 370: 367: 366: 365: 358: 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183: 182: 176: 157: 148: 147: 131: 125:Postage Able 124: 123: 95: 88: 81: 74: 63: 15: 797:Luc-sur-Mer 645:Houndsworth 565:La Rochelle 980:Categories 935:References 880:benzedrine 795:to survey 711:Royal Navy 691:Cemeteries 545:Saint-Malo 114:Pointblank 925:Stranraer 921:Cairnryan 884:HMS  874:Estuary ( 837:periscope 768:peat bogs 746:Galipolli 685:Aftermath 638:Bulbasket 587:Cherbourg 524:Tractable 437:Charnwood 352:Cherbourg 276:Logistics 82:Fortitude 75:Bodyguard 929:Scotland 900:Outcomes 807:and Sgt 734:Overlord 716:Overlord 659:Jedburgh 582:La Caine 535:Chambois 530:Hill 262 509:Hill 140 503:Totalize 496:Bluecoat 475:Breakout 463:Goodwood 456:Atlantic 450:2nd Odon 374:Bréville 340:Carentan 335:Saint-Lô 325:Graignes 299:Mulberry 282:American 132:Tarbrush 89:Zeppelin 886:Dolphin 849:condoms 839:-level 787:of the 748:in the 709:-based 705:was an 673:Wallace 666:Dragoon 624:Titanic 617:Samwest 610:Dingson 540:Falaise 517:Lüttich 444:Jupiter 430:Windsor 416:Martlet 410:Douvres 345:Hill 30 294:British 207:Detroit 202:Chicago 177:Mallard 96:Titanic 64:Prelude 742:French 675:& 652:Loyton 631:Cooney 577:Ushant 489:Spring 249:Gambit 212:Elmira 197:Boston 192:Albany 143:Fabius 876:Sword 868:Omaha 677:Hardy 560:Paris 550:Brest 482:Cobra 423:Epsom 380:Perch 357:Naval 304:Pluto 255:Sword 228:Omaha 158:Tonga 138:Tiger 872:Orne 862:and 722:Nazi 369:Caen 265:Gold 260:Juno 233:Utah 919:At 845:X20 829:X25 817:X20 779:On 757:BBC 982:: 916:. 896:. 858:, 851:. 951:. 718:, 41:e 34:t 27:v

Index

v
t
e
Operation Overlord
Atlantic Wall
Bodyguard
Fortitude
Zeppelin
Titanic
Taxable, Glimmer & Big Drum
Combined Bomber Offensive
Pointblank
Transport Plan
Postage Able
Tarbrush
Tiger
Fabius
Tonga
Caen canal and Orne river bridges
Merville Battery
Mallard
American Sector
Albany
Boston
Chicago
Detroit
Elmira
Normandy landings
Omaha
Utah

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