Military Model Scene

Title: D-Day Fleet 1944 American Sector
Author: Brian Lane Herder
Publisher: Osprey
ISBN: 978-1-4728-6362-1

The US Navy's Western Task Force, number 9 in the Fleet series from Osprey. An 80-page soft-cover book, with artwork by Edouard A. Groult.
A recent addition to the Fleet series of books from Osprey, and covering US commanded Western Task Force part of Operation Neptune, the naval assault element of the wider Operation Overlord, the invasion of NW Europe in 1944. Split into 2 halves, with Sector U, Task Force 125, tackling the landings on Utah, while Sector O, Task Force 124, supported the landings on Omaha Beach. It looks at the various ships that took part, from battleships down to the small landing craft, and their technical factors. They were supporting the American troop landings, though the naval fleet involved Royal Navy, French, Canadian and other allied vessels as well as those from the USA. A huge fleet which needed clear objectives, along with command and control procedures to make it happen according to plan. There are details of the intelligence gathering, and the deception plans that were undertaken to confuse the German high command over where the landings would take place. Britain provided a valuable base to build up the invasion forces, providing a logistical network to support the landings. The largest part of the book then covers the combat and analysis of the invasion period, and how they went, obviously with differing situations between Utah and Omaha beaches. While there was little reaction from the Luftwaffe in D-Day itself, there were many more sorties over the coming days. The major threat came from sea mines, which took a toll amongst the attackers.
The archive photos which are used throughout the book well illustrate the story, and the artwork has not only some battle scenes, but there are also diagrams showing things like the various channels used offshore for the fire support ships, the landing craft assembly area and toutes in to the beaches, along with the formations of the various landing craft types as they completed their approach to the landing beaches themselves. I feel this is an excellent book, explaining a complex operation in a clear and very readable account, all in a good value book.
Thanks to Osprey for the review copy.

Robin