D-Day 6.6.1944 Page #5

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almost coming to blows.

Orders are to return to port.

They do not take account

of our being attacked.

We cannot afford to lose

more men or boats.

Follow orders and return to port!

Two ships are going down.

There are men in the water!

You will obey these orders, Doyle!

- Stand by to pick up survivors!

- Stand by to pick up survivors.

McCann to Bridge, McCann to Bridge!

They'll freeze to death in that water.

Support'll pick 'em up.

We don't even know if we have any support.

- Sir?

- McCann, there are men in the water.

I want to send a boat out.

I'd like to volunteer, sir.

You do have a choice. You know that?

Yes, Captain. I'd like to go, sir.

- Over there!

- Ramp down.

There was men on fire.

Men whose heads were in one place,

the legs in another place.

He's dead.

Quite a few of the ones that were dead

were friends of mine,

and I had to leave them in the water.

Over there! I think I can see him moving.

Eddie McCann and Lieutenant Doyle's

actions saved the lives of 132 men.

Don't worry, pal. You're gonna be OK.

But their heroism is not enough

to prevent Exercise Tiger

from being a major disaster.

We think some German E-boats

slipped through the destroyer screen.

They sank the two LSTs

and damaged one other.

Casualties?

- 749

- Damn!

How in God's name can we lose two ships

and over 700 men

on a goddamn training exercise?

Our radio operators were working on

a different frequency than the Brits, sir.

And it seems as if the troops hadn't been

shown how to use their life preservers.

- Any captured?

- We don't know, sir.

And the men with security clearance

for "Overlord"?

Are they accounted for?

Yes, sir. Ten.

All dead.

Well...

At least we know they won't talk.

By May 1944, the elite forces are ready,

but their destination remains top secret

and security is paramount.

Training is over chaps...

It was getting near the time now.

I took my platoon out

into the middle of a football field

and told them

what I had just been told by the colonel.

Our target is, of course, a gun battery.

And to put it bluntly, it's lethal.

If we don't put it out of action,

a lot of men will die.

Our second mission is to take a radar

station about a mile from the battery.

Must be in France, then.

Each of us knows his job

and there is no doubt in my mind

that we will do it...

provided we show organisation,

precision and surprise.

And no cock-ups.

Good. Thank you.

Oh, and one more thing.

Special operation tonight, 2100 hours.

- Oh, sir!

- The colonel's orders.

This is the BBC Home Service.

Here is the nine o'clock news

and this is John Snagg speaking.

Carry on, gentlemen.

That's what I call live ammo.

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