LCA 779 "AX" 537 Assault Flotilla, HMS Empire Battleaxe, Assault Group "S"

LCA779 AX 537 Assault Flotilla HMS Empire Battleaxe Assault Group "S" beached Merville-Franceville-Plage probably after the storm, post war aerial by U.S. Air Force June 1945




Bundesarchiv


Caen Archive


WWII Collection (U.S.)

 

From another angle, showing her Serial 162 and the shoreline in the background:


The craft on the aerial photo is however not an LCA. It looks more like landing barge. See the rounded ends:


Michel

 

Similar type, different place:


Apparently a Landing Barge, Vehicle (Mark 1) (dumb):




Michel

 

Good stuff Michel!

 

LCP(L) 'G' Mouth of Orne River Bateau de la flotte d'invasion échoué sur la plage de Merville. Commune Merville-Franceville-Plage (Calvados)

 

The pendant is quite clear on the B&W pics above, but DannyML posted a still from a film a while ago where it is clearly readable:
LCP(L) Survey

Note that the data sheet attached to the above post has been updated in Danny's next post, which also points out the armour on this craft:
LCP(L) Survey

The following colour pic is credited to KB Wilfried Woscidlo:


LCP(L) 208 is mentioned in ONEAST/G9 – Part II – Orders for Smoke:


Michel

 

Hi,
LCP(L) 208 was lost on the 7th June.
“Approx 2 miles off “S” Force Beach - Damaged and sinking - Bows stove in. Deck damaged”. S/Lt Gosling RNVR.
“The craft swung against two LCT and subsequently foundered”. Marine Jones.

LCP(L) 208, 700 Assault Flotilla, was attached to 708 Assault Flotilla at the time she was lost.

Besides the LCA and LCP(L) there was also an LCM Mk3 on this section of beach. There are one or two photos of it around but I cannot find them at the moment.

A few screen grabs from a German newsreel.


Another view of LCA 779.


In April 2017 the remains of an LCA in this area were found and dug up.



Last year, October 2024, in the same area part of a German “Neger Human Torpedo” was also found.

There are more photos and information online about the remains found.

Regards

Danny

 

The Neger torpedo. About 200 vessels of this type were manufactured in 1944. The first ‘Neger’ vessels entered service in March 1944, however they turned out to be very hazardous for the pilots with around 80 percent killed because when the torpedo started running it often failed to release, carrying craft and pilot towards the target with obvious catastrophic results.