The longest day

On the 60th anniversary of the D-Day landings, we focus onthe wrecks left along the Normany coastline. They are darkand shrouded in poor visibility, but these unique photographsreveal their full glory. Words and pictures Claude Rives. ...

The Longest Day Map Claude Rives Empire Broadsword Photo: Claude Rives Mulberry Harbours Photo: Claude Rives M4 Sherman Tank Photo: Claude Rives HMS Lawford Photo: Claude Rives SS Harpagus Photo: Claude Rives USS Susan B Anthony Photo: Claude Rives

On the 60th anniversary of the D-Day landings, we focus onthe wrecks left along the Normany coastline. They are darkand shrouded in poor visibility, but these unique photographsreveal their full glory. Words and pictures Claude Rives. THOUSANDS of vessels were used to transport the 3.5 million troops in the largest ever sea-borne invasion. Today the wreckage of those that failed to return provide a poignant memorial.

The largest-ever assault from sea was launched on the beaches of Normandy on 6 June 1944. The invasion by 3.5 million Allied troops to liberate Europe from Nazi rule covered 40 miles of coastline and involved thousands of warships, merchant ships, assault craft and aircraft. We haven’t seen anything like D-Day, before or since.

German forces under Field Marshal von Rundsteadt presumed the Allies would land near Calais, but the Allies decided that this was too obvious and settled instead on five landing beaches covering a distance of 40 miles in Normandy. Five divisions would attack in the first wave, with four more landing in the following 24 hours.

The Americans landed at beaches lying to the south side of the River Vier estuary, codenamed Omaha and Utah. The British and Canadians landed on the eastern beaches which stretched towards the River Orne estuary. These were codenamed Sword, Juno and Gold.

There are hundreds of wrecks in the approach waters – a maritime museum to rival even Scapa Flow. The positions of many of the wrecks have been marked in a computer programme that is used by fishermen to navigate around them and prevent their nets from getting caught. Sixty years after the conflict, these wrecks are still dangerous: despite extensive mine-clearing operations led by divers after the war, fishermen still regularly trawl up shells, grenades and mines.

The diving is far from straightforward: you have to contend with capricious weather conditions, tidal races and, particularly, bad visibility – I understand it’s not so different on the English side of the Channel! The visibility is a real pain for anyone who wants to make visual records of these wrecks. Plankton blooms in summer can reduce visibility to little more than a few inches, so with my trusty drysuit I visited the wrecks in winter.

Even allowing for the improved visibility in winter, I still had to overcome the lack of natural light, so my team members carried super-powerful lights in order to highlight the fine detail of these magnificent ships.

We captured a unique tribute to this fading fleet.

It has long been a personal passion for leading French underwater photograper Claude Rives to capture the full impact of the D-Days wrecks. Shooting in the clearer water of winter and with a team of support divers using high-powered film lights, he has created a fitting tribute for the 60th anniversary.

Diving the wrecks

Several British liveaboards offer diving in Normandy.
MV Dawn Louise
tel: 07976 252248

Diving the wrecks
Several British liveaboards offer diving in Normandy.

MV Dawn
tel: 07976 252248
email:  This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

MV Maureen
tel: 01803 835449

White Horse
tel: 01305 766458
website: www.whitehorsecharters.co.uk

The Empire Broadsword

This wreck sits at 25m about three miles from the Normandy coast. She was an infantry landing ship which formed part of the first wave of assault on Sword Beach, successfully landing its troops. However, on 2 July 1944, she struck two German mines almost simultaneously while she was manoeuvring in preparation for unloading 110 marines to the north of Omaha Beach. She sank in 30 minutes. Today, divers can admire the wreck’s four-inch anti-aircraft gun, still visible at the back of the wreck. The bridge is also remarkably preserved, with the winch and masts still easily recognisable.

Mulberry Harbours

One of Normandy’s more unusual dives, these prefabricated artificial harbours were among the most daring gambits employed by the Allies. They were designed so that we could quickly create artifical harbours for unloading heavy equipment. They started preparing the structures only six months before the landings. To meet the deadline, 30,000 men and women worked 60-hour weeks to assemble 50,000 tonnes of steel and 600,000 tonnes of concrete. On 6 June 140 tugboats carried the components across the Channel, and they were fully operational by 15 June. Winston Churchill came up with the idea of floating harbours and they were named after the only trees visible from the research lab near Bath where they were developed.

M4 Sherman Tank

Another unusual wreck, this Sherman tank sits on a sandy bottom at 20m, between Juno and Sword beaches near Saint-Aubin. As it is partially covered in sand, it is not possible to determine its registration – we still don’t know if its crew were English or Canadian. Some 55,000 Sherman tanks were produced during the war, including an amphibious version which was made watertight by using a rubber seal. On 6 June many of these were either deployed in a strong swell or too far from the coast, and they were doomed to sink. Such was the fate of this as yet unidentified Sherman tank.

HMS Lawford

This Evarts-class, 90m-long destroyer was built by the US Navy and later given to the British Royal Navy in November 1943. In the months building up to D-Day, it carried out several Atlantic crossings, escorting convoys. During the first days of Operation Overlord [the name given to the military operation], she was used as the command vessel for the landings made by the 7th Canadian Infantry Brigade. On the morning of 8 June, she was targeted by a German plane and, struck by a torpedo, was cut into two pieces. Today the seriously mangled stern section sits at 20m. As an escort ship the Lawford was equipped to hunt submarines, and part of the remains of its sonar system can be found under the hull. It’s also possible to see one of its 100mm guns, still aiming up at a long-departed enemy.

SS Harpagus

This vessel started its life in 1942 as a merchant ship, but was requisitioned and fitted out as an armed cargo liner. From May 1944 it was used as a conveying boat, supporting the landings. On 19 August it struck a mine while carrying equipment for the troops from Southend to Arromanches. The mine exploded just forward of the engine room, breaking the ship in two places. The wreck lies at a depth of 15m, 4km north of Arromanches. It was carrying a varied cargo of troop kit, including machine tools, gears and medical equipment. Some examples can still be seen around the wreck site.

USS Susan B Anthony

One of the most popular of the D-Day dives, the Susan B started off as a steamer and was converted for work as a troop carrier. Renamed in honour of the first American feminist, she carried out many crossings between England and the USA. But on the night of 7 June, she struck a mine while approaching Omaha Beach with 2,288 soldiers on board. As the Susan B lurched to starboard, Commander Gray ordered his troops to mass together on the port side in a bid the stabilise the vessel. While under tow, a fire broke out on board, but all soldiers and crew were able to escape in lifeboats. Today the wreck lies at 26m and is a firm favourite with visiting divers. A highlight of any dive is the anti-aircraft gun, which sits in front of the wreck, the barrel pointing up towards the surface.