D-Day’s success had its beginnings in a deadly debacle at sea

Good op-ed in today’s FLS, and one that has meaning in our time concerning the war on terror:

Slapton Sands, while a disaster, did teach the Allies lessons. It reinforced the understanding that the Germans could strike at will, and that proper escorts for our landing ships were necessary. As a result, added plans for naval escorts and air cover to protect the D-Day Armada were drawn.

Perhaps Slapton Sands should have a larger place in D-Day history. War is about miscalculations, surprises, and terrible losses when they are least expected.

Yet this loss did not deter us. Instead of recoiling, we learned from it, and a little more than a month later, the Allies launched the most successful and history-making of all amphibious landings.