Bibliograph

America's secret D-Day disaster, a TVT Productions for the Smithsonian Network distributed worldwide by Off the Fence BV ; executive producer for TVT Charles Thompson; executive producers for the Smithsonian Channel Charles Poe and David Royle, ; writter director Richard Max

Type

Label

America's secret D-Day disaster, a TVT Productions for the Smithsonian Network distributed worldwide by Off the Fence BV ; executive producer for TVT Charles Thompson; executive producers for the Smithsonian Channel Charles Poe and David Royle, ; writter director Richard Max

Language

eng

Characteristic

videorecording

Main title

America's secret D-Day disaster

Medium

videorecording

Oclc number

967732344

Responsibility statement

a TVT Productions for the Smithsonian Network distributed worldwide by Off the Fence BV ; executive producer for TVT Charles Thompson; executive producers for the Smithsonian Channel Charles Poe and David Royle, ; writter director Richard Max

Runtime

Summary

A documentary by Matt Richards that recalls a catastrophic WWII training exercise that resulted in the loss of hundreds of lives. Allied preparations for the D-Day landings included a mock invasion at Slapton Sands on the south Devon coast on 27 April 1944, complete with shelling of the beach by a British cruiser firing live ammunition. A breakdown in communications meant that American troops landed on the beach as the bombardment was taking place. Even worse, the following day a convoy of troop carriers was attacked by German E-boats. The terrible events of those two days were effectively hushed up and decades would elapse before the horror of Slapton was revealed. Even today, the total number of casualties remains uncertain. Accounts from survivors, top-secret documents, film archive and findings from underwater excavations combine in this moving film to reveal the secrecy and conflicting evidence that persist to this day

Target audience

general

Technique

live action

Classification