US Army World War II
PVT Grady D. Webb MIA/KIA Operation Tiger, April 28, 1944
531st Engineer Shore Regiment
Hometown East Lake Alabama
service#34809198
He is honored with the Purple Heart.
"Exercise Tiger"
Mission Date: 28-Apr-44
LST-531 laid down on 22 September 1943 at Evansville, Ind., by the Missouri Valley Bridge & Iron Co.; launched on 24 November 1943; sponsored by Mrs. Marion Yoder; and commissioned on 17 January 1944
Location: Slapton Sands on the Devon
Cause: German E-Boat attack
Commanded by Lt. William D. Bradley, USNR
PVT Webb appears Tablets of the Missing Cambridge American Cemetery and Memorial lost April 28th 1944. This memorial is a cenotaph body was never recovered.
One of several assault rehearsals for D Day conducted at Slapton Sands on the Devon coast. So vital was the exercise that the commanders had ordered the use of live naval and artillery ammunition to make the exercise as real as possible to accustom the soldiers to what they were soon going to experience.
The exercise was conducted between 22nd and 30th April 1944 and commenced with the marshalling and embarking of the troops to the LST's (a landing ship tank is a flat bottomed four and a half thousand tons assault ship capable of carrying several hundred men, lorries and tanks) off the coast of south west England. The first assault landings were made on the morning of the 27th April, following the "bombardment" and was continued throughout the day. A follow up convoy of eight LST was expected later that night and it was this convoy which met with tragedy.
The convoy was moving at a speed of 5 knots in a single row, keeping a distance of about 400 yards and stayed in the order LST 515, 496, 511, 531, 58, 499,289 and 507.
On the night of 27th of April, few minutes after 10 pm a group of nine German E-Boats set out on a normal reconnaissance mission from their base in Cherbourg into the Lyme Bay area. They followed the usual channel route without any sign of a convoy or 'enemy' ships. As they headed towards the Lyme Bay area, they suddenly came in visual contact with the LST convoy. Since they could not see any naval escorts, they quickly positioned themselves for a torpedo attack.
As the convoy approached Lyme Bay it was manoeuvring a loop to head back towards the shore. It was here that the E-Boats made contact and opened fire. at as the davits jammed. Presumably, that remains trapped under the bow of LST 507.Both vessels were hit midships igniting the petrol vapour and causing the vessels to eventually jackknife and sink. On board one of the LST's were a party code-named " Bigots ". They knew the full plan for D. Day. Later Landing craft tanks ( LCT's ) were employed with bow ramps down to scoop up bodies. The fear was that a " Bigot " had been captured and D. Day would have to be aborted.
Visit the virtual cemetery of the soldiers lost in Exercise Tiger " Click Here "
PVT Grady D. Webb MIA/KIA Operation Tiger, April 28, 1944
531st Engineer Shore Regiment
Hometown East Lake Alabama
service#34809198
He is honored with the Purple Heart.
"Exercise Tiger"
Mission Date: 28-Apr-44
LST-531 laid down on 22 September 1943 at Evansville, Ind., by the Missouri Valley Bridge & Iron Co.; launched on 24 November 1943; sponsored by Mrs. Marion Yoder; and commissioned on 17 January 1944
Location: Slapton Sands on the Devon
Cause: German E-Boat attack
Commanded by Lt. William D. Bradley, USNR
PVT Webb appears Tablets of the Missing Cambridge American Cemetery and Memorial lost April 28th 1944. This memorial is a cenotaph body was never recovered.
One of several assault rehearsals for D Day conducted at Slapton Sands on the Devon coast. So vital was the exercise that the commanders had ordered the use of live naval and artillery ammunition to make the exercise as real as possible to accustom the soldiers to what they were soon going to experience.
The exercise was conducted between 22nd and 30th April 1944 and commenced with the marshalling and embarking of the troops to the LST's (a landing ship tank is a flat bottomed four and a half thousand tons assault ship capable of carrying several hundred men, lorries and tanks) off the coast of south west England. The first assault landings were made on the morning of the 27th April, following the "bombardment" and was continued throughout the day. A follow up convoy of eight LST was expected later that night and it was this convoy which met with tragedy.
The convoy was moving at a speed of 5 knots in a single row, keeping a distance of about 400 yards and stayed in the order LST 515, 496, 511, 531, 58, 499,289 and 507.
On the night of 27th of April, few minutes after 10 pm a group of nine German E-Boats set out on a normal reconnaissance mission from their base in Cherbourg into the Lyme Bay area. They followed the usual channel route without any sign of a convoy or 'enemy' ships. As they headed towards the Lyme Bay area, they suddenly came in visual contact with the LST convoy. Since they could not see any naval escorts, they quickly positioned themselves for a torpedo attack.
As the convoy approached Lyme Bay it was manoeuvring a loop to head back towards the shore. It was here that the E-Boats made contact and opened fire. at as the davits jammed. Presumably, that remains trapped under the bow of LST 507.Both vessels were hit midships igniting the petrol vapour and causing the vessels to eventually jackknife and sink. On board one of the LST's were a party code-named " Bigots ". They knew the full plan for D. Day. Later Landing craft tanks ( LCT's ) were employed with bow ramps down to scoop up bodies. The fear was that a " Bigot " had been captured and D. Day would have to be aborted.
Visit the virtual cemetery of the soldiers lost in Exercise Tiger " Click Here "
US Army World War II
PVT Grady D. Webb MIA/KIA Operation Tiger, April 28, 1944
531st Engineer Shore Regiment
Hometown East Lake Alabama
service#34809198
He is honored with the Purple Heart.
"Exercise Tiger"
Mission Date: 28-Apr-44
LST-531 laid down on 22 September 1943 at Evansville, Ind., by the Missouri Valley Bridge & Iron Co.; launched on 24 November 1943; sponsored by Mrs. Marion Yoder; and commissioned on 17 January 1944
Location: Slapton Sands on the Devon
Cause: German E-Boat attack
Commanded by Lt. William D. Bradley, USNR
PVT Webb appears Tablets of the Missing Cambridge American Cemetery and Memorial lost April 28th 1944. This memorial is a cenotaph body was never recovered.
One of several assault rehearsals for D Day conducted at Slapton Sands on the Devon coast. So vital was the exercise that the commanders had ordered the use of live naval and artillery ammunition to make the exercise as real as possible to accustom the soldiers to what they were soon going to experience.
The exercise was conducted between 22nd and 30th April 1944 and commenced with the marshalling and embarking of the troops to the LST's (a landing ship tank is a flat bottomed four and a half thousand tons assault ship capable of carrying several hundred men, lorries and tanks) off the coast of south west England. The first assault landings were made on the morning of the 27th April, following the "bombardment" and was continued throughout the day. A follow up convoy of eight LST was expected later that night and it was this convoy which met with tragedy.
The convoy was moving at a speed of 5 knots in a single row, keeping a distance of about 400 yards and stayed in the order LST 515, 496, 511, 531, 58, 499,289 and 507.
On the night of 27th of April, few minutes after 10 pm a group of nine German E-Boats set out on a normal reconnaissance mission from their base in Cherbourg into the Lyme Bay area. They followed the usual channel route without any sign of a convoy or 'enemy' ships. As they headed towards the Lyme Bay area, they suddenly came in visual contact with the LST convoy. Since they could not see any naval escorts, they quickly positioned themselves for a torpedo attack.
As the convoy approached Lyme Bay it was manoeuvring a loop to head back towards the shore. It was here that the E-Boats made contact and opened fire. at as the davits jammed. Presumably, that remains trapped under the bow of LST 507.Both vessels were hit midships igniting the petrol vapour and causing the vessels to eventually jackknife and sink. On board one of the LST's were a party code-named " Bigots ". They knew the full plan for D. Day. Later Landing craft tanks ( LCT's ) were employed with bow ramps down to scoop up bodies. The fear was that a " Bigot " had been captured and D. Day would have to be aborted.
Visit the virtual cemetery of the soldiers lost in Exercise Tiger " Click Here "
PVT Grady D. Webb MIA/KIA Operation Tiger, April 28, 1944
531st Engineer Shore Regiment
Hometown East Lake Alabama
service#34809198
He is honored with the Purple Heart.
"Exercise Tiger"
Mission Date: 28-Apr-44
LST-531 laid down on 22 September 1943 at Evansville, Ind., by the Missouri Valley Bridge & Iron Co.; launched on 24 November 1943; sponsored by Mrs. Marion Yoder; and commissioned on 17 January 1944
Location: Slapton Sands on the Devon
Cause: German E-Boat attack
Commanded by Lt. William D. Bradley, USNR
PVT Webb appears Tablets of the Missing Cambridge American Cemetery and Memorial lost April 28th 1944. This memorial is a cenotaph body was never recovered.
One of several assault rehearsals for D Day conducted at Slapton Sands on the Devon coast. So vital was the exercise that the commanders had ordered the use of live naval and artillery ammunition to make the exercise as real as possible to accustom the soldiers to what they were soon going to experience.
The exercise was conducted between 22nd and 30th April 1944 and commenced with the marshalling and embarking of the troops to the LST's (a landing ship tank is a flat bottomed four and a half thousand tons assault ship capable of carrying several hundred men, lorries and tanks) off the coast of south west England. The first assault landings were made on the morning of the 27th April, following the "bombardment" and was continued throughout the day. A follow up convoy of eight LST was expected later that night and it was this convoy which met with tragedy.
The convoy was moving at a speed of 5 knots in a single row, keeping a distance of about 400 yards and stayed in the order LST 515, 496, 511, 531, 58, 499,289 and 507.
On the night of 27th of April, few minutes after 10 pm a group of nine German E-Boats set out on a normal reconnaissance mission from their base in Cherbourg into the Lyme Bay area. They followed the usual channel route without any sign of a convoy or 'enemy' ships. As they headed towards the Lyme Bay area, they suddenly came in visual contact with the LST convoy. Since they could not see any naval escorts, they quickly positioned themselves for a torpedo attack.
As the convoy approached Lyme Bay it was manoeuvring a loop to head back towards the shore. It was here that the E-Boats made contact and opened fire. at as the davits jammed. Presumably, that remains trapped under the bow of LST 507.Both vessels were hit midships igniting the petrol vapour and causing the vessels to eventually jackknife and sink. On board one of the LST's were a party code-named " Bigots ". They knew the full plan for D. Day. Later Landing craft tanks ( LCT's ) were employed with bow ramps down to scoop up bodies. The fear was that a " Bigot " had been captured and D. Day would have to be aborted.
Visit the virtual cemetery of the soldiers lost in Exercise Tiger " Click Here "
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PVT 531st Engineer Shore Bn US Army
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