Fabius, 1944
Encyclopedia
Exercise Fabius was a formal exercise for Operation Neptune. (The other was Exercise Tiger
, which had occurred a week earlier.)
The exercise was planned to start on 2 May 1944, but bad weather delayed it to the next day.
It consisted of six separate exercises:
They formed the largest amphibious training exercise of the war. As the final exercise before Operation Neptune, it resembled closely the final operation and no major changes could be made to Operation Neptune.
Exercise Tiger
Exercise Tiger, or Operation Tiger, were the code names for a full-scale rehearsal in 1944 for the D-Day invasion of Normandy. During the exercise, an Allied convoy was attacked, resulting in the deaths of 946 American servicemen....
, which had occurred a week earlier.)
The exercise was planned to start on 2 May 1944, but bad weather delayed it to the next day.
It consisted of six separate exercises:
- Fabius 1 - elements of the 1st Infantry Division and 29th Infantry Division (United States) practiced amphibious landing at Slapton SandsSlapton, DevonSlapton is a village in Devon, England. It is located near the A379 road between Kingsbridge and Dartmouth, and lies within the South Devon Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty . In 2001 the population of the civil parish of Slapton was 473...
.
- Fabius 2 - elements of the 50th Infantry Division practiced landings at Hayling IslandHayling Island-Leisure activities:Although largely residential, Hayling is also a holiday, windsurfing and sailing centre, the site where windsurfing was invented....
.
- Fabius 3 - elements of the 3rd Canadian Infantry Division3rd Canadian Infantry DivisionThe Canadian 3rd Infantry Division was an infantry division of the Canadian Army from 1940 to c.1945.- History :The formation of the division was authorized on 17 May 1940...
practiced landings at Bracklesham BayBracklesham BayBracklesham Bay is a coastal bay on the west side of the Manhood Peninsula in West Sussex, England. The bay looks out onto the English Channel and the Isle of Wight is visible from the beach, as is the Nab Tower lighthouse and the Spinnaker Tower in Portsmouth.The bay is sandy and backed with...
.
- Fabius 4 - elements of the 3rd Infantry Division and associated units practiced landing at LittlehamptonLittlehamptonLittlehampton is a seaside resort town and civil parish in the Arun District of West Sussex, England, on the east bank at the mouth of the River Arun. It lies south southwest of London, west of Brighton and east of the county town of Chichester....
.
- Fabius 5 and 6 - practice for American and British forces working on buildup of forces and supplies on Allied beaches.
They formed the largest amphibious training exercise of the war. As the final exercise before Operation Neptune, it resembled closely the final operation and no major changes could be made to Operation Neptune.