L.C.I. 121, 298, and 249 had a slow and hazardous return crossing. At one time 249 appeared to be about to sink, and all C.B.'s and removable equipment were transferred to 298. Even with 249 in tow 298 had to restrict her speed to suit 121 who had developed a list and was down by the bows, but after a twenty-two hour crossing all three arrived safely in the Solent at 1015 on the 7th. Next day, 249 managed to hail a passing tug which towed her in a sinking condition into Portsmouth for repairs.

260th Flotilla's Second Group:

Lieutenant-Commander Doheny's group of L.C.A.'s, although they had proceeded in the van of the first assault group of Force "J", were not intended to beach as a group. Only 117 was to beach early in the morning. Her orders were to touch down at 0900, 75 minutes after H hours, followed by 177 and 285 at half hour intervals. L.C.I. 117 was held up for half an hour before beaching and 177 and 285 were delayed even longer. The trouble was that the assault troops on Mike Green and Mike Red beaches had run up against water obstacles among the sand dunes behind the beaches where the Germans had flooded part of the area and kept up vigorous sniping and mortar fire for somewhat longer than in other sectors. The water obstacles were a serious barrier not so much for our troops as for our guns and vehicles, for which it was a lengthy job establishing exits from the beaches.

At 0945 L.C.I. 117 joined her beaching group of L.C.T.'s carrying self-propelled artillery which had been bombarding Nan beaches. The group was ready to beach at the ordered time, 0900, but the beach was not ready for them. Exits had not been established and there was no evidence of any obstacle clearance having been carried out off the beaches. The tide had now arisen two or three feet since "PRINCE HENRY's" L.C.A.'s had gone on to the beach and the obstacles were therefore more thickly scattered, the majority of them being above half tide. After half an hour's delay 117's group was ordered into the beach, and deployed for the run in towards the channel to Mike Green and Mike Red beaches, just over a mile west of Courseulles. On the run in through a small gap in the obstacles 117 struck Landing Craft Headquarters 169 and ripped off her starboard ramp. Wondering how he could disembark his troops over one ramp the Captain of 117 soon had more to worry about when it was reported from aft that his kedge winch would not start, probably because of sea water damage to the motors. He kedged anyway and touched down at 0930. Two seamen ran beach lines ashore from the base of each ramp to assist the army, who might easily lose their footing in struggling through the surf with their heavy equipment. There was some machine-gun fire which holed 117 above the water line in a few places but few had time to notice it.

The 205 troops which L.C.I. 117 carried were mainly a Beach Signal Group and a unit of the King's Regiment under a Lieutenant-Colonel, but also included about 47 Pioneers of the Royal Canadian Engineers. Both parties had a considerable amount of equipment to get off with them, the Beach Group carrying much bulky signals gear and the Pioneers carrying shovels, mine detectors and explosives for counter mining, and it took 25 minutes to get the troops disembarked over 117's only ramp. At this state of the tide the beach gradient was about one in thirty and the troops got a fairly dry landing in about two feet of water. The kedge winch motor still refused to start so the cable was cut, leaving the ship in a very precarious position with every possibility of