broaching to in the fresh wind and cross tide. By good luck and good management the Commanding Officer was able to use its engines to keep his craft straight on the beach and the last of the troops were successfully disembarked by 1000.

On the beach it was apparent why the group had not been ordered in before. Several L.C.T.'s nearby were slowly getting their tanks and self-propelled artillery unloaded while several other craft were waiting for the vehicles already on the beach to get out of the way so they could unload. L.C.I. 117 came off the beach with considerable difficulty. Using the engines had kept the craft from broaching to on the beach during unloading, but had damaged the screws, especially the port propeller. By steadying herself on the side of an L.C.T., 117 managed to get off on engines alone at 1007. On the way out 117 again managed to escape setting off any of the mined beach obstacles but saw more than one L.C.T. explode mines, which usually had little more damaging effect than to knock off part of the L. C. T.' s bow ramp.

After disembarking her troops 117 had orders to proceed to "PRINCE HENRY" and take a load of her troops back to the beach. Fortunately 117 while on the beach had embarked three out of the four survivors from the "PRINCE HENRY's" L.C.A. which had been destroyed on the beach over an hour before, and 117 now took these three with a Marine they had picked up at the same time back to "PRINCE HENRY". She discharged her survivors at 1220 and reported that her port-screws and engine were seriously damaged so that she would be no use for the ferry service. "PRINCE HENRY" therefore told her to carry on independently as best she could. She tried to overtake a group sailing for Portsmouth but she was unable to catch them. At 0100 on the 7th 117 limped through Spithead Gate on one engine and the next day she was sent into dock in Southampton for repairs.

L.C.I. 177 was the next L.C.I. of the group to beach but because of the conditions ashore she was not ordered in until 1330. She also beached on Mike Green near Mike Red, where she discharged her 195 troops, mainly British and Canadian beach group personnel and a few Medical Corps.

L.C.I. 295 beached close to 177 half an hour later. either 295 nor 177 had much trouble with the obstacles as the tide was just beginning to ebb and the water covered the obstacles. L.C.I. 295 got all her troops off safely including an R.C.A.F. -- R.A.F. contingent who were going to operate balloons on the beach. Getting off the beach,however, was a different story. Both L.C.I.'s were caught on the falling tide and had to dry out until the next tide floated them off.

Up to this time the most remarkable feature of the operation had been the absence of the Luftwaffe. Not a single enemy aircraft was seen by any of the Canadian ships or craft until late in the afternoon. Then at 1700 a single tip-and-run attack was made. A Focke Wulfe 190 dive-bombed L.C.I. 295 and came much too close for comfort but inflicted neither damage nor casualties on 285 or any craft nearby.