The Unsung Little Ships Behind Every Major Amphibious Assault скачать в хорошем качестве

The Unsung Little Ships Behind Every Major Amphibious Assault

Every iconic amphibious assault of World War II—Normandy, Sicily, Saipan, Guam, Peleliu, Leyte—shared a hidden truth: before the landing craft hit the beaches, before the tanks rolled ashore, before the first wave of infantry charged forward, a different group of vessels had already fought the most dangerous battle of the entire invasion. These were the little ships—the minesweepers, patrol craft, and support vessels that cleared the way. Small, lightly armed, and often overlooked, these ships were the first to enter enemy waters. They faced minefields thick enough to destroy an entire fleet, coastal guns that could tear them apart, submarine threats lurking offshore, and skies filled with enemy aircraft. Yet they pressed forward, carving safe channels through deadly waters so the massive invasion armadas behind them could reach the beach. They weren’t glamorous. They weren’t celebrated. But without these little ships, no amphibious assault of World War II could have happened. This is the long-overdue story of the forgotten fleet that made victory possible.